FanFoodie

Philadelphia's B & G's Ice Cream & Sports Bar

2009-06-01T12:53:00.003-04:00

Via Philadelphia's City Paper: "Ben Gollotti, who's been selling sports memorabilia for 35 years, opened this combo shop — collectibles and ice cream! — in the Italian Market two weeks back."

See also: Baseball cards and banana splits: B & G’s Sports & Ice Cream Bar (Meal Ticket)

B & G's Ice Cream & Sports Bar
814 S. Ninth St., 215-218-9923

Oklahoma City: Taste of the Big Leagues

2009-05-13T16:41:00.004-04:00

City: Oklahoma City, OK
Venue: AT&T Ballpark
Team: Oklahoma City Redhawks (AAA)
Address: 2 S. Mickey Mantle Drive, Oklahoma City, OK‎ 73104

With the zany promotions, local "celebrities" and obligatory dollar-beer nights, it’s hard to beat minor league baseball in terms of bang for the buck.

This year, the Oklahoma City Redhawks (AAA affiliate of the Texas Rangers) are going one better, bringing a "Taste of the Majors" to America’s heartland. Throughout the season, the Redhawks will highlight various major league cities during each homestand by offering various stadium food specialties native to that city. It will feature everything from Dodger dogs and Fenway franks to lobster rolls, garlic fries and The Schmitter.

Hope you have your cardiologist on speed dial.

The Redhawks already have a great product as one of the most fan-friendly teams out there and one of the best stadiums in the minors. Now they’re going big league with the food.

From the Oklahoma City Redhawks:

TASTE OF THE BIG LEAGUES SCHEDULE
April 17-24: New York Yankees/Yankee Stadium.
April 30-May 7: Chicago Cubs/Wrigley Field.
May 12-18: Philadelphia Phillies/Citizens Bank Park.
May 29-June 5: St. Louis Cardinals/Busch Stadium.
June 15-26: Los Angeles Dodgers/Dodger Stadium.
July 4-12: repeat New York Yankees/Yankee Stadium.
July 24-27: repeat Chicago Cubs/Wrigley Field.
Aug. 1-4, 14-21: Boston Red Sox/Fenway Park.
Aug. 31-Sept. 3: Best of the Best.

FEATURED FOOD ITEMS

NEW YORK
Baked ziti
Nathan's hot dogs
Italian meatball subs

CHICAGO
Chicago dogs
Old Style beer
Mother-in-law sandwich

PHILADELPHIA
Authentic Philly cheese steak sandwich
The Schmitter
Crab fries

ST. LOUIS
Bratzel
Toasted ravioli
Garlic-parmesan fries
Cajun season fries

LOS ANGELES
Dodger dogs
Gourmet pretzel
Garlic fries

BOSTON
Fenway franks
Lobster rolls
Italian sausages

DC/NoVA: Nats' Ryan Zimmerman Recommends

2009-05-06T10:31:00.004-04:00

In his blog at comcastsportsnet.tv, Nat's third baseman Ryan Zimmerman told readers of his favorite eateries in the Capitol region:

Speaking of DC, I thought I’d throw out a few of my favorite restaurants in the area. I love to eat good food (doesn’t everybody) and us young guys enjoy all different types of food when we’re on the road traveling. Hanrahan, Lannan, the other Zimm – all of us who aren’t married and don’t have families with us on the road figure what better way to spend our down time than eating. Haha. So here go my favorite spots in Arlington and DC:

Arlington
Liberty Tavern
Restaurant 3
Even Tide

DC
Capitol Grille
Sushi Taro

My favorite food: any steakhouse! (Prime Rib, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Morton’s)

Zimmerman Photo: Scott Ableman's photostream

Guy Fieri Lookalike Dupes KC Royals Broadcasting Crew

2009-05-06T09:02:00.001-04:00

From NESW (via Deadspin):

Guy Fieri Lookalike Dupes KC Royals Broadcasting Crew, Video. This is so sad. There must be so little to do during Royals games. Now they are interviewing people that kind of look like people that work for the Food Network.

Philippe's Los Angeles: An Eatery & An Institution

2009-04-30T11:01:00.011-04:00

City: Los Angeles, CA
Foodie: Jackie, @ThatSportsBabe

Venue: Dodger Stadium, Staples Center
Team: Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB), Los Angeles Lakers (NBA), Los Angeles Clippers (NBA)
Address: 1000 Elysian Park Ave., Los Angeles, California 90012; 1111 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, California 90015

Jackie's Taste

Philippe The Original
1001 N. Alameda St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 628-3781
http://www.philippes.com/

Philippe’s, an institution in downtown Los Angeles, is known not only for its french dip au jus sandwiches but the atomic hot mustard accessory that is "eat at your own risk."

Located on the backside of downtown in a building that was originally a machine shop on the bottom and an Inn on top, it is the go-to place before Dodger, Laker and Clipper games. They serve beer and wine at a price worth going out of your way for to get your grub and chug on before you tackle the expensive concession stands at game-time.

Opened in 1927 (but re-opened in 1951 at this location), Philippe’s has sawdust on the floor and roughly 8 lines across a deli counter. The wait to order your yummies is always a good 10 minutes minimum but worth every second. While they do serve breakfast (all day!) stews, chili and various soups, they are known for their signature sandwiches. You can choose between beef or ham (which they begin serving at 6am) as well as pork, lamb, tuna and turkey. There is also the option of going single dip, double dip or “wet” with the delicious au jus for the accompanying French roll as well as adding American, swiss or bleu cheese. (I recommend plain, no cheese) An array of side dishes are available too for a nominal fee, my favorites being the macaroni salad, potato salad and giant pickles. Word to the wise: Don’t even think of asking them for the "au jus on the side" or ketchup. You WILL be given a very ugly look

Recently featured on the show Man Vs. Food on the Travel Channel, host Adam Richman demonstrated how the fiery mustard was made. Needless to say SARS masks were involved and there were tears and eventual exodus to the parking lot because he “couldn’t take the heat in the kitchen.”. Created in a vat containing 2 gallons of 100 grain white vinegar, 10 gallons of white vinegar, 35 pounds of mustard flour and some paprika and salt, that is only a portion of what they manufacture daily. It is said that they go through 80 gallons of it PER WEEK. The equivalent of cocaine in a paste form, it will nearly put a hole in your nostril from the afterburn thru your sinuses but I guarantee you will not leave hungry or congested from Phillippe’s after a hearty sandwich smothered in signature mustard.

With the emergence of downtown’s new residential communities popping up, the influx of the all-nighter and hungover crowd has boomed making the lines severe morning, noon and night.. Bring your appetite and your patience to this beloved establishment but leave your credit card at home. CASH ONLY.

Black & White photo credit: philippes.com

Sandwich: intellichick's photostream

RCS' Top 10 Lavish Ballpark Foods

2009-04-07T10:28:00.003-04:00

To kick off the 2009 baseball season, our friends at Real Clear Sports put aside ballpark staples to list some of baseball’s fanciest foods. "From Gordon Biersch’s garlic french fries in San Francisco to a BBQ stuffed baked potato in Houston to the Ybor City Cuban in Tampa, the Top 10 Lavish MLB Ballpark Foods are sure to fulfill even the hungriest of appetites."

Charlottesville, Virginia: UVA's JPJ Arena

2009-01-27T11:48:00.011-05:00

City: Charlottesville, VA
Foodie: Extra P., Storming the Floor

Venue: John Paul Jones Arena
Team: Virginia Cavaliers (NCAA)
Address: 295 Massie Road, Charlottesville, VA‎

Extra P’s Taste

I know you hear people say all the time that they’ll eat just about anything, and you have to roll your eyes a bit. But I am seriously just as happy with a nice plate of macaroni and cheese as I am with high-end seafood. In my opinion, it’s all in the execution.

With that in mind, I’m still going to advise you to skip the indoor concessions at JPJ. They’re really uninspired, and there’s so much in a town like Cville that is truly local and fantastic. In fact, the sheer volume of good places to eat in this town is overwhelming enough that I’m going to limit my reviews to dining establishments that are within a one-mile radius of the arena. This is no handicap – you can get full and happy quite easily within that cordon.

In fact, one of my favorite restaurants in town is in the area, so let’s start there.

El Puerto Mexican Restaurant, 2045 Barracks Rd, Charlottesville, VA‎

There are lots of good Mexican restaurants in Charlottesville, but El Puerto is my favorite, and it’s very close to JPJ. It’s family-owned, which means the food is consistently excellent and authentic. The décor rocks, with hand-drawn artwork under the glass at each table, and bottles of jarritos soda lining the room divider to add a little neon color to the surroundings. For your aural pleasure, it’s Mexican pop music all the time, but not so loud you can’t have a conversation.

The food is out of this world. There are two things that consistently draw me to El Puerto: the spicy chorizo sausage, and the braised pork chunks called carnitas. I took my camera on a recent lunch outing so I’d be able to show you these wonderful items. What you see here is the queso dip with chorizo stirred in, which goes great on the chips, but is also served poured over a pounded chicken breast in the dinner special known as Chori-Pollo. For my main dish, I ordered a carnitas burrito, which comes with refried beans and Spanish rice. As you can see, everything is rustic and beautiful. And it tastes even better than it looks.

This was a huge lunch, so I had the added joy of taking half of it home and eating it later. Order anything on the menu, it’s all great. And if you like drinks, they make tasty margaritas, and the strongest Jack & Coke around. Prices are very reasonable as an added bonus, so my family and I come here a lot.

Panda Garden/Carmello’s Italian Restaurant, 380/400 North Emmet St.

For proximity, you can’t beat these two joints. They are literally right across the street from JPJ on lots adjacent to one another. Which you’d think might cause them to rest on their laurels a bit, but each place does a good job under completely different circumstances.

Carmello’s is a nice, sit-down Italian restaurant. You’ll be looking at more expensive and refined dishes, like escargot and veal. You don’t have to dress up, but you will need to make sure you’re willing to budget for a more expensive meal, especially if you order a bottle of wine. If you’re more the pizza and Stromboli type, go across the street and a block or so south and you’ll be at Italian Villa, a student favorite.

On a budget, it’s tough to beat Panda Garden’s lunch buffet, which is $6.40 all-you-can-eat. I’ve eaten at a lot of Chinese buffet joints, and I know every trick in the book that owners use to stretch a buck – scrappy cuts of meat under tons of breading, three parts bok choy to one part everything else, and tiny, lonely shrimp amongst others – and I can say with delight that none of those things happened here. My favorite buffet offerings are chicken w/ broccoli and General Tso’s, and I usually put both on my plate at the same time. Both passed my test – the broccoli was steamed just right, and the breaded chicken was plump and crispy. That’s probably why Panda Garden thrives so near the grounds of the University. A good meal at a reasonable price.

Bodo’s Bagels

Bodo’s is a local treasure. It hits the trifecta of cheap, filling, and tasty. Last I counted, there were three locations around Cville, but this one is the closest to the ball games. Aside from the food, most locals also enjoy the piped-in deep cuts of classic rock and the college-hottie waitstaff.

The bagels are made on-site in all of the standard flavors, but they’re put together in all manner of ways to satisfy the palate for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. One of my favorites in the morning is the deli-egg sandwich, which is sort of a mini meat and cheese omelette in the middle of a sliced bagel. There are also several varieties of flavored cream cheese, amongst which my preference is for the olive cream cheese (not to be confused with kalamata olive spread, which has no cream cheese in it), with its colorful slices of black olive, green olive, and pimento inside.

After 11am, I usually build a smoked turkey with avocado and either swiss or provolone on sesame – but you can do whatever you want.

The Tavern, 1140 Emmet Street North

Honestly, my family has other favorite breakfast joints, but I would feel remiss if I didn’t mention the Tavern. It’s a hugely popular greasy spoon with pancakes made from scratch and just about every other type of breakfast food you can imagine. It’s easy to find, just look for the sign painted on the roof.

Padow’s Deli, 2156 Barracks Road

Kind of a regional chain, but all of the meat is sliced on the premises and made into deli sandwiches that are decidedly southern in nature and won’t remind you of New York in the slightest. Nothing against the Big Apple, but I think a place should have its own regional take.

This is another place where standardization has never taken hold. The order-takers have a pad with each meat, cheese, bread and condiment on it, and they just circle what you want as you order. If you’re the indecisive type, look at the chalkboard menu for some favorites that have become standard offerings. Once you order your sandwich, you can ask for a scoop of potato salad from behind the counter, or accessorize your meal from the burgeoning rack of chips against the near wall. I always choose the small-batch Route 11 chips, which come in delicious flavors like Dill Pickle, Chesapeake Crab, and my favorite, Garlic & Herb. They also make a habanero flavored chip that really sears the taste buds.

A word of warning: in Virginia, ham means salty, fatty country ham. If that’s what you want, order the three (3) ham biscuits special. If that’s not what you want, look for modifiers like honey- or maple- in front of your sliced pig. This is a great place to hang out and nosh before a game. Answer the daily trivia question on the chalk board and you could end up with free food.

Arch’s Frozen Yogurt, 1232 Emmet Street North

This is just one of three Arch’s in Cville, but I love the total concept of this location. It’s housed in a free-standing modern building with two stories, tons of natural light, and verandas front and back for outdoor summer seating. The walls are brightly painted, and ordering can be done simply from the big chalk board (a popular concept these days).

This is one of those places where the staff mixes whatever you want into your frozen concoction, so I made a cup with peanuts and banana because that’s what I was in the mood for at the time. The pre-selected options on the board sound great, though.

Since basketball is played in the winter, you won’t likely be using the outdoor seating if you’re going to JPJ. But the upstairs area has plenty of seating, it’s nice and warm, and there’s art on the walls if you need a conversation starter. Can’t beat it for dessert.

Drinks

Needless to say, there’s no drinking in the on-campus arena, so you’ll want to imbibe before or after. The closest place is Buffalo Wild Wings, on the edge of Barracks Road Mall. It’s your typical sports bar, but I love ordering the wings and then having the staff douse them in a sauce from the list of fourteen available – ranging from Caribbean Jerk to Parmesan Garlic to Habanero. There’s a similarly wide-ranging beer list, as well.

If you prefer hip to quick-n-easy, head over to the central grounds of the university to the entertainment district known as The Corner. That’s where you’ll find the beautiful people and the fancy cocktails. Just make sure you’ve had your booster shot to help you tolerate all of the popped collars.

That’s it for the basketball area. Come football season, we’ll look at the very different list of badass eats around Scott Stadium.

Food Network's Guy Fieri on Sports Radio WFAN (NY)

2009-01-21T16:57:00.005-05:00

If you can stand Steve Somers' voice, the host of Diners, Drive-ins & Dives chats with the host "about Super Bowl foods representing both the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers."

When you click play, you can skip the jibber-jabber and get right to the FanFoodie red meat by skipping to the second arrow on the status bar.

Fairfax, VA: Road Trip - George Mason University

2009-01-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

City: Fairfax, Virginia
Foodie: Extra P, Storming the Floor

Venue: The Patriot Center
Team: George Mason Patriots (NCAA)
Address: 4500 Patriot Circle Fairfax, VA 22030

Extra P's Taste

During college basketball season, I like to take a few road trips to see what the atmosphere is like in other arenas. The atmosphere, and the food.

On an early January weekend, I decided to take my six-year-old son to his first basketball game. I’m an Old Dominion grad who lives in Charlottesville, VA, so it was actually just as easy to travel to northern Virginia to see my alma mater play at George Mason as it would have been to drive to Norfolk to catch them at home.

I know nothing about Fairfax, and didn’t come across any non-chain restaurants between the interstate and the George Mason campus, so I can only assess what was available in and around the Patriot Center.

The Johnson Center Food Court

We got to the suburban campus a little early, hoping to walk around and see what the surroundings were like. Extra P, Jr. was hungry, so as we walked, we kept our eyes open for some sort of student union building. After visiting the statue of George Mason himself, we found the Johnson Center, which seemed perfect.

Inside, the Center looked very much like a suburban mall. My son got off his first good line of the day, saying "Daddy, why did you bring me to the train station to eat?" Kids. I tell ya. But he had a point – it resembled nothing so much as Union Station in D.C., but without the trains.

We saw many people sitting at the food court tables, eating, but all of the restaurants had the screens down and locked. All that we could find open was a convenience store and the student merchandise store. Ordinarily, we would have been able to choose from the usual array of chain restaurants, as well as less-familiar names like Charleston Market and Jazzman’s

Alas, today this was not an option.

Figuring we’d be in the arena soon, we opted for bottled water and snacks. One unique item we picked up at the convenience store counter were these George Mason jelly bellies. They tasted like… well, jelly bellies. But they did have that neato specialized packaging that at least let us know where we were.

After a quick visit to the merchandise store to grab the cheapest memorabilia we could find (foam finger and pair of athletic socks with GMU logos), we were off to the game.

The Patriot Center

Now, since it was just me and EPJr, I planned to eat guy style: whatever we wanted, and however much we wanted. Which explains why my son’s meal began with soft-serve ice cream. Prices were the typical college arena level – overpriced, but not quite what you’d pay at a pro joint – but the folks behind the counter didn’t skimp on the vanilla, as you can see.

The rest of the food was a pretty standard selection, though there were noticeable quality gaps within the offerings. I was pleased to find that each window had different items, as I’ve been to other arenas that offered roughly the same stand every hundred feet or so. Nonetheless, EPJr can’t go to a game without eating a hot dog, so that’s where we started out.

