Month: June 2022

Omaha Interview: College World Series Media Tasting, Alec Woockman

OmahaNebraska.com interviewed Alec Woockman,Executive Chef at Levy Restaurants.

What are the inspirations for this year’s offerings for the College World Series?

I try to stay updated on the trends as much as I can.

Also, these are flavors I personally like, and I think they fit well in the ballpark.

I take inspiration from a lot of things and Chris Myer. Everything from a sandwich with a lot of pickles on it to a vegetarian fried cauliflower curry aioli and sriracha. I think there is a broad spectrum of things that I like that I think also work well in a ballpark.

What are some of the items that you are most excited about?

Right, so some of the things I am most excited about are first the fried chicken sandwich.

I really wanted to overwhelm it with pickle ingredients.

I think you either love pickles or love pickles and I am the latter so . . . I took bread and butter pickles, aioli, a sweet and creamy aioli. Then we have fried pickles. We also have these really nice long crinkle-cut dill pickles that just hang over the bun.

I think one of the most fun items that we have is a shared item called The Slugger, an Italian beef sandwich.

So, it’s pretty classic Italian beef. We braise it in house with beef stock, Italian seasonings, and pepperoncini.

We braise that, shred it, and save that braising liquid to make an au jus which we serve along with the sandwich.

A 14-inch, full loaf of bread that we cut open ourselves, put a pound of Italian beef in, and top with cheese and we toast it in our pizza oven.

Then we top that with giardiniera and grated Parmesan cheese and add a cup of au jus.

We cut the sandwich in three pieces. It comes in a nice box with a handle on it that you can carry.

I say it easily feeds three really hungry people, but I think probably you can feed four.

What is your inspiration for the shrimp po’ boy? I’ve never seen that at a ballpark.

So, a shrimp po’ boy . . . it’s a very traditional shrimp po’ boy. We didn’t do anything too crazy. It’s fried shrimp on a hoagie with shredded lettuce and tomato and a remoulade.

It’s just a flavor that I think should be at a ballpark. I think it will appeal to the masses. I think it is missing from this environment. You don’t see shrimp po boys. Why not shrimp po’ boys?

Another very classic flavor this year is our Chicken Parm Sandwich . . . mozzarella, marina . . .I think it fills a slot that a lot of people will enjoy.

How did you become a chef?

I’ve loved cooking from a very young age. I’ve been cooking since I was 16 years old.

…

A few years went by and I went to culinary school and started cooking in restaurants.

I started with CHI, as well as the ballpark here. I’ve been here with this company for about seven years now.

And so, I have been just climbing the ladder.

This week I’ve been very excited. I’ve been wanting to be here for a long time.

I can’t imagine how hard this was, but amazing it is.

Yes. It’s absolutely amazing. Obviously, I love to cook, so getting to do this every day is dream come true.

I would say you are coming up with ideas and creating recipes.

I would say that it gets easier the more time you are doing it.

Starting at the beginning, it is a little harder to put this together, but I think we did a really good job this year in what we are offering. Yeah, it’s a blast!

Thank you.

Absolutely.

Omaha Media Event: College World Series Food Tasting 2022-Images and Description, 15 June

Here are some of our photographs and descriptions of the CWS food sampled at the College World Series Food Tasting 2022 at Charles Schwab Field Omaha:

So how can you have more than one favorite? Go the the College World Series this year and find out for yourself and sample these restaurant quality offerings.

Up next? More food and interviews! Please visit back later to view.

 

 

Omaha Media Event: College World Series Food Tasting 2022, 15 June

This Omaha media event, College World Series Food Tasting, is looked forward to by all. Omaha gets its first taste, pardon the pun, of the new food offerings for the series. This year we have an interview with the creator of this fine fare, Alec Woockman. Check out the menu and photographs below and visit back later for our interview with the Executive Chef at Levy Restaurants.

 

 

Click here, 2022 MCWS Media Tasting 6-15-22, if you need it for a screenreader. It has the same information as the above images. The only things missing  are text in the images above are the NCAA CWS Logo,  “Charles Schwab Field Omaha” logo and the one for “Levy”.

Omaha Interview: College World Series Pre-Game Press Conference, Omaha Mayor

OmahaNebraska.com interviewed Omaha mayor, Jean Stothert, after the College World Series Pre-Game Press Conference.

There have been many changes over the last many years from Rosenblatt to here. What are some of the more noticeable changes and what were your favorite changes?

Well, I mean we built a brand-new stadium, a brand-new state of the art stadium to keep the College World Series for 25 years. And so there’s been just a multitude of changes. But I think the most important thing is working with the CWS and the NCAA and MECA that we were able to create a state of the art stadium that will keep the College World Series here for years.

What my parts are my favorite? I would say I love this out here [motions to the entire stadium] that it gives people a lot more room to walk around. I love the big screen. I love how the seating is.  It’s just a beautiful stadium so it all works together.

Do you have any favorite baseball memories? I am sure that it’s hard to pick just one or two.

I can’t say that I have one favorite memory. I enjoyed coming in College World Series when it was at Rosenblatt.

I was here for the first game in the new stadium. I think from Omahan perspective, I think one of my favorite memories would have to be sitting in this stadium for the first time.

That’s wonderful. I know that it contributes quite a bit to the economic development of Omaha.

It’s estimated that the College World Series brings in between 75 and 80 million dollars.

