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Is this the last hurrah for the Sweet Potato Pancake Dog? Many of the bizarre treats sold from the concession stands at GCS Stadium, home of minor-league baseball’s Gateway Grizzlies, disappear after but a single year of magic.
We’re looking at you, “The Beast,” a tower of 15 1/3-lb. Black Angus burgers marinated in Andria's Steak Sauce and impaled on a skewer. And we’ll not soon forget you, "Buffalo Pretzel." And it was good while it lasted, “Tornados,” you crispy wontons filled with chicken, battered, fried, dipped in Buffalo sauce, and served with ranch or bleu cheese dipping sauce.
But to be honest, you scared the bejesus out of us, “Deep-Fried White Castle.” We completely missed trying you, thus likely avoiding genetic damage. You were, quite simply, a Slyder dipped in batter and fried. Grizzlies events manager Jeff O’Neill reported that, in his opinion, “it [the Deep-Fried Slyder] was good while fresh, but the longer it sat, the greasier it got as the oil made its way into the burger.” The mind reels at the goat-killing heartburn this stadium snack must have induced.
Then there are the perversities and curiosities the Grizzlies have kept on the menu. Foremost among them is a sandwich that could make Paula Deen blush, “Baseball’s Best Burger.” This is the infamous bacon cheeseburger on a Krispy Kreme donut that earned disbelieving yawps from far and wide.
The idea of sugary or candied meat is not so crazy, really—General Tso's chicken rocks the proverbial Mandarin House, no? Baseball’s Best Burger is actually made by slicing that Krispy Kreme donut length-wise, and then turning each slice around so the doughy interior comes in contact with the grill. A grilled donut definitely takes some getting used to. The texture and taste are completely transformed into a fleshier, more subdued animal than any donut we’re used to. The gestalt of a grilled donut, burger, bacon, and cheese is like a band comprised of four lead guitarists. It may not be perfectly balanced, but each component does manage to yowl for your attention.
Also still available, the humbly named “Baseball's Best Hot Dog” and “Baseball’s Best Nachos.” The former is a 1/5-lb. Black Angus dog blanketed with sauerkraut, sautéed onions, bacon, and nacho cheese. The snappy kraut, sautéed onions, and goopy cheese make for a great combo of textures. The latter is like the innards of a Philly cheese steak dumped on tri-colored tortilla chips. Provel, grilled peppers and onions, and shredded beef form a weighty mound of man-food. (GCS Stadium also sells pulled-pork BBQ nachos and traditional Mexican nachos, too).
We saved this year’s revelation for last. The Sweet Potato Pancake Dog may or may not return to the GCS menu, but it's probably the first junque-food item they’ve dreamed up that caters to the wave of foodies, and it is delicious. The 1/5-lb. Black Angus dog is buffeted by bacon and jalapeno jelly, and wrapped in a sweet-potato pancake. The collision of grilled meat, mild heat, and breakfast-style sweet is a minor epiphany and reason enough to come to the ballpark. Somebody over there gets it.
As gourmands continue to come out of the woodwork, and sports stadium concessions get more adventurous, some minor-league teams, long known for weird promotions to get fans into the seats, have done well to follow suit.
But if the funkier snacks don’t sell, they get pulled like Rick Ankiel from a playoff game. You might just have the three weeks remaining in the Grizzlies regular season to sample this strangely scrumptious concoction.
Gateway Grizzlies
GCS Stadium
2301 Grizzlie Bear Blvd.
Sauget, Ill.
618-337-3000
Image of Baseball’s Best Burger courtesy of Gateway Grizzlies
