After my boss read the first installment of this feature last week he decided to authorize me to put Pepto Bismol on my expense report. I hope he’s wrong and I don’t need any in my concession stand adventures during the basketball season, but it’s a much appreciated gesture.
Last week I didn’t need it as I finally had the chance to enjoy the concession food for which I had been waiting - the barbecued beef baked potato from the Cordell concession stand. If you want one of these - or any baked potato - you need to get it early or have Bob Ogle hold on to one for you, they go quick in Cordell.
For mine I started with a bit of butter, because, well, it’s butter. Then Bob put a heaping scoop of barbecued beef on top and added some fresh jalapenos.
It’s hard to go wrong with a baked potato, but it’s a good safe bet. With that safety, though, comes the difficulty in hitting one out of the park, but Bob managed to do just that. Some folks like their potatoes plain, some prefer cheese or sour cream, or both, but for my money throw on the beef and jalapenos and then leave it alone, that’s a taste that stands on its own.
When you’re standing at that concession stand trying to decide what to eat between the boys and girls games or at halftime, you can’t go wrong with this bit of deliciousness.
The second game of the week took me to Hobart to check out the concession stand in their new arena. Taking the advice of Jud Regier, a man who has certainly done his time traveling to watch the Blue Devils play, I went with the house specialty, the Bearcat Burger.
This bad boy gets a 10 on concept right off the bat. How can you possibly go wrong with a split hot link atop a grilled cheeseburger?
As with most great plans, the danger lies in the execution. It wasn’t bad, don’t get me wrong, but it wasn’t a Cordell Ogle Burger. It was a tad bit overcooked and dry, which could also be a function of how late I got to the concession stand. And while it was tasty, I couldn’t help but think how great it would have been if it had been a fresh, juicy Cordell burger under that hot link!