Taste of the Town: Scrappy Town
When the Ballers started making PA announcements that Scrappy Town, just behind the first base bleachers near the playground, had the shortest lines in Raimondi with some of the best food, I felt betrayed. I’d been benefitting from this hidden gem for weeks; now everyone else could too? Just doesn’t seem fair.
Due to my plea bargain with county social services, I can’t legally say that my son has eaten all of the cheese pizza in the entire East Bay like a rampaging parentless monster, but…it’s not not true, and Mama’s Boy hits the spot. It’s not fancy—the options are cheese, vegan cheese, and pepperoni—but it’s perfect for hangry kids who are picky about any dinner that doesn’t come in dairy and bread form. The wait is short and, parents will understand, having any food in a closeable box sometimes saves the day, especially if your kid takes mid-meal detours to the playground nearby. (And if cheese and pepperoni aren’t your thing, outside of Raimondi life, Mama’s Boy has plenty of other options at their 15 Grand Avenue location as well as online.)
Pineapple Whips
My son’s go-to favorite treat, of all the options in the ballpark and in Prescott Market, is a pineapple whip. And since choosing a treat is basically the most important thing in the universe of being 4-and-a-half, I asked him to explain why he likes it:
“I like them because they are sweet. I also like fruit. I also like that they are cold and they put the other fruit [strawberry] in with the main fruit [pineapple]. I like eating them because you let me have the whole thing and I have to eat it fast before it melts. I like the ice part more than the melty part though. [Pause] Actually I think I like both parts the same. It’s not a growing food [read: healthy] but that’s what I like about it. I love the sugar.”
What would you say to another kid who wants to get one?
“You should get one. They are really good. [Pause] But get them after I’ve gotten mine.”
I will editorialize only to say that we like the whip cup—the float version tips the sugar balance into mania—and our favorite flavors are the aforementioned strawberry (or “lava flow”) and “mango overload.”
Scrappy’s Test Kitchen: Bitemark Sandwiches
I don’t say this lightly. I had the pork belly sandwich last night and it’s one of the best things I’ve eaten—anywhere, full stop—this year. That your tireless Ballers’ General Manager on the way back to my seat told me I was in for something special, especially the persimmon BBQ sauce, makes the animalistic way I devoured the sandwich entirely appropriate. (I mean, they are called bite mark, right? This is expected?) As one of those trendy suddenly-it’s-everywhere inclusions, pork belly can go great or very badly, and this is that perfect balance of sweet/juicy and crispy/tangy. The persimmon, as advertised, was the standout, and there were plenty of overflowing pickled veggies so I could mix them with the generous helping of fries that accompany—but don’t appear on the sandwich board, FYI—making them basically a health food. I’m headed back this weekend to try the other sandwiches, and that’s saying something, because like my father, I regularly tell restaurants that I’m allergic to mushrooms because I hate them so much. (Yes, we should be in food jail together.) But I’m giving this smoked portobello a try.
This is exactly what Scrappy’s Test Kitchen was made to do: I found food I might not have known otherwise, and I’m going to follow Bitemark wherever they go from here.
Catch a Comebacker—Get These Too When They Return
I’m a huge fan of West Coast staple Farmhouse Thai, and though you couldn’t get a drink in a coconut or see their beautiful decor, what was most impressive about their AAPI Heritage Month pop-up at the park was how they big-batch-made their famous pad thai. It was a show to watch while you waited, and it tasted as good (if not better?) than what you get in their restaurants. Through some amenable friends, I tried the shrimp and tofu editions—both sublime. I’m not a mango sticky rice person, but my wife is, and she loved this ballpark version. Oh, and if you’re dragging around the fourth inning, grab a Thai iced tea, another culinary gift to the world.
I am not cool enough to be a jerk chicken person, but this was perfectly cooked with a flavorful and generous sauce (you don’t need to spring the $1 for extra). The slaw was lovely and I would have eaten much more of it if given the chance. I kick myself (not literally, which is quite hard, unless you are some sort of self-kick ninja) for not trying the plantains.
Bombzies was an early season visitor, and I hope they make it back. I had the delicious Vietnamese lemongrass bbq chicken during the Ballers’ spring training game, and I also heard great things about the potstickers and the crab rangoon from sources I trust. Of all the trucks, they had one of the biggest menus, and this can be a godsend if you’re bringing the very young and the very old to a game together, wishing you could strap everyone together with an all-family leash.
