NASHVILLE (CelebrityAccess) Trouble appears to be a-brewin’ over a concessions item at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville that appears to be conspicuously close to a dish that is held near and dear to the people of Rochester, N.Y.
The arena, home to the NHL’s Predators and all of the arena events that cross paths with Music City, recently introduced the “Smash Plate” two grilled cheeseburgers on a base of diced potatoes and macaroni salad, smothered with onions, hot chili sauce and mustard.
Intermission = the perfect time to try our “Smash Plate” 👍🏻 It contains 2 grilled cheeseburgers on a base of diced potatoes & macaroni salad, topped off with onions, hot chili sauce, and mustard! 😋 #WPGvsNSH pic.twitter.com/XC1aZYYrLh
— BridgestoneArena F&B (@SMASHVILLE_FnB) April 29, 2018
What could possibly be wrong with that?
Nothing, really, unless you’re a proud citizen of Rochester, N.Y., home to a delicacy invented at the Nick Tahou Hots eatery. It has become to Rochester what a cheesesteak sandwich has become to Philadelphia.
The Huffington Post has noted that there are knockoffs around the country but the garbage plate is still the signature food of Rochester.
“Garbage Plates are the number one reason that hangovers barely stand a chance in Rochester.,” HuffPo’s Rebecca Orchant wrote. “They consist of a foundation of baked beans and/or macaroni salad with either home fries or French fries. On top, a choice of two: cheeseburger, hamburger, red hots, white hots, Italian sausage, chicken tender, haddock, fried ham, grilled cheese, or eggs. The crown jewel on this mountain of food: onions, mustard and Nick’s signature hot sauce – which is a ground meat chili like you’d get on a Michigan-style Coney dog. There are varying opinions on how to eat a Garbage Plate, but the conventional wisdom is that it should be done quickly, with plenty of ketchup.”
Maybe that’s why, when Bridgestone tweeted out last night its culinary addition, it hit the New York newspapers.
Rochester’s WHAM Channel 13 News dug into the case, even suggesting the Smash Plate could be the work of former Rochesterian Pete Rodgers, now equipment manager for the Nashville Predators, or his wife, Judy, who worked at Channel 13 as a sports producer.
“I’m not at all insinuating that Pete Rodgers stole the Garbage Plate idea from his hometown and brought it to Nashville, I’m not insinuating it in any way,” WHAM’s Mike Catalana said on air. “I’m just saying it, right out there: Pete Rodgers stole this.”
It’s called a “Garbage Plate”. #GetSwept
— Charles the Third (@TheRealCZ3) April 30, 2018
I believe that belongs to Rochester pic.twitter.com/kbdtrKZmgm
— Ryan Kellogg (@rskellogg) April 30, 2018
Wayyyy too much
— R Jærgønjånsen S (@jaergon) April 30, 2018
As a duly sworn representative of Rochester, NY, you’re doing this wrong. 1st – give some damn credit for your thievery. 2nd – your Mac salad looks straight trash. 3rd – “hot chili sauce”?!? Stop. I understand that imitation is supposed to be flattering, but this is just wrong.
— Brian Cardilli (@wberpopice) April 30, 2018
@Nick_Tahou_Hots pic.twitter.com/YDDAL6HE7w
— Sean McKenna (@hockybro41) April 30, 2018
A call to Bridgestone’s media relations contact was not returned at press time.
