Delaware North Sportservice Serving Fans a Slice of Texas and More for First World Series at Rangers Ballpark

ARLINGTON, Texas, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Delaware North Companies Sportservice is set with a beefed up staff and lineup of favorite Texas dishes and more, so Rangers fans can savor the first World Series at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

Sportservice has added chefs, vendors and created special menus for games 3, 4 and 5 against the San Francisco Giants, which are scheduled for Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights at Rangers Ballpark. More than 1,500 Sportservice associates and non-profit group members are ready to serve fans at each game, and more than 30 Sportservice managers will help oversee the operation.

Rick Abramson, Sportservice's president, said the company is eager to once again demonstrate its experience and expertise in sports hospitality and food service during the 2010 World Series.

"Sportservice is excited to be treating Texas fans to a wide array of great food during the World Series," Abramson said. "From Nolan Ryan's Guaranteed Tender Beef to the new Asian Wok, we have all the bases covered."

In 2006, Sportservice fed the fans at all of the games of the World Series at the new Busch Stadium in St. Louis and at Comerica Park in Detroit, where Sportservice began its first major league concessions contract in 1930.

Shawn Mattox, Sportservice's general manager at Rangers Ballpark, said Texas fans and others taking in the Fall Classic will be pleased with the array of selections available at concessions, as well as in the clubs and suites.

"This season we introduced plenty of new concepts and menu items, including a chicken fried steak sandwich, sweet potato fries, chocolate lava cake, grilled veggie subs, in-seat quesadillas and new draft beers," Mattox said. "These items, paired with our special offerings just for these upcoming games, will make for one great World Series-worthy spread."

During the 2010 baseball season, Sportservice's House Smoked Brisket and menu items featuring Nolan Ryan's Guaranteed Tender Beef were most popular, Mattox said. Sportservice offers Nolan Ryan's burgers and sausage in concessions, prime rib at the Diamond Club Buffet, and burgers and sliders in the suites and the Cuervo Club. The signature brisket is served both chopped and sliced in the concessions, in the suites and at the Cuervo Club.

The lineup of popular beers served at the ballpark now includes many from Texas, including Rahr Texas Red, Rahr Blonde, Shiner Bock, Shiner Black, Lonestar, Saint Arnold Lawnmower and Saint Arnold Summer Wheat.

For the World Series, new menu items, portable concession carts and souvenirs are being added throughout the ballpark:

New menu items in concessions:

• Bacon-wrapped hot dogs and brats topped with caramelized onions, pickle relish and spicy mustard on Rotella rolls are served with World Series souvenir cups of soda or beer in three locations on the concessions concourse.

• World Series souvenir items include a peanut bucket, popcorn bucket, cotton candy bucket, nacho bucket, beer cup, beer mug, soda cup and soda mug.

• The Bayou Cookin' portable cart features gumbo and white rice, red beans and white rice, dirty rice, andouille sausage and Abita beer from Louisiana.

• The new Asian Wok cart features Asian noodles and fried rice with a choice of chicken or shrimp, as well as Sapporo beer.

• Fifteen new beer and soda locations have been added throughout the park.

New menu items in clubs:

• A new pasta station and Asian wok station have been added to the Diamond Club Buffet.

• The Big Tex Torta sandwich with grilled ham, smoked turkey, fresh avocado, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, bacon and spicy mayonnaise on grilled soft bread is available in the Cuervo Club with a choice of a souvenir cup of soda or beer.

New menu items in suites:

• The Champagne Celebration package features two bottles of Champagne, 10 glasses and two Rangers souvenir buckets.

• The World Series Special serves 7 to 10 guests and includes seasonal fruit, nine-layer dip, chilled shrimp, crab claws, great American salad, beef tenderloin, chicken fajitas, hot dogs, potato salad, a cookie and brownie combo, Coke, Diet Coke, Dr. Pepper, Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, Coors Light, Shiner and Dos Equis XX, and Mondavi Chardonnay and Cabernet.

In the suites, Sportservice is also serving the most popular of the Food Network dishes it introduced this season at Rangers Ballpark and seven others across the country through its new partnership with the iconic lifestyle brand.

Fans can savor a New Orleans barbecued shrimp appetizer, smashed fried potatoes topped with cheddar cheese and bacon, an iceberg wedge salad with blue cheese and oven-roasted tomatoes, and a slow-roasted drunken pork sandwich with celery root slaw. The Food Network dishes are paired with Sam Adams Oktoberfest and The Veranda – made with Maker's Mark bourbon, peach puree and lime juice.

"Food Network takes classic dishes and gives them a unique and delicious twist," said Cristobal Vazquez, Certified Chef de Cuisine and Sportservice's executive chef for the Texas Rangers. "The fans have loved them, and our chefs are thrilled to be creating them."

Vazquez oversees all culinary operations and menus, including premium dining in the Diamond Club Buffet, suite and event catering, and general concessions.

World Series food by the numbers:

Based on the playoff games at Rangers Ballpark, here is a sampling of what Sportservice expects fans at each game to devour from the concessions:

• 2,000 burgers
• 1,344 brisket sandwiches
• 1,400 sausages
• 144 Lonestar burritos
• 15,000 jumbo hot dogs
• 600 foot-long hot dogs
• 600 bacon-wrapped hot dogs
• 5,000 nachos
• 45,400 bottled beers
• 23,500 draft beers
• 12,000 fountain sodas
• 2,688 bottle sodas
• 4,320 bags of peanuts
• 350 Asian Wok dishes
• 275 Bayou beans and rice dishes

About Delaware North Companies Sportservice

Delaware North Companies Sportservice is one of the nation's leading food, beverage and retail management companies. Sportservice provides concessions, gourmet catering and fine dining operations at more than 50 professional sporting venues, entertainment complexes and convention centers across the United States and Canada. Sportservice is the provider of choice for an impressive client roster, including the World Series, the National Hockey League and Major League Baseball's All-Star games, Stanley Cup Championships and the Olympic Games.

For more than 90 years, Sportservice has demonstrated that it knows what it takes to effectively develop, operate and manage multi-faceted kitchens, restaurants, suites, fine dining and retail facilities in order to meet the changing demands of today's fans. From introducing new healthy, organic food selections and creative cuisine for twists on the traditional fare, Sportservice continues to innovate and enhance the fan experience.

About Delaware North Companies

Delaware North Companies is one of the world's leading hospitality and food service providers. Its family of companies includes Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, Delaware North Companies Gaming & Entertainment, Delaware North Companies Travel Hospitality Services, Delaware North Companies Sportservice, Delaware North Companies International and Delaware North Companies Boston, owner of TD Garden. Delaware North Companies is one of the largest privately held companies in the United States with revenues exceeding $2 billion annually and 50,000 associates serving half a billion customers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. For more information, visit www.DelawareNorth.com.

SOURCE Delaware North Companies