©
Sergey Ivanov |
Dreamstime.com
As a recent NYC transplant, one of my first field trips was to Shea Stadium to catch a game before the historic old park was razed to make way for a slick new facility.
I stopped at the information booth and asked what the stadium specialty was. Back in L.A. we have the venerable Farmer John Dodger Dog. Wrigley Field has a classic Italian Sausage, Chicago Style (of course) with sweet peppers. The Cardinals feature a St. Louis original, fried ravioli. Surely, this historic venue had a culinary concession not to be missed…?
Instead of pointing me to the Nathan’s foot long hot dog (which I ended up finding by asking the season ticket holders sitting in my section), she rattled off a seemingly endless list of offerings, none of which sounded like they had any business at a baseball game. Sushi is downstairs, she said. There was a Sbarro’s pizza, A Dunkin’ Donuts and a Subway. She cheerily informed me that next season at the new stadium there would be a Shake Shack (NYC’s trendiest burger joint) as well as upscale fine dining options. I left dejected wondering if nothing was sacred.
Call me a purist, but the thought of eating anything other than a hot dog, maybe a bag of peanuts and washing it all down with a few $10 beers borders on blasphemy. I must be one of a dying breed. These are the days of luxury stadiums where you almost need a player’s salary to afford the snacks. Below are some of the more unusual offerings you can get at the ball game this summer.
~ At AT&T Park in San Francisco you can catch a Giants game and dine on a Crab Cake Sandwich.
~ In Seattle, Safeco Field features the “Ichi-roll” a spicy tuna roll named after The Mariners’ MVP Center Fielder Ichiro Suzuki.
~ The Tampa Bay Devil Rays offer a Cajun Mahi Mahi Sandwich at Tropicana Field.
~ Tigers Fans can enjoy a lamb gyro with tzatziki sauce at Detroit’s Comerica Park.
~ In Arlington Texas, you can enjoy all you can eat prime rib at a Ranger’s game. Perhaps not that out of place, being Texas and all, but still not quite traditional.
~ Finally, At Coors’ Field in Denver, Colorado the truly adventurous can nosh on Rocky Mountain Oysters. That one is only for sports fans with some serious... well, you know...