You’re looking at fifteen bucks. It would have been twenty, but my son, strangely enough, does not like soda. The condiments left a lot to be desired – just mustard and ketchup to lubricate the five-dollar less-than-footlongs. I like the yellow stuff, and my son likes the red stuff, so we were relatively settled. Sadly, the buns were a bit stale, and the hotdogs were totally ordinary. I felt we could do better.

EPJr was perfectly happy to cleanse his palate with some cotton candy, and who can blame him? It’s a classic, and it’s hard to screw up. And there are few sights better than a brightly-dressed arena employee balancing the big tray of pink, fluffy goodness.

For me, however, something more substantial was required. I had it in my mind that I had passed a stand offering chicken BBQ at some point, so I went out for a quick recon. I was a little nervous about leaving the kid alone in his seat, even with the nice people sitting next to us, so I probably didn’t go far enough in my search. I stopped at the biggest and busiest window to ask about the possibly fictional Chix BBQ, and got this reply: “Wul, we’ve got chicken, and I can give you some barbeque sauce to put on it.” No… just, No.

I settled on the lovely grease bomb you see here. Now, I want you to know that I don’t use the word “grease” in a pejorative sense. Done properly, grease makes an excellent condiment. And this was done properly. This was known as a chopped steak sandwich, which I appreciated, because I’ve been to Philly, and calling something like this a cheesesteak is false advertising. But this was great for what it was – real chopped meat instead of steak-umms, the right amount of peppers and onions, and some stringy white cheese – and I enjoyed every sloppy bite. It filled the gnawing hole in my stomach and used grease in just the right way – it soaked into the bun just enough to make it moist, but not enough to make it soggy. Very nice.

Our final indulgence was popcorn. Some attendees got theirs for free, as the staff of the Patriot Center dropped paper bags from the gantries on the ceiling, suspended from little parachutes. EPJr was very disappointed when none fell to him, so I dropped the rest of our food dough on a large paper cup full. My son hates the fake squirt-butter, so I have to say that this tasted like Styrofoam to me, but he was more than satisfied.

In the final analysis, it seems to me that anyone familiar with stadium food will find plenty to enjoy here. While I can’t particularly recommend what is ordinarily a staple - hot dogs - there is a wide variety of other options that can be easily parsed out by peeking at the baskets your fellow sports fans are carrying around. It’s probably worth doing a little of that peek-and-sniff research to suss out the best options, because if you eat like me and the little nipper, you can easily spend more on comestibles than you did on your tickets.

For variety, decent portions, and floating popcorn, I give the Patriot Center a solid B. The inconsistency from booth to booth, and the lack of a signature go-to item kept them from scoring any higher, but a guy can eat there. If you’re there on a night when the nearby food courts are open, you might be in A- territory.

Oh, and they’ve got a heck of a basketball team going, too.

Patriot Center photo credit: PatriotCenter.com
Rest of photos by Extra P

Lexington, KY: Bluegrass Tradition

2009-01-19T08:00:00.001-05:00

City: Lexington, Kentucky
Foodie: Straitpinkie Squad, Straightpinkie.com

Venues: Commonwealth Stadium / Rupp Arena
Team: Kentucky Wildcats (NCAA)
Address: 1540 University Drive, Lexington, KY 40506 (The Wealth); 432 W Vine Street, Lexington, KY 40506 (Rupp)

Straightpinkie's Taste

Whether you are in town to see Rich Brooks and the revitalized Kentucky football program whomp on some fools in Commonwealth, or have came to watch the most storied program in all of college basketball, Billy Clyde's boys add another page to the history of Rupp Arena, these are the dining and drinking experiences you must try before leaving the L-E-X. The dining in Rupp Arena and The Wealth leaves a WHOLE LOT to be desired. Unless you wanna chomp on some Subway, Wendy's, A&W, or Fazoli's, you're gonna wanna eat before and after the events. Here's where to go:

*****STRAITPINKIE.COM #1 RECOMMENDATION*****

Pazzo's
385 S Limestone, Lexington, KY 40508
(859) 255-5125

The best hand-tossed pizza anywhere and the largest draft beer selection in Central Kentucky. If you're just lookin' to have a couple slices and get hammered in preparation of the night ahead, here's your spot. Pazzo's has the main floor bar, a Bourbon bar, a Back Bar, a Downstairs Pub and an Outdoor Patio (in other words, plenty of room to get plastered). Chow down on Pazzo's signature dish, the Mezzaluna: pizza and calzone in one, served stuffed and topped with cheese and marinara.

Then its on to the drankin’!!! We can’t even begin to list all the beers Pazzo’s has available and chilled, just waiting for your palate to taste… Over 40 beers on tap with a full-service bar, and imports from just about every country on the globe. If you are a stout fan, try out a Russian Imperial Stout, the Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout (10.6% ABV). Like Rye Beers? Go for a Goose Island Mild Winter Rye Ale (5.6% ABV) from Chitown. Wanna get hammered and fast? Down a Doppelbock from Austria entitled the Samichlaus (14.0% ABV). Happy Hour is from 4-7pm every day and features half price appetizers and $1.95 Domestic Drafts. They also have daily pint specials. LOVE THIS PLACE!!

*****STRAITPINKIE.COM OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS*****

Billy's Bar-B-Q
101 Cochran Rd, Lexington, KY 40502
(859) 269-9593

Billy’s has been featured in the New York Times and The Sophisticated Traveler, but no matter their success the staff at Billy’s will welcome you with down home Southern-style hospitality. Open for thirty years Billy’s has perfected the taste of real pit barbecue. But you’ll want to start out by sampling some of their appeteasers. From banana pepper rings, battered & fried, to catfish strips with homemade tartar sauce, Billy’s appeteasers do just what their name suggests, tease you with small samples of the deliciousness that is to come.

The straitpinkie squad’s favorite menu item is the Billy’s Blitz, a large Bar-B-Q samich, topped with slaw, cheese, onion & tomato, your choice of pork, beef, mutton, or pulled chicken, served with a pickle. But you really can’t go wrong with your selection, and it isn’t limited to just barbecue, if you wish you can try out a bratwurst, a hamburger, or some pork tenderloin and spare ribs. Billy’s side dishes are off the charts as well, from their sweet & tangy cole slaw to their southern favorite cheese grits and blackeyed peas, to their cooked on the pit baked beans. Mmmmm.

Malone's
Lansdowne location
3347 Tates Creek Rd, Lexington, KY 40502
(859) 335-6500

Best steak in Lexington hands down and is also attached to Oscar's oyster and piano bar, which makes for an excellent relaxed, yet sophisticated atmosphere whilst you are downing a cold Kentucky Ale and shuckin' some oysters on the half shell and reminiscin' about how the Whomp Squad just put a hurtin' on another high-powered SEC offense.

A La Lucie
159 N Limestone, Lexington, KY 40507
859-252-5277

A delectable French dining experience awaits you at A La Lucie. Their menu is all-embracing, and you can stay local and try a Kentucky Hot Brown (ham and turkey served open faced over toasted bread and topped with tomato, bacon and rich Mornay sauce).

Or branch out and try another straitpinkie squad favorite, the Kentucky Rabbit (slow braised Marion County rabbit with white wine, herbs, mushrooms, and roast new potatoes). Dinner here can be a little pricy, so if your wallet is light, hit up A La Lucie for lunch which is much more affordable and just as appetizing. And lunch or dinner, you must finish your visit to A La Lucie's with Miss Lucie her self's Lexington Bread Pudding (served warm and topped with a Kentucky bourbon hard sauce).

Atomic Cafe
265 N Limestone, Lexington, KY 40507
(859) 254-1969

Part of the historic Downtown Restaurant District, Caribbean-inspired dishes and live reaggae music with a lively patio scene make the Atomic Cafe, a unique, fun experience. The straitpinkie squad recommends you start off with the sweet potato chips and salsa. Then its on to a cup of conch soup and finally go for the Jerk Chicken sandwich with black beans and rice (also highly recommended to swap out either the beans or the rice for their very tasty mac and cheese). Have a Sioux City Fine Jamaican Ginger Beer with your meal to perfectly offset the spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg of the jerk chicken. Hang around as the Atomic Cafe doubles as a nightclub and the ladies love the Latin dancing!!!

Mad Mushroom Pizza
341 S Limestone # B, Lexington, KY 40508
(859) 252-3278

Perfect for the late, late night snack. Pizza here is good, but the way to go is the CheeseStix...Just $5 for a 10” small, these babies are mouth-watering goodness. Fresh homemade dough basted with garlic butter & smothered with mozzarella cheese. Served with Ranch and Pizza Sauce on the side for Dipping. Mmmmm.

Portofino's
249 E Main St, Lexington, KY 40507
(859) 253-9300

For scrumptious I-talian food, treat yourself to a feast at Portofino's downtown on Main. The Focaccia Bread is out of this world, and again you can't go wrong with any selection off the menu. We would recommend starting off with the calamari and rock shrimp. Semolina dusted, lightly fried squid and rock shrimp, herb aioli and marinara sauces.

The straitpinkie squad is a big fan of Portofino's Lasagna and Chicken Parmesan, or if you're in the mood for a sandwich definitely try the Cuban Wrap. A sliced grilled pork tenderloin, turkey & swiss tortilla served with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, pickles & cumin-lime aioli. Unreal.

The Dame
367 E Main Street, Lexington, KY 40507
(859) 231-7263

Home to reasonably priced beer and the best live music venue we have ever seen. The Dame recently moved into the Main Street Live complex and to be honest, none of the straitpinkie squad has seen the new setup. However, they retained 100% of their staff and Tom Yost is still the owner, so we have 100% confidence that The Dame is still one of, if not the best, places to see live music. If you are lucky enough, you will be in town during one of Slaughters, Kentucky's own Chris Knight's performances. And if you are not that lucky, you should still check out C Knight's music, he is one of the greatest singer/songwriters to ever grace the planet.

Two Keys Tavern
333 S Limestone, Lexington, KY 40508
(859) 254-5000

When the day is done, and the night is young, this is where you’ll want to head to wrap up your evening. Only a stone’s throw (literally 0.1 miles from Pazzo’s) and essentially a legend, Two Keys offers a dive/frat house/outdoor ambiance complete with beer memorabilia and UK relics. A back deck, several bars, and sidewalk seating and the place is still almost always packed full of the city’s hardest partiers. Enjoy the live music, comedy acts, televised sporting events, pool tables, and tasty pub fare, and of course all the undergrads, cheap beer and drunken debauchery. Equipped with 18 flat screen TVs and a 10 foot projector screen, you can watch the replays of all the whompin’ highlights from the day, or catch a west coast game live. If you happen to be in town on Thursday night you should take advantage of Two Keys’ all you can drink ($10 for guys, $8 for girls)...

www.straitpinkie.com

Dallas, TX: Dining in Big D

2009-01-12T08:00:00.002-05:00

City: Dallas, Texas
Foodie: Mike Fisher, DallasBasketball.com

Venue: American Airlines Center
Address: 2500 Victory Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75201
Teams: Dallas Mavs (NBA), Dallas Stars (NHL)

Fish's Taste

Dallas is not LA and Dallas is not New York and Dallas is embarrassed by that fact. We fancy ourselves that sort of "entertainment destination," though, and in order to delude ourselves we elevate our sports personalities to movie-star strata. Roger Staubach is our Clint Eastwood. Dirk Nowitzki is our Elvis. Emmitt Smith is our Samuel L. Jackson. Mark Cuban is our George Clooney. Nolan Ryan is our John Wayne. Terrell Owens is our Andy Dick. Jessica Simpson and Angie Harmon get so much gossip/society-page burn around here, you’d think they were Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren. Skip Bayless is our Anthony "Psycho" Perkins, or maybe our Nora Desmond, or maybe our Rosie O’Donnell, I don’t know.

Mangia, mi bella!

So we worship these sporty sorts. And we eat and drink. What else do we have to do here? God screwed us out of mountains and oceans, leaving us to build billion-dollar monuments to our team owners. (Bow to Jerry.) But the highways meet here, so the food and the booze can be hauled in. As a result, it is said that Dallas has per-capita the most eateries of any city in the United States. We invented the Margarita and the Corny Dog (we also invented the sickness resulting from mixing the two), we re-invented Mexican food (Tex-Mex!) and barbecue, and if we leave any scraps on the table, we brush them to the floor where a waiting Nate Newton appreciatively gobbles them up.

I’m buyin’. You leave the tip:

AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER Two key points about the grub at the home arena of the Mavs and Stars. One, Mavs owner Mark Cuban long ago made a point to be personally responsible for making sure the nachos has enough cheese. Two, at least one Mavs player has developed a superstitious habit of eating an arena hot dog before every tipoff.

Gerald Green has a famous food association with the cupcake; he’s a past winner of the NBA Slam-Dunk Contest for having blown out the candle on a dessert while slamming one home. But he also slams hot dogs. 82 of them a year. He says one before each game. And if an American Airlines Center hot dog is good enough for a professional athlete – and is personally supervised by a billionaire – it should be good enough for you.

CAMPISI’S EGYPTIAN RESTAURANT There’s a lot of history here. Some Italian stuff. (I don’t know where the “Egyptian’’ comes from.) Some sexy stuff. One of the kids, Amber Campisi, is a recent Playmate of the Month. Nice girl, too. More curves that a NASCAR race at the Texas Motor Speedway.

Thin-crust pizza. Phenomenal. David Campisi is the muscle here. But Amber might be around here somewhere.

CLUB DRAGONFLY at HOTEL ZAZA This is as close as we get to a Beverly Hills Hotel-type scene. The hotel itself is unique and boutique, with expensive “theme’’ rooms. Downstairs is a beautifully-appointed bar, lush with curtains and candles.

And it’s beautifully–appointed with beautiful people, too. If you’re into that sort of thing.

Outside is where it gets a little rowdy; the pool is open most of the year, except when it gets chilly, when they put a plexiglass floor over the pool and erect a tent (with chandeliers) and the party goes on.

Jock regulars include NBA folks like Spud Webb and Erick Dampier, and ex-NFL standouts like Winfred Tubbs and Ray Crockett and Fox broadcaster Joe Buck. And when real-live stars are in town to perform, they often stay here … and then roam down by the pool, behind velvet ropes. Hey, there’s Christina Aguilera with her unnaturally large boobs!

You can look, but don’t touch. … unless you’ve got enough game to buy Christina Aguilera a very expensive drink.

Oh, and say hi to Andrew the bartender. If you want something fancy, do the calamari, specially imported. Me? I order the sliders. They’re affordable, and not as dainty as the rest of the place.

MO & HULLY’S Mike Modano took me into his home some years ago when I got a divorce. Brett Hull took Sean Avery onto his team some months ago with no knowledge of his views on “sloppy seconds.’’

A perfect team to start a new restaurant, right?

They’ll get guidance from hockey friend Bob Sambol of the legendary Bob's Steak & Chop House and from Eddie Cervantes, who will help run the place after years of overseeing Primo’s, an affordable see-and-be-seen Mexican food hangout on McKinney Avenue.

Modano tells me the goal for the soon-to-open joint is “an upscale sports bar with a special room in back for the guys to just hangout.’’ By “guys,’’ I assume he means “Stars teammates from past and present.’’ But go ahead on back there, assuming you’re not scared of getting crosschecked by Craig Ludwig.

MILO BUTTERFINGERS This is where your drunk grandpa can sit at the bar and ogle SMU co-eds, where Oliver Stone filmed part of “Born On The Fourth Of July,’’ where cheap pitchers and patty melts rule, and where the charming bartender who used to play minor-league hockey before falling due to a bout with mononucleosis is nicknamed “Mono.’’

LEE HARVEY’S You’ll go for the controversial name. You’ll stay for the Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, the burgers and the atmosphere – which includes dog owners bringing their pets to hang around in the yard. A dump. A delightful old-fashioned dump.

THE OLD MONK Want something more affordable, more earthy, a little more "alternative?" Let’s go to "the Monk," a hangout for beer connoisseurs, budget-minded consumers and journalist types. (And in this day and age, journalism types – who have always been beer connoisseurs – are now very much budget-minded consumers.) The guys and girls of D Magazine (a glossy chronicler of the city) hang out at the Monk with such frequency that they have their own designated table at which they seem to conduct nightly “staff meetings.’’

And they will quite possibly invite you on over.

SAL’S PIZZA It’s just Sal. And Pizza. Big, greasy, fold-it-over-like-in-New York pizza.

And Sal. I did see former Cowboys receiver Kevin Williams in here once. But mostly, you get Sal.

SONNY BRYAN’S “Since 1910.’’ Barbecue. There are other locations now, but the original is on Inwood, and here’s the deal: Get the affordable dinner plate, with a big pile of brisket and a big pile of sausage. Throw some Texas-sized onion rings on there. Find yourself a Corona bottle full of BBQ sauce and then squeeze yourself into your seat – which is an old-timey schoolkid’s desk. It’s all pretty comical, people from all walks of life trying not to spill on themselves while squatting in a chair built for a third-grader.

VICTOR TANGO Tristan Simon is a brilliant restauranteur who has created a kingdom of bars, clubs and restaurants in the Knox-Henderson neighborhood. Some of it’s a little pricey, but if you want to watch as a visiting Tracy McGrady try to picks up chicks – and struggle on the night a few years ago when I watched him -- it’s worth the price of admission.

