Bayless, Izard & More Top Chefs Team With Cubs For Special Ballpark Dishes

If some fans thought Wrigley Field was already far removed from peanuts and Cracker Jack, wait until they hear about the Friendly Confines’ newest changes to the food lineup. Next month the Cubs will bring in the some of the city’s best chefs to serve special menus at the ballpark. The participating chefs are Stephanie Izard, Rick Bayless, Matthias Merges, Graham Elliot, and Jeff Mauro.

The food will be available down the right-field line at Wrigley’s remodeled main concourse on the Sheffield Avenue side. It’s another stadium food upgrade, as changes started in 2015 when the Cubs lured Doug Sohn to create a mini-version of Hot Doug’s in the bleachers.

In the cases of Merges and Mauro, the Cubs already have familiarity. Merges (Yusho, Billy Sunday, Old Irving Brewing Co., A10) plans to open two bars near Wrigley as part of new development. Mauro, the sandwich king of Food Network fame, is already selling sandwiches from Pork and Mindy’s inside Wrigley Field. Izard, the newly-crowned Iron Chef, has incorporated Cubs’ lore into the naming of her three restaurants (Duck Duck Goat, Girl & the Goat, The Little Goat). Bayless’ baseball connections aren’t readily shared. Elliot, who is still without a restaurant in Chicago, regularly talks about baseball via social media and previously sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” at Wrigley.

Check out the chefs’ schedules below.

Stephanie Izard: June 2-11.

Matthias Merges: June 19-21, July 4-6 and July 7-9.

Jeff Mauro: July 21-25

Rick Bayless: Aug. 1-6

Graham Elliot: Aug. 14-20 and Aug. 28 to Sept. 3