At the time Albert Belle slapped the ball out of the Jacobs Field ballpark Friday night, a woman visiting from Virginia sliced her knife through a double cut lamb chop at a table in the Terrace Club.
For both Belle and the visitor, it was a delicious moment.
It was Belle's 200th homerun of his career, and launched the Indians toward a 9-4 win over Boston.
For the woman, the lamb chop, she said, "is the best I've ever tasted."
It was the first game of the second homestand of the season for the Tribe, and the lamb chop and other offerings launched the Terrace Club's ala-carte menu for this season. Now, table side service accompanies the popular buffet in the upscale, members-only club.
As with any opening, the performers--the kitchen and dining room staffs--were nervous. But the diners--their audience--applauded. (There were even standing ovations at times, and never mind that those were for Tribe efforts down below on the field.)
Room manager Stacey Minium said reaction to the first night ala-carte offerings was "excellent." She said about half of those in the dining room opted for table-side service. Many who went to the buffet wanted to eat early and then get to outside stadium seats for the game.
Executive Chef Michael Northern and new Sous Chef Paul Taylor and kitchens full of cooks laid out an ala-carte spread from the grill of steaks, veal and lamb chops with herbed butters and vodka cream and cognac cream sauces, wild mushrooms and asparagus, braised Cipolline onions and roasted red peppers.
From the wood-burning ovens came chicken, vegetable and fish and seafood choices with brick-oven vegetables and Portabella mushrooms, polenta and sun-dried tomatoes, Vidalia onions and roasted yellow tomatoes.
Oh, yes, there were some problems: a meal wasn't hot enough for one diner; another got the wrong steak; one man wanted his steak au poivre sauce "more peppery."
By dessert time, the only complaints were, "I can't eat all that," or "That looks absolutely decadent!" For the most part, they did "eat all that," and the desserts are decadent, much too deliciously depraved to talk about here.
Meanwhile, in the rows of suites, appetizers, snacks, sandwiches, and gourmet meals were being served.
Suites manager James Ranallo said all five so-called "carvery carts" were working, with chefs hand-carving and serving meats in the suites. The pasta carts were out, too, with more chefs preparing and serving pasta dishes. Jacobs Field is one of several sports venues where The Levy Restaurants provide food service. It is the only park with in-suite pasta cart service.
Yeah; baseball food is a lot more than hotdogs and beer, these days.
Ranallo said, "We want people in the suites to think dining room, not ballpark, when we serve them." Of course, when the Tribe's winning, it's difficult not to think baseball, too.
In the ballgame, Dennis Martinez picked up win number three behind hot Tribe bats. The Indians got 13 hits. Belle's sixth homerun of the season put him at a career mark that is fifth in Indian hitting history.