TRIPLE PLAY TREATS!

Astros introduce tasty additions to stacked lineup of stadium grub

Astros introduce tasty additions to stacked lineup of stadium grub
Torchy's has been replaced by Top Taco. Photo via: Mat Drain.

Baseball, with full stadiums someday soon (hopefully), is back.

Best of all, fans can cheer on the Astros while enjoying hot dogs, beer and ice cream sundaes in miniature batting helmets at Minute Maid Park. Food, glorious baseball food.

Here's our annual 10 Questions for Mat Drain, the Baron of Butterfingers for Aramark, which runs all the concession stands at the ballpark.

1.SportsMap: On a personal level, how does it feel to have fans back in Minute Maid Park?

Mat Drain: I am absolutely ecstatic to have fans back in the ballpark enjoying a hot dog and a beer. When you get the opportunity to work in a stadium like Minute Maid Park you thrive off the excitement of fans which was missing last year with the shortened season and empty stands. The hardest part of not having fans in the ballpark was missing our extraordinary game day staff who are so instrumental to the fans' experience. They had been away from the ballpark since the last game of 2019.

2.SM: What did you do last year without fans to feed?

MD: We worked on COVID plans in case it was determined that fans could return safely to the ballpark in 2020. Many of our team members and creative culinary team still were responsible for feeding the home and visiting players, umpires and media who attended games.

3.SM: So far, the ballpark is restricted to 50-percent capacity. How are you accommodating that? Do you have a full menu with all concession stands open, or have you scaled service back proportionate to the crowd size?

MD: We are opening stands based on where fans are sitting in the ballpark and keeping in mind giving fans enough space to safely distance. The majority of our items are still available, but we've reduced the number of portable locations which has slightly impacted the variety. We still offer favorites like Shake Shack, Pluckers and Jackson Street BBQ and ballpark staples like hot dogs and nachos. Our fans on the club level still have branded options like Osso & Kristalla and Papa John's.

4.SM: Describe the cashless system you're using now.

MD: All food and beverage and retail transactions are cashless. You can use contactless payment like Apple Pay or Google pay, your major debit and credit cards, or use our reverse ATMs where you put in cash and it gives you a debit card that can be used anywhere inside Minute Maid Park. We are also providing mobile order pick-up as the only way to order at Killen's BBQ at Section 109.

5.SM: Are fans' eating habits the same, or have tastes changed coming out of 2020's pandemic year?

MD: After the first few games we are seeing the same eating habits. I think folks are really excited to be back in the ballpark. I forgot how much better a hot dog tastes when you are watching your hometown Astros.

6. SM: How are you implementing social distancing at concession stands? Are fans following the rules?

MD: We are opening stands and registers based on demand. We are ensuring that our staff has a safe work environment which, in some cases, results in closing some registers and providing reduced stand staff.

7.SM: What happened to Torchy's Tacos on the outfield mezzanine?

DM: After a three-year run Torchy's, a fan favorite, is no longer available. Torchy's has been replaced by Top Taco, which is an Aramark concept.

8.SM: Will Dollar Dogs be back this season?

MD: Yes, every Tuesday night. We had our first one this week and it appeared that fans have been saving their dollars as they did not skip a beat. The next Dollar Dog Night is April 27 when the Seattle Mariners are here. The unofficial record for most hot dogs sold is 46,000 hot dogs during a game against Boston. Like years past, we will sell our regular full-sized hot dogs on Dollar Dog Night.

9.SM: What are fans saying to you? Are they requesting anything special on the menu?

MD: The best part about having fans again is being able to talk to them around the stadium. Most fans are excited to back in the ballpark and are adjusting to the 2021 season protocols. Our fans are very engaged in the ballpark experience so I anticipate as we settle into the season we will start to get some feedback on food items they would like to see or inquire when their favorite item might return. We are ready for the challenge and can't wait for a full season of baseball.

10.SM: So what's new for 2021?

MD: We have two new chicken and taco concepts.

Tenders Love and Chicken (Section 418).

Premium chicken tenders or jumbo wings for $10.49. Both are available with hand-cut fries for $16.99.

Top Taco (outfield mezzanine).

Your choice (pick 2) of Korean Brisket, Adobo Chicken, Harissa Cauliflower or Pork Carnita tacos, served on either corn or flour tortillas, plus tortilla chips and salsa for $13.85.

