Scoreboard Gourmet

Lady Liberty Hoops - the cheapest NY sports entertainment

For the second season in a row, the Liberty has game day food specials in both the Play by Play restaurant and concession stands. In addition to the daily specials (I'll tell you about those on Tuesday when the daily specials begin) there's a regular Value Menu that has various $1 and $2 snacks. It seriously does not get any cheaper in Madison Square Garden or any other NY sports venue.

The Liberty's season starts at 4pm today v the Connecticut Suns.

LIBERTY VALUE MENU
(every game)

                                                                                                                     

ITEM	PRICE
Cracker Jack	$1.00
Box of fresh popcorn	$1.00
Small bag of chips	$1.00
Chocolate Chippers	$1.00
Sour Jacks	$1.00
Gummy Bears	$1.00
Dibs	$2.00
Drumstick	$2.00
Vanilla Cup	$2.00

Madison Square Garden Juice and Water Bottle Tops

Because I obviously only order juice and water so that I can throw the bottles at the court, the good people of MSG will not give me bottle tops.
And by 'good people' I seriously mean good people. The vendor, not wanting to break rules but understanding how annoying it is to have two uncapped bottles, gave me two condiments cups to use as caps. I love her.
It was a great idea that worked until TFMJ kicked my water bottle.

Apple and Eve Cranberry, Apple, or Orange Juice at MSG costs $4.

Restaurants Near Madison Square Garden: a Food "Map"

Just for you, dear readers, I bundled up and walked the perimeter of Madison Square Garden to create a sort of restaurant map...

North (aka 33rd Street):
Local West - 1 Penn Plaza (NE corner of 33rd and 8th)
Tupelo Grill - 1 Penn Plaza (slightly east of Local on north side of 33rd)
Nick & Stef's Steakhouse - 9 Penn Plaza (south side of 33rd, mid block, "inside" MSG)

East (aka 7th Avenue):
Roy Rogers, Nathan's, and Lindy's - 401 7th Ave (NE corner of 32nd and 7th)
Europa Cafe - 11 Penn Plaza (7th Ave between 31st and 32nd)

South (aka 31st Street):
Cafe 31 Sports Bar & Grill, and the Soup Spot - 220 West 31st Street (directly across from that middle entrance to MSG/Penn Station)
Brother Jimmy's - 416 8th Avenue (SE corner of 31st and 8th)

West (aka 8th Avenue):
That's the magnificent General Post Office, folks.
But if you wish to eat on that side of the street, there's Stage Door Delicatessen - 5 Penn Plaza (NW corner of 33rd and 8th), and Tir Na Nog (just north, same address)

And, also on 8th Avenue is the previously mentioned NY Pizza Suprema - 413 8th Avenue (that's between 30th and 31st)

Terra Chips at Madison Square Garden

Do they really sell Terra chips at the Garden? We haven't seen them.

But we did hear a funny and confusing thing about those Combo Sabretts things. One of the concessions counters was Sold Out when we tried to buy one. Wow, I said, are they that good? Two vendors shook their heads 'no'
Pretty bad, in fact, they told us.
That's excellent. Selling out something gross.

back to the point of this post - have You had Terra chips at MSG?

Draft Beer and Pretzel Rods at Madison Square Garden

It's appalling that I have not yet written about the best food-related concession item at Madison Square Garden - the beer mug with a pretzel rod.

the vendors don't walk around with these beauties, of course, but it's worth getting up for.

draft beer choices at MSG: amstel light, harp, heineken, pilsner urquell (pictured), stella, yuengling, labatt blue, sam adams, bass, bud, bud lght, michelob light. $8.25

Madison Square Garden's Popcorn Rules

I can't believe I haven't told you the story of the Popcorn Confiscation at MSG.

