Blackstone Culinaria Dining Tour hits McCoy
Patrons get behind-the-scenes look at ballyard fare — and we’re not talking popcorn
PAWTUCKET — Hungry patrons were taken out to the ballpark on Saturday morning, but instead of buying some peanuts and Cracker Jack, the curious locals dined on steak tips and cheese tortellini, prepared by Pawtucket Red Sox Executive Chef Rob Gemma.
The 20 guests toured McCoy Stadium, learning all about the history of the PawSox and the 75-year-old ballpark before dining on dishes that went well above and beyond the standard ballyard fare. The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council hosted the behind-the-scenes journey at McCoy as part of its “Blackstone Culinaria Dining Tour.” For the past nine years, Blackstone Culinaria has presented public food tours through visits to local restau- rants and other unique eateries and establishments throughout the Blackstone Valley.
On Saturday, the tour's destination was the stadium on Columbus Avenue, prior to that evening's matchup between the PawSox and Buffalo Bisons.
In a question-and-answer session before treating visitors to high-end dining inside one of the stadium's suites, Gemma explained that a typical gameday for him starts around 8 a.m., well before the first pitch is thrown or the ballplayers have even arrived at the stadium. He prepares lunch for the 30 PawSox front office employees, then begins to assemble the meals for the home and away clubhouses. After that, it's getting the food ready for the media gathered in the press box and the patrons in the stadium's
13 suites.
According to Gemma, about 85 percent of the food is house-made, as he says the most important aspect of his job is to ensure that the food is “delicious and fresh. I'm not the kind of person who takes frozen food out of a box.” To that end, he explained, he has a 10-by-12 greenhouse at his home and he occasionally will bring freshly-grown vegetables in to include as part of a game night's meal.
Gemma said he then begins preparing a post-game dinner for the teams. Traditionally, these spreads contain two proteins – often some combination of pork, chicken, beef, or fish – along with a starch and a vegetable. However, he said with a laugh, “those boys can eat!” So while the clubs may not have more than 30 mouths to feed, he says he prepares as though he's serving 80.
For Saturday night's PawSox game, Gemma was readying a post-game dinner of braised short rib, pork marsala, mashed potatoes, roasted cauliflower, and steamed broccoli. He also said that while he likes to keep a routine, trying to map out a meal schedule at least three days in advance, the players usually have one request: guacamole. How much? According to Gemma, on a given day, he creates bowls of the dip that contain about 24 avocados worth.
“You're always moving,” he said of his job. “You're never really sitting down.” After beginning around 8 a.m., his days tend to come to an end around midnight. And on a home stand, it's often right back to work at 8 the next morning.
Gemma has been in the business of feeding ballplayers for years, as he started as an intern with the Boston Red Sox, preparing food at Fenway Park's pavilion club. He was with the team when they won the 2013 World Series, then moved down to Fort Myers, Fla. to assist in the opening of JetBlue Park, the team's spring training home.
Gemma said that cooking for ballplayers can sometimes endear you to the stars that many only see on the field or in the scorecards. He said that pitcher Brian Johnson asked him to come to his home to cook for a large party, and he made quick friends with current Boston Red Sox reliever Joe Kelly, who he said he met while Kelly was hanging out by the McCoy kitchen while playing the popular “Pokemon Go” app last summer.
Gemma says that when he started working in stadiums, he assumed the players would have very strict dietary restrictions. However, he said that in all the years he's been cooking for ballplayers, only once – last summer – did he have a player with a specific diet. He explained that a prospect with the New York Yankees' minor league affiliate had a gluten-free diet and also had dairy restrictions.
Sometimes when star players are on rehab assignments in Pawtucket, they'll buy dinner for the locker room. In the past, Red Sox players such as David Ortiz, David Price, Pablo Sandoval and Brock Holt have bought dinner for the team, giving Gemma a rare night off from cooking the post-game meals. But that doesn't mean Gemma isn't still feeding the players, as he'll provide deli meats, cheese, yogurt, fruit, trail mix, or granola bars to the sluggers during the game.
Gemma said that he'd like to work more closely with local farms next summer to bring more fresh produce to his kitchen. He also said he's had discussions about possibly starting his own garden on site at McCoy Stadium.
After Gemma's Q&A, he brought out a meal of steak tips, cheese tortellini, salad, cookies, and, yes, guacamole and chips, that the participants in Saturday's tour nibbled on.
“I love it!” Pawtucket resident Deborah Barros said with a smile as she brought a plate back to her table inside the luxury suite. “This is all very interesting … He's doing a very, very good job!”
Grace Eng, director of McCoy events, led the tour through the halls of McCoy, showing off the memorabilia and artifacts that line the walls inside the stadium. She also guided the tour to the various dining destinations inside the ballpark, from the concessions behind home plate to the barbecue tents beyond the rightfield fence.
“Whether you're in a blue seat, a green seat, a red seat, a barbecue tent, or a suite, we want to make sure you have a great time,” Eng told the tour patrons.
The next stop on the Blackstone Culinaria food tour will be on Wednesday, July 19 at Crepe Corner on Commerce Street in Greenville. For expanded details and tickets, visit BlackstoneCulinaria.com or call 401-724-2200.