{"id":13276,"date":"2011-04-01T07:32:33","date_gmt":"2011-04-01T14:32:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.seamheads.com\/?p=13276"},"modified":"2011-04-02T06:40:06","modified_gmt":"2011-04-02T13:40:06","slug":"ballpark-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/2011\/04\/01\/ballpark-food\/","title":{"rendered":"Ballpark Food"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>\"IMG_4632\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Today is Opening Day, and many are writing on the subject.\u00c2\u00a0 Opening Day is what I should be celebrating too, but I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m dwelling in the realm of spring training for a few more hours.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 You might call it an afterglow.<\/p>\n

It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s funny how most of us dread the end of baseball in November.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Melancholy sets in,\u00c2\u00a0 together with a longing for spring, and it doesn’t take long for fans to start counting the days until the next big baseball holiday:\u00c2\u00a0 Pitchers and Catchers.\u00c2\u00a0 We anticipate spring training with such joy, and finally it comes.\u00c2\u00a0 But fans soon grow weary of exhibition games – did you notice the empty seats earlier this week? – and so do players and coaches, many of whom complain that spring training is too long.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Opening Day becomes the next big thing, and that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s where we pin our hopes and our happiness \u00e2\u20ac\u201c for a day or two, anyway.<\/p>\n

Before long, the talk will focus on trade deadlines and the All Star break; then we’ll hurry to pennant races, and before you know it, the postseason will be upon us. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re all on a tear to get to the next milestone or opportunity, even as we regret time passing.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Between anticipation and regret, there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s something lost.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Maybe I’m alone in thinking this way, but I want to slow things down.<\/p>\n

I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m still dwelling in the realm of spring training, because for ten straight days of perfect southern weather, I watched four major league games, one minor league game (plus morning workouts), two pre-season high school match-ups, and nine innings of college ball.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 When it came time to go home, I wasn’t ready to leave.\u00c2\u00a0 I didn’t want to face the truth of a New England spring:\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Windy conditions and snow showers.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Low 33F.\u00c2\u00a0 A slushy accumulation of around one inch.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a reason T. S. Eliot chose April as the cruelest month . . .\u00c2\u00a0 breeding \/ Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing \/ Memory and desire, stirring \/ Dull roots with spring rain . . .\u00c2\u00a0 feeding\u00c2\u00a0 \/ a little life with dried tubers.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Red Sox are in faraway Texas as a new season begins.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 I’m thrilled that Jon Lester<\/a> is our Opening Day starter, and I anxiously await C. J. Wilson’s first pitch in Arlington, but let’s hold that thought for now, while I savor the rich experiences of Spring Training 2011.<\/p>\n

I can still taste them.<\/p>\n

When it comes to ballgames, food is never the big draw or highlight for me, but this time around, I remember every wonderful thing we ate. \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Here are my recommendations, prepared especially for you.<\/p>\n

Best ice cream cone<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Digital Domain Park<\/a>, Mets vs. Braves.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 The waffle cone was perfect.\u00c2\u00a0 Sturdy enough to support a generous serving of soft chocolate ice cream but not gummy or thick. Light, crisp, not too sweet.\u00c2\u00a0 Just the right proportion of ice cream to cone.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Minute crystals of ice in the frozen custard, the way I like it best.\u00c2\u00a0 My sister offered to stand in line for our snack, so I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even have to leave the game.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Side by side we sat in the shade, Section 202, Row M, watching coconut palms sway in the 82-degree breeze, licking our ice cream cones like two young girls while Mookie Wilson headed out toward first and we wondered where all the years had gone.<\/p>\n

Most affordable beverage<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Same ballpark.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Mets vs. Nats.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 The franchise may be struggling financially and its future uncertain, but you’d never know this, judging by the upbeat, welcoming feel of the place and the generous people I met all along the way. \u00c2\u00a0 We\u00c2\u00a0 carried our bottled water into the stadium, and to my surprise, it wasn’t confiscated.\u00c2\u00a0 I didn’t have to fork out $3.50 for a whole new bottle of “spring” water.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 That worked for me.<\/p>\n

Best nachos<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Detour to Winston Salem, North Carolina with my sixteen-year-old son. \u00c2\u00a0 Ernie Shore Field<\/a>, a.k.a. Gene Hooks Field<\/a> at Wake Forest Baseball Park.\u00c2\u00a0 If college baseball appeals to you, keep in mind that concession stands may not be open on weeknights.\u00c2\u00a0 You either go without food and drink for an entire game or you smuggle it in.\u00c2\u00a0 We made a quick stop at Chipotle en route.\u00c2\u00a0 Their chips are just about the best: \u00c2\u00a0thin, crisp, lightly salted with a hint of lime.\u00c2\u00a0 It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a generous portion, enough to last two or three innings if you pace it right, as girls sometimes do.<\/p>\n