ADAIRS SALOON Beer in cans, jalepenos on the burgers and country music on the jukebox. The wooden walls are covered with years and years of customers’ drunken scribbles. Cowboy hats are optional, but you should definitely bring a Sharpie.

NICK & SAM’S Bill Parcells loved this place, and little wonder: This is old-fashioned, men’s-clubby, dark-wood-and-leather East Coast class. The boss is Joe Palladino, who is always impeccably dressed and impeccably mannered and if you have a wallet-full and want to big-time it at Nick & Sam’s, I’d advise you to mind your dress and your manners, too. And when you order that big-ass steak, make sure they bring the mac-and-cheese. Everybody orders the mac-and-cheese.

THE LODGE It’s a gentlemen’s club. I’ve got to include it, though – even though I never go to such establishments because I’m too busy at church and all – because it is unusual in four different ways. 1) It just won an award for Best Gentlemen’s Club In America. 2) One of the managers is long-time Dallas newspaper guy Michael Precker, who is the last guy you’d expect to be a manager in a strip club; 3) The Lodge is owned by a woman, Dawn Rizos, and you wouldn’t expect that, either; and 4) the lunches are extraordinarily good and yes I’m talking about the food.

On a recent business visit – for the purpose of this article, actually, though I am somewhat hesitant to submit my rather large expense tab to FanFoodie – I had the buffalo burger (real buffalo meat) and one of the other guys had the tilapia. Terrific, all of it, and at prices like you’d spend at IHOP or something.

The idea, of course, is to get you and the many jocks who populate the place to spend your money on stuff besides the buffalo burger and the tilapia. But let me make it clear to you – and to my girlfriend, who is reading this over my shoulder – that I went all the way with the buffalo burger and I only flirted a little bit with tilapia and then I left.

Says Precker: “Coming to The Lodge for the food sounds like the old Playboy magazine line, when people say, ‘I read it for the articles.’ But it’s true. Our food is way, way better than it has to be.’’

DAIRY QUEEN This is the one located in Coppell, not far from the Cowboys’ Valley Ranch headquarters. If you’re not a Texan, you may not fully understand this, but Dairy Queens here are part of the old-school fabric of the community. In smaller towns, the DQ is still the congregating place, right there alongside the school and the church and the old lady who lives with 500 cats and tells you to get off her lawn. Now, this Dairy Queen in this town? It’s the one used as a stage for Mark Cuban to laugh at himself after his early 2000’s anti-ref rage. The owner had said that NBA officiating boss Ed Rush “couldn’t manage a Dairy Queen.’’ Cuban then demonstrated his marketing genius by arranging to show up at this fast-food locale, donned a DQ uniform (complete with a nametag that read “Tony’’ and we’ve recognized his alter ego of “Tony Cubes’’ ever since), and labored to get the trademark swirl atop the cones just right.

TEN SPORTS GRILL Nothing is more irritating to a “sports fan’’ than visiting a “sports bar’’ and discovering that it’s not a “sports bar’’ at all but rather just a fern bar with TVs. And you know how so often you’ll go into one of those places and the TV will be on ESPN by rote. … because the manager knows that ESPN means “sports’’ but the manager doesn’t know that right now on ESPN they’re showing a billiards tournament and somebody ought to wake the fuck up and turn it to the Duke-UNC game over on CBS?

They don’t do that at Ten. They’re on the ball, these guys. They’re on the ball the way you’d have to be if, say, you were the former strength-and-conditioning coach for the Dallas Mavericks.

Which co-owner Chad Lewis is.

His employment with the Mavs allowed him to build friendships with a number of NBA players, and even now, when Steve Nash is in town, he knows which bar will be able to find a soccer game for him to watch. (Chad thinks soccer is the reason he and Eddie Najera and some fellas called the joint “10.’’ The best soccer player wears jersey No. 10. But he’s clearly only guessing that’s the origin.)

You can get a 2-for-10 deal here, two lunches for 10 bucks. Fish tacos. I recommend the fish tacos.

Mike Fisher with former Mavs strength-and-conditioning coach Chad Lewis at his sports bar, Ten.

CAPITAL GRILLE NBA teams come to Dallas and often stay at the fancy Crescent hotel. That makes for a convenient lunch just around the corner at the Capital Grille, where they are hosted by the extraordinarily mustachioed managing partner Greg Cavanagh. At night, it’s a “Wall Street’’ sort of place. Power brokers. They can buy and sell guys like us. But at lunch? You’re likely to see Shaq or Phil Jackson or KG eating alone, steak and a salad.

Come to think of it, Shaq and Phil and KG can buy and sell guys like us, too.

WILD ABOUT HARRY’S Because it’s located in hoity-toity Highland Park near downtown, it draws neighborhood locals like Mark Cuban, Jerry Jones, Tom Hicks and T. Boone Pickens. Because it has the best hot dogs in town and the most uniquely delicious frozen custard on the planet, it draws Troy Aikman and his daughters in from the suburbs, draws loaded of Sooners during Texas-OU Week, and draws high-school kids made to feel like grandchildren of the warm and personable proprietor Harry Coley. The walls are filled with photos and newspaper clippings. Nothing fancy, no custom framing or anything; it’s like the whole low-key joint is one huge refrigerator, with family keepsakes magnetized to it.

You can’t miss it when you drive away from downtown a few miles north on 75 and then a couple blocks east on Knox: Wild About Harry’s storefront features pink awnings, a 6-foot-tall statue of a smiling hot dog, and a line of smiling customers.

There’s no booze here – believe me, the hot dogs and the custard are a high all by themselves – but Harry’s no prude. Our friendship began in the mid-90’s, when he called into my radio show to brag about his sidewalk tables being “the best place in Dallas to look at the women.’’

“In front of a hog dog diner?’’ I wondered.

“Yessir,’’ the avuncular Harry told me and the audience with a wink that was almost audible. “The post office is right across the street. And this is the post office where all the ‘kept women’ in town do their business. Dallas has the most beautiful women in America, and they all come to this post office. I can sit out there all afternoon and girl-watch the day away.’’

CHAMPPS Now, it’s a little fern-bar’y, I know. A little chain’y, too. But the Champps in Las Colinas – near the Cowboys headquarters, near where they play the PGA’s Byron Nelson – has personality. Ask for Will the Waiter – he’s a savant who, when you tell him your birthday, will regale you with stories of every single thing that ever happened on that day. Sports, news, the weather, you name it. After you order the chopped salad and the pulled-pork sandwich and a very cold, very tall beer, Will will dish about the customers, too. All the beefy Cowboys come in here, as does Dallas’ First Couple (at least until George and Laura get here and establish their new home and the Bush Library, the world’s only library its living namesake will never use). Yes, Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson might be right over there, in a private corner. And when they leave, watch as Cowboys-crazed dinners rush Will the Waiter and beg for some of Jess’ leftover buffalo wings and a sip of Tony’s backwash beer.

“I want to taste greatness!’’ one of the scrap-beggars recently exclaimed.

Of course, that was before the Cowboys failed to qualify for the playoffs. So “greatness’’ is a slight exaggeration.

Map of Locations

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American Airlines Arena photo credit: Capital M's photostream
Campisi's: Mr. Kimberly's photostream
Lee Harvey's François Hogue's photostream
Sonny Bryan's mysteryship's photostream
Adair's: Roadside Burger Blog
Nick & Sam's: GuideLive
Wild About Harry's: donovanhouse's photostream

Portland, OR: Ballin in the City of Roses

2009-01-07T08:00:00.001-05:00

City: Portland, Oregon
Foodie: Ben Golliver, Blazersedge.com

Venue: Rose Garden
Team: Portland Trail Blazers (NBA)
Address: 1 N Center Court St, Portland, OR 97227

Ben's Taste

Like any giant corporate arena, the Rose Garden is more than adept at pulling the dollars out your pocket. No matter your budget, you’re probably going to walk out of the RG feeling like you spent too much money. But more than likely you’ll be full. Which is kind of the point.

The best food options at the Rose Garden break down into 3 tiers just like the seats. I call these tiers "Big Ballin," "Sorta Ballin" and "Budget Ballin." Hey, it’s a recession, so if you made it to the building, no matter what, you deserve the title "baller." First, the best places in the RG to ball on; next, the best places for the sports fan around Portland.

Big Ballin

If money is no object, No doubt the place to eat in the Rose Garden is the Courtside Club. Open only to those with 100 level tickets, VIPs, and occasional VUPs (very unimportant people, like your friendly blogger), the Courtside Club provides some of the best service in a city that’s not nearly as concerned with top-class service as most places east of the Mississippi. The staff is courteous and quick to remember a face (and your favorite drink) and does a good job of managing the large crowds that gather pregame. If you’re lucky, you’ll see the Blazers Dancers, a member of the team’s management or a local big shot car salesman stroll through with dime pieces on their arms. Get there early.

As for the food, the menu is mostly burgers and pasta, I usually go with the Southwest Chicken Penne but you’ve got options. The Club also has a full bar with most top shelf liquors, lots of beers (including the famous local microbrews) and they are very considerate about not caring if you get completely blasted. So I’ve been told.

What's made Portland famous.

Sorta Ballin

The best section of the 200 level in the Rose Garden is, far and away, the Lexus Club Level. It requires that you sit in certain areas of the arena (along the two sidelines, not along the baselines) but your tickets, which are slightly more expensive, include access to a full pregame buffet and full bars as well. All food and non-alcoholic drinks are free, so you can literally eat 25 pieces of pepperoni pizza and 14 cokes and absolutely no one will stop you. Pretty sweet. The buffets have a lot of options – usually there’s some pork, seafood, salads, dips, teriyaki, you name it. Great place for young couples to go on a date and make out in the bathroom or something. The bars are stocked similarly to the Courtside Club but many knowledgeable fans simply bring a flask and get a free soda to use as a mixer. Much cheaper than 5-8 dollar drinks.

Budget Ballin

The rest of the arena offers your typical overpriced arena food: burgers, hot dogs, popcorn, Subway sandwiches, etc. I’m partial to the Chicken Strip dinner because they don’t skimp on the Chicken or the fries. You pretty much get your 8 or 9 dollars worth and it’s always hot out of the oven.

Another super popular option for the masses to gather pregame or postgame is Schonely’s Place, a makeshift bar/restaurant near the south/west entrance to the Rose Garden. The focus at Schonely’s Place (named after longtime Blazers radio announcer Bill Schonely, a local legend) is burgers and beer. Indeed, the Blazers Burger (two patties with optional bacon) is the best you’ll find in the stadium. It runs something like 10 dollars but it’s well worth it. Again, tons of local beer selections, popular with locals and tourists alike, can be had here.

"Try the Blazers Burger"

Outside the stadium

Far and away my favorite sports restaurant in Portland is Nick’s Coney Island in SE Portland. In high school we would drive something like 20 minutes to go there in order to select between a hamburger, a cheeseburger, a chili burger, a single hot dog or a double hot dog. Literally that was the whole menu. Oh yea, they did coleslaw too. We’d marvel when the owner would park his big old Cadillac in the middle of traffic, come in to buy us (usually the only customers) a round of sodas (RC soda mind you, not Coke or Pepsi) and then talk sports. The place is decorated with all sorts of old-time pictures, many of them autographed, and tons of framed newspapers going back 50 or more years. In the last few months, Nick’s was sold to a new owner who has modernized it a bit, but I’m told it’s still worth the trip. The place is no-nonsense, very affordable and located a few miles from the Rose Garden in Southeast Portland.

A few other places worth checking out before or after a game are: Fire on the Mountain (famous for their wings and beers specials, located very close to the Rose Garden), Henry’s (one of the places “to see and be seen,” has a lot of flatscreens and a HUGE bar but closes early and is across the river from the RG), The Agency (brand-new place owned by the son of a Former Blazer, they do cool things like offer 10 percent discounts to customers that name-check BlazersEdge.com, also located across the river), and On Deck (the prototypical sports bar with outdoor seating, kind of sucks during the rainy season but could be a great playoff spot, assuming the Blazers ever make the playoffs, also located across the river).

Never to be overlooked in a Portland food article is Jake’s, which is a local institute famous for seafood, strong drinks, and top-class service. It really doesn’t have much of a sports tie-in (other than some Blazer autographs on the wall) but it’s a must for anyone visiting Portland.

Two other “can’t forget to mentions”: Huber’s (a favorite hangout of Blazers about 10 years ago and the occasional Blazer today, very private feel inside and is known for its famous Spanish Coffees) and Portland City Grill (located on the 30th floor of a downtown building, it’s one of the classiest places in the city and is purportedly Nate McMillan’s favorite spot in Portland).

Map of Locations

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Rose Garden photo credit: pbgadget.com
Microbrews: Guanatos Gwyn's photostream
Schonley: Oregon Live

Baltimore, MD: Oriole Park at Camden Yards

2009-01-05T19:37:00.012-05:00

City: Baltimore, Maryland
Foodie: Meghan, Girls Don’t Know Sports

Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards (Camden Yards)
Address: 333 W. Camden St. Baltimore, MD 21201
Team: Baltimore Orioles (MLB)

Meghan's Taste

Part of what makes Camden Yards so wonderful is that it’s nestled in the heart of downtown Baltimore and there is so much more there than just the stadium. This means that there are many great places to go before, during and after the game...all easy to stumble to as you eat and drink your way across Baltimore.

Pregame

The best place to start before any Orioles game is Pickles Pub or Sliders, both conveniently located across from the main gate at Camden Yards. They have an outdoor area stocked with cheap beers, most notably National Bohemian (Natty Boh), the cheap beer of choice in Baltimore. Both also have a good selection of beers on tap inside if you like a classier beer. Sliders has excellent wings and has a great appetizer called a crab pretzel that is a favorite Baltimore dish. (Soft pretzel covered in crab dip, covered with cheese and baked until the cheese is melted...mmmmmm) Also, there are a ton of vendors that sell hot dogs, sausages, peanuts, and sometimes crab cakes that are always cheap and usually good.

Camden Yards

Must haves

Boog’s Barbecue: Former All Star Oriole, Boog Powell, has a delicious BBQ stand near the center field bleachers. The pit beef sandwich is worth every penny. This is the place to eat. End of story. It also has the best beer deals, in case you want something to wash down that delicious sandwich with.

Uncle Teddy’s Pretzels: I love soft pretzels and the hand rolled, buttered pretzels are something I eat at almost every game. If you don’t want a whole meal or need an extra snack. This is it. If you like sweet better, there is a cinnamon sugar pretzel as well.

Also Rans

Most of the rest of the food there is just your average fare, nachos, pizza, hot dogs, ice cream and fries (better with vinegar and Old Bay). Nothing too special. I’d only recommend if you really have a craving for average, greasy, overpriced food.

Rumored to Exist

I’ve heard that somewhere at the stadium they serve crab cakes. I have never seen one or known anyone who has tried one. That being said, I would stay away from those crab cakes. Until I actually meet someone who has tried one, I will refuse to believe that they are possibly any good. And there are so many places to get good crab cakes in Baltimore. Please, just go to Boog’s.

Post Game

Most tourists after the game will wander down to the Inner Harbor for some food. And if you want to eat at a soulless chain restaurant, go right ahead. However, if you want a more local feel, walk northeast of the stadium instead of just east to Historic Federal Hill. There are a ton of good bars and restaurants in this neighborhood. And you’re likely to get something decent to good wherever you go. So I’m just going to run down a few of my favorites. Remember, when in doubt anything with crab or old bay is probably a good choice.

Nobles: Typical bar food, burgers, wings, you know. They do have great giant nachos. They also have fun bar games including beer pong and corn hole. I have a soft spot for this place. This is also a good place for a crab pretzel.

Nick’s at the Cross Street Market: Go to the Cross St. Market for a great assortment of food. Nick’s has sushi, sandwiches and a raw bar that usually has crabs that can be bought individually or by the dozen. Never picked a crab steamed in Old Bay? Well you have been missing out. On top of that, there are giant beers and plenty of O’s fans.

Pub Dog: Delicious gourmet pizzas. All delicious but I recommend “The Original’ Wing Dog (Buffalo Chicken), The Atomic Dog (if you like spicy) or the Mr. Green Jeans (more traditional). And micro-brew beer, two for one deal. I’m a fan of the Amber Dog and the Irish Red, but again, you really can’t go wrong. Also, shuffleboard is on the third floor of this cozy row home turned brew pub.

Mother’s: This is one of the largest bars in Federal Hill. It also offers outdoor seating and two large indoor areas. There are TVs plastered to every wall so any game you might want to watch is probably on. The portions are generally big and the food is good. There is a large selection of sandwiches, wraps and entrees.

Regi’s: This is more of a restaurant than a bar. It has outdoor seating which is always nice. Great American food all around. Burgers, sandwiches and tater tots with brie and bacon are all good bets on this menu. Most of the appetizers are good and the salads are all delicious.

Don’t Know: It’s a little farther away than the rest of the bars. (A few more blocks) However, the food here is worth the walk. The mac and cheese is great and cheap. The Kobe beef sliders are awesome. There is a great selection of beers on tap. And there are tons of fun bar games including shuffleboard, corn hole, and buck hunter.

