Stadium Food Power Rankings: San Francisco 49ers Vs. St. Louis Rams

It's week 13 of the NFL season, and we're five and two in our food-to-win predictions. Although our ego may be slightly hurting from our two losses, we're confident in the food offerings to come. This week, we're zoning in on San Francisco and St. Louis, diving into their food options to see whose delicious stadium food can turn into a team win. In San Francisco, we have Candlestick Park, and in St. Louis, the Edward Jones Dome. Let's see who will take the gastronomic title this week.

 

The 66,000-seat Edward Jones Dome is located in the heart of St. Louis. To keep the field game-day ready at all times, its Magic Carpet Astro Turf is rolled and stowed after each game. The food at Edward Jones Dome is managed by two separate hospitality companies, something different from what we've previously seen in our matchups — both Levy Restaurants and Delaware North contribute to the stadium's edible offerings.
 

Edward Jones Dome's carved strip sirloin. Photo courtesy of Levy Restaurants.

Unique/Popular Items
Highlights of food offerings for the season include a menu derived by Levy Restaurants and chef Jason McGraw, featuring the Megga Muffaletta sandwich, chipotle maple chicken flatbread sandwich, beer-braised short ribs, grilled kabobs, beer brat mac and cheese, pico de gallo mac and cheese, and the Thai chile burger. Delaware North's partnership with Food Network focuses more on local cuisine, offering a bacon sloppy joe served on a jumbo seeded bun with corn chips and the option of adding Provel cheese and smoky onion relish to make it "St. Louis style," or topping it with 15 different toppings. Fans can also make it a combo by adding Buffalo chicken macaroni and cheese. The porter-braised beef brisket is another enticing option, served with Provel cheese and Red Hot Riplets, a popular and locally made potato chip. Other offerings include Hautly string cheese, Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, Kenrick's Meats, and Ronnie's Ice Cream Cones. 

Chef stations throughout the stadium include the American Carvery, with carved turkey sandwiches, St. Louis Steak sandwiches served on a whole-grain roll; Kenrick's sausages from Kenrick's Meats, a local meat packer; items like bacon-wrapped hot dogs; and a build-a-burger bar.

Also unique to the stadium are wine tastings featuring St. Louis wine vendors, local music, and food pairings; beer tastings, where the stadium pairs Budweiser brews with Wisconsin cheeses; a bloody mary bar with signature St. Louis fixings, open at all noon Rams home games; and signature cocktails from the Bud Light Party Zone, including the "Rams on Fire" and the "Hail Mary."
 

 

 
Edward Jones Dome's cranberry almond raspberry salad. Photo courtesy of Delaware North.

Healthy/Allergy-Friendly Options
Healthy options at the stadium include Hautly string cheese; red pepper hummus with pretzel chips; the cranberry almond raspberry salad made with mixed greens, dried cranberries, toasted almonds, blue cheese, and light raspberry vinaigrette; and slow-roasted turkey and provolone sandwiches on an artisan baguette. Strictly vegan and vegetarian options are offered in the stadium's vegan game day samplers and vegetarian game day samplers.

Kids meals are also available for younger fans, including grape Uncrustables or macaroni and cheese served with a whole piece of fruit, Hautly string cheese, and Wild Cherry Capri Sun, chocolate milk, or regular milk.

Candlestick Park, situated on the western shore of the San Francisco Bay, was originally built for San Francisco's Major League Baseball team, the Giants. The 49ers moved in to the stadium for their 1971 season, and are scheduled to move again to a new stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., in 2014. Strong winds from the bay often affect the stadium, creating unusual playing conditions. The field's surface is made of natural grass, although the stadium did use artificial turf until the 1979 football season. 
 
 
 

 
Candlestick Park's Crab Panini. Photo courtesy of Centerplate.

Unique/Popular Items
Specialty items at the stadium include the 6-ounce all-California grass-fed Wagyu burger, served open-faced on a sourdough roll with romaine, tomato, onion, and pickles; the Sourdough Sam Burger, an 100 percent Angus burger, topped with cheese, caramelized onions, bacon, and roasted garlic mayonnaise, and served on San Francisco sourdough bread; Mama's Meatloaf sandwich with a twist, loaded with vegetables and whole garlic cloves and served on sourdough bread with a drizzle of gravy; the classic Reuben sandwich with corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing on grilled rye bread; the Mozzarella Panini with thick-sliced mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, balsamic glaze, and tomato between slices of lightly toasted sourdough bread; and the Crab Panini with fresh Dungeness crab, topped with tomatoes and served on garlic sourdough bread.
 

 

 
Candlestick Park's famous garlic fries. Photo courtesy of Centerplate.

Fan favorites at the stadium center on their world famous garlic fries — fresh french fries lightly tossed in olive oil and garlic with a touch of flat leaf parsley, salt, and pepper, and served piping hot; and the 3:1 Sheboygan sausage, which includes a 1/3-pound hot dog served on a corn-dusted roll and offered with your choice of grilled peppers and onions.

Healthy/Allergy-Friendly Options
Healthy options at the stadium include a turkey burger, as well as healthy vegetarian options like the Field Roast vegetarian hot dog, as well as the Field Roast vegetarian burger. Gluten-free fans are offered Redbridge gluten-free bottled beer, and gluten-free Snack Smart packages.

 

It was another close call this week, but San Francisco takes the lead in our food judgment in this round. Garlic fries, grass-fed Wagyu burgers, and everything sourdough were enough to sneak by with the win (although St. Louis' bacon sloppy joe definitely gave San Francisco a run for its money). Will our food predictions mirror a game-day win? Find out this Sunday at 1 p.m.

 

Get up to date on our previous NFL Stadium Food Power Rankings here.

Stay tuned for next week's matchups of the Arizona Cardinals vs. the Seattle Seahawks, and the Kansas City Chiefs vs. the Cleveland Browns.

 

Tyler Sullivan is the Assistant Editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @atylersullivan