(Photo: @IMS)
It’s finally here! The month of May. The sun is shining (sometimes). The cars are running. And the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is coming to life.
There are many reasons you should visit the track this month. Among them…the food.
Yes. You heard me right. The food!
Along with the upgrades on the track, IMS also went through an overhaul of its menu during the offseason. And they partnered with Levy Restaurants, who caters some of the biggest events in the nation, to do it.
Executive Chef Jason McGraw says IMS came to them with a vision: to see the food upgraded to a different level.
“We’re in this prestigious property, where it’s got this rich history and figured we would take the food to try to meet the level of competition that happens here.”
-Levy Executive Chef Jason McGraw
And competitive, it is! Check out the menu at the Alley Café near the Pagoda and just try to make a decision:
Short Rib BBQ Sandwich with Sweet & Sour Slaw & Chipotle Glaze
Pork Tenderloin with Hickory Smoked Bacon, Jack Cheese & Spicy Pickled Pepper Relish
Clutch Burger with Pork, Jack Cheese, Pickled Relish & Spicy Sauce
Fries & Gravy with Cheese Curds & Scallions
Garlic Parmesan Fries with Garlic Butter and Parmesan Cheese
Indiana Sweet Corn with Spicy Chili Mayo & Grated Parmesan Cheese
Pulled Pork Sliders with Jalapeño Crispy Slaw & Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
Brickyard Burger with Shredded Lettuce, Tomatoes & Onion
BBQ Brisket Dog with Smoked Brisket, Fried Onions & Spicy Barbecue Sauce
Sweet Potato Tater Tots with Salsa Verde, Sweet Potato Hash, Cilantro Queso Fresco & Fried Egg
14 Hour Smoked Brisket with Fried Onions, Onion Kaiser & French Fries
IMS hosted the media for a preview and tasting of the new menu items. It was a difficult decision, but I went with the pork tenderloin. And I didn’t regret it.
The Pork Tenderloin
As the official sandwich of the Hoosier State (if there is such a thing), if it’s on the menu…it better be good. And was it ever! But I’m not just talking good, I’m talking…dream about it good. Still thinking about it the next day good. Texting pictures of it to people I know good. And don’t even start me on the garlic Parmesan fries.
This may be food they serve at a racetrack, but it is definitely not “track food.”
“What we did here, is we took the track out of the food. And we turned it into prize-winning racing food.”
-Jason McGraw
And they knocked it out of the park. Or the track.
Executive Chef Jason McGraw Unveils the New Menu at IMS
Fast food, this is not. Even if it is prepared that way.
Don’t get me wrong, this is not “chichi” food. This is good, down home, Hoosier food. The kind of food I would make. If I could cook. Chase it down with a cold glass of milk, and you’ve got the greatest lunch in the world at the greatest sporting event in the world.
May is here!
Come for the racing. Stay for the food.
See you at the track!
