Culinary Currents
March 2006

Executive Chef Sports and Entertainment Gustavo Cisneros, Minute Maid Park- “I work at a Ball Park everyday. 
How could I not love my job?”

By Peter Langlois

Gustavo Cisnero knew the restaurant business was for him from the moment he started working at the Rainbow Lodge in Houston.  At eighteen years old he thought it was great that he was being paid for doing something he loved to do, cook.   He started doing basic prep in the kitchen and then became the Sunday Brunch buffet cook.  That was great fun, he told me.

 He approaches his job as executive chef at Minute Maid Park (home of the Houston Astros) with that same passion, though certainly the number of guests served is radically greater than at the Rainbow Lodge, which even today is known for its picturesque setting and focus on wild game.

 At Minute Maid, Gustavo concentrates his efforts on 63 suites, catering, The Diamond Club, Nine Amigos, and The Crawford Café, all the while relying on his staff to take care of the more than 40,000 fans looking for a hot dog and a beer while watching the game.  Annual attendance at Astros’ games is around three million, so naturally game food is huge.

 When I chatted with Gustavo, he had just finished new menus for the upcoming baseball season.  He told me he is responsible for standardizing every recipe and then costing them out.  His food cost target is 24 percent overall, which is standard for this type of venue.   His latest creation?  Beef Tenderloin stuffed with Lobster, and served with a blackberry demi-glace.

 Yet he told me most companies go with the traditional hamburger-hot dog menus in the suites.  Packages start at $650 to $1,200 (for 10 guests), and anything goes-whatever the client desires. 

 He is very excited about an upcoming special on-the-field- party for 1,500 he is doing for Walter P. Moore, the company that built the sliding roof for Minute Maid Park.  There will be a number of action stations, including one featuring Cuban Pressed Sandwiches and a Carving station for Roast New York Sirloin with Bleu Cheese-Horseradish sauce. He is also incorporating regional dishes from the major cities, which have Walter P. Moore offices.

 All in all, Chef has plenty of variety and challenges to face each day, and that makes life more fun, he says.

 To relax, he tends to go outdoors.  Hiking in the Hill Country, cycling, and fishing are his main hobbies.  His daughter, Sydney (4), loves to fish and cook with her dad, just as Gustavo learned to cook from his father.   Wonder if a foodservice career lies ahead for her? As I talked with Gustavo his love for life and cooking came through loud and clear.  I’d say going to the Ball Park everyday is just the ticket for this chef!