The concessionaire for the Green Bay Packers is stepping up its food game for the upcoming season, unveiling a hot doughnut ice cream sandwich and a 22-inch-long kielbasa called the Horse Collar.
"There's definitely a foodie trend going on," said Heath Barbato, executive chef at Lambeau Field, who is employed by the team's contracted vendor, Delaware North. "People are watching the Food Network and the creative throwdowns. Some fans are good with a standard brat and a beer, but many want something different."
Barbato thought the idea of bringing a doughnut ice cream sandwich to Lambeau would be intriguing, but he said it would only work if the doughnut could be hot, while the ice cream remained cold. That physics issue was solved by a company called PreGel, which makes a panini press of sorts that can do the trick.
Barbato also looked at the trend of teams that were putting their own local spin on nachos and put that twist into "Bratchos," which will be sold for $12 at Lambeau this year. The cup of goodness has pieces of brat, cheese and fried chips.
"It's basically Wisconsin in a bucket," Barbato said.
The biggest star, in terms of stomach share, is the Horse Collar Sausage, which fits on a roll made at Lambeau and is drenched in beer cheese and fried sauerkraut ($20).
Said Barbato: "It's made for two. If you can tackle this one alone, you're a champ."