Shireen is so excited to see Jay Cutler take the field and lead the Dolphins to the playoffs. She may have to call in sick with “Cutler fever.” But somehow the team found a way to give fans even more reason to turn out and watch the fins this season: food. Deco’s chief quarterback whisperer and luxury box correspondent Chris Van Vliet is at Hard Rock Stadium with a look.
If you haven’t been to Hard Rock Stadium in the last couple seasons or perhaps you took a time machine from three years ago and landed today, you would see a very different stadium. Two seasons ago it got new seats, and last year it got a new canopy to keep fans dry and away from the sun. This season they’re putting the finishing touches on it and adding some new delicious food options, too.
Tom Garfinkel, Miami Dolphins CEO: “Miami’s really a curator of culture, I think, for the rest of the country in a lot of ways: music, art, food, sports, and we wanted the Hard Rock Stadium to be a reflection of that.”
When you pull in, 37,000 new trees and shrubs line a completely redesigned parking lot, and once you’re inside, it’s all about luxury, from the club level to the taproom to the brand new suites.
Chris Van Vliet: “It’s very Miami-like ’cause it’s almost like you’re on the back of a yacht.
Tom Garfinkel, Miami Dolphins CEO: “Yeah, well, that was the intent. You know, you want to to feel Miami but not be cliché.”
But let’s talk about food. There are six new food options to choose from.
Feeling soulful? Fill up your plate at Jackson Soul Food.
Germanie Samuels, Jackson Soul Food: “I mean, this is the best of the best. Jackson – we’ve been around for almost 40-some years, now.”
Celebrity chef David Chang makes his first foray into Florida with the debut of Fuku, serving spicy chicken sandwiches and fries.
David Chang, Fuku: “They’re coated with a jalapeño seasoning, so everything’s just a tiny bit spicy. Not too spicy but just a little bit.”
Chris Van Vliet: “It’s hot in South Florida – it makes sense, right?”
It’s always breakfast time at Fort Lauderdale’s O-B House, and now you can have their famous pancakes while watching the fins.
Rodney Ely, O-B House: “We have a lot of people who love to eat breakfast for lunch, and we think our cakes are great in the evening.”
Or grab a steak from Los Ranchos, a taco from Coyo Taco or some barbecue at Shorty’s.
Hey, if the team has a new quarterback, and the stadium has a new look, you should have some new food to go with it.
Fan: “I think it’s one of the best experiences I can have going to a live event.”
Well, any day that you can eat on the job is a good day. Now, a lot of people think that they’re the Dolphins’ biggest fan, but I’m sorry, you’re not, because I have found the Dolphins’ biggest fan. It is right behind us here as they’re drying off the field, getting ready for the preseason game on Thursday night.
The Dolphins kick off at home against the Buccaneers on Sept. 10.
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