We are in the final stages of the continental baseball tour, and before we get to the ballpark grand finale in Seattle, we will focus next week on National Parks in the northwest. This week we will rank the top ballpark cuisine items from the first 29 ballparks and give an update on the guessing game challenge from Week One.

We’ll start with a recap of what we look for at the ballparks when we peruse the concession areas. First, something already identified by others as the best thing offered. Second, some kind of unusual take on traditional ballpark food. Finally, something that is available to everyone at the park. Food in preferred seating areas does not count. Food in an on-site, sit-down restaurant does not count unless there is a to-go option. This is not the final Top 20 list because we have yet to be in Seattle. Mostly, previous food descriptions will be gleaned from Weeks 1-11 with occasional additional remarks. Some of you will rejoice that a salad even makes an appearance. Prepare to be spellbound!

Best Ballpark Cuisine

No. 20: Dugout Dill Pizza – Minnesota Twins / Target Field

If someone is willing to stand in 100-degree heat for 90 minutes to get a slice at the state fair, it deserves a spot in the semifinal rankings. Pickles on pizza. It’s offered at Pizza Luce on the second level of Target Field. The sauce is a creamy ranch dill sauce instead of traditional tomato-based sauce. There are two layers of mozzarella cheese and large pickle chips. We have it on good authority that it is good, briny, garlicky and cheesy – a Minnesota cult classic.

PREVIOUSLY:

All dispatches from the Sprint can be found at this link.

No. 19: Crab Mac – Baltimore Orioles / Camden Yards

Stuggy’s offers the Crab Mac dish (mac and cheese covered with crab and Old Bay seasoning). The generous portions of both crab and mac and cheese hit the spot! As I was walking to a table to consume it, a fan stopped me to ask, “Where did you get that?!” It is impressive in both appearance and taste.

No. 18: Bobby Flay Blue Bacon Burger- New York Yankees / Yankee Stadium

The Bobby Blue Bacon Burger presented some simple ingredients: blue cheese, bacon, lettuce and tomato. It did not disappoint! It was fresh with the perfect amount of blue cheese and bacon to complement each other. Other options are the Crunchburger (potato chips produce the crunch), Bacon Crunchburger, and Bobby’s Veggie Burger.

No. 17: Manny’s Loaded Pierogi or Mac and Cheese – Pittsburgh Pirates / PNC Park

Manny’s does not hold back on the serving size. The heaping portions of house-smoked pork or house-smoked chicken aren’t measured when loaded onto your pierogi or mac and cheese. They keep putting it on until you can see only meat. Cheese and onions are at the ready if you want them, but if you want coleslaw to top it off (recommended), you will need to make a special request. It’s a big serving that will surely satisfy ­– a solid extra-base hit.

No. 16: Braised Brisket Bowl – NY Mets / Citi Field

From Fieldtrip - an eclectic mix of brisket, cucumber, yogurt, jollof rice, scallion, and sweet plantains. This delicious concoction is from Harlem chef JJ Johnson, a James Beard Award finalist, who has a Caribbean rice bowl mini-chain. This one may not be there anymore – it was part of the Coca-Cola Corner where vendors rotate.

No. 15: Bam Bam Turkey Leg - Cleveland Guardians / Progressive Field

The turkey legs have been given the nickname “Bam Bam Turkey Legs” by the food staff because they are reminiscent of what you might see in a Fred Flintstone cartoon. It’s a smoked turkey leg drumstick glazed with barbecue sauce and served with an Alabama white barbecue sauce. They prepare up to 100 of them each game and sometimes sell out. “I’ve always been a turkey leg fan,” said Gonzo Garcia who makes a point to get one when he comes to a Guardians game. “They put a great barbecue sauce on it. It’s juicy and messy. Grab a lot of napkins. It’s a lot of meat. It’s all you need to get. One and done.” Gonzo let me have the first bite of his. Thumbs up!

No. 14: Homestand Burger - Minnesota Twins / Target Field

Truly on Deck at Target Field puts together a new specialty hamburger for each homestand, and for this homestand the burger included two 4 oz. beef patties, candied bacon, sweet and spicy fig aioli, and aurgula cheese on a brioche bun. I’m a big fan of the double-double at In-N-Out Burger, and I am a recent convert to the Double Deluxe at Culver’s. As good as those burgers are, this Homestand Burger was in a totally different class. Lisa rated highly the Bobby Flay burger at Yankee Stadium, and she also liked this one better. The key was the sweet and spicy fig aioli. It tied everything together, giving a lasting comfort with every bite. And it comes with a salad! If any of you ballpark food nay-sayers decides to do a ballpark tour rating all the ballpark salads, you would have to rate this one highly because it comes with a Homestand Burger.

No. 13: Haluski Cannonballs - Pittsburgh Pirates / PNC Park

The Cannonballs are about the size of a racquetball ball and come three to an order. (For those who are unfamiliar with racquetball, that’s bigger than a golf ball but smaller than a billiard ball.) They are fried and contain kielbasa, egg noodles, bacon, sauteed cabbage, cheddar cheese and herb crema. “It’s cheesier than I expected,” said Pittsburgh fan Grace Polivka. “There is a good amount of kielbasa but not so much that it is overpowering. It’s fried but it’s not greasy.” It has a good balance of flavors. The serving of three was surprisingly filling.

