Of all the new food items at Great American Ball Park this season, the one that raised the most eyebrows was the S’mores Frybox. And rightfully so.
The S’mores Frybox is a serving of hot, salty fries topped with mini marshmallows, chocolate syrup, small cinnamon-graham squares (think Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal) and M&M's.
I’ll admit, I was curious. I’m not a big fan of mixing savory and sweet, but I had to know what this sugar coma in a box tasted like.
During a recent story-planning meeting, I asked if anyone had tried the fries other than Enquirer reporter Cam Knight, who covered the annual unveiling of the new menu items earlier this spring.
“Someone needs to do a ‘We tried it’ story,” I said. “Not just a sampling, but dive in and write about it.”
“Yeah,” answered one of my colleagues unconvincingly. Long pause. “We’ll see if we can find someone to do it.”
And then crickets. I realized that if I wanted it done, I’d have to do it myself.
So I tried it – along with my wife, Lauren, and 15-year-old son, William. Here is our experience.
First impressions
The S’mores Frybox is not for the faint of heart. It’s big in both serving size (ample enough for three to share) and price ($12.75). It’s a commitment.
As I watched the concession stand guy assemble it, squirting the chocolate syrup in artistic squiggles like a pastry chef finishes off a fancy dessert plate, I asked him, “Do you make a lot of these?”
“Oh yeah,” he said. “It’s actually good.
“And you’ll need this,” he said, handing me a fork and napkin sealed in plastic. That was a good call, as it’s definitely not a finger food when you’re wearing your new, bright-white Mike Moustakas jersey.
The first bite was not especially satisfying, kind of like eating cold, dry cereal. But in moments, the heat from the fries started to melt the M&M’s and marshmallows into a gooey mess that pulled it all together. “This actually IS good,” I thought.
But I was alone in my enthusiasm.
Too much of a good thing?
Not surprisingly, the full-on assault of sweetness on those poor, unsuspecting fries was too much for Lauren.
“It’s like a bowl of mass confusion,” she said, noting that for her, the salt and sweet never came together. I pressed her for one word to sum up her experience.
“Regret,” she said.
William had a similar response, articulated as you would expect from a teenager known for being a picky eater who gets grossed out when food touches on his plate.
“Nope,” he said after one bite.
Final verdict
Clearly, the S’mores Frybox is a novelty item. It’s fun, daring and pushes the limits. And even though my companions went full Gordon Ramsay on it, it did provide us with some quality family entertainment. And that’s the sign of great ballpark food.
Great American Ball Park Executive Chef Gary Davis explained to Cam Knight that the dish was created for those who enjoy dipping their fries in a Wendy’s Frosty. If that’s you, then by all means, get yourself a S’mores Frybox. Likewise, if you’re an adventurous eater up for an over-the-top experience not rivaled since the debut of the fried Twinkie, you won’t be disappointed.
I’m glad I can say we tried it. But next time I have dessert at Great American Ball Park, I’ll be going with the tried-and-true helmet sundae.
Want to try it? Find Frybox near sections 133, 532 and the Scouts Club.
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