SEATTLE, WA – Amidst talk of a controlled environment to build the rink and event stage immersed in pacific northwest branding, newly designed logos and uniforms and the two newest NHL teams battling at this year’s edition of the NHL Winter Classic, another new twist awaits fans attending the big game at T-Mobile Park on New Year’s Day.
It comes by way of appealing to your palette and it is a unique array of choice exclusive to the big game on Monday afternoon. Sodexo Live!, hospitality partner of the Seattle Mariners, has designed the one-day only menu available at the ballpark.
“We’re excited to host the city’s first Winter Classic and welcome hockey fans to the ballpark,” said Malcolm Rogel, Seattle Mariners Vice President of Fan Experience. “The menu we’ve created in partnership with Sodexo Live! and our incredible vendors represents the best of the Pacific Northwest, and we can’t wait for fans to try the limited-edition items we’ve created.”
Designed by Sodexo Live! Executive Chef Javier Rosa, the menu features creative dishes from local Seattle suppliers, partners, and many of chef’s unique creations. Instead of traditional lemonade stands, there will be coffee and hot chocolate locations stationed throughout the ballpark to keep Kraken and Golden Knights fans warm.
Some of the items were available at a special tasting during the practice events which began with the visiting Vegas Golden Knights and then concluded just before noon with the home Seattle Kraken.
I was fortunate to taste the following items:
• Cinnamon & Honey Fried Chicken Ice Cream from Salt & Straw – Seattle-based Ezell’s Famous Chicken, chicken fat deep fried croissants, salted vanilla ice cream, cinnamon, honey, secret spices (section 152)
• Coconut Hot Chocolate from Marination – Hot chocolate with coconut syrup and whipped cream (section 119)
• Pike Place Clam Chowder – Loads of meaty clams flavored with bacon, onions, potatoes, cream and a secret blend of herbs and spices (Walk-Off Markets section 126, 141)
• Crab Pizza from MOTO Pizza – Fresh Dungeness crab atop a splash of warm butter, dill, thyme, and parmesan, finished with fresh squeezed lemon and herbs, using a century-old sourdough starter (section 132)
• Troll Pizza from Ballard Pizza Co. – Tomato sauce, mozzarella, coppa, sausage, red bell pepper, red onion (section 241, ‘Pen)
• House-Smoked BBQ Pork Belly Sliders – Pork belly tossed in signature BBQ sauce and topped with zesty ranch slaw, butter dill pickles (Holy Smoke BBQ section 105, 312) 
• Footlong Dungeness Crab Roll – Dungeness crab salad in a lemon tarragon dressing served on a grilled footlong brioche roll topped with Tobiko caviar (Walk-Off Markets section 126, 141) 
Other items which will be available include.
• Poutine Burger from Lil Woody’s – ¼ pound Royal Ranch grass-fed beef covered with brown gravy, fries and cheddar cheese (The Pen)
• Ivar’s Calamari – Hand-cut calamari strips, freshly battered and breaded, served with spicy dipping sauce (section 117, 335)
• Seattle Smash Cocktail – New Amsterdam vodka, pineapple juice, lime juice and club soda (The Pen, Terrace Club, Trident Deck, Batter Up, All-Star Club and Press Club)
• Spicy House-Smoked Brisket Barbacoa Torta – Poblano rajas, fire roasted peppers and onions, asadero cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, chipotle crema, fresh torta bread (Edgar’s Cantina/The Pen)
• Spicy Chicken Sandwich – Crispy chicken cutlet smothered in spicy sauce, sliced dill kosher pickles, signature boom boom sauce on a fresh potato bun (Chick Boom, section 106)
• Sunrise Tuna Bowl from Just Poke – Spicy tuna topped with eel sauce, spicy mayo, avocado, tempura crunchies, ginger, edamame and seaweed salad (section 132)
• Homemade Smoked Brisket & Beans “Chili” Loaded Baked Potato – Baked potato, crema, green onion, jalapenos, Beecher’s Jerk shredded cheese (Change Up, section 221)
• 1/3 lb. Wagyu Cheeseburger from Kidd Valley – Fresh wagyu beef from Northwest farms, cheese (section 149, 325)
• “We’re so excited to kick off the New Year with this once-in-a-lifetime event,” said Meagan Murray, District Manager, Sodexo Live!. “It’s been so much fun to plan for this, and to get creative – whether with the fried chicken ice cream, poutine burger or coconut hot chocolate – so we can give fans an incredible experience. Our team of culinarians, servers, and bartenders have looked forward to helping host this event for a while, and we’re ready for some hockey!”
• This game continues the tradition established by the NHL in 2008 of hosting a regular-season outdoor game on or around New Year’s Day. It will be the first regular-season outdoor contest in franchise history for the Kraken, and the first time either team has participated in the Winter Classic. T-Mobile Park will be the fourteenth venue and eighth ballpark to host. This year will be the first time that the Winter Classic has been played west of the Central time zone.
Dennis Morrell has developed a deeply rooted passion for our game over many decades as a goaltender, writer, photographer, goalie coach, and active Level 3 USA Hockey-certified, on-ice official with over 2,000 games with the whistle. His passion for the game began in the early 70s upon his first glance at players battling for the puck at Clayton’s Shaw Park.
He has been fortunate to journalistically cover 2 NHL Entry Drafts, 5 NHL All-Star Games, 8 NHL Outdoor Games in two countries and 21 games played in the context of 9 Stanley Cup Final games, witnessing the oldest trophy in sports lifted by the champion 3 times, including when his beloved hometown team, the St. Louis Blues, won their first chalice in 2019.
He has witnessed over 1,000 major and minor professional games in over 250 different arenas. He can be reached at dennis.morrell@prohockeynews.com and you can follow him on Twitter at DMMORRELL.
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