No. 12: Brat Sampler - Minnesota Twins / Target Field

Kramarczuk’s Sausage Company has been part of the Minneapolis food scene for 60 years. In the sampler you get two half brats of three varieties – Polish sausage, bratwurst, and cheddar sausage – with plenty of caramelized onions and sauerkraut. It was filling enough that we couldn’t try any other food even if we wanted to. These were tailgate-worthy brats. Fresh, grilled and mighty tasty. Who’d have thunk that Minnesota would outshine Milwaukee in the brat department? My theory is the tailgate brats in Milwaukee are so good, the stadium has given up trying to outdo them.

No. 11: Burnt Ends Cheesesteak – Philadelphia Phillies / Citizens Bank Park

Bull’s BBQ offers a Burnt Ends Cheesesteak that the Redinger family (Phillies fans Jim and son Brad) highly recommend. “I’ve been going to Bull’s since the stadium opened (in 2004),” Jim said. “Everything there is really at a different level.” Bull’s is named for proprietor Greg “The Bull” Luzinski, a former Phillies player who was on the 1980 championship team. Luzinski comes to the games and has a booth near his BBQ concessions stand where fans can talk with him and ask for autographs. After my purchase of the Burnt Ends Cheesesteak, I asked Luzinski what I should put on it. “Don’t put nothin’ on it,” he advised. I didn’t, and it was indeed delicious.

No. 10: ’92 Crab Cake – Baltimore Orioles / Camden Yards

Baltimore Seafood House offers the ’92 Crab Cake as its featured signature entrée. Now, that’s a crab cake! The crab patty is thicker than any hamburger patty I’ve ever seen. It’s served on a brioche bun with creole mustard tartar sauce and topped with lettuce and tomato. Definitely real crab. And the sauce brings a little heat.

No. 9: Jerk Chicken & Mango Wrap - Detroit Tigers / Comerica Park

It consists of oven-roasted jerk chicken, peach mango salsa, no sugar added BBQ sauce, pepper jack cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, fresh mango slices, and onions wrapped in Swiss chard. It was fresh and tangy with some heat. Breadless also offers Turkey Avocado or Spicy Falafel wraps and a rice bowl with chicken.

No. 8: Baja Lobster Roll With Hot Link – San Diego Padres / Petco Park

It’s a long roll with lobster salad with a hot link stuffed inside. “I had it (without the hot link) the last time I was at a game,” said Padres fan Jose Batallia. “It was very good. But it needed a little something.” The hot link is that “little something” that pushes this lobster roll ahead of the many we have seen at other parks.

No. 7: Loaded Brisket Mac N Cheese Bowl – Atlanta Braves / Truist Park

The Mac & Cheese Bowl is a generous serving of baked mac & cheese smothered with smoked brisket. There are a few green chilis mixed in, and the whole thing is drizzled with queso and barbecue sauce. Good to the last bite!

No. 6: Crazy Crab’z Sandwich – San Francisco Giants / Oracle Park

Three words vault the Giants ballpark cuisine into the upper echelon: Crazy Crab’z Sandwich. It’s not cheap but it’s fantastic. It’s lump crab meat with fresh tomatoes grilled on sourdough bread. You’ll find it in the centerfield food kiosk. “The Crazy Crab’z sandwich is 100 percent worth it,” said Anna Sargent, a Giants fan we met at Oracle Park. “I don’t even look at the price. I get It every time I come to a game.” For those who do look at the price – it’s $25.

No. 5: Loaded Brisket & Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese – Milwaukee Brewers / American Family Field

The preparation for this loaded mac and cheese dish is different than any of the other stadiums we have been to. The cooked macaroni is plain at first, then mixed with melted cheese after the order is placed. This is placed in the serving dish, then topped with either shredded buffalo chicken or shredded beef brisket (we chose both). Cheddar cheese is spread on top, followed by bread crumbs. Then the entire concoction is placed in a toaster oven. This melts the top cheese, toasts the breadcrumbs, and provides an oven-hot dish. Totally anti-grab-and-go. The best loaded mac and cheese anywhere.

No. 4: Seaside Market Burgundy Pepper Tri-Tip Nachos – San Diego Padres / Petco Park

You can’t go wrong with the Seaside Market Tri Tip Nachos,” said Padres fan Craig Degraff. “They are super good. People will travel 25 miles to Cardiff just to get (Seaside Market’s) tri tip.” The marinated burgundy pepper tri tip is laid on top of a bed of nachos covered in Diego Queso. Then it’s covered with BBQ sauce, sour cream and green onions. We tried it and it was indeed worth an additional 25-mile trip if necessary.

No. 3: Sweet and Sour Fried Pork – Minnesota Twins / Target Field

Eathan Ishmael, one of the Truly on Deck’s chefs at Target Field, said the key to the dish is its simplicity. “There are so few ingredients, but it is so good,” he said. “Crunchy on the outside, soft in the middle. And presented really well.” Besides the crispy fried pork butt, ingredients include cabbage slaw, cucumbers, pickled carrots, and an amazing sweet-and-sour sauce by Vinai that pulls it all together. Absolutely loved this.

