By GREGG MONTGOMERY
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
A new executive chef for Lucas Oil Stadium has prepared a menu for fans at Indianapolis Colts games, the team and its hospitality vendor said Monday.
The Colts will open the regular season at home at 1 p.m. Sept. 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Chef Jon Wanland is with Maryland-based food services vendor Sodexo Live! A news release from the Colts and Sodexo says Wanland is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Pasadena, Calif., and has more than 20 years of experience with food service at professional sporting events and stadiums. That experience includes time at the University of Louisville.
The chef says in an online interview that he’ll also provide food services for catered events at the stadium.
“We’re a little bit different as we have a convention center that’s attached to our stadium. It’s one of the coolest things — you can have these giant conventions come in and they’re not confined by the space of the convention center. We also serve the Big Ten football championships and high school state football championships,” he said in the interview.
From the release, here are some food highlights of the upcoming season, which will be sold at concession locations in the stadium:
- BBQ Brisket Sandwich: BBQ chopped brisket, southern coleslaw, local JohnTom’s BBQ sauce on a kaiser bun.
- Cantina Nachos: tortilla chips, black beans, queso, barbacoa, salsa rojo, pickled jalapenos and sour cream.
- Loaded Footlong Hot Dogs or Hamburgers: Fans can upgrade their hot dogs or burgers with rotating toppings. Pick from two different loaded concepts that will be available for a three-game stretch, like “Indy-style” street corn, chopped bacon, chipotle ranch and crispy fried onions. The concept with the most purchases will move on to the next set of three games, and a new set of toppings will be introduced as the competitor. Also available at Caesars Sportsbook.
- Taste of Innova Wings + Greens: Fans can find local, family owned-and-operated Taste of Innova Wings + Greens. Run by Kara and Monique Hawkins, it specializes in cuisine that incorporates “comfort food” ingredients. Available only on terrace level.
From the release, here are highlights to be available only in suites:
- Sweet Tea Fried Chicken: sweet tea brined locally-raised chicken, hand breaded and fried golden.
- Hoosier Corn & Edamame Salad: red quinoa, edamame, sweet golden corn, baby purple kale, bell pepper, cilantro and black beans served with lemon Dijon vinaigrette.
- Monkey Bread: chunks of buttery, gooey dough coated with cinnamon sugar glaze.
The food service also plans to have gameday specials for club members, the release says.
Again for the 2023-24 season, the Colts, Lucas Oil Stadium and Sodexo will donate unused prepared food to local food rescue organizations, including Second Helpings and Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana.