Eating crab dogs, crab pretzels at Ravens game.
I know Marylanders will eat almost anything with crab on it. But still I was taken aback when the folks at ARAMARK put crab on a hot dog at M & T Bank Stadium.
Moreover I was even more suprised when the Ravens crab dog that I ate at Monday night's Ravens-Jets game actually tasted good.
The crab component , a crab dip, behaved more like a condiment--think of it as crabby mustard. It is subtle. The chopped peppers and spinkles of cheddar and Parmesan cheese that top the dog are not subtle. That is a good thing.
I was skeptical, but I ended up liking the Ravens crab dog. The price ,$9 for a hot dog and crab flavored chips ,is a bit steep. But it is sold only on the club level of M & T Bank Stadium, where the elite eat.
If you get to the club level, you gotta have a crab dog. It goes well with beer. The crab dog and the three kinds of sausages-- a beer brat, a Italian sausage, and chorizo (served with arugula !)--are hot sandwiches on the club level.
Meanwhile up in top deck.
The big chow news up near the clouds is that three restaurants-- Hightopps, the Greene Turtle, and Bill Bateman's--- are each operating concession stands on the upper deck.
Hightopps has a good looking pit beef sandwich on its menu , the Greene Turtle has its "Turtle bites", and Bateman's has its "chicken bites" Both bites are chicken tenders that come with a variety of fiery sauces.
But the upper deck dish that floored me was Bateman's crab stuffed pretzel. It is a pretzel stuffed with crab dip, crab meat, a mixture of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, topped with Old Bay. For $7 it is mouthful. I had one and thought I was going to ask for a golf cart to carry me home. It was rich, spicy and --guess what--- made me thirsty for beer.
What do you eat at M & T ?
Did I miss any good stuff?
What is your favorite , beer-friendly food?
Photo: Hot dog topping? Steamed crabs : AP
Comments
Wow I was at the Club Level and didn't see that dog, must be on the opposite side from my seats, dang. I'll have to walk around a bit and find that next time.
The most interesting food by me is the philly cheesesteak sandwich which is just a heart attack waiting to happen. They used to have sushi (think Cali rolls) in the club level a few years ago but took it away unfortunately.
Posted by: Baltimore Beer Guy | August 26, 2009 1:05 PM
I rarely, if ever, get food at Ravens games since the pregame tailgate usually fills me up (with food).
But Bateman's crab pretzel sounds pretty good. Hopefully there is a stand on the Ravens side of the field where my seats are.
Posted by: PCB Rob | August 27, 2009 8:42 AM
I pretty much never eat anything at Ravens games since the food is overpriced and doesn't taste all that good.
There's a stand right at the foot of the bridge that goes over the tailgaters parking lot and under the highway that sells awesome crab cake sandwiches for $5. I don't know if they're still at that location, but they offered a tasty sandwich for a decent price.
Posted by: Bruce | August 27, 2009 1:15 PM