Good morning,
As you’re reading this, I’m likely in the parking lot at American Family Field. Or, if you get to this later, I’m inside American Family Field, rooting on the Milwaukee Brewers during their first home game of the season. Or, if you’re reading this much later, I’m celebrating the fact that the Brewers definitely whooped the White Sox with approximately 247 runs to 3. (Too ambitious? Maybe I should stick with the experts’ predictions for this season…)
As a lifelong baseball fan, I look forward to Major League Baseball’s opening day every year. It signifies summer’s impending arrival, ballpark outings with friends and another season filled with hope … and, with any luck, a postseason that won’t crush our souls.
And, of course, I look forward to tailgating. I attended Brewers tailgates even before moving to Milwaukee in 2008, and was charmed by the experience that’s unique among so many other ballparks across the country. I love looking up in the parking lot to see plumes of grill smoke wafting overhead. I love the yard games squeezed between parking aisles, and inviting neighbors over to share snacks and drinks. I even love the crowds of fans all walking into the stadium at the same time, feeling the electricity shooting from benches to bleachers.
Almost every year, I attend the Brewers’ opening day with the same friends. We gather at one house, caravan to the parking lot and set up a spread that stretches over multiple folding tables. We mostly stick with the classics: brats, hot dogs, fresh cheese curds, pasta salad, brownies and cookies, and roughly eight varieties of dip (I’ve made a creamy giardiniera dip this year). There are usually bags of exotic chips and snacks floating around, and we all weigh in on our favorites.
Nothing fancy, but that’s part of why I love it. No studying menus, no note taking … just the snap of a brat and a plate piled with chips and goop in various forms and flavors, all enjoyed among fellow fans in a parking lot.
I’m usually too stuffed with tailgate treats to indulge in much food inside the ballpark, but I have to admit I’m a little intrigued by American Family Field’s new offerings this year. (Will you try the deep-fried kringle or the ballpark cream puffs from the new Fair Foods vendor? I might go for a brisket sandwich from K&L BBQ, a new vendor at The Alley Food Truck Park.)
Here’s to the start of another Brewers season, and to many wins and happy tailgates to come.
Happy dining, and go, Brewers!
Rachel
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