by Steven Doyle
The Dallas Mavericks are the latest entry into the Dallas burger wars with their Just-In-Time Burger at the American Airlines Center. Mavericks rookie guard Justin Anderson and AAC executive chef Mark Mabry created the burger that is sold at the Grill Zones Sections 106 and 118 on the plaza level during the month of January at both Mavericks, Stars games, and concerts.
The 1/3-pound burger is topped with apple wood smoked bacon and deviled egg aioli, provolone cheese, vine ripened tomato and shredded lettuce on Old Bay butter Texas toast served with Sriracha cheese fries at a cost of $12.
We had a chance to taste the burger recently and were succumbed to not only the good burger flavor, but the aioli and the incredible flavor that the Old Bay buttered Texas toast lent to the operation. The flavors worked so well together that we chatted up the chef before a recent Mav’s game.
Chef Mark Mabry comes to Dallas with a ten year history working with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Dodgers and the Memphis Grizzly’s. The chef worked in Arizona for restaurants and a catering company prior to his sports tenure, graduating from Northern Arizona University and then The California Culinary Academy in San Francisco.
“The restaurant gig is like Groundhog Day every day, and this is something new and crazy every day. It’s like working for 19,000 of your closest guests each day.I love it and it’s a challenge,” said Mabry.
There is actually a lot more to this cheffing job than meets the eye. Mabry is not sitting in suites enjoying the games, but instead overseeing this large feeder each night from hot dogs to lobster. The every day fans are taking in the hot dogs and the burgers, but he is also tending to the owners and their families, the luxury suites and the VIP club located in the belly of the stadium. “There are so many moving parts to this business that it keeps me busy,” Mabry added.
Mabry has four main kitchens which are akin to hotel kitchens, then each concession stand has their own mini kitchen.
The chef doesn’t have many chances to get out and enjoy a meal locally, but Mabry did have an occasion recently to check out Fearing’s located near the stadium at the Ritz-Carlton. But his go to restaurants are La Duni and Meso Mayo for chilaquiles. He also told us that Rodeo Goat is his burger of choice when not at the Stadium.
Chef Mabry’s collaboration burger with Justin Anderson, the Just-In Time Burger will be around for another few weeks. You will enjoy the Sriracha cheese that complements the super delicious fries so very well. The Mavericks play the Celtics this coming Monday, January 18th. Come early for the burger.
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