  

Top Tacos nachos.


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Stefon Diggs faces his former team on Sunday. Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Getty Images.

Josh Allen has never said a bad word about Stefon Diggs. As the Buffalo Bills prepare to face their former star receiver in a visit to Houston on Sunday, he insists the two went their separate ways on good terms.

And the quarterback wasn’t changing his stance a week ago, not wanting to ruffle any feathers when asked about the early season success the Bills have enjoyed with their spread-the-ball motto on offense.

He later explained that he spoke out after reading comments on social media in which people were attempting to twist the “everybody eats” motto into something being directed at Diggs.

Allen understands why Buffalo facing Diggs for the first time since a blockbuster trade sent him to Houston this offseason is a big deal. He raved about his former teammate.

“I’ve got a lot of love for him. I still do,” Allen said. “The things that he did for me in my career, and the things that he did in a Buffalo Bill uniform won’t be forgotten anytime soon, especially from me … (but) going into Year 7, I understand the business, and the aspect of what this league is, and again, I’m just trying to focus on what we got going on in this building.”

Diggs, a four-time Pro Bowler, is second on the Texans with 25 receptions for 233 yards. He has two receiving touchdowns and had the first rushing score of his career last week against the Jaguars. He spent the last four seasons in Buffalo, where he had more than 1,100 yards receiving each year, highlighted by an NFL-leading and career-high 1,535 yards in 2020.

He didn’t address Allen directly this week when talking about his time in Buffalo. Diggs did say his tenure with the Bills was “amazing” but that he’s solely focused on his future now and not interested in rehashing the past.

“A lot of other people are going to feel a way or have a lot to say about X, Y, Z, and I’m not mad at it,” he said Wednesday. “Football is a very emotional sport. I go in there and wear my heart on my sleeve, and I won’t stop, but for me, I block out the noise.”

“Nobody is going to run the routes but me,” he continued. “Nobody is going to watch the tape but me. I try not to get back into the back and forth about the opinions or how people feel. I’ve got a job to do; I try to get it done.”

Diggs has helped the Texans to a 3-1 start and Allen hasn’t missed a beat without him. The Bills also are 3-1, though they’re looking to bounce back after a 35-10 loss to the Ravens last week.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans certainly knew how talented Diggs was when he arrived in Houston but said he has been pleasantly surprised to see his passion for the game.

“He loves football … you see it in the way he practices, the way he plays the game,” Ryans said. “He loves ball, he plays with effort and that is all you want.”

The blame game

Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady was still kicking himself for calling a trick play that backfired, squelching any chance of a Buffalo rally in the loss to Baltimore.

After opening the second half with a TD to cut the deficit to 21-10, the Bills faced second-and-7 at the Baltimore 44, when receiver Curtis Samuel took a direct snap and pitched the ball to Allen. The Ravens weren’t fooled and forced a fumble, which led to a TD six plays later.

“I probably can’t say it on Zoom,” Brady said when asked to sum up the call in one word. “There’s no excuses. I can give the justification of why it was on the call sheet, but at the end of the day, the timing was not what it should’ve been and it was costly.”

Nico’s start

While much of the focus this week has been on Diggs facing his former team, the star of Houston’s offense so far this season has been another receiver. Nico Collins had a career-high 12 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown against the Jaguars for his third 100-yard game this season. He leads the NFL with 489 yards receiving and is the first player in franchise history with more than 450 yards receiving though the first four games.

“He’s a strong, physical, fast, and big receiver,” Ryans said. “That’s an easy target for C.J. (Stroud) and Nico has showed up every time that we needed him.”

Feeding Samuel

In the Bills’ “everybody eats” motto on offense, Samuel has had difficulty finding a regular place at the table. The eighth-year player who enjoyed his best season in Carolina under Brady as the Panthers coordinator in 2020 has been limited to eight catches for 48 yards. More curious is Samuel has been on the field for only 68 of a total of 230 offensive snaps.

“We’d love to get him going and whether or not Khalil is in or out this week,” Allen said, referring to receiver Khalil Shakir, who is nursing a right ankle injury. “So we’re going to be calling on his number, and he is going to have to step up, make some plays, which we’ve got no doubt in his ability.”

Update: Shakir has been ruled out (ankle) for Sunday's game.

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