If you’ve been reading this blog for a bit, you’d know that I’m a fan of local company Field Roast, and their hearty selection of all-vegan products. I’m also a baseball fan, so when I received an invitation from the company to attend a tasting of some of their new vegan offerings at Safeco Field on May 8, I was pumped.
Thankfully, friend/fellow Seattle vegan blogger Helen of Vegtastic was invited too, and we met up to sample some tasty vegan options and attend that evening’s Mariners game (Full disclosure: Field Roast invited us to stay and watch the game in addition to the tasting). There were media reps from all sorts of publications present such as Google Places, The Seattle Times, Seattle Weekly and more, which made us happy. Veganism news – it’s everywhere!
Eagerly awaiting vegan dogs.
We were early to arrive and had the chance to meet and talk with Field Roast founder David Lee and PR Manager Jennifer Hryciw. I was happy to learn that David is vegan, (yay!) and that the Seattle-based company is in the International District. The company offered an impressive spread for us. David served us three specialty vegan hot dogs, the original frankfurters, and a specialty Field Roast burger. If you were checking my tweets/Instagram that day, some of these photos may look familiar.
Original Frankfurter:
I was lucky to have the chance to sample these at VegFest. The texture, flavor combinations and substance of this hot dog makes all other veg options pale in comparison, and I’ve tried a few. Savory and spicy, it was great plain but would be even better with all the fixings.
The Seattle Chili Cheez Dog:
I’ll admit right now that chili cheese hot dogs are my favorite kind. Usually I have to make them myself or take a jaunt to Cyber Dogs in Seattle, but having the ability to order one at a baseball game is slightly surreal. This was the first option I tried after the original, and I thought it was great, and it may be my second favorite of the lot. The chili was mild, but it’s nothing a little hot sauce couldn’t help. The “cheez” was a combination of coconut cream and Daiya, which was brilliant, and actually worked quite well. So messy, but so worth it.
The Bombay:
As I tweeted, I had really high hopes for the Bombay – an Indian food-inspired take on a hot dog. I know that it sounds wild, but hear me out before you knock it! My high hopes were not let down, and I believe this was my favorite all of all dogs I tried, hands down. Topped with curried chana dal (garbanzo beans), mango chutney, smooth coconut cream sauce and fried curry leaves (!), it actually perfectly complemented the hot dog underneath. If you love Indian spices and flavors, try this dog! It was amazing and I’m still thinking about it.
The IchiBan:
As a sushi fan and lover of interesting food combinations, I was intrigued by the IchiBan, which boasted teriyaki caramelized onions, grated daikon and carrot, shredded nori and a mayo dressing. The strong flavors of the onions and the mayo stole the show with this dog, and though it was tasty, I’d say it wasn’t my favorite. There were a lot of competing combinations at play here – texture, flavors, and spices – and it may have been a bit too much for me. Despite that, I will try it again to see how I like it the second time, as Field Roast gave the attendees the recipe to make this one at home!
The Field Burger:
Field Roast created their first ever veggie burger to serve exclusively at Safeco Field. Created from fresh raw veggies (carrots, celery, onion and garlic), whole barley, tomatoes, and Field Roast meats, the burger has a lot more substance than other veggie burgers I’ve had. The texture of this burger was great – not too soft (I’m thinking Dr. Praeger’s burgers) and not too firm, but just right. It held up well and is a great meal option. I only had a few bites of this, as I was pretty full by this point.
Here’s the price breakdown for each of the options that are now available at Safeco: The Frankfurter: $6.25; the three specialty dogs, which will rotate at the stand run $6.50; and the Field Burger: $6.75. For the flavor, fresh ingredients and hearty nature of each of these items, I thought the price was more than worth it.
Also in attendance for this event was Johanna McCloy, Veggie Happy creator/founder and long-time vegetarian who has made it her personal mission to ensure that vegetarian options are available at major league baseball fields around the country. How rad is that? I definitely made sure to mention Cheney Stadium/the Rainiers to her, as I’ve been told that veggie burgers/dogs exist there, but after searching for years I’ve yet to see or try one.
Overall, it was a wonderful experience enhanced by great people, a fun game (that we inevitably lost!), and tasty food. I’m already eager to come back and enjoy a game with a delicious vegan meal in hand. And I’m pretty sure that next visit will be June 9, when the Mariners take on my home team, the L.A. Dodgers. Veggie Happy actually has created an event for this day, so you can come and meet Johanna and David Lee of Field Roast, too!
The Field Roast stand at Safeco Field is located on the Main Concourse off Section 133, right next to the Natural, the pre-existing vegetarian-friendly food stand.
Update 5/21/12: Be sure to check out Helen’s review of our fun Field Roast-filled day at Safeco Field, too!
David is such a neat person to talk to, you can tell he LOVES his product and what he does – if you haven’t had a chance, tour the Field Roast factory sometime. It’s a fun little place!
He was such a sweet guy! Henri (manager at the Tacoma Food Co-op) had told me all about him and how great he was. It was so nice and refreshing to meet someone who actually walked the walk in addition to talking the talk! And too funny that you brought up the tour because I just learned of it that day! Helen and I were talking about possibly planning a Seattle area group tour so we can all nerd out together!
Oh, my gosh, that chana masala-topped hot dog is brilliance! I never would have thought of it, because it’s such a weird collision of cuisines. However, now that the mouthwatering photo is staring me down, it looks and sounds amazing. When you think about it, chana masala isn’t so far off from chili since it’s bean based with loads of spices and a tomato sauce. Everything looks delicious, and it sounds like it was lots of fun. I hope that eventually Field Roast distributes their burger across the country. Everything they make is superb, and I’m sure the burger is no exception.
The masala-dog was brilliance, Cadry! That’s the perfect descriptor. It sounds crazy, but it’s so right. It was a ton of fun, we had a wonderful time. And as of now it seems like the burger will stay in Seattle at Safeco, but who knows what will happen years down the road! I agree – it’d be great if it could be available across the U.S.
So cool! I have to go catch an M’s game now just so I can get a hot dog!
Yes, do it! You will not regret it.
I’m so jealous! The Bombay looks amazing. At Yankees stadium, they serve Praeger’s veggie burgers but only at select stands. I usually bring my own food when I go to a baseball game.
It wassss! And too funny that they serve Praeger’s! The only place I can find them now is Trader Joe’s and they’re the main burger we use at home, which is why I used that example. But I agree – whenever I go to our local minor league games, I eat before or after, or just get peanuts and beer at the game. It felt very strange to be able to eat a meal there! Strange, but great. When you visit, we’ll go to a game!
What awesome news! I am going to a Mariner’s game on Friday, so I will definitely be grabbing some field roast! I love that brand
Thanks for the news!
Hi! Great column and review.
Just wanted to tell everyone about the VEGGIE HAPPY GROUP GAME OUTING to Safeco Field on June 9! David Lee of Field Roast will be joining us, too. Tickets are available! Please go to our group outing page for more info. Hope to see you at the ballgame!
This is awesomeness! If not for anything else.. we are heading to safeco for that bombay hot dog and the ichiban!