Centerplate and The Tampa Bay Rays Introduce Craft Beer Bar And New Everglades Brewhouse Featuring Southern-Style Classics To Tropicana Field For 2014

STAMFORD, Conn. and TAMPA, Fla., March 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- A brand new baseball season and Centerplate, the hospitality partner to the Tampa Bay Rays, unveiled new menus to open 2014 at a newly-renovated Tropicana Field.  On opening day, fans will find a mix of baseball food classics and new menu items showcasing Southern culture and the new facility upgrades, including re-designed concepts for "The Porch in Center Field," an open deck overlooking center field in the former location of Everglades BBQ restaurant, which includes a 40-foot long bar featuring local made craft beers from St. Petersburg and Tampa.

"This is an exciting season for us here at Tropicana Field," said John Cirelli, Centerplate's General Manager at Tropicana Field.  "With the improvements to the park and the enhancements to the fan experience, we're really making it better to be here.  Our new menus keep the Everglades BBQ favorites and bring to life the 'porch picnic' concept with some great Southern recipes that fans will love."

New Menu Highlights
The new porch, which is accessible to all General Admissions ticketholders, will include portable quick-service areas serving baseball classics of hot dogs, pretzels, popcorn, and beverages along with house-smoked Everglades BBQ and Tropicana Field's signature Italian Hot Dog.

In addition to the Porch's great sightlines, the new "Everglades Brewhouse" restaurant offers Rays fans a taste of the deep South, with comfort food classics like "Bangin' Shrimp" and fried bologna sliders. Highlights include:

The Roadhouse Reuben - a new twist on an old favorite, Centerplate's take on the Reuben starts with thinly-sliced beef brisket that's been slow-smoked for fourteen hours then layered between Swiss cheese, house-made vinegar slaw and thick-sliced country white bread delivered fresh from St. Armands Bakery in Sarasota, FL. 

House-made Smoked Beef Jerky - Only the best locally-sourced prime selection of beef is used in the making of the Smoked Beef Jerky. Cured for twenty-four hours and slow smoked another forty-eight for a true artisan-style jerky.

Old fashioned deviled eggs - the Southern-style picnic classic gets a new kick with pickled jalapenos and shaved scallions. Our deviled eggs are made with fresh eggs from Sutter's of Sarasota, FL.

"Roadhouse Moonshine" - Old-fashioned bourbon and country-style lemonade served in a mason jar with a house-smoked bacon strip swizzle. 

FAN vs. FOOD CHALLENGE
Also returning for 2014 is a popular Tropicana Field tradition: the "Fan vs. Food" challenge. Fans who enjoy major league portion sizes can opt for a two-pound all-beef custom-ground burger from Pinellas Meats in Saint Petersburg, FL. The premium-grade patty comes topped with a pound of cheese, lettuce, tomato and bacon on a homemade sesame bun with a pound of French fries.

Centerplate is also continuing its Chef Naturals program in premium seats. Featuring seven tasty dishes, some sports classics, and some soon-to-be favorites, the menu highlights all natural ingredients, including: wild white shrimp served with a spicy cocktail sauce and lemon and lime wedges, all natural frankfurters with caraway seed Riesling sauerkraut, tomato fondue, and natural potato rolls and Flourless Chocolate Cake with chipotle-spiked natural Mexican cocoa ganache and fresh strawberries, among others.

About Centerplate
Centerplate is a global leader in live event hospitality, "Making It Better To Be There®" for more than 115 million guests each year at more than 300 prominent entertainment, sports and convention venues across North America, Europe and the United Kingdom-including three Major League Baseball parks. Centerplate has provided event hospitality services to 30 official U.S. Presidential Inaugural Balls, 13 Super Bowls, 21 World Series, the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, and the largest plated dinner in history at the Alpha Kappa Alpha Centennial Celebration. Named the fastest-growing restaurant group by Nation's Restaurant News in 2011, during the last twelve months Centerplate has continued its rapid growth, adding a new division in the United Kingdom, expanding to heritage venues across Scotland, signing a joint venture to serve the new home of Spain's Atletico de Madrid football club, and through its wholly-owned subsidiary Fifth Dining, the food and beverage partner for Saks Fifth Avenue, launched in Chicago the first Sophie's at Saks Fifth Avenue restaurant. Visit the company online at www.centerplate.com or connect via Twitter @centerplate or Facebook /centerplate.

SOURCE Centerplate