On April 2, on the eve of the Red Sox’ 2026 home opener, a Media Day was held in the Aura Club at Fenway Park. We had the amazing opportunity to attend and represent Lasell University’s 1851 Chronicle, standing alongside news outlets such as WBZ 4.
The day’s biggest news came with the unveiling of a new lower-level deck in the right field, which had been installed in the offseason to enhance the fan experience.
We heard from Ron Abell, Senior Executive Chef, who has been working in this position at Fenway for 20 years, and Caitlin Follet, the Pastry Chef, as they introduced this season’s offerings at Fenway.
The menu, which is available throughout the park, is entirely new, created during baseball’s offseason — except for Green Monster Fries, a menu item that made its debut in 2025.
Though the baseball season runs from April to October, the chefs of Fenway do not have an offseason. Fenway hosts a myriad of events, such as football games, weddings, and concerts, that are in need of catering.
The hot dog remains the No. 1 seller at Fenway, and the “traditional” baseball game food will remain available in 2026.
However, Chef Abell introduced two other hot dogs that will also be available this season: the Surf & Turf Dog, which is topped with Luke’s Lobster meat, crispy bacon, chives, and butter on a toasted brioche bun, and the Reuben Dog, which has all the elements of a typical Reuben sandwich, like corned beef, cheese, and sauerkraut, and is one of Chef Abell’s favorites.
Fenway sources its seafood items, such as its lobster roll and lobster poutine, from Luke’s Lobster, which has multiple locations in Boston; other sponsors include King’s Hawaiian rolls and Mike’s Amazing Mustard.
Among the new menu items are a selection of gluten-free and vegetarian options, such as empanadas and a jackfruit burger, which we enjoyed, even as non-vegetarians.
Gluten-free and vegetarian options have been in high demand by Red Sox fans. Another of our favorites was the habanero grilled cheese, which had a kick to it with delicious flavor.
We both agreed that everything on the new menu was delicious and worth your own trip to Fenway just to try some of the new items. Other highlights were the Korean brisket, adobo chicken tacos, and the cannolis.
Chef Follett, the brains behind the desserts and pastries, introduced amazing-tasting cannolis and cake in a can with flavors that will change every month.
The cans of cake fit perfectly on top of a beer can, which we all know to be a Fenway staple. Other dishes included puff pastries, which are made in-house. “A lot of the folks don’t come to Fenway to watch their weight, but we make sure our ingredients are top quality either way,” said Chef Abell when asked about the ingredients and health value of the new food items.
We witnessed the ceremonial first bite of the season taken by Ted Wayman of WCVB. After this, Sarah McKenna, the Chief Experience Officer of Fenway, spoke about Opening Day, when Fenway will welcome back and honor the 1986 Red Sox team.
“To be able to bring those [1986] guys back is so special; the fans make them feel special. The friendships you make in the community- that is what it is all about, Red Sox Nation,” said McKenna.
Travis Pollio, the Senior Director of Ticket Strategy and Promotion, spoke to us about special events with exclusive merchandise at Fenway this season.
Some of the themes and collabs will feature a Red Sox FIFA World Cup opening weekend collab and the long-standing “Star Wars”-themed game, featuring the new Mandalorian movie (May 3).
Other tie-ins include Harry Potter’s 25th anniversary (May 2), “One Piece,” “The Housemaid,” the 50th season of “Survivor,” and Women’s, Italian, Mexican, and Pride nights.
The largest turnout for one of these events last year came when the Red Sox partnered with Rebecca Yarros in honor of her “Empyrean” books, with around 11,000 people in attendance.
It was also announced that there will be a “Heated Rivalry”-themed game in the future, with more news to come.
We had a great experience at Fenway Media Day, which was an amazing opportunity, though we unfortunately did not see Wally. We hope to attend again.
–May 15, 2026–
