When it comes to the food served at Climate Pledge Arena, the charge has always been to “turn arena cuisine upside down” while bringing the flavors of the Pacific Northwest to life through innovative and sustainable culinary ideas.
Now, as the 2022-23 NHL season gets underway, this culinary mission, known as “The Climate Collective,” continues to be brought to life by executive chef Molly De Mers. Affectionately known as “Molly D,” De Mers released the newest slate of menu items earlier this week. Dishes that as she describes, “humanize the Climate Pledge promise” while delighting the palate.
We happily showed up to take in as many of the newest delicacies and it was a sensory delight of smells and tastes from the buffets of food that were seemingly unending (a full list can be found HERE), but there are a few dishes that we can’t get out of our minds (or off our taste buds).
So we give you our top ten newest favorite must eats when you come to Climate Pledge this season!
- The Molly D Burger. The first food we sampled was the chef’s own creation that will be available right outside The Lair store at the arena. Made with beef from Royal Ranch, this burger has Darigold Cheddar, pickles, onion and secret sauce (the double has bacon, too). The cheese is perfectly melted and the pickles pop with flavor. The fact that these are available at one of the four walkouts in the arena is going to make it welcomingly easy to grab quite a few of these at games.
- The Impossible proteins. If you’re looking for meat-free options, Climate Pledge has you covered. At various venues throughout, you can find cheesesteaks, cheese dogs, meatballs and even a Korean BBQ Beef Bowl all made from plant-based meat substitutes. We fell in love with the bratwurst, part of Impossible’s mission to “meet people where they are” with food and honestly, the flavor was true to the best brats out there!
- Sugo’s Poke Bar. Folks. I don’t know how Just Poke found a way to prepare and serve a fresh hand roll where the nori stays crisp until you’re ready to “unwrap” it and eat it, but it’s revolutionary. Couple that with fresh flavorful poke and a variety of roll or bowl options and this is a can’t-miss.
- The Kraken Potato. Ok, ok, it’s technically called the “Bacon Pop Rock Potato” but we are living for this. It’s a perfectly roasted Hasselbeck potato topped with Beecher’s flagship cheese sauce, The Crows Farm dill, and bacon pop rocks. Bacon pop rocks! It’s full of different flavors and textures and it’s a delight!
- Chicken & Bubble Waffle. We didn’t think there would be a way to make such a classic dish even better, but my goodness if De Mers and her team haven’t found it. The chicken is topped with maple hot sauce AND maple cream before being wrapped in a waffle that has replaced the typical divot shapes with bubble forms. The pillows of dough form the perfect counter to the heat and perfect crispness of a delight. We may have had to wait for a second serving of this. For science.
- Seacharrones. If you’re looking for a quick snack, these kelp puffs are for you. Don’t let the ingredients make you shy away, in talking to the Seacharrones team, they explained this is all about taking seagreens out of the specialty aisle (they farm out of the Salish Sea) and reinventing it and they have succeeded. We tasted both the salt and pepper and umami puffs. They were the perfect type of crunch to snack on while you take in any event at the Climate Pledge.
- Local Lolli. Ok, first of all, you can’t beat a venue that sets up shop in a store front that is a renovated Airstream trailer. Second, this is THE go-to for all your sweet tooth cravings. Treat Cookies ice cream sandwiches, Simply Sweet cupcakes, donuts all abound and, my friends, the bubble waffle made another appearance. This time wrapped around ice cream and topped with bananas foster. Treat yourself here.
- Peanut Butter & Jelly Corndogs. Also located at Molly D’s, these corndogs are perfectly fried with the exact right amount of peanut butter infused batter coating a delicious hot dog. You can eat it plain (and love it!) or dip each bite into the delightful “pot” of jam that accompanies each dog. Crunchy, sweet, savory and easy to eat on a stick – something you can’t find just anywhere!
- Impossible Beef Curly Fries. These snuck up on us. Using the Impossible products, De Mers and crew created a perfectly loaded French fry dish that is full of flavor but with a different protein option and all the satisfaction that comes with picking the perfect fry each time with a different slice of the toppings wrapped around it. (the curly fries are key!)
- Assorted Theme Cocktails. With all these delicious eats, you will surely need something to wash it all down, and what better selection than with one of the Collective’s custom cocktails? Fresh Scotty’s juices invigorate traditional cocktails including the Pink Whitney Cooler; a paloma to die for; and the Shipwreck Punch. And if you want something less complex, you can always grab one of the value $9.99 beers offered in Arena including Miller Lite; Miller High Life; and a craft beer selection that will rotate throughout the season.
Also new this year – Modelo Beer Garden at the Armory! Fans can plan to “pre-game” at the Armory on the Seattle Center campus with an expanded set of entertainment and food/beverage options.
We just touched the tip of the iceberg with our list. There were so many delicious foods we tried. So for now, we’ll keep adding to our list for when we go back and we can’t wait to hear your favorites, too!
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