Chef Jason Eksterowicz is leading a culinary operation at Citi Field that is touted as the best stadium food in America.

This operation represents a shift in professional sports, moving away from basic concessions toward high-quality, diverse menus that can be scaled for tens of thousands of people simultaneously.

Eksterowicz serves as the culinary director for the New York Mets' home stadium in Queens, New York. The operation focuses on preparing a wide variety of high-quality dishes to maintain a standard of excellence despite the massive volume of guests [1, 2].

To meet this demand, the kitchen prepares a diverse menu that includes items such as pastrami nachos, and Korean fried chicken [5]. The scale of the task is significant, as the food operation must feed more than 40,000 baseball fans before the first pitch of a game [1].

Behind-the-scenes preparation involves rigorous coordination to ensure that complex dishes are served quickly to a crowd of this size [1, 2]. The focus remains on maintaining culinary integrity while operating within the constraints of a sports venue, a balance that has earned the stadium recognition for its food quality [3, 4].

By integrating professional chef leadership into the stadium environment, Citi Field aims to elevate the fan experience beyond the traditional hot dog, and pretzel [1, 2].

“Citi Field’s food operation feeds more than 40,000 baseball fans before first pitch.”

The evolution of stadium dining at Citi Field reflects a broader trend in the U.S. sports industry where food is treated as a primary attraction rather than a secondary convenience. By employing a dedicated culinary director and diversifying the menu, the venue is attempting to capture a larger share of fan spending and increase loyalty through a premium gastronomic experience.