Map of Locations

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Camden Yards photo credit: Joseph D'Angelo's photostream
Pickle's Pub: Deborah Lewis pbase
Boog's: bunkosquad's photostream
Pubdog: Baltimore Sun

Washington, DC: Skins' High-Brow and Low-Brow Pow-Wows

2008-12-31T12:43:00.004-05:00

City: Washington, DC and surrounding areas
Foodie: Ben Folsom, The Curly R

Venue: FedEx Field
Location: ~~Raljon~~ Landover, Maryland
Team: Washington Redskins

Greetings, Ben from Curly R here, the guys here at Fan Foodie asked me to come on the blog and write a bit about Redskins tailgating and food in Washington DC. At first I had a hard time figuring out what to write, not about the food, there is lots of good food in DC. The problem was the tailgating. You see, while many NFL cities have food traditions, brisket and ribs in Kansas City, bratwurst in Green Bay, wings in Buffalo, pierogies in Pittsburgh, crabcakes in Baltimore, you get get the idea, there is no real food tradition in Washington.

So then what do we do? On a gameday walk through the lot at FedEx Field you will find everything from burgers...

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...to pizza...

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...to chicken...

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...to steak and potatoes served up by a superfan...

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...to brats...

At FedEx Field there is even a full time staff of Eagles fans cook our food for us.

If you are looking for lighter fare you can find Twinkies and beer...

...or hot pretzels...
...and if you are feeling sluggish before the game you can snack on a Smack, cornerback Fred Smoot's energy bar.

Maybe if Fred had munched on a few more of these on gameday he would not have lost his starting spot but I digress.

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And of course there is plenty of booze.

So why is it that we have no real food traditions in Washington? Perhaps as a center of technology Washingtonians are preoccupied with staying plugged in...

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...or maybe Washington's nature as a transitory town full of latte-sipping, brie-eating, wine-swilling liberals prevents any traditions from taking hold, even after 70 years...

(photo by Mark Newgent)

...but more likely it is because we are a town full of self important Blackberrying douchebags.

If you were too busy drinking to eat outside the stadium you will want to get some food in you before you fill up on eight dollar beers...

...but alas these chefs are not cooking up the Hog worthy vittles. About the best you can do on the inside is Johnny Rockets...

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...just ask them to hold the rats.

=====

Well now the game is over and you have just witnessed the Redskins go on to another tight loss, you still need food and booze, so where do you go?

If you are uptown in Washington DC, no booze fueled game day is complete without a trip to Ben's Chili Bowl.

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Opened in 1958 and located in the Shaw neighborhood, Ben's Chili Bowl was frequented by the likes of Miles Davis and Duke Ellington in 1950s segregated Washington. As Shaw's neighborhood fortunes sagged through the 70s and 80s Ben's hung on and now that Shaw is a hopping place to be it is not uncommon to see a late night line out the door for the messiest, sloppiest and goodinest chili covered half smokes in town.

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If you fall into the category of elitist football fans that needs a sit down meal, cloth napkins and top shelf bourbon, point yourself toward the White House and get a table at Old Ebbitt Grill.

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Do not wear your football jersey here, it may offend the senator in the next booth at this high-end establishment that dates back to 1856. Steaks, seafood, top shelf liquor and the most outstanding raw bar in Washington is what you will get here, Old Ebbitt has multiple varieties of oyster flown in daily. The crabcakes are insanely decadent and served over a corn macque choux and the servers do not write down your order. If you are staying overnight and hanging over the next morning Old Ebbitt has the best deep fried ham stuffed french toast and corn beef hash served in an iron skillet in all of Washington.

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If a burger is what you are looking for then you cannot do better than Five Guys, the best burgers and fries in DC.

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Five Guys is an all burgers all the time chain of joints first established in 1986 by the founder and his four sons, hence the five guys. For nearly two decades Five Guys was Washington local until they realized they had a formula, now there are more than 300 locations nationwide, all hewing to a strict formula of hand formed burger patties cooked well done, locally made buns and fries cut from Maine or Idaho potatoes. While you wait for your made to order burger to cook in the open kitchen you can munch on cooked salted peanuts and leave notes of praise on a public bulletin board, Five Guys is consistently ranked as the best burger in DC by Washingtonian Magazine. Five Guys also has a Redskins connection, after establishing his own chain of Frankly Fries establishments after retiring, all time Redskins scoring leader and kicker Mark Moseley is a director of Five Guys franchise development.

Five Guys remains a mandatory part of my football Sundays.

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After the gameday festivities are all said and done sometimes you cannot just go home and pass out cold fish, sometimes you need a bigass plate of greasy eggs and hash to settle things. Lucky for you there is a place in Arlington on Columbia Pike that caters to degenerate late nighters like yourselves, Bob & Edith's Diner.

(photo credit)

Bob & Edith's is a 24 hour diner specializing in the nastiest tastiest diner food you ever had, hotcakes, sausage, corned beef hash and eggs any way you want them. Meatloaf, fried chicken and burgers are on the menu as well but if you can stand the wait to get in on a busy latenight then that is not what you are there for. The hash browns do not need salt but you will dose them up anyway.

(photo credit)

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When you come to a Redskins game, bring your tailgating tradition because we need it. Drop a comment here and let us know where you like to go after the game. Thanks to Fan Foodie for inviting me over and see you around teh webs!

All uncredited photos by me or of me.

New Brunswick, NJ: The Legendary Grease Trucks

2008-12-29T11:26:00.012-05:00

City: New Brunswick, New Jersey
Foodie: Dan Levy, On The DL

Venue: Rutgers Stadium

Team: Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Address: 1 Scarlet Knight Way, Piscataway, NJ 08854

Dan's Taste

With Rutgers playing in the hilariously named PapaJohns.com Bowl today (note to all companies wanting to spend their advertising dollars on Bowl sponsorships, we know we can add ‘.com’ to the end of your business and find you online. Or there’s Google. You sell pizza, I don’t care if you have a blog, or whatever), I have been asked to shed a little light on the greatest food invention on four wheels – The Grease Trucks.

New Jersey is known for mobile foodstuffs. From the Corner Dogs in Atlantic City to Mister Softee trucks jingling down the block on hot summer days, we sure love our transportation provisions in the Garden State. Which is why the Grease Trucks, located on College Ave. in New Brunswick, N.J., are a must visit any time you find yourself in Hub City.

Back in the mid 1990s the Grease Trucks were legendary around the state. Any high-schooler who had a friend at Rutgers would visit on weekends just to brag to your friends that you had a Fat Cat. Seriously, we did this. The stories were as good as the food. The Grease Trucks never closed. Then, we heard they closed just one hour per day (usually between 5 and 6 am) to de-grease, presumably both the grills and the grillers, before the morning rush. With the fraternities just a block away, there was never a shortage of drunken hilarity at the Trucks. Which is why in the late 1990’s Rutgers legislated stricter hours, first forcing the trucks to close at 3am, one hour after the bars close, to eventually 2am. Which is just insane. Feeling the squeeze, some of the more successful Truck owners rented space on Easton Ave. to avoid the limitations put on by Rutgers and stay open as long as they want. By the turn of the century, there was talk about getting rid of the trucks altogether. To this day there are discussions about squeezing the Trucks out of town. But of all my years at Rutgers, nothing was better than stumbling out of a bar at closing and ordering a Fat Cat at 2:00 a.m. from a guy in a truck calling me buddy. And nothing ever will be.

Hey Buddy

There is one rule at the Grease Trucks. Do. Not. Make. Eye. Contact. If you have your favorite truck, keep your head down until you get there. Don’t acknowledge the other truck owners or they will suck you in. Their powers of persuasion know no bounds. They have photos of all their patrons, mostly the good looking ones wearing little clothing. They always ALWAYS call you buddy. ‘You’re not my buddy. Jimmy is my buddy. I just want a sandwich over from him.’ Jimmy doesn’t know who the hell I am, but he’s convinced me he does. That’s how they getcha. Oh, the awkwardness when you would wait six deep in line at your favorite truck when the truck next door had no customers. And you know what, the food all tasted the same. Fantastic.

The Food

So what do they sell at these Grease Trucks anyway? Well, everything for one. But let’s start with the sandwiches. The most famous sandwich of all is the Fat Cat. Two cheeseburgers, lettuce, tomato, onions, ketchup, mustard and fries all inside a long roll and wrapped in delicious tin foil. Yes, I’m certain that 20% of all Grease Truck patrons have eaten the foil at one point in their time at Rutgers. Simple. Brilliant. The Fat Cat. And it started at Fat Revolution.

Fat Cat

There’s the Fat Moon. The Fat Koko. The Fat Sam. There’s the Fat Darrell, which is some concoction of mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers, fries and marinara sauce. There’s the Fat Bitch, which Rutgers brass made the trucks change. Funny in that when the Lebanese proprietors of most of the trucks pronounce the word, it sounds like “Beach” and thusly was born the Fat Beach. There’s been the Fat Dyke and Fat Filipino (both nixed by Rutgers). Basically, if you can think of something to put inside a long roll – sub roll, hoagie roll, whatever – it can be a Fat Something. And it’s all delicious.

Darrell Butler with his namesake.

More than just Fat

The Grease Trucks offer so much more than these scrumptious yet heavy, hard-to-eat-in-one-sitting-unless-you-are-four-sheets-to-the-wind sandwiches. They have breakfast. Order an egg and cheese while waiting for the bus in the morning and count how many seconds it takes for them to get out the question “salt, pepper, ketchup?” My estimation: negative three seconds. They have gyros. Not “jai-roh.” No. They have ‘yee-roh”. And they are delicious with or without “the hot-a-sauce.” But if you’re in a rush, and just need some gum or crackers or a drink or some Phillies Blunts (rumor had it you could get some different blunts if you went to the right trucks) the Trucks are a one-stop-shop for all quenching or satiating needs.

In all my years working at Rutgers, I always asked why we didn’t get the trucks to park outside the gate and split the profits with them every game. I’m sure the concessionaires wouldn’t want that, but if it’s about serving the fan base, that’s the only way to go. To get from the stadium to the trucks it’s at least one bus and, after a game, at least 25 minutes. Sure the trucks are a stoner’s throw away from all the bars, tons of apartments, houses and dorms, but it’s not where the action is on game day. My suggestion: bring the trucks to football games. Split the money with the school. It might be the only way to save them.

Where to watch the game

If you’re talking about food, yes the trucks are the place to get it. But what about drink? What about a place to watch the game? That’s the thing about Rutgers. It’s huge. There are 35,000 people somewhere around all the campuses. But you find your niche. You find your local spot and make your friends. For me, that place was the Olive Branch. I lived there, some nights literally. I’ve stayed friends with the owners and bartenders. They always know your name there. Hell, I wrote a book about my life there, sitting down during happy hour with my laptop and a pitcher of beer every night until the younger crowd came in around 9pm. Yes, this was before blogs.

Fans watching at Olive Branch.

Well, with at least five huge flat-panel TVs and people who care as much about Rutgers Football as those on the field, the Olive Branch is your place to go watch a game. Hell, watch today’s game there. And if you’re there, order one of their Famous Dirty Sandwiches. Basically, they are great sandwiches like chicken tenders soaked in buffalo sauce or topped with cheddar, jalapenos and salsa, all put on garlic bread. Or, if you want regular bread, order it Clean. I’ll consider the Clean Sandwich my personal legacy. But if you do go, order a Dirty Levy just to see if they still remember me. (note: the Dirty Levy was the nickname for the original Dirty Sandwich, but with cheese bread instead of Garlic. That’s what started the Clean option. Who needs garlic bread breath all night, right?).

Whether it’s today, this month or sometime soon, get to New Brunswick. And grab yourself a Fat Bitch while you’re there. Go Rutgers.

Tell us about your favorite Grease Truck memories in the comments.

Grease Truck photo: Mike Tigas' photostream

Fat Darrell: AP File Photo

Fat Cat: ghetto of our mind's photostream

Olive Branch Fans: Aaron Houston

Phoenix, AZ: Chase Field & US Airways Center

2008-12-18T06:00:00.001-05:00

City: Phoenix, Arizona
Foodie: Matt Blake, Fanster.com
Venues: Chase Field & US Airways Center
Teams: Phoenix Suns (NBA), Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB), Arizona Rattlers (AFL), Phoenix Mercury (WNBA) & Phoenix Roadrunners (ECHL)
Address: East Jefferson Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85001

Matt's Taste:

Phoenix, Arizona - What used to be a lackluster downtown area for years, has officially made a comeback…And with the addition of the new Phoenix Light Rail system opening up in late December, it is only going to get better. In fact there are already blogs dedicated to food in downtown Phoenix. So while they focus on the all food downtown, I will focus on the best of the best around my two favorite places in town: Chase Field and the US Airways Center. Lets do this:

Majerle's

Named for none other than Dan Majerle, former Phoenix Sun, Marjerle's is a great place for anything from pre-game drinks, lunch during the week and…of course…watching your Phoenix Suns on the Road. My personal favorite: the Rojo Diablo. Yum Yum. And did I mention that they also have a location in Chandler?

Friday's Front Row

There is no other restaurant in town that beats out Friday's Front Row for stadium views. The reason being: it is located inside Chase Field. The best part about Friday's is that you can actually catch a Diamondbacks game from a table perched high above Left Field.

Friday's Front Row is most famous for Mark McGuire's bombshell batting practice homer that knocked out a light on "R" of the Friday's sign. And they left the sign un-repaired for the remainder of the season….Now was that '99 or '00?

Jackson's on Third

Well, the food ain't great here, but it's got the best value for the area and is located and hop and a skip from both Chase and US Air. The great part about Jackson's is that there is always plenty of room and an outdoor patio to boot. You can sure get lost, but you won't have to worry about missing the game.

Alice Cooperstown

If you feel the need to rock, you need to go to Alice Cooperstown. Named after Arizona resident and legendary shock rocker Alice Cooper. But really, this place is as much a ball park joint as any I've seen. Two items should say everything you need to know about Cooperstown: 'The Big O' Onion Rings & 'The Big Unit' Hot Dog.

Stoudemire's Downtown

Named for none other than….Amare Stoudemire. Want to know where all of the high-ups at the Phoenix Suns are eatin' their lunch? It's at Stoudemire's Downtown. They actually have things on the menu called: ENTRÉES. Plus on top of that they get the occasional celebrity appearance or three.

Among the most recent guests are NFL Eagles Quarterback Donovan McNabb, ESPN Columnist Rick Reilly, and restaurant namesake, part owner and Suns star Amare Stoudemire. They are just a few of the playoff celebrity sightings at Stoudemires.

Coach and Willie's

Nestled between the railroad and the best free parking spots near Chase Field and US Airways, is the always packed Coach and Willie's. The food is always solid and the service is fast. I love this place because it is always packed and lively. It is also located a pinch off the beaten path, so many people don't know about it. I've tried many times to meet up with people who can't even find it….Fun times at Coach and Willie's.

Pizzeria Bianco

Want something gourmet and damn good? You need to head down to Pizzeria Bianco. This nationally acclaimed pizza is seriously THE BEST that you can get on the west coast. That is for sure. I have been to the place twice and it was packed both times. Lines start up outside the restaurant before it even opens. You have to time it right, but to get there before a game can be a great night out. Highly recommended!

Matador

Ah yes, we had to have some Mexican in here didn't we? And Matador is the place to go for some good authentic Mexican food. I recommend the enchiladas.

Tee Pee Tap Room

The Tee Pee Tap Room is located just south of Chase Field and has some more great authentic Mexican food near the stadiums. Can't say it was my cup of "Tee," but my friends sure love the place.

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So that is downtown Phoenix ballpark/arena dining for you. There are many good options, from gourmet to cabaret. The bottom line is that you can't go wrong with a visit to downtown Phoenix. I didn't even get into ball park food, but that is pretty run of the mill. Enjoy and feel free to add your own favorites that I may have missed!

Syracuse, NY: The Complete Guide

2008-12-12T06:00:00.002-05:00

City: Syracuse, New York
Foodie: Brian Harrison, Orange::44

Venue: Carrier Dome
Address: Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244
Team: Syracuse Orange (NCAA)

Brian's Taste

There are two main areas in Syracuse that are musts when you visit, as well as several other areas with hidden gems of Syracuse signature restaurants. You really cannot go wrong no matter where you go, so it really depends on what you are up to that day as to where you go.

M Street

M Street, or Marshall Street, is the main street with restaurants and bars about one block from campus, and about five minutes from the center of campus, The Quad. There are several delicious options there for food no matter what your mood is. This is the area where most people hang out and tailgate on football game days as well. I'll cover food first.

El Saha – The most delicious pita happens to be the cheapest on Marshall Street. With delicious options to cram in your pita, an entertaining staff, and usually South Park or Family Guy on the television, this is where you want to stop for a pita, especially after the bars close. Chances are there is not too long of a line either.

Pita Pit – This restaurant is technically a chain, but it is really only around college campuses, so you have probably never heard of it or barely remember it from your own undergrad days. It is slightly more pricy, but they offer a few more toppings, an artsy menu, and everything is amazing with bacon, much like life.

Jimmy John's – The smells are free, but sadly the subs are not. This sandwich shop is delicious however, despite being a fairly well know chain. Their bread is baked fresh, the staff is bizarre, and now they do not use the till money to buy drugs (the previous owner was indicted for doing just that). I recommend the Lulu, or if you are drunk and adventurous, the "Buzz Shaw", an Italian Nightclub and a Bloody Mary (Bloody Mary not available [Named in honor of our previous Chancellor who had the reputation of being a booze hound]).

