The West Michigan Whitecaps (Single-A, Midwest League) are ready for the fans to have their say! The tenth-annual fan voting contest, presented by visit Central Florida, to determine Fifth Third Ballpark’s next culinary delight starts today – Wednesday, February 27.
The list has been narrowed down from several hundred ideas submitted by fans last month and the dozens of ideas coming out of the GFS Test Kitchen to just 10 choices.
Previous winners of the contest were the national-award-winning Beercheese Poutine, Mt. Wing-suvious. Declaration of Indigestion. Chicks with Sticks (celery, carrots and hummus), and the Baco.
Marc Viquez of Indianapolis, IN thinks his Rocky Balburrito submission is a knockout. “Rocky Balburrito takes the iconic cheesesteak sandwich and gives it a new twist. The deep-fried sandwich now has a crunch that is filled with gooey cheese, tender pieces of seasoned steak, and tangy onions and peppers. A perfect handheld sandwich to enjoy while watching the Whitecaps play this summer. Ask for it by yelling “Adrian!'”
Casey Jones of Grand Rapids thinks his creations should be the winner. “The River Rascal is a modern appeal to tradition and pastime – to take me out to the ball game, as the song would say, with peanuts and crackerjack. It’s a combination that may seem intimidating at first but have you back up for seconds during the 7th inning stretch!”
Voting will run through Friday, March 8, and will take place on the Whitecaps website, www.whitecapsbaseball.com. The winner will be announced later in March.
Below is a complete list and description of the 10 finalists.
Cow-A-Bunga Burger
Popular Hawaiian cuisine includes SPAM (yes SPAM!), pineapple (duh) and bacon (we assume, because duh, it’s bacon). That’s why we took three of those ingredients and used them as a cheeseburger toppings. Aloha indeed.
Deep Fried Jellybeans
You certainly won’t find this delectable snack during your Halloween trick-or-treating. Even people who avoid black jellybeans will be delighted. (Hot take: black jellybeans are delightful.)
Fried Tequickles
Te-kee-ckles? Te-quick-les? Look, pronounce it however you like, but these fried pickles are breaded, then deep fried and served with a tequila mango sauce, so they are sure to start a party with your tastebuds. Worms not included.
Marge’s Donut Sundae
Forget a mask and pads, you’ll just need a napkin after you catch this donut shaped like a catcher’s mitt. This oversized donut is topped with vanilla ice cream, caramel and chocolate syrups, M&Ms, sprinkles and whipped cream and comes in at just under 3,000 calories. There’s a reason Marge’s Donut Den is a West Michigan Institution.
Oinkurrito
Here piggy piggy! Fire-braised pork is topped with bacon and cheddar mac-n-cheese and then rolled into a 12-inch flour tortilla for a savory delight. It’s OK to drool.
River Rascal
Take me out to the ball game, take me out to the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack, heaped on a hot dog for a hearty snack. Smother it with peanut butter and no-bean chili, topped with pickles for fun. You may want 1,2,3 more of these before it’s all said and done.
Rocky Balburrito
Ever wonder how Rocky made it up those stairs so quickly? It’s because of the wonderful and nutritious food in Philadelphia. The most famous of which is the cheesesteak, which we’ve rolled into a burrito with liberal doses of cheese, onions and green peppers and then deep fried. After one of these you’ll feel like a champ.
Tidal Wave
You won’t need to surf Nazaré, Portugal to catch this huge wave. This healthy scoop of vanilla ice cream coated in Fruity Pebbles and rolled burrito-style in blue cotton candy will make you want to wave goodbye to your diet.
Twinkie the Pig
Urban legend has it that a Twinkie’s shelf life is infinite. But if they were wrapped in bacon and fried – as we like to do – then there’s no way they would last that long. Not. A. Chance.
Unicorn Popcorn
Unicorns may be mythical creatures, but this dessert is the real deal. A cup of cotton candy mixed with rainbow Dippin’ Dots and rainbow popcorn to create a kaleidoscope of colorful flavor (and sugar).
The Whitecaps open the 2019 at home on Saturday, April 6 against the South Bend Cubs at 4:00 p.m. and tickets are now on sale. For complete 2019 schedule and ticket information, including season and group ticket prices and perks, visit www.whitecapsbaseball.com.
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