The lawyers and corporate types lucky enough to have company suites at Nationals Park will be eating well this season. Wednesday night, Nationals president Stan Kasten and crew opened up the club-level Stars and Stripes lounge and welcomed suite holders and media for a “suite tasting”—a buffet of all the food options that will be available for in-suite dining when the ballpark opens next week.
Upgraded stadium eats such as sausages (chicken-apple, Italian, and half smokes), cheeseburger sliders, and smoked-pork-shoulder sandwiches joined such highbrow fare as wasabi-pea-crusted ahi tuna, grilled beef with lemongrass and ginger, and tomato-and-fresh-mozzarella salad on the multiple-station buffet. See our slide show of the food below.
An appetizer station filled with finger foods included platters of sushi (nothing too out there, but decent spicy tuna and California rolls), nachos to top with chicken or pork barbecue, and Asian-style chicken lettuce wraps—in addition to bowls brimming with ballpark peanuts and Cracker Jack. Never fear, traditionalists.
The sleek-looking suites, complete with modern kitchens and sparkling bathrooms, were open for viewing and looked ready to go for opening day. Walking through the concourses to get to the Stars and Stripes club was another story, though. With a little more than a week until the Nats take on the Braves next Sunday, construction workers and equipment were everywhere. Even after suite holders finished their plastic flutes of Champagne and exited the park, guys in hardhats were still out working diligently to get the place ready for game time.
