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We just completed our first experience at the Audi Club at the new Yankee Stadium and I have mixed emotions about it. I think that the food is very well done for stadium food which is ironic that I enjoyed an all you can eat buffet. I've actually grown to hate (I hate using that word but that's so appropriate here) them because of numerous Christmas parties I've attended there.

But it's pretty devoid of atmosphere. The sound proof glass ensures that. Oh, you stay cool on hot days like today, though it was so hot and gross that I was still sweating when they A/C was turned down. But I like hearing the crack of the bat, hearing and jeering the players, ordering a bag of peanuts and having them hurled 50 feet to me, chanting "Hip Hip Jorge!", screaming "Hey ump, open your eyes!" and singing "Take me out to the ball game."

Thankfully, it's not a stuffy place full of corporate types (like me sometimes), though today's late starting day game might not have been the best day to judge this. But it's a surreal experience nonetheless. I really don't like listening to Michael Kay, who they pipe into the Club. I actually would prefer to hear John Sterling and Susan Waldman though I know they have their detractors too.

The Audi Club IMHO, would be a good place to be if you're guest isn't THAT into baseball. You can actually be "free to move around the cabin." (That was funny by Pastor J!) It would be a decent first date place: $65 per person for decent food food in NYC is an ok deal, though alcoholic drinks are extra. Just make sure not to down too much yourself or comment on her third plate of food.

However, I don't know if the bathrooms are soo good that I'd call up my buddy while urinating and tell him "You gotta see the bathrooms--they're incredible!" Yes that really happened today! And no, I didn't glance over to look at him with my "WTF is wrong with you look." But everyone was laughing after that which was pretty surreal too actually.

Drinks there are actually reasonable for Yankee Stadium--17 oz Blue Moons with an orange slice for $8. One time (at band camp) I paid $16 for margaritas at the Jim Beam Club which weren't worth it.

As for the food let me quickly say that:

- the sushi isn't Blue Ribbon but it's pretty good. I bypassed the rice and went right to the sashimi.
- the chicken sliders were good with the BBQ sauce but the BLT sliders were milquetoast. You can't just make sandwiches smaller and call them sliders. You still need decent ingredients. The bacon is perfect for college-cafeteria and the cheese is too.
- roasted lamb was good, not gamey, and while I wouldn't serve horseradish or mustard based sauces with it (they must have run out of prime rib!), they were properly made.
- onion rings were good and made better by the jalapeno aioli dipping sauce.
- sweet potato fries were also decent and crisp on the outside. They were hot--this is in reference to the many times I've eating cold fries at the 2nd Yankee Stadium. (I refer to the one just torn down as the 2nd, since the original one was refurbished in 74-75 I believe).
- the funnel cake was a bit stale. The toppings which included ice cream, fresh cream and berries were fine.

The club also some traditional ball park fare including hot dogs and popcorn. So if you feel bad for the Yankees and want them to make more money off you, by all means eat this stuff.

The service is pretty good, though I've heard others complain about it being slow. But I did tip $20 in the first round--hoping my bribe would work. It did. The hostess let me have a $10 program afterwards.

I left the game stuffed--but not entirely satisfied. The game was actually pretty good though the wrong team won. I don't know if I'd pay $140 again for each ticket--but if you could get them on stubhub for about $80-100 each, that might be ok on a hot humid night or freezing cold one.