A Taste of Chase Center's Most Valuable Plate Competition
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to get a taste of the eight menu items competing in Chase Center’s Most Valuable Plate Competition in one of their luxurious suites at the Golden State Warriors game [AD]. Home to the Golden State Warriors, Chase Center not only features one of the largest scoreboards in the NBA, but they also have a beautiful outdoor plaza and food from local restaurants. Chase Center’s food and beverage program is run by Bon Appétit Management Company.
Director of hospitality at Bon Appétit Management Leslie Panion emphasized that, when Chase Center was under construction, the “owners wanted to create a great food program for all guests, so they built the arena with eight industrial-sized kitchens which is something you don’t see a lot at other sports arenas.” These kitchens allow the culinary team to create fresh, quality food from scratch for any event. If you’re eating at Chase Center, you can be rest assured that your food will be high quality, unlike the usual greasy pretzels, chicken fingers, burgers, and fries you get at your typical sports arena.
Watching your favorite team compete on court is always exciting, but who says food can’t compete too? This season, Chase Center has selected eight of the finest signature food items from all vendors in the arena to compete in a bracket-style competition for the title of Most Valuable Plate! The competition includes four savory and four sweet items. Fans will have the chance to vote for their favorite item via Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, and the winner will be announced on February 27. To give back to the community, portions of the proceeds from the winning dish will be donated to the local non-profit–Bayview Makers Kitchen.
https://chasecenter.com/most-valuable-plate
I know this is a gluten-free blog, so I want to disclose that not all of the following items are gluten-free. Since I am gluten-intolerant, not allergic, I just had to sneak in some bites of all the delicious food. I started off with the Warriors Punch (not included in the competition). This fruity alcoholic beverage is made with Smooth Ambler bourbon, lime sour, Domain Canton ginger liqueur, and pineapple juice. It was thirst-quenching and refreshing and a perfect start to the evening.
Warriors punch
Next, I tried the adobo wings from Paper Lantern and carne asada nachos from Elysian City Bistro. The wings are fried and then tossed in a tangy Adobo sauce, topped with crispy shallots and green onions. The chicken was tender, and I loved the sweet flavor of the sauce. The carne asada nachos were topped with sharp cheddar cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole, jalapeño, queso, and some beautiful watermelon radish slices! There’s an Impossible Meat option available for vegetarians, too. You can never go wrong with some loaded nachos.
The other two savory items are the sweet crispy tofu wok from Paper Lantern and vegan reuben sandwich from Sadie’s Delicatessen. A great option for vegans, the tofu wok consists of fried rice crisped in a wok, tossed in a vegan garlic aioli, and topped with tofu, blistered long beans, and peppers. I was very impressed by the vegan reuben sandwich made with Unreal Deli vegan corned beef–it tasted just like real meat! This tasty sandwich comes on rye bread and is sandwiched with house-made sauerkraut and spicy brown mustard.
chicken and waffle cone
Now for the dessert! First up are the chicken and waffle cone and ice cream panini. Chicken and waffles, the classic brunch combo, gets a new twist–orange-maple glazed chicken nuggets are wrapped in a house-made buttermilk bubble waffle and topped with maple whipped cream for a sweet and savory dessert. I enjoyed the contrast in textures of the soft waffle paired with crispy chicken. You’ve probably had a cookie ice cream sandwich, but have you ever tried a donut ice cream sandwich? Tin Pot Creamery’s Caramel Corn Ice Cream is pressed between two glazed donuts and topped with chocolate fudge for a delectable dessert.
room for dessert’s ice cream panini
And last but not least, my two favorite desserts were the cinnamon sugar churros and cookie dubster milkshake. The cinnamon sugar melted instantly after the first bite, and the churros were crispy on the outside, but soft and warm on the inside. They were paired with Mexican chocolate–the perfect dipping sauce. Even though I am lactose-intolerant, I had to try cookie dubster hand spun milkshake. It was so creamy and had the perfect amount of sweetness. I really enjoyed the presentation of this festive, Warriors-themed shake topped with fresh whipped cream and a slice of house-made cheesecake. The suite also had a “Shake-It” popcorn bar where you could add sweet and savory toppings to a cup of kettle corn and then shake it up to coat it.
shake-it popcorn bar
May the best dish win! Make sure you get a ticket and visit the Chase Center to watch the number 1 team in the league, try even better food, and vote in the Most Valuable Plate Competition!
A big thank you again to Warriors and Chase Center for hosting me!