The Fowl Pole may have the size advantage of all the 22 new food items that will be introduced at Texas Rangers games this year, but it’s the RWB Dog that is the star. And for good reason.
The new hot dog has red, white and blue relish on it. While it may have you thinking patriotic, the story behind the relish is the key ingredient. The relish is made by Glorious Gherkins, a Dallas-based company that was founded by LaToya Moppins.
Moppins was homeless for four years before getting back on her feet and starting her company in 2008. She started selling pickles and relish out of her car, and as word of mouth spread, Moppins' friend introduced her to the Delaware North Sportservice, the Rangers’ concessions provider.
They sampled her relishes and were hooked. Now the $11 hot dog will have a spicy mango and spicy garlic chicken relish on them. You can try it by visiting the hot dog stands located at sections 22, 36 and 48 at Globe Life Park.
Moppins knows this is a huge opportunity for her three-person company.
“With this type of exposure, I’ll never be homeless again, I can tell you that,” said Moppins, who was homeless from the age of 16-20. “You have to remember that homelessness can be from circumstance. It doesn’t have to be from drugs. I will never have to eat out of another trash can again. I’m very thankful.”
The rest of the new food fare at the ballpark ranges from the typical (street tacos) to the vegan friendly (Beyond vegan burger) to the extreme.
One of those extremes is the Fowl Pole. It falls in line with the big entries the ballpark has introduced in the past, like the Boomstick hot dog and the Beltre Buster burger.
The Fowl Pole is two-pound chicken tender that’s hand-battered. It's actually eight chicken breasts that are wrapped together, and it’s sure to be a star with its side of waffle fries, honey mustard and ranch dressing.
“It’s going to get a lot of recognition,” said Delaware North Sportservice executive chef Cris Vazquez. “We try to brainstorm and see how we can put it together. We bake it and bread it and it holds the chicken together. The natural juices of the breast bind the chicken, and after that, we bread it up in buttermilk and flour. It’s like a chicken-fried chicken, and it has a great flavor. We wanted to give something good to our families. It’s a really good value for our families, and it’s something unique.”
The Rangers aren’t just going after the extreme crowd, either. Two years ago, Globe Life Park was honored as the top ballpark for food by PETA. Last year, it fell to No. 2 in the rankings, and that didn’t sit well.
This year, vegans will have a chance to eat a Beyond vegan burger, vegan street tacos, vegan chili, veggie wraps and a new veggie cookie. Getting back to the top spot means something to Casey Rapp, the GM of Delaware North Sportservice.
“How can they be No. 1 with PETA and have a two-pound Fowl Pole?” Rapp said. “We do concentrate a lot on vegan fare.”