Life At Levy

Tonight marks the first-ever Levy-led event at Soldier Field. There’s a lot of commotion mixed with a lot of excitement, but it's these pre-shift moments that Executive Chef Ryan Craig thrives in. 

This past spring, baseball players were taking their last cuts in the cage and grounds crews were raking diamonds. Chef Ryan, who was the Executive Chef of the Chicago White Sox’s Guaranteed Rate Field, was perfecting the flavors and presentation of a soon-to-be viral sensation. It became a recipe many fans and media deemed to be the early-season MVP: The Campfire Milkshake. The 16-oz s'mores-inspired chocolate shake, topped with graham crackers, marshmallows, whipped cream and a chocolate bar is nostalgia in a chocolate dipped glass.

Milkshake innovation is nothing new for the Levy culinary team at Guaranteed Rate Field. Two years ago, they saw an opportunity to keep fans cool during hot summer games with tasty treats. Chef Ricardo Ibarra created the first milkshake: a Horchata Churro Milkshake, inspired by the vibrant Hispanic culture of Chicago’s South Side. The creamy, cinnamon-spiced vanilla milkshake featured a giant, warm and sugary churro. The following season, the team created the Mangonada Shake with a sweet mango flavor to create one refreshing sip.

“If you did this somewhere that’s warm all year round, it might not have worked quite as well,” said Chef Ryan. “Chicagoans truly appreciate summertime and are willing to indulge a little bit more. We merged the emotional connection of walking to the ice cream shop or sitting with your family around a campfire — it’s a special feeling.”

Once a few influencers got a look (and a taste) of the massive shake, it took off. It was an instant hit that swept across the country capturing the hearts, taste buds and social feeds of baseball fans. ESPN, SportsCenter, the MLB and more shined a bright light on the shake that would go down in the history books — and so would the chef behind it.

“The social media landscape changed everything,” Chef Ryan said. “It can’t just taste good, our food needs to look good too. We want everyone to see and say, ‘I have to have that.’”

Now Chef Ryan is taking his Chicago-roots and culinary expertise to a different Chicago stage: Soldier Field. The “Milkshake Man” will be Levy’s inaugural Executive Chef at the stadium — a partnership Levy proudly announced in April that includes the Chicago Bears, Chicago Fire FC, concerts and more. 

“In baseball, you do something that works as well as the Campfire Milkshake and it may remain the signature item for the entire six-month season,” Chef Ryan said. “This stadium partnership is different, and it gives us the ability to debut cool new items event to event, game to game. The chance to power the food and beverage experience for fans coming for the Chicago Bears, Chicago Fire and the best concerts  — it’s truly a pinch me moment.”