CHARLOTTE, N.C. (CAROLINA SPORTS LIVE) — For a guy who actually eats raccoons every now and then, Xavier Legette is a surprisingly picky eater.
“I’m not a person who ate coleslaw,” the Panthers second-year wide receiver recently admitted.
But give the man credit. Just like he does on the football field, he takes chances. And when it came to his new signature sandwich, the native of Mullins, South Carolina, was willing to give it — and everything else on it — a shot.
“I never really ate brisket,” he adds. “That was the first time I ate brisket (and) also that coleslaw. That was pretty good.”
Behind it all is executive chef Adam Bognovitz. Going into the season, he was tasked with creating something that would get Carolina fans talking. It didn’t take him long to realize XL was the way to go.
“The inspiration is obviously we wanted to tap into the viral raccoon moment, kind of in a playful way,” Bognovitz said.
Oh they tapped into it alright. So much so that at a recent testing, media members were calling it, a “raccoon sandwich.” To be clear though, no raccoons were harmed in the making of this game-day grub.
“We’re branding and marketing it in the right way,” Bognovitz said. “Everybody is trained to know what is in the sandwich and how we are preparing it. I think we will be okay.”
The Masked Bandit will be on sale this season at all levels of Bank of America Stadium for $17. That’s 17 as in XL’s number.
It’s got the approval from the man himself.
“Man, I guess it’s good for the fans, so it’s good,” XL said.
Not to mention, yours truly.
Upon first bite, my mouth was met by an attack of flavor. I don’t’ know what raccoon tastes like but I do know, this sandwich tasted pretty good.
“Oh no, man, it don’t taste like a raccoon at all,” Legette explained.
And that is coming from a man who’d know.