Fans lining the pews of Pinnacle Bank Area (PBA) have new bites to look forward to at their next concert or sporting event.
KLIN News was invited to sample some of the tasty, new offerings the PBA Food and Beverage Team has planned for the 2023–2024 University of Nebraska basketball season.
Executive Chef Liz Nickerson walked us through everything PBA will have to offer over the next year, “I’m from the south, so I gravitate towards what I know the best,” she said.
The Sandhills BBQ Stand display. (Chase Porter, KLIN News)
The Sandhills BBQ Stand menu. (Chase Porter, KLIN News)
Nickerson’s heritage comes through clearest in the Sandhills Barbecue Stand, which returns this year after being places on hiatus during the 2020 pandemic, and its accompanying lull in live events. The stand will offer BBQ-classics like Brisket and Pulled Pork Sandwiches, meat courtesy of Omaha Steaks and buns courtesy of Rotella Bakery (both Nebraska providers). The most important element of any BBQ grub, the sauce, also has Nebraska ties. Grandma Fosters BBQ Sauce was inspired in the state, and bottled in Shenandoah, Iowa. For your side, Nickerson was excited to unveil the Loaded Sidewinder, a bed of corkscrew cut spuds topped with chopped brisket, sour cream, green onions, and a cheese sauce sources from Jisa’s Cheese. A cheese shop in Brainard, Nebraska.
The main feature Double-Double Hamburger, channeling the basketball inspiration, combines several flavors from the stand. A Nebraska beef burger from Del Gould Meats is sandwiched with pulled pork and house-coleslaw, with fries on the side. “Smoked meats, barbecue, comfort foods, things of that nature. That was the influence for Sandhills,” said Chef Nickerson.
The “State-Fair” Stand display. (Chase Porter, KLIN News)
The “State-Fair” Stand menu. (Chase Porter, KLIN News)
Bringing a familiar taste, the “State-Fair” stand offers several time honored classics to fans. The main course of the stand, a Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, on a Rotella bun and topped with produce from shredded lettuce and chopped tomatos from the midwest local Loffredo Produce. State-fair concessions being most known for their snacks and treats, you will also find mini corndogs, pepper-jack Mac & Cheese bites, and innovative funnel-cake fries, topped with your choice of ketchup-impersonating raspberry or chocolate drizzle. Additionally, the stand offers packed Loaded Nachos and the cult-classic Loaded “Walking Tacos” in a convenient bag of Nacho-Cheese Doritos.
Nickerson says funnel-cakes being in “fry” form, as opposed to traditional “cake” form, should make fans game-day (or concert-day) experience less stressful. “Fries will be so much more portable for people, and they can share with others, whereas with a big funnel cake, you have to break it apart and you make a mess with the powdered sugar.”
The Plant-based “Wicked Kitchen” partnership stand display. (Chase Porter, KLIN News)
Lastly, partnering with Wicked Kitchen (a plant-based food company), fans who want to stray away from their carnivore diet will have an option. “We wanted to take those healthier items and just put a different spin on it, make it more palatable for those that may not be as apt to try plant-based foods,” said Chef Nickerson.
The Plant-based “Wicked Kitchen” stand menu. (Chase Porter, KLIN News)
Showcasing the different protein options offered, you’ll find a kicking Jalapeño Burger resting on a Rotella bun and a plant-based Chorizo Roll on a pretzel bun from the same Omaha based bakery. both outfitted veggies from Loffredo and resting on Rotella buns. For a more international taste, The Wicked Kitchen stand offers its “amaze-balls,” imitation meat balls, in two unique dishes. First is the Korean BBQ Meatball Bowl, combining the protein source with gochujang sauce and Loffredo produce on top of steamed white rice. Then the Wicked Kitchen Meatball Sub, ushered with Al Dente! premium marinara, vegan parmesan cheese, and Terra chips.
With all these mouth-watering vegan options, whats for dessert? Three unique vegan ice cream treats courtesy of Wicked Kitchen. An Almond Chocolate bar, the “Barry White” white-chocolate/cherry bar, and a Berry Chocolate cone. “All three are so delicious, you wouldn’t know they were vegan unless I told you,” said Chef Nickerson.
A clear priority in these new offerings was to source many of the ingredients from local sources. “We want local businesses to be in the building,” Chef Nickerson said, “and I know they want to be a part of this experience as well.”
New concessions are set to be available by the end of November, in time for the Husker Basketball 2023-24 season.