LOOK: New food items set to be unveiled at Big House this fall
There will be a smattering of new items on the menu for Michigan football games this fall. The local media was invited to a food tasting at the Big House on Friday for a look (and bite) of what’s to come.
The tasting was hosted by Michigan and Centerplate head chef Chris Carr, who revealed they prepared food for anywhere from 8,000-10,000 people in the suite and club sections on gameday. Food prep typically begins around 1 a.m. on gamedays with Carr’s staff of 13 chefs hard at work leading up to and through the event. For the Michigan vs. Ohio State game last year, Carr and company made over 150 gallons of chili for the patrons in attendance.
Carr’s staff also works with athletic department dieticians and feeds the student-athletes on campus. Outside of a few-week window between seasons, they is never an offseason for Michigan’s catering staff.
The items the media was able to sample were exclusive to the suite and club sections this season. Here is a rundown of what we tried on Friday afternoon.
New Michigan Stadium Suite Food Items
Smoked Turkey Brie Sandwich: “Thinly sliced smoked turkey stacked high, creamy brie cheese, baby kale and finished with cranberry aioli on a baguette”
Honey Stinger Chicken Sandwich: “Honey stinger glazed breaded chicken breast topped with house-pickled mild peppers and served on a brioche bun”
Southwest Quinoa: “Tri-colored quinoa with roasted red peppers, black beans, Chao cheese, cilantro, roasted heirloom grape tomatoes with charred poblano vinaigrette”
BYO Impossible Burger: “Served with tomato chutney, arugula, Chao cheese on the side and brioche buns”
Garden Vegetable Display: “Chefs farmer market picked fresh vegetables with herbed buttermilk dip”
Premium Mac ‘N Cheese With Buffalo Chicken: “Cavatappi pasta and house-made three-cheese sauce with crispy popcorn chicken tossed in buffalo sauce”
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Sweet Chili Chicken Lollipop: “Frenched chicken drum marinated and drudged in panko, finished with a sweet chili sauce and sesame seeds”
Bourbon BBQ Smoked Brisket: “Sliced hardwood smoked brisket finished with a bourbon BBQ glaze, herb roasted fingerling sweet potatoes, caramelized shallot and roasted Brussel sprouts”
Caramel Apple Tart: “Sliced local Michigan apples resting on a bet of house-spliced cider caramel in a flaky tort”
Peanut Butter Cup Parfait: “Layers of cream whipped peanut butter yogurt and chocolate mousse finished with a touch of whipped cream”
Fresh Cut Fruit Display: “Sliced fresh fruit garnished with assorted berries and grapes”
Ranking the items
The Wolverine tried a bit of everything on display before the food coma hit. Here is how the items ranked out.
- Honey Stinger Chicken Sandwich: This was the runaway winner in an informal media poll taken.
- Peanut Butter Cup Parfait: Every bit as delicious as the description would have you believe. By far the best of the desserts on display.
- Smoked Turkey Brie Sandwich: Turkey can be tricky because it dries out, but this was a good product. The cranberry aioli was a nice touch.
- BYO Impossible Burger: If you did not know it was not real meat, you wouldn’t have known the difference. The taste and consistency of real beef are intact.
- Southwest Quinoa: Another standout with ingredients and flavor profiles that fit well together.
- Sweet Chili Chicken Lollipop: Most in attendance had this higher on their lists. While it was good, the piece we had was a bit messy. The response was overwhelmingly positive, though.
- Premium Mac ‘N Cheese With Buffalo Chicken: This was another favorite of the group. It is hard to beat what came ahead of it, though.
- Caramel Apple Tart: Another solid dessert, but the parfait cast a wide shadow over it. Will be a nice fall treat when the time comes.
- Bourbon BBQ Smoked Brisket: Cuts of the meat varied in size and taste was good, but fell short of other items listed.
- Fruits and vegetables: Self-explanatory, but everything was fresh and delicious. That said, hard to rank healthy items above everything above.
Here is the menu from the Michigan tasting in tiers:
Elite: Honey Stinger Chicken, Peanut Butter Cup Parfait
Very good: Turkey sandwich, impossible burger, quinoa
Solid: Chicken lollipop, mac and cheese, apple tart, brisket
The rest: Fruits and veggies
As far as what will be available on the concourse this year, Michigan fans will have to stay tuned. If fans find themselves in a suit for a club for a game, it appears the options will be plenty. Menus will change for each game and the staff will continue to experiment, but the Michigan faithful will not go home hungry.