Augie's Pizza – This is the perfect place to grab a slice of pizza after you exit the bars at 2:00am. Probably because it is the only one open that late. They offer cheese slices for $1.25. Get two if you are really hungry, because one will not do. Just do not mess with the staff, they will not hesitate to kick you out, and a fight may break out in front. I may still be banned for life if it is the same staff there.

Cosmo's Pizza – A classic joint that has a greasy diner feel. Their pizza is good, but I would go for any number of other choices they offer. This is the prefect place to grab breakfast before a game, or a classic breakfast with parents who appreciate that kind of thing. This was my Dad's favorite place on the Hill. Finish the deal with a THB (toasted honey bun) and a scoop of vanilla.

Varsity Pizza – The best cheese steak on the hill. They also have many other tasty choices, plenty of tables, and tasty pizza. Tradition has it that if the football team wins, the band comes directly from the Dome and they flip the opposing team's banner upside down on the wall. This place is always busy, especially on game days. However, various hospital workers frequent this establishment on their lunch breaks all the time, as there are two hospitals within a block of M Street.

Aladdin's – This place offers several natural and organic choices, for the more health conscious. It also has a distinctive Middle Eastern flair. I've only ever eaten here a handful of times but it hasn't really disappointed me. The desserts are fantastic here as well.

Acropolis Pizza – They have subs and the usual pizza parlor fare. Nothing too remarkable here. Why go here when you can just go to Cosmo's though. The upside is that they do serve alcohol.

Faegan's Pub – For something a little more upscale, this is probably the place you should be. With a multitude of salads, burgers, wraps, and sandwiches you have plenty of options. Also, with over 40 beers on tap, you can find something to go with any meal. More on this portion right now.

Speaking of alcohol, there are several bars in the M Street area. All of which I have been to at some point in my life, and being an individual that enjoys an adult beverage or two now and then, take my word on this stuff.

Faegan's Pub – The gold standard in Marshall Street Bars. With over 40 beers on tap and bartenders that are skilled in the craft of making drinks and shots, this is where most alumni end up, game day or not. While there are not many specials on Friday, it is vastly less crowded and a much better atmosphere than the other bars on the hill. The staff is always great and you will not be disappointed. Say hi to Guy the Bartender for me and tell him Mr. Harrison sent you.

Chuck's – What could best be described as a hole in the wall, this is the dive bar on the hill. Graffiti covers the walls, but the pitchers flow well here. During Friday Happy Hour pitchers are $3/5, and while they do not have a vastly impressive menu, their fries do the trick. This bar gets awfully crowded with bitchy undergrads wearing pink shirts and popped collars. If that is your cup of tea then this is your bar. This is a fun place to watch a game however.

Lucy's Retired Surfer Bar – No one that is not a staff member should really enter this place.

Maggie's – The new Maggie's is located below the Student Choice Market. I've been down in it but never really drank there. It has a lot of new HiDef televisions and a "VIP" section. It could be fun, but enter at your own risk. Unless you were in a sorority. Then game on. Clearly you will run into some douche frat guys here, so again if that is your jam then do it.

Harry's – This bar has a small place in my heart, as my father's cousin was Harry. However, he long sold the bar before I got to the hill so no free drinks for me. This bar is ideal for MNF watching and eating wings. However, chances are you will not be in town on Monday. Not a bad option for a bar choice though. It is solid with decent food and probably not a big crowd.

The Sheraton Hotel – While I would not stay here all night, they do have free wings and pizza for a couple hours starting at five. If you are a broke alumni, or just some guy in town looking for a free ride, maybe you should start out here. It is not a bad hotel bar, and you very well might be staying there as it is one of the two bars on the hill.

So that is M Street in a nut shell. If you are up for a game, chances are this is where you will end up before, after, or both. But this is not the end of the culinary adventure in the city of Syracuse. The next big area that is a must to visit is Armory Square in downtown Syracuse.

Armory Square

This is about ten minutes from the hill, and is where the night life not near campus is located. Syracuse fun fact: Syracuse, New York is where the shot clock for basketball was invented. Therefore, there is a perpetual shot clock counting down in Armory Square. Surely, if you get drunk you will count it down with your friends.

Pastabilities – A bit more upscale than most places downtown, it is a favorite of many folks on the hill. While not my favorite, there are plenty of tasty options on the menu, and it is conveniently located near all of your favorite downtown bars. Their appetizers are fantastic and their pasta is world class, with a variety of sauces to choose from.

Empire Brewing Company – A small underground restaurant that has a small but somewhat fancy menu. They brew their own beer and can pair it with any meal you choose which is also very nice. They are known for their burgers, or if you are feeling frugal the Chicken Po' Boy.

Syracuse Suds – This bar also makes their own beer and has an extensive sports bar type menu. The appetizers are very good here and they serve some great steaks as well. Finish it off with some homemade root beer. They have plenty of televisions so any game you want to watch you probably can.

Kitty Hoynes – This is a traditional Irish pub and restaurant in the heart of the Armory Square area. They usually have traditional Irish music playing, both on tape and live. This is a nice traditional pub with good food, and a great place to have a Guinness.

There are other bars and restaurants in the area, but they are pretty pedestrian compared to the ones listed above. However there are bars in the area that are fantastic.

Daisy Dukes/Vinyl – This country bar has beer and liquor. They also have a bull to ride, which can be outstanding if there are cute ladies up for it. Be warned though, one of their bouncers was recently arrested for assault, so be on your best behavior. Attached to it is Vinyl, a pretentious dance club that looks exactly like you think it does in your head. If dancing is your thing, you can head over there and do so.

Mully's – Mulrooney's Pub is an Irish bar is undistinguishable in every way. They have booze and you don't. Who's more Irish?

PJ Dorsey's – This is a fun little bar with room, dancing, and a favorite of mine as I spent my 21st birthday there. Nothing too remarkable about it, but again, they have drinks and you want some. They do have several machines that chill various liquors that you will then take as a shot as well. This is a kind of middle of the road bar that will usually have a decent crowd.

The Blue Tusk – This is the most expensive place downtown, but it could be worth it if you enjoy rare brews and an upscale atmosphere. A LOT of beers on tap, including local brews from Middle Ages Brewery. Also, the back room is the perfect place to sit down, enjoy the company of friends, and some fine ales.

Bar – This is an upscale place with a dress code and loud music. It is also very dark. Perfect for being sketchy if you are into that sort of thing. The bartenders know what they are doing, so you'll be good to go. This would not be my first choice though.

The Limerick Pub – This is a fairly Irish place, with plenty of big pint glasses and several choices in imported bottled beers.

Awful Al's – This is the only establishment that lets you smoke inside because it is a cigar bar. They offer numerous beers and liquors, and they sell numerous cigars for your smoking pleasure, if that is your sort of thing.

Awful Al's Wall of Whiskey

Empire Brewing Company – This is also a quite place to enjoy some freshly brewed local beers. I recommend the Blueberry Wheat. This is a nice underground place that is a great place to chill and talk with friends.

So those are the main areas, but there are several places that are worth knowing that are some of my favorite places.

Tully's – Located on Erie Blvd. and in Liverpool this is the ultimate sports bar in Syracuse. With a shit ton of TV's, excellent food ranging from appetizers to dinners, and the best chicken tenders (Tully's Tenders) in Syracuse, this will surely cure your hunger, especially if you want to watch a game. They also have outstanding desserts. Definitely a Syracuse original that I would highly recommend to any out-of-towner.

Spaghetti Warehouse – Located north of downtown, this restaurant has a seemingly endless dining room, and a lot of pasta options. There is rarely a wait, and in my opinion this is the place for Italian in the city. Pretty much anything is good, but feel free to ask the wait staff, because they know what they are talking about. Especially tasty when dining with friends in the trolley car.

Zebb's – Way out in Mattydale just off I-81 about 15 minutes north of Syracuse, it is a hidden gem. I feel like not many SU kids know about this one. It has a diner feel, with most standard American fare. They have a "Build Your Own Burger Bar", you can get shots of vanilla, cherry, or chocolate flavor in your cola, and they have the definitive appetizer menu in the Syracuse area. In the mood for alcohol? Try the mojito. I don't think it's a gay drink. Moooooo-heeeeeeeee-tooooooooo. Also, if you are allergic to nuts, stay away from the cookies. Bastards.

Now we come to the pinnacle of Syracuse dining. My very favorite, and probably most famous, restaurant in Syracuse.

Dinosaur BBQ – The most famous of all the Syracuse eateries. Without a doubt, the best BBQ you can get in all of Upstate New York. Syracuse is the original location and also the most colorful. You can easily see numerous bikers out front if the weather is nice. Enjoy the "Big Ass Pork Plate" which is their famous pulled pork, or sample the two best meals with a House Special of a quarter rack of ribs and a quarter chicken. The sides are also especially delicious and if salt potatoes are on the specials it is a must. They also have phenomenal corn bread. They play blues music, usually host live music in the evenings, and it will be the best meal you have in Syracuse guaranteed.

So there you have it. This is your complete guide to food and drink in Syracuse. There are some outstanding eating and drinking establishments, but my usuals are Faegan's Pub on the hill, Dinosaur, Tully's, or Spaghetti Warehouse for food, and I usually rotate when I drink downtown depending on who I am with. However, anything on this list you simply cannot go wrong with. If I didn't list it here, it is most likely not worth knowing about. Any further questions about the places in Syracuse, feel free to e-mail me at syracuseorange44@gmail.com. Good eating and go Orange!

El Saha photo credit: pitaelsaha.com
Jimmy John's: thedysh's photostream
Varsity Pizza; Chuck's: hendrickschapelchoiralumni.com
Blue Tusk: syracuselivemusic.com
Awful Al's: genx40.com

Boston, MA: The Garden

2008-12-11T06:00:00.002-05:00

City: Boston, Massachusetts
Foodie: Rick Sawyer, Ryan Weaver, and Michael Femia, Bostonist.com

Venue: TD Banknorth Garden
Address: 100 Legends Way, Boston, Massachusetts, 02114
Teams: Boston Celtics (NBA), Boston Bruins (NHL)

Bostonist.com's Taste

Here's the first thing you should know before going to a Celtics or a Bruins game. Yes, it's called the Garden. No, it's not the same one.

People in Boston hate things to be different than they were in the past, so when Toronto-Dominion Bank wanted us to forget that a bank from Canada, from Canada, had bought the naming rights to the building where the Bruins play, the Fleet Center became the TD Banknorth Garden, in homage to the Boston Garden of old. That is, after the internet had bought 30 days worth of naming rights off of eBay.

Here's the second thing you should know. Only eat in the immediate vicinity of the building if a man is holding you by gunpoint and is having your family waterboarded at a remote location. The food in Boston's West End is nasty, and the restaurants are filled with douchebags.

As much as it pains us to say it, your best bet for eating before a game is a trip to tourist flytrap Quincy Market. Sure, it's full of chain restaurants and you may have to fight off a mime or two, but, with food ranging from chowder to Japanese noodle bowls (not to mention pizza and burgers), it's a good bet for feeding a group of people with fussy eating requirements. Besides, some of the chains (Wagamama) are legitimately good places to eat, and you can rub the head of the statue of Red Auerbach for good luck before heading to your game. (That may not work for Bruins games.) Plus, there's breakdancing buskers. And to get to the Garden you will have to pass Boston's City Hall, the World's Ugliest Building.

Do us and the people sitting near your seats at the Garden a favor and don't eat at Cheers.

If you are a gentleman or a lady, however, or if living statues trigger post traumatic stress symptoms, skip Quincy Market. For proximity to the Garden, your next best bet is Boston's historic North End.

Long a haven of the Mafia and once the victim of the world's worst molasses flood, the North End spent the second half of the twentieth century barricaded away from the rest of the city by a giant, elevated expressway. $16 billion and twenty years of the Big Dig has since joined the neighborhood to Boston. There are more tourists around nowadays, and the only wise guys you'll find have nicknames like "Cheese Man" and weigh several hundred pounds. It's a different neighborhood than it used to be, but you can still find some awesome Italian food.

The North End abounds with cheap Italian places serving tourists syrupy sauces out of cans, and you really have to know what you are doing to get something better than the same bland, substandard excuse for Italian that you can make yourself at home. A good option is Bricco, which is authentic Italian, served in courses, featuring handmade pasta and an excellent timpano, the meal from Big Night. Afterward, head down the street to Gelateria, a dessert joint owned by the same guy. Everything at both places is imported straight from Italy, including the staff.

If you drive a Prius or call yourself a "locavore," (or you are trying to impress somebody who does), check out Taranta, which serves its Peruvian-Italian fusion cuisine in the most environmentally friendly way possible. The chef-owner even buys carbon offsets to make up for the energy he burns cooking your food.

The North End is a good bet even if you are strapped for time. We may have once called their country "the soft underbelly of Europe," but there was always one thing that Americans and Italians could agree upon: eating pizza makes you into an extremely aggressive sports fan. Bostonians go on and on about Pizzeria Regina, but skip it if you need to get somewhere fast. Our pick for North End pizza is Ernesto's. The service is fast, the slices are as big as your head, and the pizza is wicked delicious. It's thin crust, New York style, dripping with grease and aggro molecules just waiting for their release in cheering/jeering form.

Now, if you are superlatively late to the game, or if members of Homeland Security won't stop waterboarding your kin, Halftime Pizza is your last chance for a bite before the Garden sucks you into its dry and scratchy maw. We cannot recommend Halftime Pizza. The slices come out fast—all they offer is cheese on game day—but the crust has that doughy texture that everybody is talking about when they bitch about Boston pizza. On the other hand, the restaurant plays a nonstop highlight reel of hockey fights before every Bruins game, a practice that we assume at least one hapless Habs fan has come to rue.

Once in the Garden, forget about eating. The food is terrible. But maybe you shouldn't take our word for it; some people can't get enough of it.

Take the people who are "Hungry for Hockey." It's a ticket package program that includes a clutch of Bruins tickets and the right to eat all that you can at every single game you attend. The only catch? You have to maneuver through a holding area that has been cordoned off by rope to contain you and your ravenous fellow fans as you gorge yourself in the Garden cafeteria of plenty. And it doesn't even include beer.

Speaking of beer, there are no beer deals at the Garden. Your best bet is to buy a Sam Adams, which costs $8. (There's also Harpoon, a localish micro-brew that will make you instantly vomit. And Guiness at the one Guiness stand, but it's $10 a beer.) You can get Sam Adams at nearly every food vendor on the ground and loge levels and at any of the various liquor stands (known, tactfully, as SHOTS), but if you're like us and have tickets in the balcony, go see our friend Jerry, near Section 315.

Jerry has poured beer at one Garden (or FleetCenter) or another for 42 years and he has spent every moment of that time perfecting his mustache. His beer tap is digital—don't ask us why—and he offers Sam Adams Boston Lager or Sam Adams Seasonal, both of which are delicious enough, considering the options. The best thing about Jerry? He always asks for I.D. and he always calls you by your first name.

Please tip Jerry.

After the game, there is only one place to take your sex partner. Back to the North End, to Neptune Oyster, where staff will shuck the aphrodisiac bivalves until 10:30 p.m. on weekdays or 11:30 p.m. on weekends. The oysters are written up on the menu as if they were wine, the bar is intimate, and the bartender has a heavy hand. Our favorite oyster joint in the city.

If you don't like it raw (or if you need some chocolate to make the oysters more potent) there's also Bova Bakery, which is open 24 hours a day. Calzones, cannoli, weird pastries shaped like pipes: Bova has it all.

If you are a coke whore, don't miss Alibi, a dance club inside of an old jail at the Liberty Hotel that features Lindsay Lohan and Frank Sinatra, in mug shot form. Like the North End, it's a short walk from the Garden.

Why all this walking? Boston is "America's Walking City," and if you drive around downtown on game day, you are insane. Visitors from out of town should take the T, our subway, as much as possible. You won't be able to navigate our roads, and you will not be able to compete with our moxie behind the wheel. Buy a weeklong T pass if you are going to be in town for more than a day. The 24 hour pass costs $9. The 7 day pass costs $15. You do the math.

Anyway, welcome to Boston! Don't stay on Causeway St. too long after a B's game if you don't want to end up in our crime blotter.

Garden photo credit: wallyg's photostream
City Hall: Joe Dunckley's photostream
Ernesto's: eyemyth's photostream
Gelateria: therewasonlyonecat ch's photostream
All additional photos taken & provided by authors.

Milwaukee, WI: Secret Stadium Sauce

2008-12-08T10:07:00.006-05:00

City: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Foodie: Andrew Rosin, The Grand National Championships

Venue: Miller Park
Address: 1 Brewers Way, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53214
Team: Milwaukee Brewers (MLB)

Andrew's Taste

I look upon a condiment like some of you look upon your first love or big days of youth. I know. You see that first sentence and you may look upon me crossly. I do not care.

I have tasted Milwaukee's secret. It is evocative of wistful days of yore. It is as wonderful as a first kiss, as magical as your first slowdance. If you were so inclined? You could replicate the feelings of that one time you were able to steal the other teams mascot.

The only person who even has come close to cracking the secret is Midwestern Hipster Icon Chuck Klosterman. He does not know, but it does have certain similarities to an alchemy of Barbeque and Sweet and Sour Sauce. And yet? It's so much more.

