When the Giants Come to Town, It's Bye-Bye Baby

01.30.2008
Ballpark Food, Part 2: The Ballpark

Second in a series co-produced by El Lefty Malo and The Bistro Hugo, where the hot stove is more than a figure of speech. (Part 1 is here.)

I’ll come right out and say it: Eating within the Maysian confines is not recommended. But if you must, here’s my thumbnail guide.

All discussions about ballpark food begins with hot dogs. Those who know me will attest: I’ve never met a sausage I didn’t like. But I’ve met a few at the ballpark I’d prefer not to remember. Even the good ideas — such as the grilled dog cart near the left-field foul pole and the Chicago-styles between home and third base — are disappointing for various reasons: stale buns, often, or greasy, cold grilled onions.

I recommend you go to the grill cart and ask the server to find a fresh bun. Even better, ask ‘em to put it for a few seconds on the corner of the grill, if it’s not too greezy.

One of the signature foods of the park, garlic fries, could easily be fashioned into car bombs by enterprising terrorists. There’s enough oil to power an SUV and enough garlic for instant powerful explosions, if you know what I mean. And woe to the fan who buys them on a cold foggy night. Within a few minutes, the starch thickens, the oil congeals, and there’s nothing to do but wait for the seagulls to descend.

(A quick aside: I won’t address the food available in limited-access areas, such as the Club Level. If La Raza can’t get to it, El Lefty doesn’t want to know about it.)

The list of things I like is short: The Cha-Cha Bowl is probably the best food I’ve had on site. At least you can see and smell the meat getting BBQ’ed right in front of you. The Compadre’s burritos wouldn’t get any serious burrito eater’s time of day in the Mission, but in a pinch they’ll do. And if you have to pay ballpark prices for beer, might as well find an Anchor Steam tap, like the one at the Crab shack behind the center field bleachers. Other than that, I can only advise that if you have to eat at the ballpark, bring your own food. More on that another time.

(Photo hotdog! by Indiana Adams, used under Creative Commons license. See more of Indiana’s photos here.)
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[January 30, 2008 5:18 PM]  |  link  |  reply
danny said

The only thing I'll eat in the park:

Sheboygan sausages with grilled onions and kraut. Preferably the ones served from the cart around section 323 (view box is my home).

You have to go during the third inning or so, otherwise, you are in danger of getting the first or last wave of over or udnercooked sheboygans.

These go down exceedingly well with an overpriced but always delicious Lagunitas IPA behind homeplate, upper deck.

Also, I like to smuggle in a little reposado tequila now and then to add to my 9 dollar margarita and keep adding and sipping until its all tequila. That's a 323 favorite.

And as always...bring your own Hoody's peanuts, cheapest at the Nugget.

[January 30, 2008 11:27 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Chris replied to danny

That IPA is great, we've got season tickets (even though we live 3,000 miles away. My dad is nuts for the Giants) right behind homeplate in the first tier of the upper deck and the IPA is fantastic. Nice and hoppy, mmmm.

[January 30, 2008 5:43 PM]  |  link  |  reply
ELM said

Danny, wait, you're jumping the gun! The "bring your own" post is coming soon.

[January 30, 2008 7:00 PM]  |  link  |  reply
rocketdog said

I miss the Fabulous Frybreads stand. Those were good.

[January 30, 2008 8:10 PM]  |  link  |  reply
bigO said

Has anyone ever met "THE MAN" on their meat at Safeco? Whewwwwwwwwww!

[January 31, 2008 10:15 AM]  |  link  |  reply
ELM replied to bigO

What does that mean?

[January 30, 2008 11:32 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Chris said

I like the Cha-cha bowl and the Sheboygans are always good. I want to try one of the soup bread bowls on a colder night, but I haven't gotten around to that yet. Maybe this year.

And once in-a-while I'll grab a PBR on draft. Oh yeah.

[January 31, 2008 12:35 AM]  |  link  |  reply
El Guapo said

As a former kid from Gilroy I LOVE the garlic frys. They go great with a couple nice dark beers.

[January 31, 2008 2:00 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Dave said

The Sheboygans are what I usually get when I go to the park. I sit in VR313 and usually try to hit up the grill stand behind 314/315 around the top of the 3rd. I think they are tasty as anything and the best food value at the park.