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 Matthew DeTota, 4 1/2, takes a bite out of a hotdog. He didn't let a little ketchup on his face stop him from enjoying the game.
Photo by Laura Freeman
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I have to confess that I’m not much of a baseball fan. I am, however, a diehard food fan. So for me, a trip to the ballpark is more about eating than the score. Before I even sit down, I wander the concourse checking out the concessions to see what I’m going to eat first.
Classic Park in Eastlake has more to buy than peanuts and Cracker Jacks, but be forewarned: if you go to an afternoon game during the week like I did, some of the stands may not be open. I was a little disappointed because I was looking forward to trying a south of the border or chicken Caesar wrap for $4.75.
When all the stands are open, here’s what you’ll have to choose from. Hamburgers, hotdogs, corndogs, chicken fingers, rib sandwiches, fries with a variety of toppings, onion rings, peanuts, wraps, chili, salads, pizza—again with a choice of toppings—nachos, hot pretzels and popcorn. Also at the park that day were bratwurst and Italian sausage sandwiches. The aroma of grilled onions and peppers was mouthwatering.
For dessert there’s funnel cakes, sno-kones, cotton candy and ice cream. To drink there are Coke products, smoothies, water, beer and wine coolers. None of the food or drinks seems to be as overpriced as it is at most stadiums and arenas.
You can get a 16-ounce soda for $2 and beer is $4.75 for a 16-ounce plastic bottle. Unless you’re lucky enough to attend a Monday night game. Every Monday except the Fourth of July will be Dollar Night when you can get 10-oz drafts, hotdogs and 12-oz fountain drinks for $1.
Pre-game
I went for beer and peanuts first. The peanuts ($2.75), from King Nut in Solon, were fresh and crunchy. The stands were so clean we almost felt guilty letting the shells fall to the ground. The ice cold beer was perfect with the salty peanuts and great for the weather, which was breezy but quite warm in the sunny seats in Section 113.
As usually happens to me at a ballgame, I was too busy eating to root, root, root for the home team. I ate, ate, ate enough to make up for it.
First pitch
Next we tried the chili cheese fries ($3.50). It was a tough crowd at Captains stadium that day. Not only were the fans heckling the opposing team, but my friends were a little tough on the food.
They called the cheese synthetic and wondered aloud if it really was cheese at all. Later, during the third inning, they compared the burgers ($3) to high school cafeteria hamburgers.
One of my friends had the chicken fingers basket. She enjoyed them, saying the coating was nice and spicy and the chicken tender. The fries were another story. She said they were soggy and only lukewarm.
One, two, three hot dogs you’re out
I don’t know what it is about hotdogs at the ballpark, but they taste better there than anywhere else. Even if you buy the Ballpark Frank brand, they still taste nothing like those you buy at a baseball game. I had just one, but I could have eaten one or two more. I chose a regular hotdog ($2), not a corndog or a Captains’ Dog ($3).
We took a breather while we watched the antics on the field. Skipper, the Captains’ mascot, entertained the crowd by sliding, or “rowing” himself down the handrails. The loudest cheering section received free ice cream; another section won pizza. Given all we’d already eaten, it’s probably a good thing we weren’t sitting in either of those sections.
A baseball stadium may not be the first place you think of going for health food. But, a recent study shows some of what baseball fans love to eat while cheering for their favorite team might actually contain compounds that are good for you. No, hotdogs haven’t suddenly turned into health food, but researchers are finding that some ballpark favorites, including beer, contain healthful components.
The results, published in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, found moderate beer drinking may reduce heart attack risk, onions could help battle osteoporosis and sauerkraut has anti-cancer compounds.
Maybe I should have had another hotdog, heavy on the onions and sauerkraut.
Seventh-inning stretch
We needed a lot more than stretching after a game of eating. Our dessert course was a funnel cake sprinkled liberally with powdered sugar and cinnamon. I could have added chocolate sprinkles, syrup or whipped cream to make it even messier.
As it was, we all ended up dusted with powdered sugar, even my one friend who didn’t have any, and probably the people behind us. Besides being messy, the funnel cake was perfect—crunchy on the outside, steamy and doughy on the inside, and sweet all over.
My dining experience at Classic Park has turned me into a bigger fan—of stadium food anyway. By the way, the Captains lost 6-3 that day, the second in a four-game series against the Lexington Legends. Give the team some of those funnel cakes and they’d have enough energy to beat anybody. Go Captains!
Companies and organizations can (and do – I’ve been to several such events) plan company outings at the stadium. For more information, call Jeff Hall at (440) 975-8085.
Laura Freeman writes regularly about restaurants for the Lake County Business Journal. Lfreeman@lakebusinessjournal.com.
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