French Fry Diary 553: Victory Beer Hall, Xfinity Live

I have been a Philadelphia Wings season ticket holder for nearly a quarter of a century. When I first started going to games, we had a fierce team that constantly won and took us to the championship several times. The last decade or so however has been lean, and I'm being kind.

The Bride renewed our season tickets this year automatically. Had it been up to me, I wouldn't have, or at the very least there would have been some discussion. With the lean years for the team, management has been less giving to the fans, and especially the faithful season ticket holders. For example, they threw us a party, where we had to pay outrageous stadium prices for the food. As if sixteen dollars per game to park wasn't enough. It goes up every year, soon it will be more to park than it is to buy a ticket.

Nevertheless, that's not what I'm here to talk about. The party, where we also got to meet the new players, and the remaining old players, as well as mascot Mad Dog, was at the Victory Beer Hall, inside the Xfinity Live sports bar complex at the center of the three stadiums in Philadelphia. Nice place for the most part, tables and benches, a stage, many big screen TVs, no complaints really.

The Bride ordered loaded fries with cheese, bacon, and scallions. These natural cuts came in a big portion and I thought they were pretty good. She said she thought they would have been better if they used Cheez Whiz instead of whipped cheddar. She is originally a Philly girl, so she does know her Whiz. I don't know though, I kinda liked them.

I got a burger with a side of homemade BBQ potato chips. The burger wasn't bad, but then again, I got it plain, so it wasn't as piled high as some we saw. It was good, but it wasn't ten dollars good, which is what they charged. The chips had a good big crunch, got cold quick and were a bit overseasoned, but

they had a good kick when I put them on the burger. That was great.

The portions were huge. Folks around us also ordered massive (4"x8") stuffed baked potatoes and a giant soft pretzel that filled a 12" plate. That was seriously big, and it fed a family of three, and they were so full they thought they would be sick.

The party had a good turn out despite my (and a lot of fans) being disenchanted with the team the past few years. The team was enthusiastic, and while they did not win their first home game last week, they gave a hell of an exciting game. Let's hope for the best for the rest of the season. Go Wings!