It’s nacho average story down at Rogers Place these days. Edmonton’s major event arena is rolling out what it calls the largest menu refresh in its 10-year history, with 82 new food items set to debut this fall as the Oilers, Oil Kings and a full slate of concerts return to the downtown venue. Arena-goers can expect new creations, the return of familiar favourites and exclusive souvenirs such as beer sticks and popcorn buckets. Remember the Perogy Dog, PB&J Boneless Wings, YEG Nacho Grande in a Helmet and the Bison Burger? They’re all coming back, alongside the $10 Decade Deal Menu. But the refresh isn’t just about revisiting the past, says Rogers Place food and beverage manager Eric Bayne. “We spent a lot of time to make sure that we didn’t just come in and create menus based on our past experience,” he told reporters Monday at Rogers Place. “We wanted to do everything we could to speak to Edmonton.” That meant visiting local restaurants, consulting food experts and drawing inspiration from the city’s diverse culinary influences, while adding “a little spin on it and having some fun with it,” Bayne said. “It’s not going to just be peanuts, popcorn or nachos,” he said. “You’re going to see a little bit of everything from all over.” Fans will also have more ways to order food, including AI-powered self-checkouts, mobile ordering and new grab-and-go self-serve stations on the concourse. While Rogers Place did not release a full list of all 82 new items, executive chef Fabian Ffrench outlined the types of offerings people can expect, including curries, bison, veggie and signature burgers, butter chicken, in-house smoked brisket sandwiches, perogy-inspired dishes and other options that will appear at restaurants and concession stands throughout the arena. “Edmonton flavours are like a melting pot,” Ffrench said. “There are different flavours from different places. You don’t get barbecue in Texas the same way you get barbecue in Carolina. Edmonton is authentic to its own flavours while still embracing influences from elsewhere. We’ve also put a twist on staples like poutine.” In the end, Ffrench said he’s excited about “the energy that I know the food’s going to create, the hockey’s going to create.” “What really excites me is the opportunity to make Rogers Place a venue for food as well as hockey.” With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Noah Rishaug
