Roasted apples, shredded cheddar and Virginia ham will top hot dogs. Instead of hot wings, a barbecue turkey wing with dry rub. And what’s a baseball game in Washington, D.C., without Chesapeake crabcakes?
Such food will grace the menus when the Washington Nationals play host to Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game on July 17 at Nationals Park.
“If I had a guest or a fan that is only going to come to the venue once, how can I give them a full representation of D.C., Maryland and Virginia?” asked Vince Navarrete, executive chef for Levy at the ballpark. “There’s a certain excitement of being able to showcase the flavors of what the (area) has to offer.”
When creating recipes for the game, Navarrete knew that he had to touch on dishes popular in the southeastern region of the United States. He focused solely on items popular in D.C., Maryland and Virginia when choosing his dishes.
“In the sports and entertainment industry, you’re able to reach so many guests in just one game, and you have to show what the culinary trend means to you. I know that we end up being on the world stage, baseball being a beloved sport,” he said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for fans.”
For Navarrete, it’s a twice-in-a-lifetime experience cooking for MLB’s All-Star Game. He was the executive chef for Levy last year in Florida when the Miami Marlins played host to the game.
“It’s a different town and a different atmosphere,” he said, noting that it’s still a lot of work
surrounded by tons of excitement. Navarrete has 300 employees working for him who are serving and cooking for concessions while others are providing three-course meals to guests in suites.
“We smoke all of our meat for people in-house to feed the thousands and thousands of guests that come to our games,” he said. “You add in the fact of the roar of the crowd, and it makes it extremely memorable. As a chef, I can’t control what happens in the baseball game, but I can control what food is offered.”
Navarrete had no idea he’d be working two All-Star Games in a row. It just so happened that
Nationals Park had an opening for a chef, and he applied. Naturally, his experience with Levy working last year’s game stood out on his résumé.
Lou Morga, who also worked last year’s All-Star Game, now works at Nationals Park, too. The two use their institutional knowledge to keep things organized.
“There are few events in sports that can compare to an All-Star Game, and the menu that Chef Vince is developing is going to be a celebration of the flavors of D.C. and showcase the incredible culinary program at Nationals Park,” Morga said in an email.
Specialty cocktails also are important to Navarrete. “Some chefs do dabble in cocktails,
some don’t. I do,” he said. For example, Navarrete will offer an Electric Lemonade in an adult Capri Sun-type pouch. The vodka-based drink will have lemonade and a bit of Blue Curacao liqueur.
The nostalgia of ballpark food goes back to Navarrete’s childhood, when he lived in California.
“I remember my first day at Dodgers Stadium,” he said. “I relate it to a plastic helmet that popcorn came in and a hot dog. Nothing represents baseball better than a hot dog, so the D.C. Dog” — with apple, cheddar and ham — “is my take on that.”