And so you know, those years that we didn’t have it because of the pandemic . . . the trickle down was enormous because the hotels weren’t filled, the restaurants weren’t filled, bars weren’t filled. It made a big impact. I thought last year showed that because the first year was back in person we had record breaking crowds, and everybody just wanted to get out and be outside and enjoy some activity. And so, it really just encouraged people to be out again, and the College World Series is something that I think Omahans love and can’t wait for every year.

 It’s been wonderful to watch all these things grow and develop and now Gene Leahy Mall is getting its refresh. Can you tell us a little about what is coming up please?

Sure, there’s 90 acres of city owned property. It’s the Gene Leahy Mall. Go east Heartland of America Park and then you go north to Lewis and Clark Park Landing. That whole area. We are working in cooperation with the private sector. And when it’s all done, it’s going to be about a $400 million project and the city put in $50 million and the rest is private.  And so that just really shows that the good public private partnerships that we have in Omaha and the investment that is going on in Omaha right now.

The Gene Leahy Mall will open the first of July, and it’s fantastic. We’ve raised it up to the street level so it’s usable. It’s usable for events. The old mall was pretty, but you couldn’t use it for anything. I think when people get in it, they are going to love it.

I toured it the other day and it’s gorgeous. It has something for everybody. And then it will go on down to Heartland of America Park which will connect us right to the river. That’s our most important geographic feature we have. We live on the river, so that park will go all the way down to the river and then north to Lewis and Clark Landing where a beautiful new STEM museum will be down there that Kiewit is the major funder. That portion of it, Heartland and Lewis and Clark Landing, should be open by August of next year. So everything is moving along. They are right on schedule. They’re keeping it within budget. And it will be done. And it’s going to just spur development downtown and it already has. With Mutual of Omaha coming downtown now and there’s a new hotel in the Landmark. There’s a lot of other investors looking at downtown because of what we are building downtown. We are pretty much building a new downtown.

 It looks so different, but then a lot of the favorite features are still there.

Yes.

 Everyone is so happy that you kept the arch and the slides.

Oh, yeah. Yeah, we wanted to incorporate everything in there and it will remain the Gene Leahy Mall.

Thank you.

Omaha Interview: College World Series Pre-Game Press Conference, Jack Diesing Jr.

OmahaNebraska.com interviewed Chairman and President of the Board College World Series of Omaha Inc. , Jack Diesing Jr., after the College World Series Pre-Game Press Conference.

How long have you been involved in the College World Series?

I’ve been on the board of the College World Series as a volunteer for the non-profit since 1985 and I’ve been president of the board since 1989.

I took on the chairman role when my dad relinquished it back in late nineties. So, I’ve been involved somewhere in neighborhood of 37 years.

What do you think the biggest changes have been here in Omaha or in the College World Series in general?

I think the biggest change in College World Series has been the switch from Rosenblatt to the now Charles Schwab Field in downtown Omaha.

We were at Rosenblatt for six years, Rosenblatt served as a foundation and set the stage for taking the Men’s College World Series to the pinnacle of baseball.

Then it was time to take it to the next level and make sure we had a venue that would stand the test of time and was a top quality venue. It was bittersweet for some, but it’s turned out to be an absolutely marvelous result, not only for the players, but the fans for everybody.

The biggest change for me has been really taking it to one level of Rosenblatt then the successful transition to next level of carrying us into the future with Charles Schwab Field.

What is one of the changes here that you like the best?

Well the best about the Charles Schwab Field is that it is all new.

I liken it to… Do you remodel house for the same amount of money or do you get a new house?

The best thing is . . . the combination of things that are the best about Charles Schwab Field.

I’d say number one turns out the location was fabulous because we are downtown.

They can see the ballgame.

They can sit and enjoy the atmosphere of the College World Series.

It’s easy to get around downtown and do what they want to do before or after.

In the venue itself, we have:
Wider concourses
Newer restrooms
Better seating
Better sound systems
Better video boards (even though that can be improved and we are working on it)

The bottom line is it’s everything.

The location and experience once you are in the stadium is all a wonderful venue for the people of the College World Series.

Please tell me something special in baseball for you.

There’s a couple of events that have stuck with  me the most, like the Warren Morris home run [1996] at Rosenblatt at the of bottom of the ninth inning.

It’s more about my father. My father…so we recognize my father in two ways. One is the award for players. Two is at the end of the series, we have in bugle fashion “take me out the ballgame” as the College World Series flag drops down and that’s what we did for my father father’s funeral when he left the church.

So I have very wonderful memories of what he meant to me personally and what he meant to the College World Series.

That’s so beautiful.

Thank you.

 

 

Omaha Media Event: College World Series Pre-Game Press Conference, 15 June 2022

The College World Series Pre-Game Press Conference was held earlier today.

Speakers included:

Notable items included:

Cashless ballpark-Bring your credit cards or use the reverse ATMs to turn your cash into a card to use with vendors and at the park.

Clear bag policy

A farewell celebration to Kathryn Morrissey is planed for the first game of the finals. She is the Executive Director of the CWS Omaha, Inc. and retiring this year.

Please visit back for stories and interviews.

Omaha Media Event: College World Series Pre-Game Press Conference

The 2022 NCAA Men’s College World Series is holding its Pre-Game Press Conference today.

The speakers will include:
Jack Diesing, President of College World Series of Omaha, Inc.
Randy Buhr, NCAA Director, Championships and Alliances
Jean Stothert, Mayor, City of Omaha
The Rev. Daniel Hendrickson, President of Creighton University
Roger Dixon, President and CEO of MECA

Please visit back for stories and interviews.