ACC Food Tour: The Top 10 Things to Eat at the Game

The Air Canada Centre, home to the Leafs, the Raptors and the Toronto Rock, has some surprisingly serious culinary chops. Running the show is Robert Bartley, the former executive chef at the Four Seasons, the man behind the 2011 menu shake-up at BMO Field and, since 2008, the senior director of food and beverages at the ACC. The venue’s snacking stats are impressive: 26 concession stands; three full-service restaurants; and over 80 different snacks (20 of them new for the 2013–14 season) designed to sate even the most adrenaline-jacked appetites. Needless to say, the options have expanded beyond popcorn and pizza (although the latter remains a perennial favourite, with over 3,000 slices sold per game). Here, from cheapest to priciest, the 10 most interesting, unusual and drop-dead delicious snacks to sample at the game.

Name: Deep-Fried Twix What is it? Cookie- and caramel-filled chocolate bars that have been dunked in batter, rolled in crushed Rice Krispies and deep-fried in the ACC’s pastry shop (yes, the ACC has a pastry shop) Where to get it: Sweet Wally’s, the dessert-based concession stand named after ACC pastry chef Walter Arruda Tastes Like: A pleasantly crunchy departure from the usual batter-encased Mars bar Price: $5.25

Name: Funnel Cake Fries What is it? Fry-shaped strips of crunchy, deep-fried funnel cake batter topped with vanilla soft serve, whipped cream, hot fudge and M&Ms Where to get it: Sweet Wally’s Tastes Like: Doughnuts dipped in ice cream. It’s a conveniently shareable take on the carnival snack Price: $6.75

Name: Bacon-Cheddar Grilled Cheese What is it? Sweet Hawaiian bread stuffed with gooey aged cheddar and crispy smoked bacon Where to get it: MacCheesy’s Gourmet Melt Shop, a recent addition to the ACC food scene Tastes Like: It’s almost healthy. The remarkably greaseless sandwich oozes cheese but leaves nary a grease print on your napkin Price: $9.50

Name: Butter Chicken Dog What is it? An all-beef wiener topped with butter chicken, papadum shards and cilantro sprigs Where to get it: The Dog House, a concession stand devoted to haute hot dogs Tastes Like: A pleasantly curry-spiced (but dangerously messy) upgrade on the classic ballpark snack. The fresh herbs add a nice zing Price: $7.75

Name: Bacon-Wrapped Dog What is it? A bacon-wrapped all-beef hot dog topped with honey-mustard onions and cheddar cheese Where to get it: The Dog House Tastes Like: Yet another thing made more delicious by the addition of pork Price: $9.10

Name: Thai Sweet Chili Chicken Wings What is it? Four enormous wings glazed with sweet chilli sauce and served with hand-cut fries Where to get it: Real Sports Bar & Grill at the Game, a concession stand spin-off of the popular York Street sports bar Tastes Like: A refreshing departure from gloppy barbecue sauce–slathered wings. You’ll still want wet-naps, though Price: $11.25

Name: Prime Rib Sandwich What is it? Four and a half ounces of hand-sliced roasted Canadian AAA prime rib, served on an onion bun with house-made kettle chips and a dill pickle spear Where to get it: Real Sports Bar & Grill at the Game Tastes Like: A portable feast. These sammies are so popular among Leafs fans, the ACC roasts up to 35 prime ribs per game to meet the demand Price: $13.75

Name: The Triple Threat What is it? A soft bun stacked with a towering heap of juicy, fatty, salty meat, including barbecue beef brisket, pulled pork and peameal bacon Where to get it: Real Sports Bar & Grill at the Game Tastes Like: An impending coronary (in a good way) Price: $14.75

Name: Milk Chocolate Fondue What is it? A goblet of warm Lindt chocolate surrounded by piles of homemade brownies, banana bread, peanut butter cookies, marshmallows, sponge toffee and fruit Where to get it: The Platinum Club, one of three full-service restaurants at the ACC (but only accessible to people sitting in Platinum seats—sorry!) Tates Like: A gloriously posh snack Price: $33

Name: Dry-Aged Tomahawk Rib Eye for Two What is it? A 36-ounce Canadian AAA rib eye, dry-aged for seven weeks in a custom-built meat locker, then hand-cut and grilled to order Where to get it: Hot Stove Club, the ACC’s sprawling steakhouse Tastes Like: A meaty splurge. We hear there’s a regular who polishes off one of these behemoths by himself every week. Price: $95