Cricket has tea, football has tailgate-party BBQ, and baseball has both peanuts and crackerjack. Soccer doesn't have a signature food associated with it -- which doesn't bother chef Brad Long at all. It just gives him free reign to concoct a menu that will make the action around the BMO Field concession stands as exciting as the action on the pitch.
Long has served as executive chef for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment for the past eight years. After tickling the taste buds of Raptors and Maple Leafs fans at the Air Canada Centre, he has added Toronto FC and BMO Field to his clientele.
Of course, the stadium staples of popcorn, pizza and hot dogs are all present. But Long also wanted some more diverse tastes that would appeal to Toronto's multi-cultural population and better represent the sport.
"Soccer is a game played all over the planet," Long said. "The food at BMO is meant to represent this by offering a selection of street foods from a few cultures that are spread around the globe. Hopefully we'll try a few more as time goes on."
Fans of nearly all ethnic backgrounds will recognize traditional dishes, and thus Long hesitates to label any of the foods as 'exotic.'
"Remembering that all the items on the menu are street food somewhere means that one person's exotica is another person's boring old favorite," Long said.
For example, TFC's fans of Italian descent may be familiar with aranci, but others may thrill to the taste of a risotto ball stuffed with bocconcini cheese and then breaded, deep-fried and served with tomato sauce.
The Scotch egg with Branston pickle combines the flavors of both India and the British pub. It is a hard-boiled egg surrounded by a sausage 'shell' and served with sweet and sour chutney.
Fans of spicy food will be tempted by the chicken roti, which Long described as "a heavily East Indian-influenced dish from the West Indies which is an island-style curry wrapped up in a soft flat bread."
Last, but not least, there is the chip butty -- a french fry sandwich served with roasted garlic aioli sauce. It might prove to be the most popular British import at BMO Field since TFC forward Danny Dichio.
Long said the menu has already received plaudits from fans at Toronto FC's home opener last Saturday.
"So far the feedback has ranged from 'it's not like me Mum used to make, but I like it,' through to 'I have no idea what this is or where it comes from, but I love it and I'll be back for more,'" Long said. "Pretty much solid raves from end to end. I don't believe for a second that everyone loved everything but I would have to say it's been a pretty solid success."
Between the international cuisine, the traditional stadium fare and other items like corn on the cob, fish and chips, and a plethora of hot meat sandwiches, a Toronto FC season-ticket holder can have a different meal at all 15 home games and still have some options left over for next season.
Long is eager to give Toronto sports fans the chance to expand their taste buds' horizons. The lack of a trademark soccer dish to build a menu around isn't a crutch, he feels, but rather a creative opportunity.
"I'm constrained only by my desire to make great tasting, healthy food that can kick traditional 'fast food' in the 'butty,'" he joked.
Mark Polishuk is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
