READY TO EAT
World Series pressure has Minute Maid Park concessions working overtime with new food items
Ken Hoffman
Oct 24, 2017, 1:00 am
With sellout crowds ready to cram Minute Maid Park this weekend for the World Series, Mat Drain and his crews are putting in serious OT getting ready. MLB.com
Originally appeard on Culture Map/Houston.
The World Series isn’t only the biggest thing ever for Astros players, the pressure is on Minute Maid Park’s No. 1 popcorn popper, too.
“This weekend, with World Series games in Houston, will be the most important event of my career, and I couldn’t be more excited,” said Mat Drain, Head Honcho of Hot Dogs for Aramark, which runs all the food concessions at Minute Maid Park.
“I’ve been a supporting manager at big events during my career with Aramark. Most recently, I worked the Super Bowl at NRG Stadium here in Houston, NCAA Final Fours and NBA Finals, but nothing comes close to hosting the World Series in your own building."
With sellout crowds ready to cram the stadium, Drain and his crews are putting in serious OT getting ready.
“This is a career milestone and I’m having the time of my life. I’ll be working 18-hour days this weekend. We’re working 12-hour days preparing for the World Series. Working those other events was fun, but Minute Maid Park is our home. I would rather be working long days and nights than the alternative, which would be watching the Yankees play the Dodgers on TV at home. My off-season can wait another month,” Drain said.
The Minute Maid Park test kitchen has been in overdrive creating new items for the stadium’s World Series menu.
“Because the gates will open earlier than usual, and fans will stay until the final out, we expect fans to eat and drink big time. Don’t forget, this is only the second time in the Astros’ 55-year history that they’re in the World Series, so fans will want to savor every moment,” he said.
It also will be Drain’s job to deliver champagne and beer to the winning team’s clubhouse should the World Series end in Houston.
“My fingers are crossed that it’s the Astros clubhouse, otherwise it won’t be a happy delivery,” Drain said.
So you know: there won’t be any fireworks following the game Friday night, like during the regular season. The only fireworks will be Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa swatting home runs into the Crawford boxes and Lance McCullers making Dodgers whiff at curve balls in the dirt.
You like predictions? Astros in 5 sounds about right. And if Dallas Keuchel out-duels Clayton Kershaw in Game One, possibly an Astros sweep.
Here are the new food items awaiting World Series crowds at Minute Maid:
“Earn History Burger” – A two-patty bacon burger with Cheddar cheese and a split brisket sausage served on a fresh-baked Challah Bun with crispy jalapeno strips. ($18.25, Texas Legends stand behind Section 134)
“L.A. Queso Stak” – Fresh-cut fries topped with house-made green chili queso, pork carnitas, fresh-made pico de gallo, fresh-cut jalapenos and drizzles of sour cream. ($12, Brewhouse Fries stand on the concourse behind centerfield)
“Green Chili Chicken Stak – Fresh-cut fries topped with green chili chicken, pico de gallo and cotija cheese. ($12, Brewhouse Fries stand on the concourse behind centerfield)
“Street Taco & Salsa Bar” – Featuring Suckling Pig Pulled Pork Tacos, served with pineapple chunks and mango habanero glaze. ($13, FiveSeven Market behind centerfield and several locations on the Honda Club Level)
“Braised Brisket on Flour Tortillas” – Served with pickled red onions, fresh jalapenos, cilantro and chipotle aioli. ($13, FiveSeven Market behind centerfield and several locations on the Honda Club Level)
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Astros keep doing this, and it’s getting hard to ignore
Jun 25, 2025, 10:01 pm
While the rolling Astros have a week of possible World Series preview matchups against the Phillies and Cubs, it’s the Rockets who made the biggest local sports headline with their acquisition of Kevin Durant. What a move! Of course there is risk involved in trading for a guy soon to turn 37 years old and who carries an injury history, but balancing risk vs. reward is a part of the game. This is a fabulous move for the Rockets. It’s understood that there are dissenters to this view. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, including people with the wrong opinion! Let’s dig in.
The Rockets had a wonderful season in winning 52 games before their disappointing first-round playoff loss to the Warriors, but like everyone else in the Western Conference, they were nowhere close to Oklahoma City’s caliber. While they finished second in the West, the Rockets only finished four games ahead of the play-in. That letting the stew simmer with further growth among their young players would yield true championship contention was no given for 2025-26 or beyond.
Kevin Durant is one of the 10 greatest offensive players the NBA has ever seen. Among his current contemporaries only Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic make that list. For instance, Durant offensively has clearly been better than the late and legendary Kobe Bryant. To view it from a Houston perspective, Durant has been an indisputably greater offensive force than the amazing Hakeem Olajuwon. But this is not a nostalgia trip in which the Rockets are trading for a guy based on what he used to be. While Durant could hit the wall at any point, living in fear that it’s about to happen is no way to live because KD, approaching his 18th NBA season, is still an elite offensive player.
As to the durability concern, Durant played more games (62) this past season than did Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith, and Tari Eason. The season before he played more games (75) than did VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Alperen Sengun. In each of the last two seasons Durant averaged more minutes per game (36.9) than any Rocket. That was stupid and/or desperate of the Suns, the Rockets will be smarter. Not that the workload eroded Durant’s production or efficiency. Over the two seasons he averaged almost 27 points per game while shooting 52 percent from the floor, 42 percent from behind the three-point line, and 85 percent from the free throw line. Awesomeness. The Rockets made the leap to being a very good team despite a frankly crummy half-court offense. The Rockets ranked 21st among the 30 NBA teams in three-point percentage, and dead last in free throw percentage. Amen Thompson has an array of skills and looks poised to be a unique star. Alas, Thompson has no credible jump shot. VanVleet is not a creator, Smith has limited handle. Adding Durant directly addresses the Rockets’ most glaring weakness.
The price the Rockets paid was in the big picture, minimal, unless you think Jalen Green is going to become a bonafide star. Green is still just 23 years old and spectacular athletically, but nothing he has done over four pro seasons suggests he’s on the cusp of greatness. In no season has Green even shot the league average from the floor or from three. His defense has never been as good as it should be given his athleticism. Compared to some other two-guards who made the NBA move one year removed from high school, four seasons into his career Green is waaaaaay behind where Shae Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, and Devin Booker were four seasons in, and now well behind his draft classmate Cade Cunningham. Dillon Brooks was a solid pro in two seasons here and shot a career-best from three in 2024-2025, but he’s being replaced by Kevin Durant! In terms of the draft pick capital sent to Phoenix, five second round picks are essentially meaningless. The Rockets have multiple extra first round picks in the coming years. As for the sole first-rounder dealt away, whichever player the Rockets would have taken 10th Wednesday night would have been rather unlikely to crack the playing rotation.
VanVleet signs extension
Re-signing Fred VanVleet to a two-year, 50 million dollar guarantee is sensible. In a vacuum, VanVleet was substantially overpaid at the over 40 mil he made per season the last two. He’s a middle-of-the-pack starting point guard. But his professionalism and headiness brought major value to the Rockets’ kiddie corps while their payroll was otherwise very low. Ideally, Reed Sheppard makes a leap to look like an NBA lead guard in his second season, after a pretty much zippo of a rookie campaign. Sheppard is supposed to be a lights-out shooter. For the Rockets to max out, they need two sharpshooters on the court to balance Thompson’s presence.
For Astro-centric conversation, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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