"You like-a de sauce, eh? The sauce is guud, eh?"

The sweetest of Vidalia Onions and herbs and spices the likes of which you have never seen. I thought I detected cloves, but being as I was in Wisconsin, I could have been drunk. But I can tell you the real secret ingredient of the sauce.

Love.

So when you come to Milwaukee, you need to do what CC does. Any food that you order has to come with secret sauce. Hamburgers, Nachos, Sausage Meats. You could put it anything if you were so inclined. Why?

Because the sauce treats you right.

Miller Park photo credit: compujeramey's photostream

Sauce: katherine of chicago's photostream

Tucson, AZ: UofA Drinkin' & Dinin' (& More Drinkin')

2008-12-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

City: Tucson, Arizona
Foodie: Dom, The Beardown

Venue(s): Arizona Stadium, McKale Center, or Sancet Stadium (pictured)
Address: 1 National Championship Drive, Tucson, AZ 85721-0096
Team: Arizona Wildcats (NCAA)

Dom's Taste:

Tucson, Arizona.

Located 100 miles South of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the Mexican Border, it's best known for a few things:

JoJo's Bar featured in the Beatles hit "Get Back" (sadly JoJo's no longer exists);
The site of fictional Adams College in Revenge of the Nerds; and
Being the Wild Wild West where many old Westerns were filmed including Tombstone, Three Amigos, The Outlaw Josey Wales, El Dorado, Rio Bravo, and of course the 90's classic Hey Dude.

These are things that I'm sure you could figure out by visiting Tucson's Wikipedia page or searching for Tucson, AZ on imdb.com. But to those of us lucky enough to live in the Old Pueblo, Tucson is known for an additional three things: Great Bars, Great Food, and the University of Arizona.

Everyone knows about Phoenix. Tucson is just like Phoenix, but with better bars, less traffic, and better weather.

That said, visitors to Tucson are here for one thing: sports. Whether it is for Golf on one of the amazing courses out here, College Sports, Minor League Baseball or Spring Training. So here's a fans' guide to food and fun in Tucson...

Stadium & Arena-Area Bars

When attending a game at U of A at Arizona Stadium, McKale Center, or Sancet Stadium, there are more than a few places a short jaunt from those facilities for those looking to grab a drink.

Trident Bar and Grill. Located on the corner of Speedway and Campbell, Trident has been a fan favorite for years. ESPN 1490 and Jody Oehler can be found broadcasting before and after basketball games from the corner booth, giving away tickets and prizes. Get there early. It's usually standing room only an hour before tip-off, and the place is packed during major fall gamedays like the upcoming Duel in the Desert. A great atmosphere, not to mention the bartender who goes by one name, "Bones," who has been featured in the Arizona Daily Star as one of Tucson's top Bartenders.

Championship Dining. Less than a mile South on Campbell (at the corner of 6th and Campbell) sits a relative newcomer to the Tucson bar scene. Championship is the home of the local sports radio station on gamedays (official home of the Wildats), and you can usually find the guys from 1290 AM hanging out on the patio. Pretty busy at night, the place to go if you want to spend a few extra bucks.

Dirtbags. Billed as a part of growing up, Dirtbags is located on Speedway between Cherry and Campbell and is always packed to the brim. I've never personally had anything to eat there, but I've had plenty to drink there. The line forms early, so get there earlier. If you're not in by 12:30, you probably aren't getting a drink.

University Blvd.

Running right up the gut and into the campus of the University of Arizona sits University Blvd. Shops abound on either side of the street and eclectic food choices are everywhere. If the weather is right stop by Gentle Ben's Brewery, Frog n' Firkin, or No Anchovies Pizza. On game days these patios are packed with rabid fans in red. In the Fall the party starts on Friday night as ESPN 1490's Oehler hosts Beardown Fridays with fun and food for the whole family.

U of A Campus

If you're not into the whole restaurant scene and you want to get into the meat of it, skip the bars and head right to the Campus. The Mall, a long patch of grass located in between Speedway and 6th on Campbell hosts fans hours before fall contests. Tailgating Heaven. The Pride of Arizona marches right through the Red Army on it's way to Arizona Stadium, playing loudly the whole way through. If you don't know anyone but are looking for a place to enjoy the fans and fanfare, just head over to the mall. If you're wearing red, chances are you will run into someone more than happy to share a drink or 20. If you're lucky enough to know someone near the school or happen to be an alumni of a Fraternity, there are plenty of games of Beirut and Flip Cup happening on patio's, porches, courtyards, and backyards surrounding the school.

After the game is over you can't miss with Trident or Dirtbag's.

------

Now, if you're in town for the food, you can find anything your heart desires...

For great Chicago Hot Dogs, Polish Sausage, Italian Beef, Italian Sausage, or the Italian Combo (Italian Beef with an Italian Sausage jammed inside) stop by one of the local Luke's locations on Stone and Fort Lowell or Grant and Columbus.

If pizza is your thing there are 4 places to go in Tucson. Rocco's Little Chicago on Broadway and Plumer, Brooklyn Pizza on 4th Ave, and the aforementioned No Anchovies and Frog n' Firkin on University.

If you're in the mood for great sandwiches try Beyond Bread on Campbell for fancy sandwiches and great bread, Bison Wiches on 4th for the 6.50 Half sandwich and soup combo with chips (way too much food). There's a Cheeba Hut for "Toasted Subs" right next to Arizona Stadium, and a little further south a taste of the East Coast at East Coast Super Subs on Park and 9th. Get extra hot peppers on any sandwich you grab there. And of course there's the college town norms like Jimmy John's and Silver Mine Subs.

For a good burger Gentle Ben's and Trident are the best places near campus, and Lindy's packs a punch on 4th, a small hole in the wall where you can try to finish the 3 lb OMFG and get your picture on the wall and a free T-shirt.

For Mexican food there are plenty of amazing places: BK's on the Southside of Town, El Guerro Canelo off of Stone and Grant and El Taco Tote on the Eastside are just a sampling of some of the best authentic Mexican in town. You can't go wrong with a taco cart on the side of the road or one of the many Los Betos, Nico's, or Los Alazones (sp?) on Campbell and Grant.

Don't get me wrong, Tucson offers much more than the typical game day fare. For modern Italian head to the Northside and visit NoRth. For a good steak take your pick from McMahon's, Fleming's, or Sullivan's.

Of course if you want to avoid the occasional line or having to hear "Sweet Caroline" belted by drunk sorority girls you can always venture a little off the beaten path and head to the Golden Nugget or the Home Den off of 1st, the Buffet off of 4th Ave (open at 6am!!!!), the Red Garter Saloon (featured in a Jack Daniels Commercial) or the Bashful Bandit (any Night but Tuesday, College Night). Or if you really want something different head out East to The Home Plate: it's a bar and batting cages all in one.

In contrast, if you are looking for the bars with the guaranteed lines out the door, head to Maloney's or O'Malley's on 4th or Dirtbags around 11 PM.

Foxborough, MA: Tailgating at Gillette

2008-12-01T15:26:00.013-05:00

Disheartened by the lack of tailgating coverage in the previous Foxboro post, our sister blog's resident Masshole, the chief, agreed to document his pre-game experience at this week's Pats-Steelers game.

City: Foxboro, Massachusetts
Foodie: the chief, Hugging Harold Reynolds

Venue: Gillette Stadium
Address: 1 Patriot Place, Foxborough, Massachusetts 02035
Team: New England Patriots (NFL)

Yesterday, my buddy Dave and I headed to the one and only Pats game either of us will make all year. It is an annual tradition of sorts that I go to a game with Dave where it rains and our team loses. However, at least Father Time was on our side, as the Pats didn't start until 4. That gave us an extra three hours of tailgating, where I assure you no member of the animal kingdom was spared. Here's a quick overview of the tailgate: 3 tents, 1 TV, 2 tables, 2 grills, 1 open fire pit, 1 deep fryer, lots of free booze and beer, and several jealous looks from wet dudes who were pissed that the guy who showed up in a Prius was eating a leg of lamb right off the fire.

As for the menu: One whole deep fried turkey, Chili, Leg of Lamb, Spicy Lamb chops, Burgers with eggs and hot sauce on top), Chicken Wings (1/2 hot wings, 1/2 bbq), and a every kind of drink you can imagine.

Or you could just pass all this up and go to Legal Sea Foods. Yeah. I'll get right on that.

The Essentials of a Tailgate. Notice what's not there?
Money. That's because I'm broke now.

Filling up the fryer for deep frying everything.

The Turkey's last meal request was for a shot of Captain.

It seems no matter where I am, I cannot escape women in golf carts trying to tell me that my Boston Beef is the winner.

Chicken on the grill. Side Note: Pam "Grilling?"
We are a nation of idiotic consumers

So Fried. So very very fried.

I really love these large walk in bathrooms.

Some folks were not as lucky and made make shift tents.

R.I.P.
Piece of Shit Tent
2008-2008

Our walk from the tailgate lot to the stadium
requires you to walk through a train.

Bizarre.

But the other side is pretty sweet.

Finally, we're in.

Some guy named Dennis was listing a little to his right.

Second row seats. Great for watching certain kick returners
drop the ball at the 8 yard line.

Margaritas. $1 more than a beer and a hell of a lot stronger.

Or you can go to Dunkins. Note: That food review makes me
angrier and angrier every time I read it.

I am not sure why, when, or how I took a picture from the men's room.

I blame the margaritas.

I want to know who the Cheer-tator is for this squad who makes the Cheer-cisions about donning hats and track suits. What a bunch of cheer-shit.

They failed to notice my Pheeeeel Seeeeeems sign.

If you ask how much of a colassal douchebag your

average Steeler fan is, Pat Patriot has the answer.

1/4 pounder. No idea how much this cost. But according to the wet, rumpled ones and fiver I found in my pocket later, two of them cost less than $15 dollars. So that's good, right?

Memphis, TN: FedEXForum

2008-11-28T10:49:00.009-05:00

City: Memphis, Tennessee
Foodie: MoonDog, The World According to MoonDog

Venue: FedEXForum
Address: 200 South Third Street, Memphis, Tennessee 38103
Teams: Memphis Grizzlies (NBA); Memphis Tigers (NCAA)

MoonDog's Taste:

Located at the corner of South Third Street and historic Beale Street, The FedEXForum was built in the heart of downtown Memphis at a cost of $250 million and has been the home of the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies and the University of Memphis Tigers since 2004.

There are four primary restaurants and 18 concessionaires within FedExForum with bills of fare ranging from the exclusive to the average grub found at most any sports bar.

Menus are available for fans seated in the lower bowl and the wait staffs from all of the concessionaires will take your order from your seat. Fans can order just about anything they'd expect and perhaps a few items they wouldn't normally find on an arena menu. Snacks, beer and soft drinks are available at every concession location.

Fans attending a game at the FedEXForum can expect to pay anywhere between $20 for a burger, nachos and a beer to $150 for the prime rib at the Opus Restaurant.

The FedEXForum also provides party suites with typical menu selections and varying prices. To view the menu packages and cost of renting a suite for a Grizzlies' game, click here.

The most upscale of all the restaurants found within FedEXForum is the Opus, located on the First Tennessee Club Level with seating for up to 350 guests. The menu features prime meats, chicken, seafood and gourmet salads and prices range from $140 to $150 per guest.

Also located on the First Tennessee Club Level, the Blue Note Lounge offers light food including hand-carved sandwiches and sushi. The Blue Note can seat up to 200 guests and meal prices range from $90 to $120 per guest.

The Opus Restaurant and the Blue Note Lounge are available only to premium seating ticket holders.

The most popular bar at FedEXForum is Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 Sports Bar. Located on the Plaza Level near the Grand Lobby, the bar is accessible to all guests and offers an outdoor patio.

Jack Daniel's is a true sports bar with 22 TV's to watch the game while you enjoy a sandwich, wings or a cold beer. You can spend the entire time at the Forum in JD's place and you won't have to spend a lot of money doing so. A meal with a few drinks will cost you less than $35.

Lexus Lounge is located on the Event Level and is another casual restaurant featuring a backstage view of the hallway leading from the locker rooms to the court. Lexus Lounge is open to ticket holders in the first seven rows at the Courtside level.

Lexus, like Jack Daniel's, has TV's to watch the game and offers a fairly similar menu at the same cost.

Here's a list of all the concessionaires and their locations within the arena:

Plaza Level

Snax, Delta Grill, and Flip Side Diner has grilled burgers and other fan favorites, including BBQ Nachos. Rock Around The Clock features grilled burgers, BBQ specialties and Memphis Hot Wings.

The Metronome Bar offers specialty cocktail or frozen drinks. Beale Street Eats and Crossroads Café offer the Fork and Knife Chili Dog, specialty sandwiches and ice cream.

Spin Pizza serves up pizza and flatbread sandwiches, while Juke Joint Subs offers oven toasted subs and salads.

First Tennessee Club Level

UpTempo Grill and 4/4 Grill feature grilled burgers and hot dogs, French fries four ways, BBQ sandwiches and BBQ nachos.

Terrace Level

Open Mike’s Grill, High Note Grill and Rock-A-Belly’s offer flame broiled burgers and hot dogs, fries and BBQ nachos.

Lucille’s Kitchen has local favorites including fried catfish, popcorn chicken and Memphis Hot Wings. Chart Toppers offers up pizza, hot sandwiches and salads.

DJ Dogs proves that there is more than one way to enjoy a hot dog. The Remix Bar offers the opportunity to sample frozen specialties and cocktails.

Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous

If arena food isn't your thing, fear not, there are plenty of options available to you within a short walking distance from the FedEXForum.

Whether you reside in Memphis or are just visiting you'll soon discover the Bluff City is all about one main food item - BBQ. Recognized as the BBQ capital of the Milky Way, Memphis has over 100 restaurants specializing in BBQ.

My personal favorite is a Memphis landmark, the Rendezvous. Located at 52 South Second Street, just four-tenths of a mile from FedEXForum, the Rendezvous offers the best dry ribs in Memphis.

If ribs aren't your thing you can try the chicken or smoked sausage. Everything on the menu is good and comes with sides that include BBQ beans and cole slaw.

Add a cold beer or two into the mix and you've just had a great meal for less than $25.00. The Rendezvous is family friendly and the service is among the best, if not the best of any restaurant in Memphis.

Beale Street

If you feel like bar-hopping before or after the game, walk along Beale Street and discover any number of merchants offering a wide range of food, drink and music.

Beale Street can be easily accessed from the main entrance of FedEXForum. The street is barricaded to allow patrons safe walking between merchants and the only motorized traffic you'll find will be the Memphis Police Department, and most of them are on bicycles or horseback.

Beale Street offers family entertainment as well as fun for the adults. To view a list of all Beale Street merchants, click here.

For fans visiting Memphis for a Grizzlies' or Tigers' game, the menu options, drinks and other forms of entertainment are plentiful. You can enjoy just about any type of food you like and the costs aren't going to put a major dent in your wallet.

Chicago, IL: Wrigley Field

2008-11-26T12:34:00.012-05:00

City: Chicago, Illinois
Foodie: JD, Not Qualified to Comment

Venue: Wrigley Field
Address: 1060 W Addison St., Chicago, IL 60613
Team: Chicago Cubs (MLB)

JD's Taste:

Chicago is known for its heavy, filling and delicious food. From Deep Dish Pizza to Italian Beef sandwiches, it is the city of big shoulders and big heart attacks. Wrigley Field is no different. The food is not always spectacular, but it will definitely give you a few moments of chest pain. Don’t worry though, that just let’s you know you’re still alive.

Wrigley Field is the most beautiful place in the world to see a baseball game. In May, the smell of fresh grass and polish sausages mix with views of beautiful vines on the outfield wall to remind old and young people alike what baseball used to be. The smells of the food are all a part of the experience, and there are many options when you are at the ballpark.

The Usual

Wrigley Field has the usual array of ballpark food. The hot dogs aren’t bad, but I recommend getting a kosher dog. Even though they are a bit more expensive, the meat is clearly higher quality. The nachos, popcorn, super ropes, and cotton candy are all standard as far as ballpark food goes. Nothing special about those.

A little advice on the peanuts at Wrigley: I’m not sure if other fields are like this, but peanut vendors circle the outside of the park like vultures exclaiming that peanuts are cheaper on the outside. This is completely false. I had/have many friends that vend, the peanuts are not cheaper on the outside and you might even get hassled trying to bring them into the park! Just wait until you get inside, it makes no difference.

The Different

At almost every hot dog stand in the park you can also get polish sausage or a brat. I personally love the polish sausage, but either one is great. You can get it with sauerkraut or grilled onions, but I highly recommend the grilled onions, they are delicious. Also if you are feeling really risky, there are a few stands scattered throughout the concourse that sell foot-long dogs. They are so unwieldy that it’s as much a show as a meal to eat them, but they are very tasty. I know there is one such stand in the new center field concession stand area behind the scoreboard.

The Italian beef sandwiches are amazing. You can get them with sweet and hot peppers but make sure to ask for them to put extra au jus on the sandwich. If not it will be very dry and not as heart-clogging.

Also, randomly, Connie’s Pizza has had a deal with the Cubs for what seems like forever. You can get a slice of pan pizza (not exactly deep dish, but not really thin crust) from Connie’s, but beware of the high prices. It is a decent slice of pizza, but not the best value.

