Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Has anyone ever really noticed that Spider-man is truely busy? C'mon, the man has to help take care of an elderly aunt, works for a pittance selling photos to a newspaper, and woo a gorgeous redhead he one day ends up marrying. But, on top of all of that, he's still gotta find the time to take care of both petty criminals as well as supervillians with the power to melt your face off. I know that the city, county, and state of New York would be in vile danger while Spidey ever rested, but enough is enough people. The man needs a break....a chance to get away and just so something for him. He's not alone. Our Captain joins the ranks of the overworked, weary superhero as well. You won't be bored with the details, citizen. Just know that he's been tired lately.

So, Captain Gourmet actually decided to take some time for himself. He requested the services of a hero some 45 miles to the north of Austin, Tx.....A hero we only know as The Grandma. The Grandma agreed to take Cap's place on his patrol with Kid Ketchup for a short while so that our hero could enjoy time away. Without wasting a single minute, the adventurer locked up his secret headquarters and spirited away to San Antonio to attend the first Spurs playoff game for the year.

Our Captain arrives at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, and the place is packed--the energy level is amazing. He goes through the usual activities....getting a drink, stopping by the merchandise store, watching the Silver Dancers pregame show, talking trash with other Spurs fans, etc. Just then, hunger struck.

The Captain made his way around the common level surveying the assortment of nachos, hot dogs, pizza, cotton candy, and popcorn. Arena food. Appealing, but our hero has heard about some more eclectic choices down on the charter level. Down on the charter level, our Captain was quite amazed. Several buffets caught his eye with quite interesting fare. Shrimp, lobster, and even a polenta dish caught his eye. There was even a chefly looking gentlemen custom cooking burgers and steaks....and everything looked so incredibly tasty. Hunger was starting to worsen and the adventurer whisked away upstairs as fast as he could. He was in an arena, after all, so standard arena fare won out. An order of nachos and a hot dog later, the Captain settles down in his seat to await tip off.

The first quarter of the game started with a rough start for the home team who quickly fell eight points behind in the game and played a game that was not their characteristically stellar play. Our hero watched, but thoughts kept diverting to the variety of food he saw on the charter level. Who would have come to a sporting event and expect to find such a diverse offering of food?

Uh-oh. It was a food thought that required deep pondering....but our hero was in his civilian disguise. Could this issue be properly pondered? Could we gain some food insight? You're damned right we could, true believer. After all, if Clark Kent was able to discreetly use heat vision, and Peter Parker could throw a spider web without notice, then surely our hero could rise to the occasion as well and still protect his secret identity.

It seems that more and more, gourmet experiences are changing at professional sporting events. Why not, asks the Captain? They certainly draw alot of people for one. Prices for tickets aren't exactly a cheap option nowadays, either. Sure, there are ways to watch a professional sports event and stay on the cheap side, but with the option of spending cash is certainly there whether you're talking about getting better seats, enjoying too much beer, merchandise, or quite importantly---food.

While getting the parking break serviced on his patrol SUV a couple of weeks ago, our Captain talked to a gentlemen who was a recent transplant from Boston to the Austin area. This Bostonian citizen asked our Captain for a recommendation for a place to find a good hot dog in the Austin area. Our saddened hero had to inform this citizen that he really didn't have a recommendation for him, save for Lucky Dog, which was only slightly better than average. We don't have a Gray's Papaya, a Gene & Jude's, or an endless army of hot dog vendors manning street corners. So, the Captain had to ask why this Bostonian citizen was looking for a good hot dog, and he received long stories about countless summers spent at Fenway Park. Our Bostonian even grudgingly admitted that he felt the 2nd best place for a hot dog was Yankee Stadium. Yes, true believer, that touched the Captain's heart as well since you know that he fully understands how some foods carry sentimental value with them as well. The Captain felt for this poor, homesick citizen who would surely be let down at any of the hot dog venues in Austin. Yet, this citizen really helped show the Captain the value of food nostalgia, particularly in regards to sporting events. There are so many ways to enjoy a hot dog, and different cities and different arenas have each claimed their own. The Fenway Frank is first boiled, then grilled. The Dodger Dog is a footlong frank served on a steamed bun. The Milwaukee Brat is a pork and beef sausage grill and dipped into a sauce before getting served on a crusty roll. Take one part specialty recipe for a stadium or arena, add two parts love for the home team, and possibly even thrown on a huge helping of family time or bonding with your friends. That, good citizen, is the recipe for a lasting memory.

An event's location also has impact on the type of food offered as well. The Food Network show, "Rachael Ray's Ballpark Cafe tells us about Maryland fans who enjoy steamed crabs. "Ballpark Cafe 2 describes how fans in Miami are treated to Cuban cuisine. These are just two of the accounts reported by the Food Network over the years describing food at sporting events. Other accounts describe full and gourmet menus offered to those of us rich (or lucky) enough to find ourselves in the exclusive club boxes at an event. The quality of the foods there many times rivals what we would find in a fine dining restaurant downtown.

Were there any major epiphanies to be gleaned from the Captain's contemplation of arena and stadium food? Not this time, citizen. Oh, sure, he could have explained how the evolution of food at these venues came about due to social, economic, or even technological changes. That, true believer, will have to wait for another entry in the Cap Files. For right now, the Captain was taking a break, and just exploring the different fare available was enough to satisfy his interest in the subject.

The food thought pondered deeply enough, our hero opens his eyes in time to see Manu Ginobilli land a three point shot causing the entire crowd of the AT&T center to stand up cheering. The Captain surveys the crowd right next to him. He rejoins the excitement of the game after he reasons that no one noticed him using the gourmet powers in his civilian identity. His secret is still safe.

By the way, the Spurs won in double overtime. Go Spurs Go!