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The jury is out, and the flavorful, zesty and highly-sought-after “Juanchos” served at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., won Venues Today’s Best New Menu Item category in Silver Spoons 2017.
“They are very unique, with a nice take on the American favorite — nachos,” said John Rinehart president of business operations of the Sacramento Kings. He highlighted that the unique menu item completely steers away from the processed cheese concept that’s offered at many other arenas.
“Although they’re nachos, you don’t have the canned cheese that’s heated up. This is fresh-made cheese, fresh-made chips,” Rinehart said.
Created by Legends Executive Chef Santana Diaz, the Juanchos are created from locally farmed food, which is a key focus of the arena that just celebrated its one-year anniversary on Oct. 4.
“When we were building the arena, we wanted to make it about Sacramento. A lot of things about the arena were locally focused. We thought we had a unique opportunity because of where we are located… next to farms with great food. We have wine and craft beer,” he said. “We had an opportunity to participate with that farm to fork system.”
When the arena was choosing its food vendor, those philosophies were important to the Kings.
“We made it really clear that that was going to be important to us, to honor that charter we wanted to put together,” Rinehart said. “Legends really embraced that. They shared our vision and in what we feel is a changing way to provide food and beverage to our fans.”
Thus, the award-winning Juanchos was born.
The Juanchos include a four cheese blend crafted from Petaluma creamery (70 miles away), a 50/50 blend of Casa Sanchez purple quinoa/blue corn totopos and white corn organic and GMO-free tortilla chips, house made guacamole, and slow roasted pulled pork carnitas sourced from nationally recognized Rancho Llano Seco (75 miles) — all of which left a lasting impression on the judges.
“Repurposed pork skins. Need I say more,” said judge Tammy Koolbeck, executive director of the Iowa State Center, Ames.
That’s right — repurposed pork skins add a flavorful punch to the arena’s version of nachos.
“During the carnitas process, pork skins would previously be discarded. But the culinary team led by Executive Chef Santana Diaz found an innovative use to enhance the flavor profile of the nachos at the arena. After the steam and fry process, the team has created airy, light chicharrones, or fried pork skins, that add a new flavor profile to the nachos,” stated the entry form for the Juanchos.
Juanchos are priced $13.
Q+A WITH SANTANA DIAZ EXECUTIVE CHEF
GOLDEN 1 CENTER | LEGENDS HOSPITALITY
Venues Today caught up with Executive Chef Santana Diaz, creator of Golden 1 Center's Juanchos, our Best New Menu Item, for a Q&A about his award-winning creation.
VT: What inspired you to create Juanchos?
Diaz: Golden 1 Center’s VP of Arena Operations had challenged the kitchen team to find and create an item that embodied the Kings’, Legends’ and Golden 1 Center’s commitment to sustainability and local sourcing.
VT: Why is it important to use locally sourced food?
Diaz: Local sourcing lets us impact our community’s economy, reduce our carbon footprint, and set an example that quick, entertainment food can be high-quality, fresh and delicious. By deliberately spending our dollars in the region, we’re supporting the community that stands with us.
VT: How did you come up with the name?
Diaz: They were named after the venue’s first General Manager, Juan Rodriguez.
VT: What are your long-term goals for food offerings at Golden 1 Center?
Diaz: Sacramento is proud to be the farm-to-fork capital of the world. We want to reflect the values of the region — and many of the chefs in our region have created incredible menus with locally raised ingredients. We want to match that skill and menu curiosity with items that reflect the high-quality food we can access in our backyard.
VT: Locally sourcing food and reducing waste is becoming more and more popular. Why is it important to you, Legends and the Golden 1 Center?
Diaz: For us, it is about reflecting the values of Sacramento. We’re proud of our agricultural roots and how being environmentally conscious is part of your daily life. By being aware of our sources, the seasonal ingredients that we can take advantage of and so much more, we’re able to create a menu that is aware of the dietary needs of our guests, provides healthy alternatives to preserved food items, and creates a menu that a guest would find beyond the walls of the arena.