Back down near Legends, there are the Champions Suite seats. They might be the next best thing to Legends and that’s not just because of the view. Located in the sections in the bottom half of the lower bowl between the dugouts and the short outfield, these sections come with food and drinks as well.
But unlike Legends, there’s no buffet. Servers will take orders and bring food to your seat free of charge. There’s also a bar under the stands on each side where Champions ticket-holders can get stuff for free to take back to their seats. Some of the kosher options there include soda, water, packaged ice cream bars, chips, and peanuts.
As far as the kosher options for delivery to your seat, you can order everything from Legends other than the main entrée and side dishes. So they’ll bring you the salad, loaded hot dog or sausage, mezze platter, and dessert, but not the lamb chops. In place of that entrée, you can order off a menu that includes hamburgers, chicken tenders, hot dogs, sausages, french fries, and knishes… so you definitely won’t go hungry.
Another premium spot is the Delta SKY360° Suite, which is located behind home plate in the second deck. If you purchase group tickets to the Delta Suite (ten people or more) your ticket includes a food and beverage package. That entitles you to hamburgers, chicken tenders, hot dogs, sausages, french fries, and knishes just like those in Champions. But whereas Champions includes the auxiliary Legends food, Delta does not. But if there’s something from Legends that you really want, you can purchase it a la carte from the counter in Delta.
The food and beverage package in the Delta Suite covers pretty much everything available to purchase when it comes to food behind the counter. That means scooped ice cream, bags of M&Ms, Cracker Jack, bagged cotton candy, chips, and peanuts are all available to you… just make sure to double-check for a hashgacha. The liquid component of the package includes water, soda, and domestic beer.
Those with individual tickets to the Delta Suite are in the same boat as everyone in the Jim Beam Suite (behind home plate on the third deck) and the Ford Field MVP Club (top half of the lower bowl between the dugouts). Water, soda, and peanuts are free, and Legends food can be ordered a la carte from the counter.
With so much going on surrounding the kosher operation, it’s hard to see how things might get better. But that’s the goal.
“We hope that the Legends kosher offerings continue to grow with creative menus and gourmet offerings,” Rabbi Steinmetz said. “As seasons pass, there are more options at more locations and we get more efficient at providing them.”
Not only that, but they are getting better when it comes to the small things. For instance, the rabbi now makes sure that any time a whole suite is kosher, the kitchen sends cut lemons and limes for the bartenders to use in drinks. And Gibson has learned to make sure that whenever the kosher action station is serving lamb, veal, or prime rib, the treif stations have a similar quality selection. Otherwise, the kosher station gets raided by those that don’t keep kosher, but understandably want amazing food.
“I think the ultimate goal is to provide the best kosher dining experience available in the sports world at such an iconic venue,” said Gibson. “We continue to push the envelope and raise the bar with our kosher offerings.”
The bar likely can’t be raised that much more, but it sounds like they are going to give it a shot. After all, you can’t hit the pitch unless you take a swing.
Note: all of the above information, including prices, is accurate as of the current baseball season when this article was published. Additionally, this information only applies to Yankees home baseball games not played on Friday nights, Saturdays, and Jewish holidays – nearly all of which fall out during the baseball season from April-October.
For non-baseball events like soccer, hockey, concerts, and other events – kosher catering and kosher stands may or may not be available. It is a case-by-case basis for non-Yankee events.
