Delectable Dining for the Belmont Stakes

When the third leg of the Triple Crown kicks off on June 6, Belmont Park expects to welcome 90,000 fans to the Elmont, N.Y. race track with Centerplate and Head Chef Bell waiting to greet them with culinary delights.

Bell, who has been the head of cuisine at Belmont for eight years, has been meticulously planning the menu for the Test of the Champion with her team for some time. “We’ve been planning for Belmont Stakes since literally last summer,” explained Peter Matra, Vice President of Centerplate. “As soon as we got Saratoga up and running, we started meetings with Chef and writing the menus for this upcoming year. We’ve had meetings every week since last summer to plan for this.”
Centerplate knows how to throw a big event: the company has handled the catering at such events as the Super Bowl, MLB games and more.
The Belmont Stakes presents an unusual challenge for Chef Bell and her team, since horse racing is a day-long sport. “People are here all day. We start coffee service at 8:30 (a.m.) and a lot of our areas won’t stop serving until 7:30 p.m. I’ve done Super Bowls and lots of other big events where everybody gets in and then it’s over; whereas here we have to make sure the quality stays right (all day).”
For the Belmont Stakes, Chef Bell and her team at Centerplate are seeking new flavors but keeping fan favorites. She explains that her meatballs, turkey and beef tenderloin have a large following, so they’ll be featured on the menu.

In fact, she’s ordered 1,400 pounds of tenderloin, 2,200 pounds of turkey, and roughly 900 pounds of short ribs in preparation for the Belmont Stakes.
The catering team also wants to accommodate those with special dietary needs as well; one new edition to the menu are arepas, a South American flatbread made of maize that is naturally gluten-free. Served with salsa verde or arepa sauce, the savory treats are great sandwich alternatives for those seeking to avoid wheat products.

Chef Bell is very conscious of sourcing her food locally; cheeses come from the tri-state area and the beverage selection – both alcoholic and soft drinks – are regional as well. Featured drinks include Saranac Beer, Saratoga sparkling water, Brooklyn Lager and New York Distilling Company gin.

Speaking of drinks, the Belmont Jewel is the signature beverage of the third leg of the Triple Crown, and the recipe is tweaked annually to provide the tastiest experience for cocktail connoisseurs. This year’s recipe is 1.5 oz. of Knob Creek Bourbon, 2 oz. lemonade and 1 oz. of pomegranate juice served shaken over ice with a lemon twist.

Fans who purchase the drink on at the Belmont Stakes will get to take home a glass commemorating the 147th running of the Test of the Champion, providing a lasting memory of what could prove to be an historic day.

Chef Bell doesn’t just spend her time at Belmont in the kitchen; she’s a racing fan, too, and she knows who she and her team are rooting for on June 6: American Pharoah. “I think this horse is going to win. Of the eight years I’ve been doing the (Belmont) Stakes, this is the first year that my crew in the kitchen on Preakness day was all screaming. It feels like this horse could actually win it.”
Whatever horse takes home the Belmont Stakes on June 6, it’s a safe bet that the fans who show up for the day of racing will be treated to a delectable afternoon of Thoroughbred action, betting, cocktails and cuisine.