Ballpark food 2023 – A big step up from peanuts and Crackerjack

BY GEORGE DICKIE

Opening Day of the baseball season arrives this Thursday, March 30, signaling the official beginning of spring as well as the start of some pretty fine dining at ballparks across the country.

For the discriminating foodie who is planning on attending a game, they’ll find a veritable cornucopia of dining options, ranging from lobster rolls, filet mignon sliders and sushi to more traditional fare like hot dogs, burgers and pizza. And many parks have added new eateries, dishes and drinks for this year so if you can’t find anything to your liking, you’re just not trying.

Certainly Minute Maid Park, where the Houston Astros will open their 2023 campaign against the Chicago White Sox in a game airing on ESPN, has a few unusual items. One newcomer is the Grande Papas Nachos fries, which are topped with beef carnitas, cheddar cheese, jalapenos, crema and elote, which is grilled Mexican street corn. Delicioso.

If you’re in Los Angeles for the Dodgers’ home opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks, try Dodger Stadium’s new marriage of the classic helmet bowl to the California roll called – wait for it – the California Roll Bowl. This consists of imitation crab, sriracha aioli, edamame, carrots and cucumbers all served up over a bed of sushi rice, and is certainly not your father’s ballpark food.

Also for the health-conscious is the Red Curry Bowl at Oakland Coliseum, where the A’s open the season against the L.A. Angels. This Thai-inspired creation is a tasty mix of grilled chicken, bell peppers and egg noodles that has gotten rave reviews from those who have previewed it. So you might want to try it, too. Conversely, on the more caloric side is the Big Red Machine Burger at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball-park, where the Reds play the Pittsburgh Pirates. It’s a beef patty and smoked sausage topped with sauerkraut, beer cheese and crushed potato chips and served on a pretzel bun. Pace yourself for this is one big sandwich.

Meat lovers will also go in for the Ropa Vieja Bowl at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., where the Tampa Bay Rays get going for ‘23 against the Detroit Tigers. It’s a slow-roasted brisket paired with white rice, plantains, sauteed peppers and onions. What’s not to like?

And if you’re at Seattle’s Safeco Field, where the Mariners open ‘23 against the Cleveland Guardians, why not quench your thirst with an adult beverage?

One is the unquestionably unusual Buzz Margarita, a concoction of Mezcal, szechuan buttons and edible flowers topped with toasted grasshoppers. If you’re trying to cut down on your arthropod intake, you can opt for the Magenta Mojo cocktail, a mix of grapefruit, rose wine and hibiscus. Or you can just order a beer.

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