I think it’s safe to say that if you went to college, or live in a city with a championship team, at one point or another you have found yourself in complete bliss surrounded by thousands of people in a stadium or arena. But there’s always one thing we can never really let go of, and it’s the food.

No matter how frivolous, it just feels wrong having to pay $23 for a beer and some mediocre chicken fingers and soggy fries. But our love for sports, and all live entertainment events really, seems to cause some sort of amnesia because, in about every line of an Aramark or Sysco affiliate (no offense to either of these fine businesses) you can overhear people chirping about how ridiculous the situation is.

Luckily my friends, we need not suffer any longer. Enter Levy Restaurants, Barclays Center, Bruce Ratner, and oh yea, Sean Carter a.k.a. Jay-Z, a.k.a. Hova, a.k.a. Best Rapper Alive (you get the point). We’re not speaking in hyperbole here; Barclay’s Center is about to change the game on the fan experience.

Part of why people like Jay-Z are able to capture the attention of an entire culture is they are true to who they are.  Bruce Ratner didn’t just want any random food distribution company coming in and mucking up what Brooklyn’s been working towards the last few years. He brought in Levy Restaurants, so they could do it right, and they did.  Brooklyn Taste (as it has been branded) has gathered 37 local restaurants/food trucks and crammed them into the new epicenter of NYC. They have taken everything that has contributed to the Brooklyn phenomenon and brought it right to the feet of people who may never get to experience these wonders otherwise.

Now every German tourist, cousin from San Francisco who is obsessed with Barbara Streisand (playing on Oct. 11 & 13), or your parents who “have never actually been to Brooklyn, even though they’ve travelled all over the world,” can taste a legendary slice of L&B pizza, or this year’s hottest Lobster Roll from Red Hook Lobster Pound.

Unfortunately, we cant promise this is going to be any easier on your wallet (pulled pork sandwiches from Fatty ’Cue will cost you around 13 bucks) but this will certainly make things feel a little more justified.

Get your tickets early folks; this borough is in it for the long haul.  The Net’s are just going to have to get used to the fact that some people are just there for the food.

List of Restaurants noted in this NY Times piece:

Nathan’s Famous
L&B Spumoni Gardens
Junior’s Cheesecake
Fatty ‘Cue
Brooklyn Bangers
Blue Marble
Brooklyn Farmacy
Buffalo Boss
McClure’s Pickles
Brooklyn Cupcake
Brooklyn Salsa Company
Tumbador
Café Habana

This slideshow from the NY Times for a preview of the dishes.

Photo Credits and Copyrights:

Jay-Z photo (featured) from Jay-Z @S_C_ twitter account

Barclays Center from Sean Perry of NY Mag