After The Game

Tuscany right outside the field on Clark is delicious if you are in the mood for Italian. They have delicious pastas and you can take a date here after the game. It’s not only for dates though, and judging by my experience, you will probably be a little sauced when you stumble out of the stadium. Don’t worry, there are TVs showing games and the staff is willing to talk sports with you. You can also try Mia Francesca for good prices and decent food if you are looking for Italian.

There are a few good Mexican restaurants around the field, but El Jardin is the best for a quick burrito and that margarita that puts you just over the top from ballpark drunk to head in the toilet drunk.

For pizza, Giordano’s is right down Sheffield on Belmont. The deep dish there is amazing. You can get good deep dish in the city any time though. I feel strange saying this, but actually there is a thin-crust place I recommend even more, called Ian’s. It just moved in on Clark right by the field. You can get all kinds of crazy slices, from mac and cheese to Philly cheesesteak.

The best hot dogs in the city come with the most attitude. Weiner’s Circle is located about a mile south of the park on Clark. It has some of the best hot dogs ever. Order a char dog and cheese fries. The char dog is a hot dog that is actually grilled until it is slightly blackened. Be careful if you ask for your hot dog “with everything” though. In Chicago that means mustard, hot peppers, relish, tomatoes, raw onions, a pickle and celery salt. Also no one in Chicago puts ketchup on hot dogs, so ask for it separately if you want it (though personally that sounds gross to me).

Brat photo credit: jeffreyaki's photostream

Weiner's Circle: ajdavis' photostream

College Park, MD: Byrd Stadium & Comcast Center

2008-11-25T11:00:00.000-05:00

City: College Park, MD
Foodie: Brien, East Coast Bias

Venue(s): Byrd Stadium, Comcast Center
Address: University of Maryland, College Park MD, 20742
Team: University of Maryland Football and Basketball

Brien's Taste:

Overcooked, overpriced, and underwhelming are the three first words that come to mind when contemplating Maryland's stadium fare. The school's Dining Services Department (which also runs the cafeterias) provides the majority of the food at both basketball and football games. The choices are uninspired, with minimal contributions from local cuisine.

The Boring

Hot dogs, hamburgers, popcorn left under a heat lamp for hours, stale nachos with congealing cheese-from-a-can, and chewy, often cold soft pretzels

The Poorly Executed

Invariably, I see the funnel cake sign above one of the concession stands and have a hopeful moment ("Funnel cake? I love funnel cake!") before remembering that the stadium funnel cake always ends up being crunchy, with none of the fluffy deliciousness that makes funnel cake wonderful.

The Unknowns

I haven't personally tried any of the more interesting (and that is a relative term) fare at Byrd or Comcast due to the exorbitant prices. I do, however, feel comfortable passing judgment on them anyway. Italian sausages, pulled pork sandwiches, and crab cakes are what pass for specialty foods at the Maryland concession stands. Crab cakes sound like a great idea, until you see the price, think about what goes on in the concession stand kitchens, and realize that crab cakes are not appropriate stadium food.

The Abomination Before God

Pepsi. Like the entire campus, Byrd and Comcast only serve Pepsi products. Oh, and no alcohol. At least the University has lifted a multi-year ban on soda cup lids instituted after some idiot pegged Carlos Boozer's mom in the head with a water bottle. The administration has now deemed the fan base mature enough to have cups of soda with a lids on them. Until someone throws another one.

The Attempt to Improve Town-Gown Relations

The concession stands at Byrd Stadium and Comcast Center are either manned by student groups or local sports teams who are fundraising. This sometimes works out well - anybody who has been to a game at Nats Park can tell you that the "professionals" hired by Centerplate to operate those concession stands have roughly the same demeanor as Adebisi from Oz. The "amateur" concessionaires at Byrd and Comcast are much more friendly, polite, and helpful. This sometimes doesn't work out so well when you have some 15-year-old's eyes bulging out of his head as he tries to manage a line 50-people deep at halftime at Byrd Stadium and you end up with Sierra Mist that was supposed to go to the guy two people in front of you instead of the Diet Pepsi you ordered (see abomination, supra).

The Saving Grace

If you attend a University of Maryland sporting event with an empty stomach, there is one item on the menu that will save you from financial ruin and gastric distress: Boardwalk Fries. Maryland's own take on French Fries (doused with apple cider vinegar and Old Bay for the best flavor) is the only redeeming quality to concessions and the University's sporting events. The fries are always hot, salty, and perfectly cooked. The vinegar softens them up a little bit, and the Old Bay makes the whole dish distinctively Maryland. This is the one thing you can't pass up at a Maryland event.

After the Game

Since you worked up an appetite cheering for the Terps (and bypassing the stadium fare), you should treat yourself to some of the finer foods College Park has to offer. Route 1 is packed with chain restaurants of varying quality (DP Dough and Chipotle are my recommendations), but no trip to College Park is complete without a milkshake from the University of Maryland Dairy (also available in the dining halls). The rumor around campus was that the University couldn't sell the ultra-creamy milkshakes off-campus because their high fat content violated FDA regulations. It may or may not be true, but you can't go wrong with a possibly-illegal milkshake. Also, you have to hit up Ratsie's (with a name like this, you can't go wrong) for some pitchers of Yuengling and calzones. Or, say hello to Maryland's own legend, Cluck-UPac at Cluck U. Go for the atomic wings, stay for the guy who looks like Tupac brought back from the dead who randomly sits in on Maryland classes just to get some free education.

Byrd Stadium photo credit: FansOnly/Sportsline

Comcast Center: Baltimore Sun
Wings: TradeSecretsBlog

Philadelphia, PA: Citizen's Bank Park

2008-11-25T08:00:00.006-05:00

City: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Foodie: James Beale, The Sports Complex

Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Address: 1 Citizens Bank Way, Philadelphia, PA 19148
Team: Philadelphia Phillies (MLB)

James' Taste:

Mark Twain's wife, annoyed by his constant swearing, once decided to cure him of the habit by swearing herself. Twain listened to her for a while before delivering his response: "The words are right, but the rhythm is wrong."

The food at Citizens’ Bank Park, the home of the 2008 World Phucking Champions, is like that. The names – Tony Luke’s, Rick’s, Chickie & Pete’s, and McNally’s are among the big boys, thorough enough to impress even the most dyed-in-the-delph locals. But if it’s natural rhythm and cadence you’re after, your best bet might be the stadium-food standbys.

The truth about Stadium food at CBP is that – aside from the surprisingly excellent Bull’s BBQ, where you can cop a Turkey Leg that could double as a club in a pinch and catch Phillies legend Greg “The Bull” Luzinski mingling with the crowds outside– it’s made for outsiders. Is it dope that Tony Luke’s is making your sandwich? Yeah, of course, but smart locals are copping one from the original half a dozen blocks away and bringing it in anyway. I’ve heard plenty of people rave about McNally’s Schmitter, never the native Chestnut Hillers who grew up drinking beers at the original McNally’s while their fathers sat at the other end of the bar and pretended not to see them.

Not that this is wholly a knock mind you, Tony Luke’s worst is better than Shea “home of the NL East runner ups” Stadium’s best. Critics ranging from the New York Times to the Food Network to Philadelphia Weekly have noticed, naming the Bank as the shining star of stadium gluttony. Besides, the Phils do do typical stadium fare better than most. Per ounce (and really, is there any other way to drink beer?), the Bank sells the cheapest beer in major league baseball, along with a nice cross section of higher-end drafts.

What wins CPB awards may be the big names and myriad vegetarian options (most veggie conscious stadium in the bigs – who knew?). But what separates it from rest is the options. The tourists have their cheesesteaks, the suburbanites have their schmitters, the yuppie’s can sit in Harry the Ks, and the 20 gamers can enjoy a beer with Greg “The Bull” Luzinski at his BBQ stop.

As for the have-to-mentions:

Dollar Dogs. The Bank’s aren’t awful as far as stadium dogs go, but they aren’t noteworthy either. Still, what the dogs lack in flair they make up for in volume – the Phillies have ‘dollar dog nights’ maybe a half dozen a year, when college students hit the tailgate early and end up ankle-deep in hot dog wrappers – it that sounds repulsive, skip the date and catch the next game. If it sounds like the perfect way to spend a summer night; well, cop a rack, set up in FDR, and join the happy crowds in the cheap seats.

Crab Fries. I’m going to get raked over the coals for saying this, but sprinkling old bay seasoning on normal fries really shouldn’t increase their price by $4.

Rick’s Steaks. For the visitor who needs the “authentic Philly cheesesteak” and isn’t afraid to wait for it. Even at the ballpark Rick’s is Rick’s, so order a wiz wit and act proud that you know how to talk like a real, live local.

McFadden’s. An in-stadium bar that lets the clever drunk get around the 7th inning cut-off, McFadden isn’t an awful option for what it is. Come for the shots, stadium, and camaraderie during the playoffs and for a postgame order of wings during that mid-august series against Cincinnati.

Harry the K’s. I touched on it before, but Harry the K’s is the rare stadium bar/overlook that you can sit at all game and not feel totally out of place. New stadiums often get knocked for their specialty locales, where non-fans go and drink white wine with their backs to the action. Not true of the K’s.

Everything else. For all the effort the park puts into local food and flair, it’s a shame that none of it can be had on the second deck. If you’re in the terrace level and want a cheesesteak you’re either eating the generic, or making a full inning and a half trip downstairs. If you’re not there early, or set with gorgeous seats, you’re better off drinking your dinner.

Still, all the faults with CPB are faults of standards, which may tell of just how elite the food really is. Maybe the rhythm is wrong, but I’ll be damned if they phucked up the words.

CBP photo credit: wallyg's photostream
Chickie & Pete's; Rick's: Cavalier92's photostream
Bull: PRWeb

Foxborough, MA: Gillette Stadium

2008-11-24T14:24:00.001-05:00

City: Boston/Foxboro, Massachusettes
Foodie: James Christensen, NE Patriots Draft

Venue: Gillette Stadium
Address: 1 Patriot Place, Foxborough, Massachusetts 02035
Team(s): New England Patriots (NFL), New England Revolution (MLS)

James' Taste:

When visiting Boston to watch the New England Patriots, you will need a mouth like Joey Porter to enjoy all the amazing culinary treats. We'll let you know where to go the day before the game and on gameday.

Before the Game

A trip to Legal Seafoods is a good place to start for anyone wishing to enjoy some chowdah, lobster, oysters, and clams. The Union Oyster House is also a must for any seafood buff -- the scrod is always great, and their cherrystones were spot on.

Bonfire was a great choice for those bringing a significant other along on the excursion. They have some great Kobe beef, and their halibut on a bed of dandelion greens and stone fruit, adorned with foie gras and popcorn was perhaps the best dish my wife has ever had.

Finale is your ultimate stop for desserts, as their gelato is to die for. You should also try their molten chocolate cake.

Gameday

What better place to pre-tailgate than a Dunkin' Donuts parking lot? A large regular and some doughnuts get you in the mood for some more advanced fare later.

The CBS Scene was quite a place. The menu was pretty scarce on Opening Day when we dined there, but what they did have was pretty good. The atmosphere was nice, as the interactive TV's were a nice feature.

While actually in Gillette Stadium, you may want to refrain from actually eating anything. All the normal stadium fare is just as you'd imagine it, expensive and underwhelming. Other than the Granite State Grill burgers, save up for tailgating.

After the win, have a Sam Adams or four at the Cask'n Flagon. It's a great place to celebrate, as you get proximity chills from Fenway park.

Gillette Stadium photo credit: snowriderguy's photostream

Los Angeles, CA: USC and the Coliseum

2008-11-24T09:14:00.000-05:00

City: Los Angeles, CA
Foodie: Adam Rose, All Things Trojan

Venue(s): Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles Sports Arena, Galen Center, and other USC athletic facilities. (Geography note: Somebody might tell you that the Staples Center and Dodger Stadium are "downtown" as well, but they're worlds apart from USC.)
Address: 3911 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90037
Team(s): University of Southern California and a large number of special events, including the Angel City Classic and international soccer matches.

Adam's Taste:

It's hard to find decent fare inside USC's main venues and there's no real food "tradition" inside the gates. Same goes for on-campus eateries. If you're not tailgating (highly recommended), it's best to hit up the local establishments before and after. Remember that most are located immediately north of campus, which is a healthy walk from the Coliseum. At least you'll build up an appetite. Also, be warned ... the Coliseum banned alcohol a few years ago. No suds for you, unless you hoist 'em beforehand.

Avoid ducking into the generic fast food dumps that haunt the neighborhood. Sure, the greater USC area is considered a desert surrounded by the lush culinary landscape of Los Angeles (unless you ARE a lush, in which case greasy is good), but you can always find a tasty oasis.

Campus classics:

All these venues are actually just off campus. Any USC alumnus who can't describe them probably went to the University of South Carolina by mistake.

901 Bar and Grill

Arguably the epicenter of USC nightlife, the Nine-Oh (as it's better known) is a popular hangout for the school's undergraduate population. It's located at the east end of Frat Row (28th Street), which is responsible for most of the evening clientele. During the day, in addition to a full bar, they serve traditional American fare. The pizza has won awards at local food festivals. Older Trojans won't recognize the place since a renovation over the summer of 2007, when it was transformed from a dirty dive bar into a true local's spot. During games, crowds of all ages can be found wearing beer soaked t-shirts or slacks and ties, so come as you are.

29th Street Cafe

Located on the west end of Frat Row, this pleasant cafe is a good place to bring the family and still enjoy a nice beer on tap. A diverse and hearty menu is sure to please all comers, and they feature indoor and outdoor seating. If you're visiting from a region where they don't serve sweet potato fries, make sure to try them out.

Chanos

This place defines the word "grub." A glorified taco stand, Chanos is considered by some to be the ultimate in college dining. Serving up excellent carne asada at a price that can't be beat, they have extended hours and are good for a snack or meal before, after, or looooong after the game. For those in need of some serious grease, try the Special Quesadilla, featuring grilled onions, peppers, and pastrami. A vocal group of Trojans believes that Chanos pales in comparison to a strip-mall restaurant across the street called La Taquiza. Both are good, but Chanos has longer hours and is the one true local legend.

Cultural experience:

These spots are a little more of a hike, but offer a nice change of pace.

Bacaro

Only open for a couple years, this wine bar blends sophistication with comfort food. You won't find anywhere else around campus to enjoy a fine Italian wine along with a plate of sausage. Changing specials and various messages can be found scribbled in chalk on the wall. If you want to impress a date or feel a little more cultured, you can't miss here.

La Barca

Legendary around USC for their $2 margarita happy hour on Tuesdays, this is also a good place to sit down and enjoy some good Mexican food with a large group of friends. Expect a wait on evenings and when the Trojans play in the Coliseum.

Manas

Overlooked by many at USC, Manas boasts authentic Indian cuisine. The school enrolls more foreign students than any other American university, and a large number of them miss the home cooking in India. Manas is their answer, and a treat for anybody who can find it hiding on the corner of Hoover and 29th Street.

Street Meat:

Typically unlicensed, inevitably delicious. Eat at your own risk.

Bacon wrapped hot dogs

If you need a zillion calories of savory, meaty joy on a grease-slogged bun, take a deep whiff and wander towards this irresistible smell. Served off of street carts during games and frequently chased away by local law enforcement, you may be gambling with your health. You may also experience the most delicious thing ever.

Taco Trucks

Manhattan has the slice. Philly has the cheesesteak. Los Angeles has the taco truck. It's holy grail of Los Angeles food. Most of them have regular hours and locations, but they're subject to change like the bacon wrapped hot dog carts. Local permit enforcement has led to a "carne asada is not a crime" rallying cry. Unfortunately, they can be really hard to find on game day. If you see a "roach coach" while you're in town, odds are it's different from the kind you're used to. With an emphasis on Mexican food, it's the quintessential Los Angeles chow.

Colosseum & 901 photo credit: LA Times Blogs
Bacon Hot Dogs: jslander's photostream
Taco Truck: joepyrek's photostream

St. Louis, MO: Busch Stadium

2008-11-20T17:25:00.000-05:00

City: St. Louis, Missouri
Foodie: Aaron Hooks, Cards Diaspora; InsideSTL.com

Venue: Busch Stadium
Address: 700 Clark Ave, St Louis, MO 63102
Team: St. Louis Cardinals (MLB)

St. Louisan’s like their food like they like their women- fat and sloppy. Hence this nugget from SportsService, the official food and beverage vendor of Busch Stadium III, shouldn’t surprise you: “Cardinals fans in 2008 consumed more nacho cheese than in any other Major League Baseball stadium.”

During the course of my e-mail exchange with SS’s director of Standing Partnership, the wonderful Kristin Gumper, I wondered how Cardinals fans could consume more cheese than any other baseball venue, yet lag into the double digits when it comes to tortilla chips. “St. Louis fans put cheese on everything.” says SportsService, “We sell almost as much cheese on the side in cups as we dispense on nacho chips.”

Makes sense. Cheesy pretzels. Cheesy hot dogs. Hell, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen some guy put cheese on his cheese. It’s not the quality; stupid… it’s the quantity. And when you come to St. Louis in the summer to watch Cardinals baseball, well, you’re going to get a lot of something (beer, food, VD’s). Don’t like it? You can take your fancy pants to San Francisco.

