The Mets food court at Citi Field has something for everyone
Kidsday reporters at Citi Field's food court, from left, Jayda Sealy, Alayna Brown, Logan Shinsato and Kyle Grubstein. Credit: Newsday / Pat Mullooly
Do you love baseball and food? Then you will really love the Citi Field food stands!
The home of the Mets has more than 100 food stands, along with two full-service restaurants where you can sit and eat. We were invited to sample some of their delicious food. We met at Citi Field in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park Queens. We met outside the stadium and waited to get our special passes. It was all very official!
We went inside and looked around. We walked right to the food court, which can be found just beyond the outfield fence, and different foods were all ready for us. Our choices were pizza, cookie dough, different kinds of rice balls and French fries with cheese, bacon and scallions!
The rice balls, by Arancini Brothers, were a big hit. Each one had a different filling. Alayna said they were all “Delish!” One of the rice balls was a dessert and it had Nutella inside. “It’s like heaven in a ball!” Logan exclaimed.
The fries from Box Frites were great, too. We loved how the bacon and cheese made them so tasty. They disappeared fast, so if you’re sharing with friends, our advice is, eat them quickly! Kyle said, “You should definitely try them.”
Next up was pizza from Papa Rosa’s. We loved the plain and the pepperoni. The pepperoni was nice and spicy. Everyone agreed the pizza was even better than our local pizzerias at home. The slices were so cheesy on top and crunchy on the bottom.
We saved the cookie dough for last. It was made by a company named Do. It was so yummy and sweet. Jayda said it felt “soft and light” as it melted in her mouth.
While we were eating, we met Taryn Donovan. She oversees all of the food vendors. We asked her if they sell more food when the Mets are winning or losing. Of course, it’s when they are winning! Also, we asked if any of the vendors make special foods just for Citi Field, and the answer was yes. Do makes a special Cookie Do for the Mets, and the current special flavor was called seventh-inning stretch.
We were able to walk around after we ate. One cool thing we noticed was that you could see the game from most of the food stands. We got to see the Mets warm up at batting practice before the game. It was so exciting. Some of the other food stands we passed were: Shake Shack, Nathan’s, Bash Burger, Goya Nachos and everyone’s favorite, Wowfulls — waffles with ice cream! We thought the name was so creative. Too bad we were so full.
Kidsday reporters, from left, Logan Shinsato, Alayna Brown, Kyle Grubstein and Jayda Sealy, with Mr. Met at Citi Field. Credit: Newsday / Pat Mullooly
As an extra bonus, we ran into Mr. Met. Well, we kind of ran after him. He was nice enough to stop for a quick picture. During our walk around, we also watched some fun activities at Fan Fest. They had a dunk tank and T-ball setup for kids to take batting practice.
As we finished up we noticed a quote in the main lobby entrance by Jackie Robinson. It read: “Integrity — a life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” We studied precepts in fourth grade, and it made us think of a quote at our school that said: “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” It was a great way to end the tour.
When we left Citi Field we all felt full . . . full of great food and great experiences. This will be a day we will never forget! Thanks, Mets, and thanks, Kidsday!
Michele Lambraia and Dara Perlow’s fourth-grade class, George Washington Elementary School, West Hempstead