Most refreshing non-alcoholic drink<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Roger Dean Stadium<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Frozen raspberry lemonade.\u00c2\u00a0 Cardinals vs. Marlins.\u00c2\u00a0 My sister and I had hoped for classic fresh-squeezed lemonade, the kind with big chunks of citrus floating in iced sugar water, but no such thing in Jupiter.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Instead we tried raspberry slush.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Its smooth consistency was satisfying, the small chunks of seeded fruit intriguing, but the drink was much too sweet; once melted in the hot sun reflecting off our aluminum seats out near the Marlins’ bullpen, it became a warm syrupy liquid that only made us thirstier. \u00c2\u00a0 The first few sips were well worth trying,\u00c2\u00a0 though, and they made a random afternoon in March feel just like summer.<\/p>\n

Best alcoholic beverage<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Draft Newcastle Brown Ale in Charlotte Sports Park<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 The stadium also offered Smithwick’s on tap.\u00c2\u00a0 We had great seats in the shade just above the first base line, so the ale stayed nice and cool on an 84-degree Saturday afternoon.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0My brother-in-law paired his draft beverage with the best sandwich I’ve ever tasted in any ballpark.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 (See below, Grand Prize.)<\/p>\n

Easiest lunch<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Banana.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Purchased at Publix Super Market, 24 cents.\u00c2\u00a0 We left our Hutchinson Island efficiency at 9:30 a.m.\u00c2\u00a0 and\u00c2\u00a0 grabbed a couple bananas, not knowing we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d be spending an entire day at camp with no other source of food.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 After morning drills at the minor league complex, players on teams A, B, C, and D filed back into the clubhouse for their midday meal.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Ten minutes later, the purposeful sound of many cleats broke the hot silence of pavement and gravel. \u00c2\u00a0Two squads of visiting players filled the picnic tables and small sets of bleachers at high noon.\u00c2\u00a0 They chatted quietly and quickly consumed their bag lunches.<\/p>\n

My sister and I were the only spectators in the stands, so we kept to ourselves and I ate my banana.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 As I did so, I noticed a young pitcher who was eating the same type of food.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 I figured if it was good enough for him, it was enough for me too.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Seven straight hours of baseball, and all I ate was a banana.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153These games don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t count.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 That’s what some fans and commentators say.<\/p>\n

But I say, oh yes they do.\u00c2\u00a0 When you’re behind the scenes and eating a banana for lunch, you feel the tension and the uncertain dreams, the grind and hard work.\u00c2\u00a0 Things count.\u00c2\u00a0 Players get released. \u00c2\u00a0 Fans sometimes laugh at the kids with high numbers on their jerseys as if they’re nobodies – the ones who enter\u00c2\u00a0 late in the game – as if their names don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t matter.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Their names do matter, and\u00c2\u00a0 from what I’ve seen, the games do count.<\/p>\n

Best coffee<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Starbucks, one mile from Digital Domain Park.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 I highly recommend the triple tall iced Americano with room.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s probably too much espresso for you, but it’s a great way to jump start a late afternoon. \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re lucky, you might see David Wright grabbing a coffee in the same neighborhood \u00e2\u20ac\u201c just like we did \u00e2\u20ac\u201c after a long day of baseball.<\/p>\n

Hot Dog<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Tradition Field<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Not so good.\u00c2\u00a0 Cold and bland.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The sign said Nathan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s but this don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t taste like Nathan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d declared the retired cop from Staten Island, who entertained my sister with anecdotes and personal history throughout the game. \u00c2\u00a0 Our mediocre ballpark supper made me nostalgic for Fenway Franks and the Cape League\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s excellent hot dogs with the snappy skin.<\/p>\n

Best post-game meal<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 The coconut shrimp appetizer at Conchy Joe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s in Jensen Beach was average, while the steamed mussels were the best I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve ever had – not at all puny or dry,\u00c2\u00a0 and superior to those harvested within walking distance of my Cape Cod home.\u00c2\u00a0 Oysters on the half shell were plump and buttery, their cool liquid so refreshing when sipped straight from the pearly shell.<\/p>\n

