Home PLATE: Taking a Swing at National Salad Month

May is officially National Salad Month. Yes. This was news to me as well and thusly explains the cosmically strong forces pulling me toward leafy greens. In honor of this retreat to the fibrous, wholesome, collective wonder (and our failing tribute to the METS week,) we bring you the eating green at Citifield Guide.

Mama's of Corona does indeed have a good option for the leafy green, veggie minded fan (and probably still the best option in the park for a vegetarian). Here you can find a fresh mozz sandwich with the roasted veggies. Just beware that it can be very oily if they are down to the bottom of the bowl for their veggies. They usually make it fresh so you can ask that they "shake off" or whatever the veggies if you prefer.

They also have a mozz/tom/basil salad. That’s right an actual salad right here in Citifield.

Available at regular food concessions stands at Citi Field: Veggie Hot Dogs and Veggie Burgers. Both the veggie dog and burger are at the stands marked "Burgers and Dogs" and they weren't just out, I had to ask and they brought one out hot.

You can also get a Veggie Delite (their spelling) at Subway in the ballpark.

Since 1998, Daruma of Tokyo Sushi has provided their delicately crafted sushi to the Mets. Special to Citifield is the Citi Field All Star Shrimp Dog, 100 percent pure shrimp in natural casing served on a roll topped with a special sauce. They sometimes have veg “shushi.” Daruma is located in World’s Fare Market, Field Level in right field where you can also find fresh fruit and snacks.

Minus being smothered in cheese, corn on the cob can be considered a healthier option to the meat heavy concessions. At the Taqueria you can find corn on the cob (on a stick) with cheese and chili powder. And, it’s smothered in cheese.

The Stadium now has glutton free fare!


Kozy Shack has always been gluten-free, but now they're partnered with the Mets to sponsor an entire Gluten-Free Concessions Stand at Mets games. It’s on the Field Level, near section 108 (right field). They sell their standard puddings - chocolate, vanilla, rice, and tapioca - plus their new simply well products, and something called La Tradicionale, which is cinnamon rice pudding. They also offer gluten-free hot dogs, sausages, and hamburgers in gluten-free buns. And, gluten-free beer. Granted, this is not in the salad/veggie category, but good to know that the establishment is making an attempt to offer something for everyone’s dietary needs.

GO METS!

The following blog is an excellent source for planning your MBL eating adventures:http://www.scoreboardgourmet.com/mets/

This is all pretty exciting yes? SO what else?

Where to Eat at Citi Field: The Crucial Culinary Map from NYMAG

Left to right: Drew Nieporent's Acela Club, DannyMeyerLand, and Dave Pasternack's

We now bring you a rundown of where to eat. The ballpark offers quite a few options — and many more if you're paying for premium seats. Here's the breakdown (omitting obvious offerings, like hot-dog stands and the Dippin' Dots cart):

The view from Taste of the City. Photo: Ben Leventhal

Taste of the City a.k.a. DannyMeyerLand®

—This area is behind the center-field wall, and includes field-view seating and jumbo screens to catch play-by-play while waiting in line.

—Concessions: Shake Shack, Blue Smoke, El Verano Taqueria, Box Frites, Nonna's Deli (pasta and pizza), Big Apple Brews (every beer you've ever heard of).

Shake Shack Advice: Go After the Fifth

Photo: Getty Images

Reports of the line at Citi Field’s Shake Shack have started coming in: “Incredibly long,” “stretched all the way to Jones Beach,” and “outrageous. If you wanted a burger from the Shake Shack in the first inning you might be eating it by the time the closer is warming up.” Actually, one of our commenters put the potential wait at two innings. A stadium rep tells us the wait doesn’t get much longer than twenty minutes, and dispenses a word of advice: Go after the fifth inning, when the crowds die down. In the meantime, there are plenty of other things to nosh on.

Catch of the Day
—Technically it's part of DannyMeyerLand®, but Dave Pasternack's seafood stand is separate from the rest of the area, much farther to the right-field corner of the field level.

—Lobster rolls ($17), Long Island clam-and-corn chowder and fried-flounder sandwiches and such are on offer here.

Citifield's new addition: crabcake sandwich
Another Dave Pasternack Home Run


Delta Sky360 Club
—These VIP lounges are scattered throughout the stadium, but the most serious of them is behind home plate on the "Sterling Level." It's run by Union Square Hospitality Group and offers a bar, plus café-style sandwiches and coffee; on the third-base side there's a proper restaurant.

—Coolest thing in the stadium: The club has a window (above) that looks into the Mets underground batting cages, so that real fans can watch players warm up before they're even on the field. Hot.


The real reason to open a restaurant at Citi Field: You get your own authentic Mets uni. Photo: Ben Leventhal

Acela Club
—Enter Drew Nieporent, whose Myriad Restaurant Group is managing this restaurant with tables that have fantastic field views.

—The executive chef of Acela is Michael Sobelman, previously of Tribeca Grill.

—Anyone with field box seats or better can make a reservation at the 350-seat venue.

—Opens 2:45 before game time.

—Speaking of which, HERE'S THE RESY LINE: 718-565-4333.

—This is the sit-down option you want to pay closest attention to.

World's Fare Market
—Located on the field level in right field, this is the least articulated of Citi's food offerings, but it's roughly a takeout market.

—Grill food (think chicken and burgers) is on offer here.

—NB: This is the only place in the stadium to get sushi.