The top chef brings the changeup

It used to be that Ron Abell's idea of a large crowd was dinner for 200. Now it's more like 35,000.

The former chef de cuisine of Icarus in the South End is now executive chef at Fenway Park. That means he's left one small kitchen to oversee six, and serves food to fans in the stands, in the luxury suites, in the park's private EMC Club and State Street Pavilion, even some of the players in the clubhouse.

But despite the dramatic difference in scale, Abell, in his first full season with the Red Sox, is still aiming to bring restaurant-quality touches to ballpark fare. To that end, suppliers such as Ward's Berry Farm in Sharon is providing locally-grown produce and Woodbury's in Wellfleet is providing shellfish. Abell is putting king salmon with celeriac puree, morels, and spring vegetables on the menu in the private clubs. He is using trans-fat-free oils. And, though he has no plans to abandon the Fenway Frank, he is offering everyday fans some new concession choices, such as a hand-cut fruit cup, a lobster roll, and a Caesar wrap.

"It seems like baseball is associated with fries and hot dogs and chicken wings," said Abell, who worked at Icarus for about 10 years. "I think it's nice to have a healthy option."

Abell, who grew up in Braintree, came to Fenway just as the EMC Club and State Street Pavilion, two large restaurant-style spaces, opened last season , replacing two older venues . The new spaces, which overlook home plate and are reserved largely for private parties, demanded a revamped menu. "We wanted to make sure the culinary services we offer were in line with the facilities," says Chuck Steedman, vice president of Fenway Enterprises, which works to bring non-baseball events to the park. The former venues featured mostly buffet-style meals, he says, while the EMC Club is more of a fine-dining restaurant that focuses on upscale, fresh food.

The upgrades may be more noticeable in the restaurants, but Fenway has been interested in making some changes at the concession counters as well. "Our fans are telling us they want more diverse offerings," Steedman says; many show up at night games after work intending to eat dinner at the park. "You want to make certain you can still eat well."

New menu items include a turkey wrap with mesclun greens and a steak sandwich with baby arugula and aioli. While he is adamant that staple foods will always be available, he is excited about something like lobster roll, a simple mixture of mayonnaise, celery, Tabasco sauce, lobster meat, and other seasonings on a buttered, toasted roll (it sells for $16).

The changes at Fenway reflect a national trend in sports, says C.T. Nice, vice president of food and beverage for Aramark, the company that runs food services at Fenway and several other ballparks. He estimates that about 30 percent of fans are looking for something other than traditional concession items.

"Food trends have become a particular avenue for us to get creative and innovative," he says. Aramark offers regional specialties at various parks -- crab cake sandwiches at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Rocky Mountain oysters at Coors Field in Denver -- as well as a range of healthy menu items such as vegan hot dogs, baked potatoes , and salads.

Ballparks still need to prepare food and serve customers quickly, says Nice, but the focus has been on improving quality, especially as ticket prices have increased and customers expect more. "For years it was all about speed," he says. "Now it's a combination of speed and quality."

Fenway has been a new challenge for Abell and his executive sous chef, Steve Postal who also comes from a restaurant background; he worked with Abell at Icarus and later for Ana Sortun at Oleana. They trained and recruited staff with culinary backgrounds and lament not always having the level of oversight that they would have in a smaller kitchen.

"You just want to be everywhere at once," Abell says.

That doesn't mean they'll take short cuts. Even for catered events at the EMC Club, the staff tries to steer away from buffets, instead preparing plates the way a restaurant would. Abell is excited to introduce local strawberries, fava beans, and fiddleheads. "Unfortunately, the New England growing season is very short," he says.

Jim Ward, co-owner of Ward's Berry Farm, has known Abell since he was at Icarus and provides him with produce throughout the season. Ward says he enjoys supplying foods to the ballpark. "It's fun to sell to Fenway," says the grower. "This is a first."