"Mets" news and stories

It's baseball season, and we're a little obsessed 'round these parts. The MLB kicked the season off on Sunday when the Braves beat the Phillies, but for us Slashfoodies baseball is as much about beers and brats as it is about worrying how our teams will fare.

With that in mind, this week's Slashfood Ate (8) is dedicated to recent brew-related stadium stories.

1. Philadelphia Daily News' Joe Sixpack hints at some of the new draft beers at the Phillies stadium.
   
2. D.C. Sports Bog brags about the beers at Nats Park this year. And rightfully so. Do any other ballparks offer up Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA?
   
3. Not too far up the road in Bal'more, Kasper on Tap reflects on what Camden Yards is serving.
4. CNBC breaks the story on which stadiums boast cheapest beer prices in the league (the Pirates) and which are the most pricey (thanks a lot, Red Sox Nation).
5. Raucous Yankees fans can once again purchase beer in the bleachers. ...
6. ... But in a sign that the new Yanks stadium is still out of touch with the times, 24-ounce cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon will retail for an absurd $9.
7. The New York Mets turn up their noses at such piracy, lowering beer prices at their new stadium, Citi Field.
8. Sports fans, keep your boozin' in line or all of the above will be a moot point: Alcohol sales were banned for game two of the Tigers-Blue Jays series after drunken revelers ruined a rowdy opener.
   

Seen any interesting new suds offerings as your local ballpark? Can you even afford MLB beer prices in this economy?

By Alex Van Buren with reporting by Sarah De Heer

Elaborate eats -- despite the recession -- continue to make cameos nationwide, often in the strangest of places.

At Citi Field, Gotham's new Mets stadium, culinary stars Danny Meyer (Blue Smoke; Eleven Madison; Tabla), Dave Pasternack (Esca) and Drew Nieporent (Nobu; Tribeca Grill) will hawk their wares alongside the hot-dog vendors and pint-pourers.

It's quite a change from the scene at that beloved old warhorse, Shea Stadium, and an unusual step for what one 24-year-old lifelong fan calls "the blue-collar team in a city where the Yankees are kings." Is he looking forward to it? "Well, my dad is all in a huff -- 'Whatever happened to peanuts and crackerjacks?' -- but uh, I think it's gonna be cool."

The famously tasty Shake Shack burger has that effect on city denizens. Slashfood dropped by a press event to sample it and the rest of the grub.

Get a first taste and see photos after the jump.

This week, the Times is a little less pretentious and a little more...well, all-American.

Check out the interactive map of baseball stadiums across the country, and click on those featured for what to order and what to avoid at each.

The map is fun, as are the color photos of dishes at each stadium. But the quality of stadium food is highly debatable, especially if the food carries with it an air of nostalgia and tradition (ie: cheesesteaks in Philly or pizza in Chicago) or, y'know, if you've imbibed a bit too much (because let's be honest: after four beers, you won't care if the nachos are a little stale).

Although, I'll give it to the Times: the Philly cheesesteak shown in the photo was not a home run. Although I'll bet that somewhere out there, there's a diehard Phillies cheesesteak fan.