Recently the pride and joy of being a St. Louis resident was ripped by those evil child molesting (probably) Belgians. Anheuser-Bush was bought by InBev and one of America’s last, great independent companies became just another huge conglomerate more worried about the stock ticker than the taste buds of people drinking their beer. (Although, some may ask what the difference between Bud Light and tap water actually is.) Jingoism aside, beer consumption- and more specifically Bud, Bud Light, Bud Select, Michelob, Mich Light and the Michelob family of beers is the main course, the meal, if you will, when you’re in and around Busch Stadium. Not A meal. Not part of the meal… THE meal.

Alyssa Horace, 23, of Clayton MO explains: “I think most girls over the age of twenty one and under the age of 30 prefer to drink their meals.... Mmmmmm.... Bud Light.... so yummy. Wieners usually follow... I'm talking about the kind that come in a bun.... and no not the kind you're probably thinking. Get your head out of the gutter!”

If you served the food SportsService does to Cardinals fans in a restaurant, you’d be shot. But since you’re pretty sloppy drunk people have a pretty favorable view of the fare. Seeing as this is a website dedicated solely to the food, this particular column may seem unnecessarily harsh. Just remember that we, and probably you, would like the food roughly 7 to 10 times better after 6 massive 32 oz. Bud Diesels.

To make it as easy as possible, let’s break this down into 3 categories: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Cool? I’ve even tossed the food query out to several Cardinal fans that attend games regularly for their input. Some of their quotes are below…

THE GOOD

Try the nachos.

Beer. If you aren’t drinking, you aren’t trying.
Bratzel. NY Times approved!
"I personally am a big fan of "the dessert cart." If you are lucky enough to visit the "exclusive suites" there is a dessert cart that comes around during the latter half of the game. It is heaven on wheels! A true vehicle of pleasure at your suite doorstep! It boasts trays of cakes, cookies, bars and more. Some of its specialties include Crème Brule Cheesecake, 6-Layer red velvet Cardinals Cake, chocolate and white chocolate brownies, fruit cups, ice cream bowls, 5-layer carrot cake, Death-by-Chocolate Cake, cookies as big as your head, chocolate mousse, and on and on. That is the sweet to usually a bitter defeat you are watching on the field! Well and that and beers large enough to sit in = heaven!” Kerin Abbey, 29, O’Fallon MO
Nachos: Like we mentioned before, not good on the surface, but a Cardinal tradition. “I don’t like these nachos at all. They are soggy, the cheese is bland and the jalapenos give me explosive bowel movements. In short, they are my favorite Busch Stadium food.” Ryan Riggle, 32, Fenton MO
Fountain Soda: The fact that that this cracks the ‘Good’ list should speak volumes. That being said, this soda takes like liquid cocaine. Or so I assume. Sniff.

THE BAD

Better pizza?

Asian Action Cart: Overcoming a terrible name is one thing, but trying to convince drunken hoosiers that al la cart stir-fry is a good idea in 98 degrees and 120% humidity is a different beast. The food isn’t in and of itself terrible, but the placement is a little bit like a having a porno on at a prison-not smart thinking.
Fry Action Stand: Create your own fries. #1 topping? You guessed it- cheese! A promising addition to the roster in 2008 couldn’t quite make it to the good list since the namesake of the stand were limper than Hugh Jackman at the Bunny Ranch.
Hot Dogs/Brats: Much better in the New Busch Stadium than the old one. Kosher dogs are available and all are grilled on actual grills now with onions and kraut options that are free. I think they actually chopped Larry Bigbe up and made sausages out of him now that I think about it.
“I'm far more concerned with the BBQ outside of the strip clubs- I end up in Sauget after most games. That being said, it's the best BBQ in the country.” Chris Jenkins, 28, San Diego CA.
Pizza: Papa John’s has it’s integration in some stands, but in other pricier seats the ‘Za is made by hand. Bread, tomato paste and cheese is pretty hard to F up. Luckily Busch Stadium doesn’t too bad. It’s pretty doughy for a city that is famous for thin crust pies.
Hardees’s: A huge fast food restaurant featuring gigantic thick burgers and 800 calorie diet busting meal deals? Fits in much more conspicuously than you’d imagine.
Funnel Cakes: And as a special bonus the stand only hires reformed sex offenders!

THE UGLY

Cat food.

Toasted Ravioli: A STL tradition gone horribly, horribly wrong. I’m pretty sure they’re using cat meat. Stray cat meat.
Popcorn: A double whammy of tasting like its 3 days old and having enough salt to give deer heart attacks.
“Don’t get the chicken breast. Please.” Gina Alles, 29, St. Louis MO.
Philly Cheese Steaks: Have you ever tasted death in between two buns? Do you want to?
Fried Cannelloni: With a name like SportsService, how could you not make fried cannelloni to die for? Also, people reading this that have actually been to Busch Stadium will be shocked this is on the menu. I’m sure of that.
Hot Chocolate: Most certainly the vilest thing to ever cross your mouth in public. Unless you’ve happened to have given head to Rosie O’Donnell. Hi-yo!~

As a special bonus and just because we care… SportsService has revealed exclusively to FanFoodie.com the new menu items coming to Busch Stadium in 2009 (all tentative and subject to change…)

Chialquillas (pronounced chill - a - key - es) A traditional Mexican corn tortilla casserole (nacho casserole): corn tortillas tossed w/ chorizo sausage, corn, black beans and a spicy chile-tomato sauce. This may be an action station as well as an item sold in the El Birdos concession stands.
BBQ Pork Potato Skins
Smoked Beef Brisket Enchiladas w/ caramelized onions and white cheddar.
Lobster-Potato Crepes w/ Sherried Corn Cream

That’s it. That’s the food review for Busch Stadium in downtown St Louis MO, home of the 2009 All-Star Game. Happy eating.
________________________________________________

Aaron Hooks writes regularly for www.CardsDiaspora.com
And every Monday for www.InsideSTL.com

Pittsburgh, PA: Heinz Field

2008-11-20T13:29:00.001-05:00

City: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Foodie: Cotter, One For the Other Thumb

Venue: Heinz Field
Address: 100 Art Rooney Ave, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15212
Team: Pittsburgh Steelers

Cotter’s Taste:

If you’re eating in Pittsburgh, there are only two words you need to know – Primanti Bros. Pittsburgh’s epicurean delights pretty much begin and end with a Primantis sandwich; one of perhaps the most formidable culinary foes known to man. With your choice of meat and cheese, each sandwich is layered with french fries, cole slaw, tomatoes and love, making the sandwich approximately the same diameter as Romeo Crennel’s waistline, or alternatively, the planet Neptune (same thing, really). Be sure to wash this beast down with a cold IC Light.

Now, as far as nightlife goes, the two words you need to know are – Carson Street. Carson St. is home to just about every bar and club worth spending time in, within the City limits. I recommend Mario’s South Side Saloon. Go on Monday night for the Jeff Reed Show. You will not be disappointed (…that’s what she said). Also be sure to wash this party down with a cold IC Light…or 10. And if you’re feeling really adventurous, you could always hit Saddle Ridge in Station Square. You know, if, mechanical bulls are your thing.

And finally, because I really want you all to have the full Pittsburgh experience, be sure to listen for Pittsburghese expressions like, “Dahntahn,” and “Yinz,” as in – “Ahr yinz gahn dahntahn a watcha Stillers?” You think I’m joking? Waydilyaearferyerself! Oh, and that statue at the airport – that’s Franco Harris. On the right, you’ve got George Washington. George Washington…and FRANCO HARRIS. That ought to tell you almost everything you need to know about Pittsburgh.

Stadium photo credit: ESPN
Primanti: RoadFood.com
IC: BottleCan.com
Mario’s: mariospgh.com
Franco: Spuddy42’s photostream

San Francisco, CA: AT&T Park

2008-11-20T13:18:00.000-05:00

City: San Francisco, CA
Foodie: Diana Iakoubova, Yardbarker and The Sports Biotch

Venue: AT&T Park
Address: 24 Willie Mays Plaza San Francisco, CA 94107
Team: San Francisco Giants

Diana’s Taste:

I’m an Oakland A’s fan, and I completely accept the fact that our stadium sucks. Do I really care that much? No. Because I am there to watch a game, hang out with friends, drink beer, and eat food made of random animal parts. Giants fans, however, are much too “sophisticated” for such peasant-like behavior. They pay up the John David Booty for their tickets only to escape from the cold, foggy weather to a fine dining establishment such as the Acme Chophouse.

The Chophouse is located within the stadium walls, though you don’t need a ticket to get in. You do need a well-padded wallet, however. I have to admit that I have eaten here once (I definitely wasn’t the one paying), and the food wasn’t bad. But people, you’re here for a baseball game. Sure, a giant slab of red meat is appropriate for such an occasion, but the words “grass fed steak tartare” should never appear on a menu within the confines of a stadium. Ever.

What do I recommend instead? Some stinky, greasy Gordon Biersch garlic fries. “Amazing” is the only word that can be used to describe these, um, aromatic delicacies. You can find them at concession stands around the stadium, or at the Gordon Biersch brewery/restaurant, located about a mile north on Embarcadero. Pretty much anything you get at the restaurant is guaranteed to be delicious, and be sure to ask for samples of all their beers. They’ll keep ‘em comin’.

Finally, for a more “mom and pop” feel, hit up the South Beach Cafe on Embarcadero and Townsend, across the street from the stadium. I believe it’s run by a very nice Italian family (complete with hot Italian waitress, gentlemen) and has delicious, authentic Italian food. Try a pizza topped with prosciutto or some meaty lasagna - bomb. It also has a few outdoor tables where locals can be found sipping on their capuccinos, relaxing after their morning runs and pilates classes as their yellow labs nap underneath their chairs. A pleasant setting for a pre- or post-game meal…if you can stand the intense stench of yuppy, that is.

ATT Park photo credit: Diamondback75

Athens, GA: All Around UGA

2008-11-20T13:08:00.000-05:00

City: Athens, Georgia
Foodie: Christopher Byrne, Eye on Sports Media

Venue(s): Sanford Stadium, Stegeman Coliseum, Foley Field
Address: University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30606
Team: University of Georgia Football, Basketball, and Baseball

Christopher’s Taste:

Some of the real treats about coming to Athens, GA for a game goes beyond the game itself. Home to R.E.M., the B-52s, and Widespread Panic, visitors will find a vibrant food and music scene within a 10-block area that is unmatched in many a college town of similar size. If you have an extra day in town, you can take a walk around and see the “Tree That Owns Itself”, “The Double Barreled Canon”, and/or the R.E.M Steeple where it all started, and more.

Automatic for the People: Weaver D’s specializes in down home southern cooking

Fans of R.E.M. might remember the album entitled “Automatic for The People.” This title is taken from the slogan of Weaver D’s Restaurant. In this small restaurant, you will find the best down-home southern cooking you could wish for. If you prefer vegetarian fare, head on down to Prince Avenue to The Grit. Here you will find locals from the Athens music scene and some very good food, even if you are not a vegetarian.

My favorite restaurants in downtown Athens are De Palmas Italian Grille and The Last Resort Grill. De Palmas, located on Broad Street right across from UGA’s North Campus has very good food at reasonable prices. Their calzone, which my kids refer to as the “gutbuster”, lives up to that name. The Last Resort, located at the corner of Hull and Clayton streets is an old music venue converted into a restaurant in the early 1990’s. I am partial to their lunch and Sunday brunch menus, and people rave about their salmon and grits meal. Say what you will about grits, this meal is just not the same.

If you want to experience locally grown produce and fish, head down to Farm 255 on Washington Street. This restaurant only serves foods that have been grown or caught locally. After dinner there, you can head next door to the Trappeze for the nest imported beer selection in town. If that is too expensive for your tastes, head over to what is known as the “barmuda triangle” and you are sure to find a pub to your liking.

Want a Grill?: On Saturday game days, The Grill restaurant has a lengthy waiting list

Last but not least, do not miss “The Grill” on College Avenue. A longtime member of the Athens restaurant scene, it is open 24 hours a day, and there is always a long waiting list on a Saturday game day.

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The Sports Scene in Athens

Indianapolis, IN: The Luke

2008-11-20T13:05:00.000-05:00

City: Indianapolis, Indiana
Foodie: Demond & Dashawn, 18to88.com

Venue: Lucas Oil Stadium
Address: 500 South Capitol Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana 46225
Team: Indianapolis Colts

Food at both The Luke (Lucas Oil Stadium) and the now defunct Hoosier dome (RCA has no right to name my memories) is both bland and crazy expensive. So, instead of shelling out $7.50 for nachos, or 8 bucks for a personal pizza from Whatever Chain Bought the Rights This Year, I suggest eating before or after the game. For a great night out, try the famous St. Elmo’s Steak House. The atmosphere is simultaneously casual and elite, and if you are lucky, you might catch a member of the Colts eating there. The menu is simple: steak. The shrimp cocktail is legendary, and will burn your mouth off if you aren’t ready for it. It’ll cost you around $120 to take a date, but both for the food and the atmosphere it’s worth it. St. Elmo’s is an obvious answer because…it’s just that good.

If you want to go cheap, walk a couple of blocks to the downtown Steak N’ Shake on Maryland. It’s open late and a Bacon and Cheese Double with onion rings and a shake is absolutely unbeatable. You can always grab a Takhomasak and eat on the go.

Stadium photo credit: IndyInsights
St. Elmo’s: RoadFood.com

Gainesville, FL: The Swamp

2008-11-20T12:59:00.000-05:00

City: Gainesville, FL
Foodie: Darren Heitner, SportsAgentBlog.com

Venue: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field
Address: Lemerand Drive, Stadium Gainesville, FL 32611
Team: Florida Gators (NCAA Football)

Darren’s Taste:

Many non-Floridians call Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, “The Swamp”, but in fact, The Swamp is a restaurant and bar a couple of blocks from the toughest place for a visiting opponent to play college football. The Swamp is known for its cheap beer, great atmosphere, and game day/night parties. Many nights include live music and you are always going to find some sort of drink special. After a recent revamping of the menu, the food is also bearable. On Monday nights, The Swamp is packed with young fraternity and sorority members. Wednesday and Friday nights often attract a decent sized crowd. Whenever there is a home game, the restaurant/bar will be swamped with fans on Friday and Saturday. Even though I don’t drink beer, I recommend the cheap Miller Lite pitchers, which usually run at $5.75. Or you can get a bucket of five bottle beers for the same price.
And you better wear your orange and blue!

For the record, Gainesville is a drinking town with a football problem. But if you must eat, I’d recommend the Swamp’s “Sunday Special: A Swamp Tradition! Juicy chicken tenders tossed in your choice of buffalo sauce and served on a kaiser roll with lettuce, tomato, onion, and Provolone Cheese. Served with steak fries. $8.99

Cincinnati, OH: Great American Ballpark

2008-11-20T12:55:00.000-05:00

City: Cincinnati, Ohio
Foodie: Andrew Simon, Who Dey Revolution

Venue: Great American Ball Park
Address: 100 Joe Nuxhall Way (100 Main Street), Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
Team: Cincinnati Reds

Andrew's Taste:

Locally, Cincinnati Chili. No doubt. At games, you get it as a Cheese Coney (hot dog with chili and cheese - pictured). Lemon Chills and Chocolate Malts are pretty popular during the summer. Also, metts and braughts are popular (German sausages - Cincy is a big German city). Personally, at Reds games I get a big red smokey hot dog from Kahns because of their awesome ad at games.

At Bengals games I don't buy anything because those profits go right into Mike Brown's pocket.

Minneapolis, MN: The Dome

2008-11-20T12:54:00.000-05:00

City: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Foodie: Michael Rand, RandBall

Venue: Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Address: 900 South 5th Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415
Team: Minnesota Twins (MLB); Minnesoate Vikings (NFL)

Rand’s Taste:

Signature food at the Dome is definitely a Dome dog. It’s a fairly delicious hot dog and you get a bag of chips, too. Pretty exciting, yes?

I try to get a Dome dog or some Famous Dave’s bbq every time I’m at a Twins or Vikings game, primarily because they are very delicious, but also I think “Dome dog” just sounds right. Folks have been pining for more food choices when the new ballpark opens in 2010. It will be interesting to see what they come up with.

Stadium photo credit: BallparkTours.com
Dome Dog: slolee’s photostream

Cleveland, OH: The Prog & The Q

2008-11-20T12:28:00.000-05:00

City: Cleveland, Ohio
Foodie: Scott Sargent, Waiting for Next Year

Venue: Progressive Field (Formerly Jacobs Field)
Address: 2401 Ontario Street, Cleveland, OH 44115
Team: Cleveland Indians (MLB)

Scott’s Taste:

At the Jake/Prog: Slider platter. Named after the mascot, comes with 4 mini burgers and fries. Pretty big hit, and only about $7.

The I-shaped soft pretzels are pretty unique.

And Strickland’s Ice Cream is a staple - an Akron original.

Venue: Quicken Loans Arena (Formerly Gund Arena)
Address: 1 Center Court, Cleveland, Ohio 44115-4001
Team: Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA)

Scott’s Taste:

The Q does something similar with the soft pretzels, but they’re the “C” instead of the “I.”

And regardless of which venue, the chaser of choice is Great Lakes Microbrew. Dortmunder Gold, usually. If you’ve ever tried it, the lack of explanation is justified.