Food For Thought

Imagine the day... it’s the first Friday in April, the temperature outside is 70 degrees, the sun is shinning, you are wrapping up some last minutes details at work and all you can think about is that in a few hours you will be sitting in Section C, five rows up just behind the third base dugout. That's right…it is the season opener. You have waited 6 months for this day and you can hardly wait for the umpire to yell "Play Ball!". Could it get any better? Yes it can, and the only way it is possible is with your favorite cold refreshing beverage and a snack to stop the grumbling in your gut. The only thing left is to decide what that snack will be…

Have you ever thought about how the food guys decide what will be on the menu? Is it all the same or does it differ from one ballpark to another. It seems no matter where you go you can always find the old favorites…hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, sodas and beer. The interesting thing is that if you are a connoisseur of MLB ballparks you also have the opportunity to sample the local fare. For example, if you find yourself at PNC Park in Pittsburg, you can experience a world famous Primanti Bros. Capicola and Cheese sandwich, or at Fenway in Boston you can order the lobster roll made from the knuckles of fresh Maine lobster and at Coors Field, you can load up on Rocky Mountain Oysters.

There are many more examples of the local food culture making it to the ballpark. Offering the fans a popular local food choice or two brings back the regular fan and gives them bragging rights to out of townees, but perhaps also goes along way to attracting new fans. Sometimes the most memorable thing about visiting a new place is what you ate, especially when you are on sensory overload enjoying your favorite sport. Adding to the experience is what brings people back.

Here is a list of the most interesting MLB ballpark specialty foods

    1.   Stuggy's Crab Mac n' Cheese Dog – an all-beef hot dog split down the middle and loaded with creamy macaroni and cheese, fresh lump crab meat, and a couple of shakes of Old Bay – is a belly bomb like no other. 

    (Oriole Park at Camden Yards)

http://stuggys.com/menu-2/fells-point/

   2.   The Schmitter, an underrated and overwhelming sandwich that melds grilled steak and salami with fried onions, tomatoes, "special sauce," and gobs of gooey cheese. The Schmitter is only available at a stand in Section 140, but it's well worth the wait. (Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia Phillies)

http://www.mcnallystavern.com

    3.   The towering Primanti Bros. Capicola and Cheese sandwich, which comes stuffed with spicy ham, provolone, tomatoes, cole slaw, and (of course) French fries. (PNC Park, Pittsburgh Pirates)

https://www.primantibros.com/the-food/

    4.   Sausage Sundae: Two halves of a peppery sausage link reclining on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and chopped brisket, topped with a parsley and pepper garnish. 

     (Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Texas Rangers)

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/05/texas-rangers-food-bacon-on-a-stick

    5.   The Fenway Lobster Roll is quickly gaining in popularity – and rightly so. The meat comes from the claws and knuckles of fresh Maine lobster cooked just prior to each game. It's tossed with a mouth-watering mixture of butter, mayo, tarragon, sea salt, chopped celery, and chives, piled high on a New England-style hot dog bun. (Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox)

http://www.lobsters-online.com/lobsterfly/index.php/fenway-park-lobster-roll/ 

     Next time you are out to a ball game and are craving a snack check out something that is unique to that stadium or area. You will end up having another reason to return next time instead of just for the love of the game or the team, but the love of FOOD!

    Until next time...

    Keep Moving Forward!

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