New options include a Tampa Cuban sandwich, loaded kettle chips and a crispy chicken sandwich. Three types of Bomber Bowls will be sold — chicken, shrimp and tofu.

“One thing I’m proud of is that we’re introducing a healthy bowl concept that our fans have asked for and that we feel is responsive to today’s trend in eating,” said Tony Bruno, the CFO of Yankees Global Enterprises. "So this way, when you come to the ballpark, not only do you have the opportunity to have the traditional fare — the hot dog and the hamburger — but also have the opportunity to enjoy a good healthy alternative.

The new house-smoked pastrami sandwich is cooked in the facility’s smoker for 18 hours and sliced extremely thin and served on marble rye bread with New York deli mustard. Gibson is most proud of this menu item, and he has reason to be. The meat is tender and so thinly sliced that it almost melts in your mouth. This is the real deal. This might be just the beginning of how the smoker is used. Gibson said he hopes to continue to add items from the smoker, like Reuben sandwiches, in the future.

Also from the smoker, there are smoked chicken wings with buffalo sauce and bleu cheese. These wings are meaty, larger than any I’ve seen at a ballpark before. The hot sauce is a nice touch, but it sort of overwhelms the smoky taste of the chicken, which is what makes the item unique. But if you like chicken wings, go for it.

The shrimp bowl contains mojo shrimp, cilantro-lime rice, mango pineapple salsa, street corn and avocado ranch. The chicken is definitely flavorful and mixing it with sweet potatoes is a nice combination, but the shrimp bowl feels right when trying to eat something light under the Florida sun. The ingredients all seem to go well together, especially the street corn and the avocado ranch dressing.

The ballpark Cuban sandwich had roasted pork, honey-baked ham, salami, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard on pressed Cuban bread. The Yankees should be applauded for making their own Cuban, because the title of best Cuban locally might be one of the most divisive topics in the region. But all in all, this does the trick. The ingredients are key, and this has them all arranged well. To me, the bread is what makes a Cuban, and this sandwich is pressed well to give the bread that necessary crispness.

Each year, the team has a different take on the crispy chicken sandwich, and this year it is topped with the delicious ranch avocado sauce and Swiss cheese on a sesame seed bun. This is definitely not your average ballpark chicken sandwich.

And finally, the loaded kettle chips tops pulled pork, barbecue sauce and spicy white cheddar cheese sauce over fresh kettle potato chips. Lots of places do this item, but the sweetness of the barbecue sauce and the kick of the cheese is a nice mix with the chips. Get extra napkins, though. Most of these options are slated to be served at Steinbrenner Field as the Yankees’ Florida State League Class-A affiliate Tampa Tarpons play throughout the summer.

Contact Eduardo A. Encina at eencina@tampabay.com. Follow @EddieInTheYard.

Eduardo A. Encina. "Yankees open home spring training slate in Tampa with new menu items." Tampa Bay Times, February 25, 2019. https://www.tampabay.com.

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