Real food: Soccer stadium goes upscale with its cuisine

SANDY — A fine dining experience complete with grilled buffalo, organic antipasti, local artisan cheeses and Orange Dreamsicle Cheesecake is coming to a stadium near you.

Real Salt Lake announced Monday that Chicago-based Levy Restaurants will provide concessions and hospitality services for the stadium being built near 9400 South and State Street. But the company shies away from the title "concessionaire," preferring to call itself a restaurateur.

"We try to bring restaurant style to the place you'd least expect it," said Levy's chief executive officer Andy Lansing. "While there will always be hot dogs and cold beer, fans also want to be treated to fantastic food."

In addition to the cold beer and hot dogs, concession stands in the new stadium will feature Asian and South American fare as a reflection of soccer's international character, said chef Tom Coohill.

The restaurant being built inside the stadium also will feature a variety of local, organic and sustainable foods, Coohill said, pointing to sandwiches made with local red trout and vegetables grown by Utah farmers.

The Levy company requires that 30 percent of a restaurant's menu be regional, Coohill said, so the stadium restaurant's fare will reflect its Rocky Mountain location.

"The food is wonderful — it's a great taste," said Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan, who briefly attended a Monday event at the stadium site that showcased Levy food. "I think it will be a real plus for the fans to come enjoy with their families."

The food-services announcement is an important step for the stadium, said RSL owner Dave Checketts.

"This is going to be a critical part of your stadium experience," he said. "We're not just building a stadium. This is going to be the best in the whole region."

In the background of the food-tasting celebration Monday afternoon, ongoing construction of the stadium was evident.

The project is on schedule to open in October, despite a hard winter, Checketts said. Workers are wiring the building, as well as painting and installing drywall. Next month, they'll stretch a canvas covering over the dome-shaped skeleton of the stadium.

Parking plans are also falling into place, said project manager Mike Steele. RSL is in discussions with the Jordan School District and the South Towne Exposition Center to allow fans to park at their facilities.

RSL has been required by the Sandy Planning Commission to make accommodations for 5,300 vehicles. The company does not have room on its site for that many parking stalls and has yet to find a workable solution.

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E-mail: rpalmer@desnews.com