Target Field: More than "Dome Dogs"

Cristeta Boarini
Apr 15, 2015
2 min read

Baseball is the epitome of summer. Which is why a summer taking stock of all Minnesota has to offer the tastebuds would be lacking without sampling the fruits of Target Field.

Photo courtesy of Photo courtesy of Nathan Ziegler, Minneapolis

As the Twins continue to do surprisingly well this season, Fermentables MN will bring you regular features on what's cooking at the state's best stadium. And it all starts with Opening Day.

With the boom of a National Guard flyover, legendary right-fielder Tony Oliva shaking hands at Gate 6, and Target Field packed to capacity, Opening Day felt like a true holiday on April 13.

And like any holiday, there are certain foods that have to be consumed to mark tradition.

At the Metrodome, the best you could get was a Dollar Dome Dog. But now there are myriad options that entice you to explore all corners of the stadium for the best eats. Ribs with a shot of bourbon, tacos authenticos, porkchops on a stick, and beer. So. Much. Beer.

In 2015, you can upgrade the old Dome Dog standby to a locally made Kramarczuk brat or polish sausage, piled high with fried onions and kraut. The hoagie bun that swaddles the sausage is admittedly too big and doughy for the umami assault that is well seasoned pork, but you can cleanse the palate with some of the best beverages Minnesota has to offer.

I swear there's a Kramarczuck's brat under that delicious pile of kraut, fried onions and mustard

Like any ballpark, booze is overpriced at Target Field. A can of locally-brewed Day Tripper by Indeed Brewing Co can run you $7 -- highway robbery when you consider a 6-pack is only $10 retail. The best deal is a 22 oz. craft beer from Town Ball Tavern, which serves alcohol even after the 7th inning last call in other parts of the stadium. I went with an Angry Orchard cider. Like a recipe straight out of Betty Crocker's 1960s cookbook, pork and apple is a classic pairing that plays with pork's natural sweetness and the apple's mild tartness.

And that's what baseball is about: classics. If a trip to the ballpark doesn't leave you feeling at least a little bit nostalgic, then you're just not doing it right.

Pairing: Classic

Price: $$

Post-game drunchies: A "canoe" full of cheese curds for $6