A Friendly Reminder You Can and Should Bring Your Own Food Into Progressive Field

The Indians will this afternoon gather an assortment of TV news assignment reporters, Cleveland.com’s Facebook Live reporter (which is a real thing), probably someone from Crain’s and whoever else is still working around 4 p.m. and whose coverage area generally includes ballpark food to unveil the new offerings at Progressive Field this year.

That’s all well and good.

There will likely be cased meats with some other meat on top, as well as something that approximates a Major League Baseball organization’s attempt at capturing the current gastronomical zeitgeist, which, of course, means something that was trendy three years ago. Maybe the Tribe will wrangle another local restaurant into a stand to join Momocho and Barrio and the rest.

Again, all well and good.

But let us take this moment to remind you that not only can you bring your own food into the stadium, you should.

The reasons are plentiful but the list begins with two important and obvious factors: Price and quality.

Yes, part of the allure of a night at the ballpark is a hot dog and some peanuts. But no matter how much you enjoy slathering a packet of stadium mustard on your dog, little can improve the boiled, gray tube ensconced in a stale bun. And those peanuts? Crushed, frequently stale, and bearing a price tag five to six times that which you’ll find at your friendly neighborhood Aldi’s, Marcs or dollar store.

You think $12 is too much for an Ohio City Burrito burrito? Swing by the downtown location or Ohio City spot, grab one for $7 and bring that sucker on in with you.

You want to plop down in your bleacher seat with a $5 hot and ready pizza? Go for it. Bring it on in.

You want to grill up a quality sausage from the grocery store or the West Side Market or Ohio City Provisions, plop it into a bakery-fresh bun and get your condiments at the stadium? Wrap that sucker up in some foil to keep it warm and come on down, friend.

Sandwiches, snacks, dips, chips, ribs, bisques, whatever the hell you want, friends.

For all the caterwauling about the so-called expensive outing of a baseball game, which has in recent years dovetailed into a larger diatribe about how the Dolans are cheap and games are expensive so of course no one shows up, few take advantage of the team’s exceedingly lenient policy on the food front. (And don’t forget: You can bring your own sealed plastic water bottle in as well.)

So unless you’re an absolutist for coagulated nacho cheese that turns cold in less time than it takes to get back to your seat, do spread the word and join Scene in bringing a veritable picnic into the ballpark this summer.

This has been your Progressive Field public service announcement of the week. We’ll tackle parking in the next installment.

This article appears in Mar 27 – Apr 2, 2019.