CLEVELAND, Ohio - Progressive Field keeps turning into a cavernous culinary and craft-beer mecca: The Cleveland Indians on Tuesday announced the additions of Dante Boccuzzi pizza and Momocho restaurants along with beers and food from Fat Head's and The Brew Kettle. And Great Lakes Brewing Co. - which began offering food last year - will have an added beer garden.
No matter where fans sit in the stadium, they will be close to a variety of food and drink options that go well beyond a simple hot dog and traditional lager.
Here's a look at the latest food and beer additions:
Fat Head's Brewery: Fat Head's, a perennial winner at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, will have its core beers Head Hunter IPA, Bumble Berry honey-blueberry ale, Sunshine Daydream session IPA and Jack Straw pilsner on tap at the stadium. Food offerings will include South Side Slopes and Fat Italian Headwiches. Owner Glenn Benigni and brewmaster Matt Cole attended Tuesday's unveiling. "This will help dramatically with exposure," Cole said. "It's Great Lakes, us, The Brew Kettle - a destination for craft beer." Fat Head's is in North Olmsted and Middleburg Heights.
The Brew Kettle: The Strongsville-based brewery will offer half a dozen beers on tap along with sandwiches, including a zesty brat burger with homemade relish and Swiss cheese on a pretzel bun. The Brew Kettle is no stranger to sports venues, having launched All For One, a session India Pale Ale, at The Q for Cavs games a year ago. "They're (Indians) doing what Cleveland wants - craft beer and food. I tell people how lucky we are to be here," owner Chris Russo said. The brewery will maintain a pair of drafts via the right-field DraftServ dispenser.
Dante Boccuzzi pizza: Believe it or not, Boccuzzi actually considered offering sushi at the ballpark. While that might fly at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Cleveland is a different ball game, so to speak. So several pizzas will be available from Bocuzzi's new Dante's Inferno. "I never thought there would be a time when I was cooking at the ballpark," Boccuzzi said.
Momocho: Expect a trio of nacho options from the restaurant. "We're super excited," said Momocho's Eric Williams. "To have the Indians embrace local restaurants, it was cool. They reached out to us. We could showcase what we do." The key thing, he said, is that the Indians are installing a giant rotisserie oven, and the nacho chips will be made fresh and served warm with Bechamel sauce. Momocho is in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood and Lakewood.
Great Lakes Brewing Co.: The Ohio City brewery, which was part of last year's additions in the right-field Ohio City "neighborhood" area, will have another spot, a beer garden near the Indians shop along the third-base side. Rally Drum Ale, the homage to right-field mainstay John Adams and his bass drum, will be available to start the season, along with the brewery's main offerings, occasional pub exclusives and seasonals that will rotate throughout the year. The beer garden will have 10 taps, said Ryan Lundenberger, a regional sales manager for the brewery.
Going to Progressive Field this season will be like "going to a beer festival," said Curtis Danburg, the Indians' senior director of communications. The dozens of craft-beer offerings that launched a year ago in the right-field Corner Bar will remain.
Over the last year, the team has beefed up its food selections with a strong emphasis on Greater Cleveland restaurants. In January, the team announced Happy Dog, Cleveland Pickle and Ohio City Burrito would have concession areas on the left-field side.
Last season, Great Lakes, Dynomite Burgers, Melt, Barrio and Sweet Moses came into the right-field area.
Tuesday's announcement is part of the second phase of the stadium renovations. Seats were removed not only to make room for the added concessions but also to allow for clear vantages of the field. Arched brick pillars were inspired by the old League Park design, Danburg said.