This is the world’s best chicken sando.

No. 2: Chicken and Waffle Sandwich – Houston Astros / Daikin Park

Crispy fried chicken breast, pepper jack cheese, bacon onion jam, honey chipotle aioli, and two Belgium-style waffles with a generous pouring of maple syrup. Best chicken sandwich ever. You will find it at the Fry-4-3 locations in the 200 and 400 levels of the park.

No. 1: Filthy Mac Fries – Arizona Diamondbacks / Chase Field

Whoever invented this deserves some kind of award. It is Cajun-spiced fries, covered with white cheddar mac, more cheddar cheese, topped with pork belly bacon, cola BBQ sauce, crispy onion rings, slaw and scallions. It was a flavor explosion. Each bite offered something different from the previous one. The crispy onion rings were reminiscent of what was served at O.H.’s Town House in Eureka back in the day. It is quite possibly the perfect ballpark food.

Best Hot Dogs

No. 7: Bacon Wrapped Dog – St. Louis Cardinals / Busch Stadium

The bacon-wrapped hot dog can be purchased already doused in sauteed onions, peppers, sauerkraut and mustard, or you can build your own. Cardinal fan Mike Fernandez explained why he was a repeat customer for this concoction. “The crispy bacon tastes really good with the hot dog,” he said. But, really, does crispy bacon taste bad with anything?

No. 6: Crab Mac Dog – Baltimore Orioles / Camden Yards

Stuggy’s has a Crab Mac Dog (jumbo lump crab, mac and cheese and Old Bay seasoning on an all-beef hot dog). It’s an alternative take to the Crab Mac, adding an additional flavor profile of the hot dog, but with less crab and mac.

No. 5: Slider Dog – Cleveland Guardians / Progressive Field

An all-beef hot dog with Froot Loops, pimento mac and cheese and bacon. This is surprisingly good. Where Bobby Flay has added potato chips to add crunch to his hamburgers, Happy Dog has found its secret ingredient to add sweetness and crunch to its hot dog – Froot Loops. It’s a crazy combination that really works. It makes you wonder how many breakfast cereals did they try before settling on Froot Loops?

No. 4: Sonoran Dog – Arizona Diamondbacks / Chase Field

A footlong Nathan, wrapped in pork belly bacon, topped with ranch beans, pico de gallo, mustard and mayo – all of it piled high and served on a toasted New England roll. Lots of flavor.

No. 3: Pepper’s Red Dog – Atlanta Braves / Truist Park

An all-beef hot dog with turkey chili, cheddar and jack cheese, onions, garlic aioli and spicy mustard. That’s one flavorful hot dog! Pepper’s offers many gourmet hot dogs and has its own restaurant in downtown Atlanta where they were voted “best hot dog in Atlanta.”

No. 2: Dog of the North – Milwaukee Brewers / American Family Field

Dog of the North includes apple kraut, yellow mustard, secret stadium sauce, jalapeno mayo, chopped bacon and Bavarian sprinkles. What are Bavarian sprinkles, you ask? The executive chef of the ballpark, Loren Rue, says they give off a “very Germanic, herb profile.” Apple kraut is the key ingredient as it is savory and sweet with the combination of sauerkraut and apples. Everything works in this hot dog. Delicious.

No. 1: Mac Daddy Dog – Houston Astros / Daikin Park

A footlong angus beef frank loaded with chopped brisket, mac & cheese, dill pickles and barbecue sauce. Tough to beat this one.

Guessing Game Challenge Update

Number of home team wins? 1. Less than 15. 2. 15. 3. More than 15.

After 29 games, the home team has won 15 times. The correct answer will be either No. 2 or No. 3, depending on how things go in Seattle on August 1.

Will there be a complete game? 1. Yes. 2. No.

We did see a complete game in Colorado. The correct answer is No. 1.

Average attendance? 1. Under 29,000. 2. 29,000 to 31,000. 3. More than 31,000

The average attendance after 29 games is 28,777. Seattle will have to have at least 35,500 in attendance to bring the number past 29,000.

Average Time of Game? 1. Under 2:35. 2. 2:35 to 2:40. 3. More than 2:40.

The average time of game after 29 games is 2:38. It is not going to budge much no matter what happens in Seattle. No. 2 will be the correct answer.

License Plates for all 50 states and at least 5 provinces? 1. In first 75 days. 2. In last 25 days. 3. Not at all.

We have seen 49 states at least twice in the first 75 days, with the addition of Washington DC and Foreign Diplomat plates. Still one state outstanding. We have seen six of the 10 Canadian provinces, fulfilling that goal. The answer will be either No. 2 or No. 3. I fear the closest thing we will get to a Hawaii plate is the commemorative plate posted in the Avenue of Flags at Mount Rushmore.

Tom Trepiak is the former sports information director at Humboldt State and a member of the Cal Poly Humboldt Athletics Hall of Fame.