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Broncos football will be tastefully done
By John Lehndorff, News Dining Critic The bad news is that Invesco Field is not -- nor will it ever be -- Mile High Stadium. And the good news is that Invesco Field isn't Mile High Stadium. For one thing, there are way too many big new bathrooms. For another, the menu of foods and beverages is far too varied and interesting. That's true whether you are shivering in the cheap seats -- not that there are many of those -- or lounging in the luxury suites at the new facility. There will also be a lot more places to get a bite to eat or buy stuff. According to Jim Cundiff, general manager of Volume Services in Denver, Invesco Field has the "most real estate devoted to concessions in the NFL." A total of 400 locations -- stands, kiosks, etc. -- are used to dish out food, brews and memorabilia to 76,125 fans at a sold-out Broncos game, up to 55,000 for a concert such as the recent Eagles opener. As the company name suggests, Volume Services has some experience in feeding a crowd. Besides being the concessionaire at the Colorado Convention Center and at Yankee Stadium in New York, the organization is the largest concessionaire in the NFL. The fact that public money helped build Invesco Field also assured that the menu would be significantly varied, with more local flavor than many other sports facilities. "It was important to the district, the Broncos and us to provide opportunities for local businesses," Cundiff said. Local food businesses will spice up the fare with tamales (La Casita), Sicilian meatball subs (Panini's Deli), dirty rice and crawfish etouffee (Gabrielle's Gourmet Catering), barbecue ribs (Big Mike's BBQ), green chile stew (Sage Southwestern Grill), gyro sandwich (Greek Town Events), plus cappuccino, popcorn, Philly cheese steak, Stephany's Chocolates, Dippin Dots and frozen lemonade. Cundiff said that the approach "is pretty cutting-edge in our business," where food service chains are often awarded the majority of sports facility concessions. Don't get nervous about having to eat cuisine. Volume Services booths will also sell hot dogs, Broncos Brats, pretzels, coffee, nachos and other stadium standards. Some of the Mile High vendors, including Greek Town Events, also will be back with multiple outlets around the stadium. The idea, says Cundiff, is to look at local consumers and "mirror their demand." Instead of being a one-beer stadium, Invesco will offer Coors, Miller and Bud plus local microbrews such as Great Divide Pale Ale, New Belgium Fat Tire Ale and Boulder Singletrack, and top-selling imports. Concessions will be open for at least 26 "events" in the stadium's first year, potentially many more. That's 10 Broncos regular and pre-season games (not including playoffs), 14 Colorado Rapids games and a handful of concerts. Of course, that doesn't include the more than 50 independent events and parties already booked by Denver's Epicurean Entertainment inside the new all-year facility. Denver's Epicurean will provide catering for the luxury suites, club level and special events. Epicurean owner Larry DiPasquale and more than 100 employees will work out of a shiny new 12,000-square-foot kitchen and nine pantries throughout the stadium. The lucky 4,000 or so fans in 124 luxury suites at Invesco Field have a broad menu to choose from, including sushi, grilled vegetables, Norwegian salmon, tri-color tortellini, Caesar salad, pizza and football-shaped cookies. Special buffet menus will be offered, keyed to the opponent du jour. For instance, Epicurean's menu for the Aug. 25 New Orleans Saints game includes po' boy sandwiches and blackened prime rib. However, if tradition holds true, DiPasquale says he knows what he will sell most: hot dogs, including Vienna Beef fire dogs and bratwurst. "Some things don't change," he said. Contact John Lehndorff at (303) 892-5103 or lehndorffj@RockyMountainNews.com.
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On the menu at Invesco Field
Kosher Hot Dog Jalape-o Sausage Bronco Brat Blitzburger Personal Pizza Nacho Supreme Jalape-o Cheese Pretzel Chili Cheese Fries Root Beer Float La Casita Tamales Baroness Coffee Company Espresso Chai Tea Scones Panini's Deli Spicy Sicilian Panini Pasta Salad Tiramisu Gabrielle's Gourmet Catering Sausage Jambalaya Red Beans and Rice Big Mike's BBQ BBQ Chicken Sandwich Trangen Chicken Philly Sandwich Sage Southwestern Grill Jalape-o Sausage Sandwich Buffalo Cheese Steak Sandwich Cheesecake Greek Town Events Spinach Pie Baklava The Chocolate Farm Horse Head Candy Observ Cotton Candy Tornadough Beer menu: Great Divide Denver Pale Ale Boulder Single Track Breckenridge Avalanche Sam Adams Red Hook Sierra Nevada Heineken Fosters Becks Corona Tecate Bud Bud Light Michelob Michelob Light Coors Coors Light Miller Lite Genuine Draft -- John Lehndorff
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