Chicago a day early to meet the guys from Rush, who were the first to hold the swab. I did Tony’s for Italian beef. It was only OK.
As for the dining part of the tour inside stadiums, I thought about exclusively eating ballpark food and I felt like that would’ve been a helluva compromise from the reality of the way I’d want to do the trip. Honestly, I go out of my way to not spend a lot of money at stadiums – or is it stadia? – on food.
Seriously, tell me the best thing you’ve ever eaten at a baseball game and I’ll probably tell you that it’s not in the Top 100 things you’ve ever had. Even when it’s decent, it’s still ridiculously overpriced vs. any sensible financial or meal decision you’d make anywhere else on earth.
Two choice cuts that made. I had a $17 steak sandwich at Pat La Friedas at Citi Field in New York that had this onion paste on it that was tasty but made the air questionable over Rhode Island and Massachusetts for a few hours the next morning.
I also had the Red Cow double beef-bacon burgers at Target Field in Minnesota with a local craft ale that was delectable. That set me back about $23.
In Seattle, after the game at Safeco, I had the ridiculous coconut cream pie from Tom Hopkins joint Serious Pie. I got it as a take out item. It cost me $14. Somehow, it was worth it.
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I should also mention that Seattle has the best breakfast place on the planet. It’s called Portage Bay. I would put up pictures of the food but it would only piss you off. Just go…
Inevitably, on the road, I always seem to gravitate toward barbeque and Mexican. Of course, I had fish tacos at Rubio’s on the drive from San Diego to Anaheim. And, no trip to Houston is complete without the fresh tortilla and margaritas at the Original Ninfa’s, just a stone’s throw from downtown.
8High end. Low end. Craft beer. Draft beer. Light beer. Dark beer. Maragaritas at Tommy’s. Mas tequila in Oakland (that’s my wife getting semi-borracho on a $17.50 especial that was tasty). A guy like me can only eat and drink so much so every meal was carefully crafted and I really didn’t buy a lot of food in the ballparks because I was so busy loading up on lunch in the places I like when I’m on the road.
In Pittsburgh, I even managed to eat what the locals eat – a Primanti Brothers sandwich purchased by Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.
And that’s a story that needs no embellishment for its beauty stands on its own.
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TO BE HONEST, I’M REALLY not sure why Mike Tomlin gave up his Sunday in Pittsburgh to spend it with us on Day 2 of the #GiveASpit tour. And I’m really not sure why we like each other so much, but strangely, we do.
Or at least I like him. (But for crissakes don’t tell him!)
I met Mike Tomlin at the NFL Owners Meetings in Palm Beach, Florida in 2008. We met at a table with Ozzie Newsome, Marvin Lewis and then head of officiating Mike Perreira. I was the only one at the table that Tomlin, who was a new head coach in the NFL, didn’t recognize. Newsome made a joke about wherever you’d find Marvin, you’d usually find me.
Naturally, once Tomlin was briefed on how much I hated
