Grazing Through The Masters

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THE CONCESSIONS AT THE MASTERS Tournament are as iconic as the event itself. Surely, you’ve heard of the legendary Pimento Cheese Sandwich or the Georgia Peach Ice Cream Sandwich. Even Dustin Johnson, prior to the November 2020 Masters (which he would go on to win) made this pronouncement: “My favorite thing about the Masters is the sandwiches … all of them.”

But aside from these delicious menu items, the best thing about the Masters menu is that you won’t sap your budget paying for food—its signature sandwiches cost $1.50 each, with breakfast sandwiches, sandwiches on buns and ice cream sandwiches weighing in at $2-$3 each. The most expensive thing on the menu, not surprisingly, are beer and wine selections, but at $6 each, they’re still significantly cheaper than most major sporting events. Which is important because you’re going to want to spend that extra money on merchandise. One can never have enough merchandise from the Masters; even if you think you’ve set aside a generous allowance, triple it. But back to the sandwiches. Last year while at the course, I tried every sandwich and most of the snacks.

These were my favorites:

• Egg Salad. This was the hands-down winner. It’s one of the simplest sandwiches, with a creamy egg salad mixture between two pieces of white bread. I found myself craving them throughout the day and couldn’t bring enough home with me.

• Ham & Cheese on Rye. Another simple concoction, but this one is placed between rye bread, a nice way to mix it up from the other sandwiches. Best eaten when the cheese is warm but it’s great either way.

• Chicken Salad on Brioche. Another bread variation that counts. Why wouldn’t you put your chicken salad on a brioche bun? And the Masters’ chicken salad has a different flavor profile than you’ll find elsewhere.

• Breakfast Sandwich. Do get to the concession stand early enough (they stop serving it at 10 a.m.) to grab a few of this sandwich. It’s made with a fried egg, sausage, bacon and cheese on a brioche bun. Yum.

• Pimento Cheese/Classic Chicken Sandwich mashup. Controversy surrounds the pimento cheese recipe, which was changed by the Masters decades ago. And as a connoisseur of pimento cheese, I’m not a fan of this sandwich on its own. I’ve even perfected my own version (more on that below). Luckily, one of the concession employees advised me to get both sandwiches and scrape the pimento cheese atop the Classic Chicken sandwich. Brilliant!

• Georgia Peach Ice Cream Sandwich. When the Masters left this item off its 2022 menu, fans found it most upsetting. And after sampling the peach ice cream sandwiched between two sugar cookies, I found the perfect dessert—no wonder so many Augusta-area businesses have tried to replicate it (along with the Pimento Cheese). Buy it right before you’re going to eat it, so none of the ice cream has a chance to melt.

If you’ve lived in the South for any lengthy period of time, you know the importance of finding the perfect pimento cheese recipe. I grew up in the Midwest, so it took a lot of trial and error to find just the right mix of cheese, mayo and pimento, but now, like any other Southerner, I’m proud of my pimento prowess. I’m not going to give away my recipe (I will say, however, that the secret lies in the seasoning), but half the fun in creating any recipe is the experimentation itself—and the many taste tests required to determine if the recipe is up to par. So have fun, and let your recipe reflect your personality—we don’t need the same pimento cheese everywhere!

If you’re a little spicy, salty, sweet or nutty, showcase that. Next I’ll turn my spatula toward that Ham & Cheese—there are so many ways one could vary that up. Have your own Masters party at home and try it yourself.

Happy experimenting!