One of my favorite media invites of the year is the food tasting for the upcoming Sacramento Kings season. It’s not just the food; it’s the reminder that NBA basketball is back with hope for the new season, and you get to spend intimate time in the beautiful arena without the packed, cheering crowds.

In recent years, the food tasting was held on the upper Sierra Nevada Draught House deck at the Golden 1 Center, the section where the giant windows can open on the massive building. This year, the tasting was held at the level surrounded by private suites. The elite atmosphere of the setting was reinforced when media members were handed a flute of sparkling wine upon entering the lounge. 

There’s a theme for the new arena food this season — there will be nine new entries to represent the ninth year of the Golden 1 Center, including a chicken-and-waffle sandwich, porchetta fries and bao buns. And once again, the Kings and their food partner Legends Hospitality made the effort to have the ingredients locally sourced.

“We have that pledge that 90 percent of all the food and beverage consumed in this arena comes from within 150 miles of the Golden 1 Center, which really is not an easy feat,” says John Rinehart, president of business operations for the Kings. 

The new items include fried chicken on a homemade savory waffle made in-house with shaved Salinas cabbage and honey sriracha sauce; the “L Street Dog,” which is an all-beef, bacon-wrapped Schwarz hot dog with pickled jalapenos; and a “Triple Double Cheese Dog,”which is also a Schwarz dog topped with Petaluma Creamery housemade nacho cheese and pickled jalapeños. There’s also a “California Burrito” stuffed with chicken, crinkle cut fries, guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo. 

Also new are bao buns filled with slow-roasted pork belly with crisp Asian slaw and chili jam; and fries smothered in roasted porchetta from the arena’s Porchetta House as a main snack. “We have our crinkle cut fries with our porchetta that we do in the rotisseries. We have our cheese sauce, pickled red onions, salsa verde,” says Legends Hospitality Executive Chef Brien Kuznicki.

The Kings’ smashburger made by the Paragary Group remains one of the arena’s most popular items. “We’re just going to elevate it a little bit, put some barbecue on there. So the barbecue we make in house downstairs as well with our bacon, and then we also have grilled onions,” says Kuznicki 

The Kings are bringing back a popular item from the Arco Arena days. The “Sactown Dip” is a steak sandwich, but this one is updated with shaved tri tip on a steak roll with creamy horseradish, accompanied by an au jus. 

If you want something on the lighter side, Paragary’s and Selland’s will be offering a Royal Market salad, a colorful blend of fresh Watsonville greens, fruits and local vegetables. Returning for an encore is the “Light the Beam” churro, dusted with purple sugar.

Last year, the Kings held pop-up food concessions in the arena to highlight local food vendors. This year, they’re starting a new food concept. “We’re going to launch what we’re calling ‘Tip-Off Tastes’ here next year, where we’re going to highlight certain entrepreneurial, culinary experts throughout the city and throughout the region, throughout the year here at Golden 1 Center,” Rinehart says.

As for libations, the Kings are teaming up again with Milestone Brands and their Dulce Vida Tequila and bold purple Empress 1908 gin (utilized in the signature “Light the Beam” cocktail) as the official brands of the arena. 

The home opener for the Kings is on Oct. 24 against the Utah Jazz. Beginning at 4:30 p.m. that day, the Kings are hosting the first-ever “Kings Countdown,” a high-energy outdoor rally on the plaza. To celebrate the new season, all fans at the game will receive a “Forever Proud” T-shirt and magnet, courtesy of Kaiser Permanente. And at halftime, the first-ever Volta Swarm Drone Show will take flight inside the arena. 

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