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Tribute Menu Series

What makes the LTO a winner:

1. Bad to the Bone Bologna: First Energy Stadium, Cleveland
Fried bologna, a popular food in Cleveland, was at the heart of this sandwich, which is also a nod to Browns fans who sit in the bleacher section behind the stadium’s East end zone, known as the Dawg Pound. The fried bologna is cut into the shape of dog bones, and served with white American cheese, sweet pickles and “Chomp’s secret spice sauce,” named for the Browns’ mascot. It was served on a soft white roll and came with crinkle-cut chips and a side of bologna-cheese sauce.

2. 40 for 60 Burger: TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis
The item was named for the game day philosophy of legendary Minnesota Viking’s quarterback Joe Kapp: 40 men playing as one for 60 minutes. It featured a patty of 40 percent bacon and 60 percent ground beef, Cheddar cheese, applewood-smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, crispy onions, a fried egg and special sauce, served on a pretzel bun.

3. Tailgate Stack: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
During Chiefs games, this sandwich featured the city’s signature barbecue delicacy, burnt ends, topped with Cheddar cheese sauce, malted beer grain syrup, bacon and a fried egg on a piece of frybread. The local foods and beer-based syrup paid homage to the stadium’s tailgating culture.

4. The 216: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland
This sandwich, sold during Cavaliers games, was named after Cleveland’s area code and featured locally made Hungarian sausage as well as smoked pork shoulder, barbecue sauce, red-pepper relish, cinnamon-dusted sweet-potato tots and beer cheese fondue, all on a sourdough roll.

The story behind the LTO

American consumers are increasingly interested in food with a compelling heritage. Whether they’re eating high-protein grains from the Andes Mountains, produce from a local farm or a pie made using someone’s grandmother’s recipe, menu items with a backstory have added cachet these days.

Aramark tapped into that trend for the fans of the 11 National Football League, five National Basketball Association and six National Hockey League teams it serves at professional sports facilities nationwide.

The Philadelphia-based non-commercial foodservice operator developed unique items for each of those teams that either reflected the sports franchise’s history or the area’s culture and used local ingredients.

The program began last fall during football season with Aramark’s Tribute Menu Series, which included Toro’s Chicken Steak at NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans. That dish was created by Texas chef Grady Spears, named for the team’s mascot, and made with local cheese and artisanal buns as well as Texas Hill Country-style smoked chicken.

Aramark continued the program during basketball and hockey season with items such as The Skywalker at the Pepsi Center in Denver. Named in honor of Nuggets Hall of Famer David Thompson, it was a chicken-and-waffle sandwich with lettuce, tomato, peppered bacon and Cholula aïoli, served with a side of maple syrup for doing what Thompson did best: dunking.

“Each season, the Aramark culinary team looks for ways to enhance the game day experience for fans, by introducing innovative and exciting menu items,” said Carl Mittleman, president of Aramark’s sports and entertainment division. “What better way to connect fans to their favorite teams and the cities they love than to incorporate that city’s culture and history into the menus we serve?”

Four more dishes from the locally-inspired initiative are showcased here.