Rolling on into the Ring Of Honor last week to hang out with some media friends, the Executive Chef of Talking Stick Resort Arena, Eileen Aguilera and tasting all things new at the Phoenix Suns games. It was such a fun night and quite delicious. If you are looking to try out some of the new items, I've got the scoop here with locations for you when you're at the games.
Dining at Suns games will pack serious Southwest spice this season. New executive chef Eileen Aguilera and her culinary team from Suns hospitality partner Levy spent the offseason formulating new recipes using local ingredients to infuse bolder flavors in classic stadium dishes. The best restaurants in Phoenix also blend with original arena dishes to make gameday dining at Talking Stick Resort Arena a lasting memory.
New Dishes Available:
* Fan-Selected Signature Hot Dog: Schreiner’s chorizo, black bean salsa, jack and cheddar cheese, fire roasted green chilies, chipotle aioli and crispy tortilla strips. Fans can visit the PHX Tastes, House of Brews, and Eat Street locations in sections 101, 104, and 112 to vote on the name of Talking Stick Resort Arena’s new signature hot dog.
* Big Kid Dog: A delicious gourmet hot dog for those who are still kids at heart, topped with Gooey Mac & Cheese and Fritos. Available in suites.
* Colossal Loaded Fries & Rings: Classic crispy fries smothered in local Four Peaks Kilt Lifter beer cheese sauce, and topped with bacon, chives, sour cream, and beer-battered onion rings, all in a souvenir basketball bowl. Available at the House of Brews, located on the main concourse by section 101.
* Fan-Selected Signature Hot Dog: Fans can visit the PHX Tastes, House of Brews, and Eat Street locations in sections 101, 104, and 112 to vote on the name of Talking Stick Resort Arena’s new signature hot dog.
* Beam BBQ Bacon Burger: A juicy angus beef patty topped with sweet and spicy Jim Beam Maple BBQ Sauce and crispy onions on a toasted bun, served with a side of fries adorned with house-made Jim Beam seasoning salt. Available at the new Beam & Burgers location.
* Beef ‘n Chedda: Phoenix’s own Nocawich brings in a new spin on the classic steak and cheese sandwich. Fresh sliced beef piles high on a toasted bun with Merkt’s Cheddar sauce, grilled onions, horseradish cream, and au jus dipping sauce.
* Suns Spicy Southwest Loaded Fries: Crispy fries topped with spicy Schreiner’s chorizo, black bean salsa, roasted green chiles, and fried tortilla chips. Available at House of Brews, located on the main concourse by section 101.
* Impossible Burger: A plant-based burger with the texture, aroma, and juiciness of beef burgers, chargrilled to perfection. Available in the Dos Equis Beer Garden at Cold Beers and Cheeseburgers.
* Impossible Minis: Chargrilled plant-based burger, topped with a chipotle lime aioli on a toasted brioche roll. Available in Suites and for special events.
* Stromboli Calabrese: Made fresh with Calabrese salami, Schreiner’s sausage, mozzarella and provolone cheese. Available at POMO.
Beverage Spotlight
* Hand-Crafted Cocktail Trays: Suiteholders can order all the tools to make great hand-crafted cocktails in four varieties – Moscow Mule, Bloody Mary, Prohibition, and Margarita – including mixers and garnishes.
* Micheladas: Sir Vezas bar near section 102 serves up classic, refreshing micheladas.
* Jim Beam Highball On-Tap: Fans can visit Beam & Burgers for consistent, quality Jim Beam Highballs batched to serve on-tap.
* Dos Equis Beer Garden: This newly renovated space features added patio seating all within view of the Phoenix Suns pre- and post-game show. Special “Phoenix Experience” tickets will be on sale, which include a buffet out on the patio.
* Beam & Burgers: The newest dining destination at Talking Stick Resort Arena features original dishes, including the Beam BBQ Bacon Burger and Beam seasoned fries. Located near section 109.
Fan Favorites
* Pizza Romana: Authentic Italian street-style pizza, stone-fired to order. Available at POMO To Go near section 120.
* Rotating Chef’s Tables: Custom rotating chef menus each game day in the Pacific Automation Club.
* Build Your Own Salad: A true fan favorite with choice of local greens – spinach or romaine – fresh vegetables, cheeses, and house-made dressing tossed to order. Available at POMO To Go near section 120.
* Antipasti and Salad Station: Local roasted vegetables, antipasti, dips, spreads, cheeses, and salads fill our farm to fork stations. Available at the Pacific Office Automation Courtside Club and Club Annexus on Suite Level A.
* Levy’s Famous Dessert Cart: Decadent cakes, caramel dipped apples, gourmet dessert bars, bagged candies, and ice cream bar, delivered to suite doors.
Local Partners
* PHX Restaurant Partners: Nocawich, POMO, and Cold Beers and Cheeseburgers all serve fans their signature flavors on the main concourse.
* Schreiner’s Fine Sausages: Dishes around the arena feature sausages sourced from the Phoenix favorite.
* Mount Hope Wholesale: The local purveyor of dried fruits, grains, chiles, pastas, and cereals is featured in dishes around the arena.
Special Programs, Sustainability Efforts and Community Initiatives
* Blue Cross Blue Shield Walk On! Cook Off: Levy continues to team with BCBS and the Phoenix Suns in the annual kids cooking competition showcasing healthy food options. Winners are celebrated by Suns fans at halftime on the court.
* Enjoy Life and Fry’s Food Stores: Both food stores offer allergy-friendly items throughout the arena.
* Central High School Culinary Arts: Levy partners with the Central High School Culinary Arts department for the annual Suns Slam Dunk charity event, giving students experience serving a plated dinner for more than 1,000 guests.
* Suns Charities: Levy partners with Phoenix Suns Charities to donate a portion of sales from each PHX Tastes location.
Fun Facts and Figures
* Last season, the culinary team served more than 58,000 hot dogs, and 5,000 pounds of locally sourced beets and carrots
* This season’s menu features 25 new dishes throughout the arena
* Each chef at Talking Stick Resort Arena walks an average of 8 miles per game
* The culinary team once crafted bacon-Nutella ice cream sandwiches for a special event
Eileen Aguilera, Executive Chef of Talking Stick Resort Arena
Executive Chef Eileen Aguilera is a career changer whom, while attending CSULA as a civil engineering major; on a summer break chose to follow her heart and sign up for culinary school at, Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts School in Pasadena. She completed her degree there with honors in 2009. She began her career at McCormick & Schmicks as a line cook and soon became the pastry chef with the company. In 2010 she joined the nationwide company, Grill Concepts as a lead cook. She spent the next seven years moving up the ladder, becoming an Executive Chef after two years, and winning Chef of the year with the company in 2016.
Chef Eileen transitioned into sports entertainment joining the Levy family in 2017 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, taking on the position of Executive Sous Chef. Creating innovative menus, coming up with new recipes and ideas is a passion of Eileen’s and that positioned her to become a key team member of the NLCS playoffs and the MLB World Series of Baseball.
After Flourishing at Dodgers she then moved on to work at Los Angeles Staples Center as an Executive Sous Chef. She focused on the Premium experience and was a key team member in NBA All Stars and the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
Chef Eileen became the Executive Chef of Talking Stick Resort Arena in June of 2018 and is continuing on her culinary adventure. She was born in Los Angeles and loves the culture of Southern California. She is currently residing in Phoenix and hopes to exceed expectations and continue on her culinary adventure. For more information head on over to: https://www.nba.com/suns/