Grand prize<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Fish sandwich at Charlotte Sports Park.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 We were expecting my brother-in-law to return to our seats with a couple dry, hockey-puck-type chicken sandwiches.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Instead he\u00c2\u00a0 surprised us with a much finer entree.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 The open-faced, lightly-breaded (flour not crumbs) grouper sandwich was, hands down, the best meal I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve ever had in any ballpark, bumping Safeco Field\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s garlic fries with green apple wedge out of first place.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 The Gulf Coast grouper tasted as if it had been caught just the day before, maybe even that same morning. \u00c2\u00a0 Finished with a light citrus cream, the moist seafood required no tartar sauce or ketchup; it\u00c2\u00a0 was delightfully crisp on the outside, but didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t taste of deep fried grease.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Closing my eyes, I imagined myself at the shimmering Four Seasons in Manhattan; then I visualized a bustling Legal Seafoods in Boston’s Back Bay.\u00c2\u00a0 I might as well have been dining in either place.\u00c2\u00a0 When my eyes opened, Ben Zobrist went the opposite way with a fastball high and away, and the score was 1-0.<\/p>\n

Food is usually the last thing on my mind when I go to the ballpark.\u00c2\u00a0 This time around, however, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m savoring memories of everything I ate, because when recalling various flavors and textures, many visuals come back in all their fullness.\u00c2\u00a0 Open-faced grouper sandwich, and I’m seeing a young star named Longoria (who once rode around lazily in a golf cart at a kids’ camp on Cape Cod); he’s swaggering onto the field with his gear bag, sporting long curls, and clowning with the likes of Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon.<\/p>\n

Raspberry slush and I’m in bright sunshine of Jupiter.\u00c2\u00a0 Pujols stands in at the plate and I hear that moment of contact live for the first time in my life, and I’m thinking that … was …\u00c2\u00a0 loud<\/em>. \u00c2\u00a0 Holliday tracks a ball as he moves in red-toed spikes across the rich splendor of the outfield, while a 6’7″ Marlin warms in a nearby bullpen.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0 A so-so hot dog and fries, and I’m back at that night game in Port St. Lucie, watching Danny Espinosa, who just fouled a ball off his foot and needs assistance getting back to the dugout.<\/p>\n

Mookie Wilson runs happily back to the Mets dugout.\u00c2\u00a0 He’s still here, and so am I.<\/p>\n

Upon leaving Tradition Field, I was tempted to buy another ice cream cone, but when I\u00c2\u00a0 noticed a large portrait of Gil Hodges above the Carvel stand, food didn’t really matter anymore.\u00c2\u00a0 Instead, I thought about how one man’s final day in baseball was probably a perfect-weather afternoon just like this.\u00c2\u00a0 Everything ended unexpectedly for him at age 47 during spring training, a magical time when no one anticipates any kind of ending.<\/p>\n

I walked down the ramp of Digital Domain Park in silence.<\/p>\n

Opening Day is here, but I’m not quite ready to leave spring training behind, for all kinds of reasons. \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Before you know it, we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be dreaming about “Pitchers and Catchers” all over again.\u00c2\u00a0 Baseball is a wondrously slow game, but life passes so swiftly.<\/p>\n

It’s not too early to make your plans for next spring.\u00c2\u00a0 The Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues are only growing more crowded, tickets harder to come by, the gulf between players and fans ever wider.\u00c2\u00a0 Keep my recommendations in mind.\u00c2\u00a0 Tuck them in your back pocket, even as you savor the sweet tastes of a new season that has just begun.<\/p>\n

<\/a>\"IMG_4153\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today is Opening Day, and many are writing on the subject.\u00c2\u00a0 Opening Day is what I should be celebrating too, but I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m dwelling in the realm of spring training for a few more hours.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 You might call it an afterglow. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s funny how most of us dread the end of baseball in November.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Melancholy sets […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":765,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[14190,14183,14193,14187,14191,14181,14186,2299,5567,996,14189,14182,4063,12617,14180,1805,1161,2078,5314,14184,14179,14185,85,842,11409,14192,14188],"class_list":["post-13276","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","tag-afterglow","tag-ballpark-food","tag-charlotte-sports-park","tag-cruelest-month","tag-digital-domain-park","tag-dull-roots","tag-england-spring","tag-evan-longoria","tag-exhibition-games","tag-league-games","tag-lilacs","tag-memory-and-desire","tag-minor-league-game","tag-mookie-wilson","tag-morning-workouts","tag-nine-innings","tag-opening-day","tag-pennant-races","tag-roger-dean-stadium","tag-snow-showers","tag-southern-weather","tag-spring-rain","tag-spring-training","tag-straight-days","tag-time-to-go-home","tag-tradition-field","tag-windy-conditions"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t