CHICAGO — With opening day a little over a weak away, Guaranteed Rate Field was buzzing with people today, as many of the new amenities the park plans to role out this season were receiving their finishing touches. Fellow media members received a sneak peak of the improvements headed your way in 2018 or as most call it, “Food Day“.
The tour began in the completely renovated visitor’s locker room. This is the first time since 1991 that there’s been a complete overhaul of the visitor’s digs. Individual lockers come equipt with charging stations, so every athlete can make sure their Twitter followers never go without a pre- or post-game tweet. Like most things inside this ballpark now, it was clean, stylish and tech-savvy.
The next stop, Guaranteed Rate Club, which has received some minor updates to the decor but let’s not kid ourselves and pretend I wasn’t there for the grub. The brand new menu items were front and center as you entered the club and after hearing Chef Troy Tornabeni provide some background as to how these items came to life, it was time to stuff my face. The grub didn’t disappoint, so let’s go over what the new items are and where you will be able to find them in the park.
New To The Club Level
Buffalo Chicken Empanada – These are large and in charge, stuffed with pulled chicken and served with spicy Buffalo sauce, four-cheese mix, and queso for dipping purposes. Rock solid item.
Hot Chicken Sliders – Nashville Hot Chicken served a brioche with slaw and pickles.
Knuckle Balls – One of my favorite items today were these provolone-stuffed dough balls of heaven. Served with parmesan, garlic butter, and house-made Pizzaiolo sauce, these things were on point. They will be served in batches of six or seven.
Meatball Sub – Housemade pork and beef meatballs served with marinara, sweet peppers, and provolone…pretty standard.
Pozole Salad Bowl – Yeah, so didn’t get around to trying the salad.
South Side Horseshoe – This was the dish of the day for me. A locally made Italian sausage patty served open faced on thick-cut garlic Texas toast with Giardiniera, hand-cut fries, and Modelo cheddar sauce — this was a home run. According to the chef, it’s a playful take on the unofficial dish of the state’s capital, Springfield.
Two favorite items so far… #KnuckleBalls #SouthsideHorseshoe #WhiteSox #GuaranteedRateClub pic.twitter.com/gsfqnyJE0t
— ✶ SM✶ East (@Eastman5) March 27, 2018
New To The 100 & 500-Levels
Churro Ice Cream Sandwich (Section 157) – Exactly what it sounds like, your choice of ice cream on top of a warm churro bun.
Cuban Burger (Sections 113 & 528) – This was tasty and something I’ll more than likely purchase when I go to a game. A juicy all-beef burger topped with sliced ham, pork carnitas, sliced pickles, Swiss cheese, yellow mustard and mojo sauce.
Johnsonville Specialty Sausages (Sections 126 & 535):
-The Slurve – Cheddar beer brat with caramelized onions and spicy mustard.
-The Change Up – Chipotle Monterrey jack chicken sausage with zesty salsa fresca.
-The Cutter – Southwestern chorizo served with guac and cotija cheese.
Craft Kave Express
According to members of the staff, the overwhelming success of the Craft Kave in 2017 has led to an expansion of this idea, as fans will be able to browse nearly 50 different craft beer selections at this newly renovated location near Section 542.
The last stop of the tour was the Chicago Sports Depot, located near Gate 5, which was packed to the gills with sports gear for not only the hometown White Sox, but the Blackhawks, Bulls, and Bears as well. It featured some very cool artwork and the all-new virtual reality batting cage.
New virtual reality batting cage. #WhiteSox #ChicagoSportsDepot pic.twitter.com/tNyErDm6X2
— ✶ SM✶ East (@Eastman5) March 27, 2018
Developed by MLB and offered at only a handful of ballparks, the cage places the fan in a home run derby simulation like they’ve never seen before. Fans who score the most points on select nights will receive prizes and will be made available to fans when the gates open during home games.
Lot of awesome items in the #ChicagoSportsDepot #WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/ukVA33fbSH
— ✶ SM✶ East (@Eastman5) March 27, 2018
Didn’t Make The Cut
A breaded steak sandwich, called the “Sox-o-bene” in honor of the popular and messy Ricobene’s sandwich served near the ballpark, wasn’t on display. Also, the Revolution Brewing-branded bar down the left field line (near Section 157) was off limits because it’s under construction, but will be ready for Opening Day. Keep your eye out for it, it’s tabbed the Revolution Brewing #SoxSocial Tap Room and will feature #SoxSelfie spots, a kiosk for fans to redeem MLB Ballpark app check-in offers and various other social media-driven activities.
Changes To The Ballpark
One of the first things to catch your eye when locating your seats will be the new home for the retired numbers. The numbers have been removed from the outfield wall and have been placed in somewhat ring of honor type display just above the club level. It looks sexy if you’re asking me…
The #WhiteSox have moved the retired numbers up to just above the club level. pic.twitter.com/bUyLuFROQi
— ✶ SM✶ East (@Eastman5) March 27, 2018
The safety of the fans wasn’t forgotten, as the protective netting has been extended from the backstop to the outfield end of both dugouts. The state-of-the-art netting extends across 21 sections (Sections 122-142) and matches the existing backstop’s 30-foot height. No more 38-oz cedar sticks to the dome, hopefully.
All in all, whether you still it Comiskey Park, this ballpark is absolutely beautiful now. The changes over the years have made a drastic improvement and it’s always a fun time. Cheers.
