Carlos Monarrez

Detroit Free Press

I am a pig.

They say you are what you eat so, today, I became a pig. This happened while I was sampling the seemingly endless array of new food products at Comerica Park that will be offered for the upcoming Tigers season.

There was a bratwurst popsicle. Oink!

A fried-bologna sandwich with grilled banana peppers and onions. Oink!

A hot dog smothered in mac and cheese and topped with bacon. Double oink!

Pork-rind nachos topped with bacon bits, cheese, scallions and sour cream. Triple oink!

Get the pigture — I mean picture? Sorry, my swine-induced stupor has led me to Bad Punland.

The man I blame for turning my tail curly is Comerica Park executive chef Mark Szubeczak, who travels the world for culinary inspiration and basically gets paid to play with the food of 40,000 fans during the season. Szubeczak and about 20 staff members have concocted 17 new menu items that will be available in the food court and on the concourse.

The fan favorites, like peanuts, hot dogs and pizza, will always be around. But patrons’ evolving palates demand that the epicurean envelope — which Szubeczak could probably find a way to stuff with pork and deep fry to perfection — be pushed constantly.

“They’re still here,” Szubeczak said of the favorites. “But you’ve got to keep up with the times and the young kids want to see the different things, so you’ve got to keep them interested.”

If a brat pop, chicken and waffles and a basket of deep-fried Oreos don’t keep them interested, nothing will. The star of the show, of course, was the pork, which could be found on nine of the new items.

“Baseball, hot dogs and Cracker Jacks,” Szubeczak said. “Some people put Cracker Jacks on their pork hot dogs, but it’s all about the hot dog. People gravitate. People say, ‘Why is it pork?’ But it’s a hot dog. It’s been a hot dog since the red hot in the 1900s, so it just keeps going. People come here and gravitate to it and it’s a big seller.”

Pork certainly ruled the menu today, but there was no shortage of ingenuity among the other items. And it’s easy to see why when Szubeczak happily chirps about his travels. He has been smitten by meat pies in Australia and deep-fried Pepsi — yes, that’s a thing — at a Wisconsin state fair.

Neither of those items made it on the menu. But it’s that kind of eye for the exotic that inspires Szubeczak and his team to keep trying new things.

“Some hit the chopping block,” he said. “I have a list of them all. Then they’ll come out again and we’ll bring them out midseason if we need something to sub if it’s not selling, then we’ll switch it out.”

Most items will cost between $7 and $9, with some burgers ranging from $10 to $12. There are gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options as well a grab-and-go area that offers fresh-cut fruit, salads and yogurt.

Here were my favorites from the sampling I tasted.

Deep-fried Oreos: It’s a basket of about six cookies that are each fried and topped with powdered sugar and chocolate sauce. This sounds almost lazy. But the trick is that the cookie is softened during frying and the subtle sauce is sublime. It comes off as a high-end puff pastry.

Pork-rind nachos: Pork rinds pinch-hit for tortilla chips and are topped with bacon bits, cheese, scallions and sour cream. Amazingly, they aren’t too salty. In fact, they’re even less salty than the traditional chip nachos. The key is the rinds don’t get extra salt. That allows the bacon bits to add some punch and blend with the other ingredients.

Mac Daddy Dog: A natural-casing frank topped with house-made mac and cheese, bacon bits and scallions. The plump-and-juicy frank and the not-too-gooey mac and cheese complement each other well. But the scallions are the stroke of genius here, adding a nice, pungent note at the end of the simple symphony.

New food items at Comerica Park

(Courtesy of the Tigers)

Fried Bologna Sandwich – Fried Bologna grilled banana peppers and onions, served at Section 139.

Street Nachos– Tortilla Chips served with house made queso blanco, fresh pico di gallo, sour cream, and your choice of barbacoa, chicken, or pork carnitas, served in Section 129.

Deep Fried Oreos– Fried Oreos topped with powdered sugar and chocolate sauce, served in the Big Cat Court, MI State Fair.

Brat Pop– Brat Patty battered, fried, and served on a stick, served in the Big Cat Court, MI State Fair.

Jumbo Corn Dog– Large deep fried corn dog, served in the Big Cat Court, MI State Fair.

The Downtown Dog– Natural casing Frank topped with house smoked pulled pork, crispy onion straws, jalapeños, and Sweet Barbeque sauce, served in the Big Cat Court, Downtown Area.

The Mac Daddy Dog– Natural Casing Frank topped with house made mac and cheese, bacon bits, and scallions, served in the Big Cat Court, Downtown Area.

Quesadilla Wrap– Flour tortilla stuffed with chicken, muenster cheese, grilled onions, and grilled peppers (Vegetarian Option available), served in the Big Cat Court, Mexican Town.

Cork Town Burger– Hand crafted burger topped with corned beef, kraut, Swiss cheese, and thousand island dressing, served in the Big Cat Court, Cork Town.

Smokehouse Burger– Hand crafted burger topped with cheddar cheese, house smoked pulled pork, crispy onion straws, jalapenos, and barbeque sauce, served in the Big Cat Court, Cork Town.

Smokehouse Fries– French fries topped with cheddar cheese sauce, smoked pulled pork, jalapenos, crispy onion straws, and barbeque sauce served in the Big Cat Court, Greektown.

Grecian– French fries topped with tzatziki sauce, diced cucumber, diced tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, and gyro meat served in the Big Cat Court, Greektown.

Everything Pretzel Bites– Soft Pretzel bites tossed in everything seasoning and served with queso blanco served at MI Craft.

The Lenny– Battered pork topped with pepper jack cheese, bacon, jalapenos, pickled red onion, and Dijon mustard Served on a sweet and spicy bun, served at MI Craft.

GYRO– Lamb gyro meet, red onion, diced tomatoes, and tzatziki sauce served on pita bread, served in the Big Cat Court, Greektown.

Pork Rind Nachos – Pork Rinds topped with bacon bits, cheese, scallions, and sour cream, served in the Big Cat Court, Midtown.

Chicken and Waffles– Chicken and Waffles topped with powdered sugar and warm maple syrup, served in the Big Cat Court, Midtown.

Comerica Park also offers Gluten Free, Vegetarian and Vegan options throughout its food stands to cater to all fans and giving them the complete ballpark experience.

New Stand Up Bar across from section 123 includes 150 ft x 150 ft video wall and 30 taps with a variety of draught beers.

Contact Carlos Monarrez: cmonarrez@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @cmonarrez.

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