The Toronto Blue Jays are off to a hot start, and today the Oakland A’s were in town. Josh Outman was starting for Oakland and was facing David Purcey. I could talk to you about the game, a good one for sure, but you can read all about the Jays’ defeat here.
I have complained before about the price of beer at the Rogers Centre. Well, it hasn’t gone down. The alley vendors are selling tall Budweiser (or Bud Light) cans for $9.50, and a large draught at a Bud Booth is $10.
Shame, I say.
I was, however, looking forward to some food. Although I had had a snack already, I was curious about how the new offerings at the Rogers Centre would turn out. I had seen some “coming soon” signs when I came here for some WBC games back in March. But when push came to shove, and the score being 5-5 in the 5th, I had no choice but to go all in for a classic – the hot dog.
This is what baseball is all about. Strategic pace. Beer. Heckling. Hot Dog.
And therefore, a hot dog is what I got. I couldn’t go wrong, a hot dog from the Grille was the recommended buy from the New York Times – they offer advice on what and what not to buy in every ballpark in MLB.
I went to one Hogtown Grill, which is basically a cooking station, and there are a couple of them around the concourse. If you are looking for a dog, you do want to stop there as opposed to a regular hot dog counter. They don’t actually have a grill, but a hot plaque. On top of the weiner, they offered, for an extra cost, to grill some peppers and onions. I declined, and went for a classic dog, garnished with mustard and ketchup. Hot peppers and relish were also available.
The sausage was nice, with a bit of a snap. Very meaty taste, not too salty, it was pleasant. I thought the bun was too bready, but at least it was fresh. Kudos for the cardboard container, a better choice than styrofoam or aluminum bags you can see in some other stadiums. All in all, a fairly good hot dog, which was enough for me for the night, but at $5, it is not a cheap dog.
Many regulars recommend getting one from a street vendor right outside the stadium. But I couldn’t be bothered, and besides, I want to be sure my sausage is included in the total needed to cover the distance of 3241 stolen bases, which is what the number of hot dogs sold each year at the Jays home park amounts to.
The Rogers Centre allows you to bring in outside food. A good policy to help folks save some money, especially in these dire economic times. I prefer to enjoy the stadium fare, but if I had a chance to come more often, I would probably pack a snack here and there.