I'd popped some popcorn at home, lightly salted it and bagged it. I carried the warm and sort of melting bag onto the subway. it smelled so good people were staring and salivating.
TFMJ met me and we went into the Garden. I don't know why it didn't occur to me to hide the popcorn. It just didn't seem like a big deal.
well, I was wrong. it IS a Big Deal to bring in your own popcorn, presumably because they sell popcorn.

anyway, the security guard felt surprisingly bad about taking my popcorn, especially after I told him he must not throw it away but, instead, should eat it himself. it's organic, I told him. with a little sea salt.
he was into it. I'm pretty sure he ate it because when we were walking away he showed the bag to another guard and did not toss it in the trash.
I hope he enjoyed it.

Coney Combos Sabrett Hot Dogs at MSG

um, what is this? Sabrett hot dogs stuffed into a potato knish; nothing to do with Combos, the delicious pretzel+cheese combo people, by the way. has anyone had one? is it the best thing that ever happened to a hot dog, as advertised? 

I saw the sign as we exited a St. John's game at Madison Square Garden. The concessions were closed but I squeezed my head under a gate and asked where I could find the Coney Combos Hot Dog Treat.
"Do you guys sell those Coney Combos Hot Dogs?" I asked one of the women cleaning the counter.
"Yes," she said.
"Holy cow," I said. "Are they good?"
"They're okay," she said, looking through a pile of soon-to-be-trash foil-wrapped goodies, presumably to show one to me.
"How much do they cost?" I asked.
"Ma'am," another woman addressed me. "We're closed."
"Oh I don't want to buy one," I said. "I'm just wondering how much they cost."

$4.75 for a Coney Combos Sabrett at the Garden.
TFMJ and I are uncertain about the kosherness. it certainly has the vibe (knish + beef hot dog), but we think it's not.

Knicks Fan Pack: 4 games, 4 meals $99

Knicks fans can get a game ticket, a meal (hot dog, chips, 24 oz. soda) and two free gifts - a 2007-08 Knicks Yearbook and Knicks Cheerstix - for $99. additional tickets including all vouchers can be purchased for $24.75 each

The Knicks website says Fan Packs can be purchased by calling 212-307-7171 (ticketmaster) or 800-4NBA-TIX, or by visiting the Garden Box Office (just use code NYKFAN)
but I just called ticketmaster to get some more info and they were clueless. I have to recommend going to the Box Office for this one.
man do the Knicks struggle to get it right

Games in the Knicks Fan Pack:
Feb 4th Monday 7:30p v L.A. Clippers (that's the next home game)
Feb 6 th Wednesday 7:30p v the Pacers
Feb 27th Wednesday 7:30p v the Bobcats
Mar 3rd Monday 7:30p v the Hornets

place to eat near Madison Square Garden: PIZZA

My investigation and reporting on places to eat around MSG continues with NY Pizza Suprema on 8th Avenue. I can't tell you how great it is to have such a good slice in such a wasteland (no offense to the post office).

thanks to my readers who are writing in with suggestions

And now for those of you who don't know how to order a slice...do not get a slice from the stacks. what the heck are you thinking? get a slice from the pie that most recently came out of the oven. duh.

Plain slices at NY Pizza Suprema are $2. Cheap enough to go Before And After a game.

New York Pizza Suprema
413 8th Avenue
New York, NY

Eating around Madison Square Garden, and more

TFMJ and I are going to a St. John's game tonight. He asked me if I wanted to meet pre-game for early dinner. I - the Scoreboard Gourmet - said, "there's nothing to eat around there."
I am an idiot. This is my job - finding places to eat in and around sports venues. Sheesh.

Then it hit me. An Ultimate Scoreboard Gourmet destination. Go! Go! Curry (the midtown original, not the east village newbie). It's less than 5 blocks from Madison Square Garden, the food is good, and it's a Matsui shrine.

Go! Go! Curry
273 W. 38th Street
New York, NY
gogocurryusa

TFMJ is also a Huge Brother Jimmy's fan.

Brother Jimmy's Midtown
416 8th Avenue
New York, NY
brotherjimmy's midtown

most MSG events, however, have me dining on 32rd Street in Little Korea. Anyone else? Thoughts?