Opening day means one thing: a long winter has finally ended, and baseball season is here. Get ready for leisurely afternoons and evenings kicked back at the ballpark with a brew in one hand and a bite to eat in the other. With 30 to choose from, you can\u2019t go wrong with a day at just about any ballpark \u2014 but we\u2019ve picked some favorites (in addition to last year’s picks<\/a>), and the requisite accompanying food and drink you won\u2019t want to miss.<\/span><\/p>\n For a double-header of summer goodness, cap off a day at any of San Diego\u2019s beautiful beaches with a ball game at <\/span>Petco Park<\/span><\/a>. Interwoven with the downtown scene, the surrounding Gaslamp area has no lack of food and drink options, but if baseball\u2019s what you\u2019re after, you\u2019ll find everything you need in the park itself. Keep those summer vibes going with a BBQ Broham sandwich from <\/span>Phil\u2019s BBQ<\/span> for that quintessential cookout flavor, or try the local favorite Mahi Mahi Taco from <\/span>Rimel\u2019s Rotisserie<\/span>. Beer lovers are spoiled for choice given the abundance of local craft brews \u2014 drop by local outposts of <\/span>Iron Fist Brewing Co<\/span>. and <\/span>AleSmith Brewing Co.<\/span><\/a>, or <\/span>Wonderland Ocean Pub<\/span><\/a> for some Resident Brewing Co. offerings and a variety of other local beers. There\u2019s no better way to kick back and enjoy the San Diego skyline.<\/span><\/p>\n Get out of the city and head to <\/span>Kauffman Stadium<\/span><\/a>, where the ballpark is the only destination\u00a0\u2014 which means the expansive parking lots surrounding play host to some legendary tailgates. Once inside, a wide-open backdrop means all eyes are on the 84\u2019 x 104\u2019 high-definition LED display screen (one of the world\u2019s largest), topped by an enormous golden crown creating the Royals logo. Opened just a couple years ago, <\/span>Craft & Draft<\/span><\/a> is your go-to for 75 craft beers, including 24 on tap. For local varieties only, head to <\/span>Boulevard Brewing Company<\/span><\/a>. And for a bite to eat, the K has plenty of mouthwatering options: <\/span>Barbecue Pit<\/span><\/a> is a classic for Sweet Baby Ray\u2019s barbecue, and you can\u2019t miss the local <\/span>Belfonte Ice Cream<\/span><\/a> to top it off.<\/span><\/p>\n Come for the baseball, stay for the eats. Citi Field has established itself as a culinary destination in its own right, so no matter how your tastebuds are inclined, you\u2019ll find something to satisfy. Some classic New York options not to miss: chicken sandwiches at <\/span>Fuku<\/span>, Neapolitan-style pizzas at Papa Rosso by Danny Meyer, or the perennial favorite <\/span>Shake Shack<\/span><\/a>. A little more dietarily restricted? No problem: nab a vegan pizza at <\/span>Two Boots<\/span> or gluten-free burgers, hot dogs, and Italian sausage at <\/span>Hain Celestial<\/span><\/a>. Beer stands like Beers of the World and Big Apple Brews will slake your thirst, and a scoop of cookie dough from <\/span>D\u014c<\/span><\/a> is the perfect sweet treat to finish.<\/span><\/p>\n With a skyline that practically feels inside the ballpark, you won\u2019t find a much more arresting venue from which to take in a game. And the good times extend past the stadium itself: fans float in kayaks and boats in hopes of a stray ball on the Allegheny River, and the Roberto Clemente Bridge is closed to traffic on game days to allow game-goers to stroll across and take the river walk to the stadium. Once inside, try possibly the most baseball food ever invented: the Cracker Jack & Mac dog, a hot dog smothered in caramel sauce, Cracker Jack, jalape\u00f1os and macaroni and cheese. Take a second to take that in. If you\u2019re not ready to subject your body to such a concoction, grab an Almost Famous sandwich at <\/span>Primanti Bros.<\/span><\/a> or wings at <\/span>Quaker Steak & Lube<\/span>. Recently, PNC Park has broadened their traditionally big brewery-dominated beer scene to embrace local breweries. Block House Corner\u00a0is an\u00a0outdoor space serving a variety of Pittsburgh Brewing<\/a> beers and is a perfect place to sample some of these.<\/span><\/p>\n Catch a sunset over Puget Sound from behind home base at Safeco Field. Come early for happy hour at <\/span>The \u2018Pen<\/span><\/a>, with $6 beers on tap and bites from pizza to wings to tacos by celebrity chef Ethan Stowell. Outside The \u2018Pen, snack on a sandwich piled with locally sourced meats from Sultan of Sandwich, or keep it classic with a grilled cheese kicked up a notch at The Big Cheese. In true Seattle style, a dark-chocolate-dipped Liege Belgian waffle from downtown\u2019s <\/span>Sweet Iron Waffles<\/span> makes the perfect sweet treat. Wash it all down with a local beer from <\/span>Elysian<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>Georgetown Brewing Company<\/span><\/a>, or a cask-treated ale from a wide variety including <\/span>Black Raven Brewing<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Schooner EXACT<\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Craft brews and local eats Opening day means one thing: a long winter has finally ended, and baseball season is here. Get ready for leisurely afternoons and evenings kicked back…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":5114,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wayfaring"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tPetco Park: San Diego Padres<\/span><\/h3>\n
Kauffman Stadium: Kansas City Royals<\/span><\/h3>\n
Citi Field: New York Mets<\/span><\/h3>\n
PNC Park: Pittsburgh Pirates<\/span><\/h3>\n
Safeco Field: Seattle Mariners<\/span><\/h3>\n