Pinstripe Alley v. Yankee Stadium Food: The Cheesesteak Bowl

As soon as the Yankees announced they would have new food offerings this season, I was interested in trying them. The crazier or wackier the item, the more I wanted to eat it. What instantly jumped out to me was The Barnyard Wedding and the Double-Double, neither of which I have tried yet.

Greg was gracious enough to start this series of reviews by tackling the Barnyard Wedding and then taking on the G.O.A.T. Burger. Today I bring to you probably the most disgusting sounding item on the menu, the Cheesesteak Bowl. Initially this concept didn't seem all too bad or noteworthy, but I was intrigued by Jason's reaction to it:

You've heard of a burrito bowl? Well now there's such a thing as a cheesesteak bowl because this is a thing that needed to exist in the world. The team's official press release describes it as such: "A pile of cheesesteak meat infused with white American or Cheez Whiz, covered with lettuce and tomato." I do not want to buy your pile of meat infused with Cheez Whiz, no matter how much lettuce you put on top of it. The three listed above might get the most attention, but don't sleep on how disgusting a cheesesteak bowl actually sounds. I dare not even seek this out at the Stadium to see what it looks like because I might throw up and ruin everyone's day.

At first I just thought "oh so they're getting rid of the bread, that doesn't sound too bad" but then reading Jason's reaction and the more I thought about it "this is just going to be a bowl of cheesesteak meat and cheese and that is indeed pretty gross." So why did I try it?

Well that also brings me back to Jason. After Greg's Barnyard Wedding review led to a conversation about the new food items, Jason dared anyone to try this monstrosity. And while it did sound gross, it seemed worth exploring whether or not it actually was. Challenge accepted, so here we go.

First off, the bowl can be found on the first floor at the Carl's Steaks counter. Next, I had to figure out how to order this thing. I went with steak bowl with American cheese and onions. After just a few minutes of waiting, my meal was ready.

The one thing I forgot was that it included tomatoes. Cooked into my food, or something like that I'm fine, but raw tomatoes I'm not a fan of, so strike one. Luckily it was just slices on top that could be easily picked off. Once I got rid of them and added some hot sauce, I was ready to dig in.

Now don't be confused by the name or the press release. This is not a bowl of meat and cheese with some lettuce and tomato thrown on top for the sake of it. First off, it's not really a bowl, so strike two. Secondly, what this is, is a "paper tray of shame" (thanks, Greg) filled with lettuce and some meat, cheese, and onions thrown on top.

The hardest thing to balance with this, was finding the right amount of lettuce to include in every bite. The meat-to-lettuce ratio leaned heavily in favor of the lettuce. So too much lettuce and that just overtakes the taste of the cheesesteak, but not enough lettuce and then you're just left with a tray of lettuce in the end. This problem may have had a better solution if I kept the tomatoes, but I don't really think that would be any better. Strike three. Perhaps they should re-brand this as the Cheesesteak Salad.

There's a saying (maybe I'm the only one who says it) but eating healthy is expensive. I can spend $10 to get a nice, fresh, healthy salad and nothing else, or I can get a burger, fries, nuggets, and a drink for $4 at certain places. The same principle, while not necessarily to the same degree, applies here. A regular cheesesteak is two dollars less, at least 100 calories more, and tastes better. Where the bread compliments the cheesesteak, the lettuce takes away from the bowl. Strike four?

Final Verdict: Underwhelming. The Cheesesteak Bowl is a surprisingly healthy alternative to getting an actual cheesesteak. After finishing this, however, I found myself still wanting more food. That's probably the biggest problem with getting this. If I'm paying $13 I shouldn't feel the need to buy more food.

While I wouldn't be against eating this again if someone came up to me and said "well I accidentally bought a cheesesteak bowl and don't want it so here you can have it for free," I will certainly not shell out the $13 to order this again. Personally, I'd rather just spend less money and get an actual cheesesteak from Carl's because that's still probably the best bang for you buck deal at Yankee Stadium.

If I can figure out how exactly to eat the Double-Double, I might try that next.