Ballparks cater to more sophisticated palates

There's no mention of sushi and shrimp tacos in "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."

Although fans might still be singing about buying peanuts and Cracker Jack during the game, they're being more and more adventurous at the concession stands.

Just take a look at what's being served at baseball stadiums around the country. Sure, there are still plenty hot dogs, but they're being crowded out by delicacies as varied as fresh fruit and yogurt in San Francisco, smoked turkey bones in Atlanta, and Buffalo burgers in Denver.

Going to a ballgame is no longer an event in itself. With skyrocketing ticket prices and competing outlets for family fun, teams have striven to offer a more complete experience at the ballpark. And increasingly sophisticated and demanding diners have made it imperative to provide a more creative menu.

Standards have gone up

"As people's standards have come up, expectations, even at fast food and casual dining has gone up," said Liza Cartmell, president of the sports and entertainment division of Aramark, a manager of arena concessions around the world.

Stadium concessions are big business. Including parking, they account for about $300 million leaguewide -- 7 1/2 to 8 percent of the teams' revenue, according to Joanthan Mariner, senior vice president and CFO of Major League Baseball.

For years, it was enough to offer fans hot dogs and hamburgers, beer and soda in ballparks that were designed with an emphasis on fiscal frugality.

That all changed in 1992 when the Baltimore Orioles jumped on a pop-culture trend for nostalgia and designed a ballpark that looked like the quirky old stadiums of the first half of the 20th century, but was updated to enhance the "fan experience."

The Orioles worked closely with Aramark on the concessions, developing a concept for "making a fan experience that's just not on the field, creating an ambience and a smell," Cartmell said.

Using the latest in cooking equipment they brought the grills up front to entice the 40,000 nightly customers.

Buoyed by Baltimore's success, the 1990s became a boom time for building, moving teams from the pragmatic concrete bunkers built in the 1960s to more amenable, sparkling destination spots with luxury boxes, club seating and high-tech kitchens to serve the patrons.

Nowadays, if you want a sampler in regional cuisine take a tour of major league ballparks.

Every stadium has an executive chef who constantly tinkers with the menu to give fans what they want.

"All the traditional foods are going to be our backbone. Then there is the fan base that will want their ethnic food," said Michelle LeBleu, the executive chef who opened the Houston Astros' new stadium in 2000. "It's not a standard menu, it's fluid."

Make it ethnic

LeBleu, a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, took the ever-popular hot dog and gave it some southern flair, grilling it and topping it with red and green jalapenos and calling it the Fiesta Dog. Her Baja Nachos, "a step up from the basic nachos," comes covered in chorizo sausage and jalapenos.

She also offered burritos, tacos and enchiladas to satisfy the fans' Tex-Mex heritage.

At Turner Field, which was built for the 1996 Summer Olympics and then reconfigured for the Atlanta Braves, you can have roasted corn served in its husk and the southern delight: boiled peanuts. But you'll also find a Philly Cheesesteak, Reuben sandwich and Chicago-style, deep-dish pizza -- a nod to the large population of transplanted Northerners.

Fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago love their bratwurst and Polish sausages; in Boston they'll eat clam chowder in any weather; and sushi and garlic fries are popular with the West Coast teams.

With all the tinkering and tweaking of menus, though, nothing will unseat the hot dog as the No. 1 meal at a game.

Cartmell said the hot dog is still the "main meal purchase" for 70 to 80 percent of fans at older stadiums and 40 to 60 percent at the newer parks.

But in the spirit of the trend toward regional flavors, fans now can choose their topping to personalize the dogs.

In California, chili peppers, chili and onions are popular; New Yorkers still like their sauerkraut and mustard; and fans of the Colorado Rockies want cheese and chili.

-- that is when they're not putting the hot dogs on their pizza! That's right, in Denver they love pizza and hot dogs and the combination is called the "Coney Island."

And yes, Cartmell said, even in Los Angeles, the progressive, ethnically diverse metropolis: "The Dodger Dog is still king. Hands down."