What will it be? A hot dog or a seadog?

Friday, Aug. 1, 2008

Click here to enlarge this photo Photo by RICHIE DOWNS Becky and Gabe Redding fix up their food from Hall of Fame Seafood at the condiment station at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story

Buy me some peanuts and Crackerjacks. I don’t care ...

Or how about some beer-battered rockfish and fries?

A crabcake platter or crab-stuffed pretzel?

Crab balls?

A seadog?

I guess any of those would work too.

Welcome to Regency Furniture Stadium, home of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.

The Blue Crabs were playing the Long Island Ducks, a team which featured Carl Everett and none other than Mike Rose, son of Pete Rose. It was also ’80s Night — an opportunity for the Blue Crabs to pump up the upcoming REO Speedwagon concert — and as I walked across the parking lot I could see and hear people answering the question, ‘‘What was your favorite moment of the ’80s?” on the big screen. Answers ranged from Elton John to big hair.

The Blue Crabs, meanwhile, would rally a bit in the eighth inning but still lose their fourth straight game, falling to 7-6 in the second half of the season.

But what about the food?

Personally, all I want at a ballgame is a couple hot dogs and a couple beers. I want to sit down and watch some baseball.

But since I had come to report on the food, it seemed right to test the stadium’s mettle a bit, which is why I stood in a fast-moving line in front of Hall of Fame Seafood. There, I ordered beer-battered rockfish and fries. For beer, I had an option of Blue Moon or Coors Light; since both appeared to be $5.50, I made what seemed like the obvious choice.

When I reached my seat, it quickly became apparent that the fish and fries is a popular choice. You get a few crispy wedge-shaped pieces of rockfish. They are well-done on the outside and fresh on the inside, making for great finger food. The fries, meanwhile, were coated with Old Bay seasoning, a different touch.

One likes to think of the minor league park as a cheaper alternative to the major league variety, and while the former is in fact cheaper, to regard it as cheap might require some fuzzy math. My fish and fries and a beer, for one, put me back 14 bucks. At the same time, my dinner, in ballpark terms, seemed somewhat high-end. Next go-round, maybe after three or four innings, I decided I would hunt for a slightly more intuitive combination.

Meanwhile, it was a beautiful evening at the ballgame. Nice and cool. No humidity hanging in the air. On such nights a baseball stadium, in short, is the place to be. You can relax, eat some food, chat with a friend, perhaps, and watch a game. And while the between-innings shenanigans can get a little old, two teenagers doing a choreographed dance in sumo wrestling suits is good for a laugh on those days when the action on the field is a bit dull.

After three innings I took a walk.

Regency Furniture Stadium has the familiar look of most of the other minor league stadiums I have been to in recent years. Part of the appeal is the mobility: You can get where you need to go quickly. A wide corridor winds around the seating; foot traffic flows easily, allowing a first-time visitor the opportunity to take full stock of the stadium’s offerings. And if you prefer to stand, why not just watch the game from up here?

Regular hot dogs are $2.25. Jumbo hot dogs, which did not strike me as particularly jumbo, are $3.25. A number of people loaded up their hot dogs with peppers and relish. Not my style, although I was tempted to join their camp. Mustard is all I take, and condiment stations are across from each vendor. It was a solid ballpark hot dog, juicy, a bit charred.

All Star Pizzeria offers slices of pizza with various toppings for $3.50. They looked like thick, good-sized slices. The majority of vendors offer sausage ($5.75), kielbasa ($5.75), cheeseburgers ($4.75) barbecued pulled pork ($5.75) chicken tenders and fries ($6), buffalo chicken and chicken breast sandwiches ($5.75).

There are, of course, the standard pretzels, nachos, cotton candy, popcorn (offered immediately upon entering) chips, peanuts and Crackerjacks. Drinks include water, Gatorade, tea, coffee and hot chocolate. The first base end of the stadium, across from the rock climbing wall and playground, has an ice cream stand.

The third base side, near the Legends Club and Red, Hot & Blue picnic pavilion, features a wide variety of beers. Beer enthusiasts have a decent amount of choices, from standard light beers to Magic Hat Not Quite Pale Ale #9, Guinness, wine and Mike’s Hard Lemonade. Beer prices range from about $4 to $5.50. A jumbo hot dog and beer cost me $8.75. Adult tickets for seats are $13. You can sit in the lawn for $6.

The Blue Crabs were not playing particularly well, but that’s the plus of going to a game without a strong connection to either team: The outcome cannot sour the experience.

Next time I will save some room for the funnel cake.