WHEN THE NATS take on the Braves on March 30, it won't be the only tense face-off in the stadium. Ben's Chili Bowl will go head to head (or is it chili dog to chili dog?) with Hard Times Cafe, as both local enterprises compete to bust your gut on game day. "I, personally, think Hard Times Cafe runs circles around Ben's Chili Bowl, with all due respect," says Hard Times director of marketing Doug Welsh. Oh, yeah? "Bring it on," says Ben's co-owner Nizam Ali. "I'm all for it." Ah, nothing like a friendly competition to get the stomach churning. But Ben's and Hard Times won't be the only local vendors competing for your dollars on game day. Fish tacos and smoothies now supplement the traditional ballpark fare. Here's a look at what the local vendors will provide.

1. Ben's Chili Bowl (U Street)
Chili turkey dogs, chili cheese fries, chili cheeseburgers, half-smokes and, of course, chili (regular and veggie) will be offered at the Ben's stand on the third base side. "A lot of people have asked us to go to different places," says Ali. "This is not a small move for us. … How do you duplicate history?" The atmosphere may be a little different than at the 50-year-old D.C. staple, but the chili cheese half-smokes will be the same. And those (but not the other chili products) will be available at 12 carts throughout the stadium.

2. Boardwalk Fries (Ocean City, Md.)
All the staples — chicken tenders, fries, beer, soda and peanuts — will be available at the stand in left-center field. "Ours are fresh-cut fries," says co-owner Fran DiFerdinando. "We're cutting potatoes right there. It's not a frozen product."

3. Cantina Marina (Southwest D.C.)
Cantina Marina will switch it up: Fish and shrimp tacos, and muffaletta in summer; gumbo during the chilly months. "The signature item is going to be a blackened crab-cake sandwich," says managing partner Richard Hemmer. "We're also doing a Cajun corn dog — which is a corn dog with a little of our spice on it." The restaurant is a short walk from the stadium. The food, though, will be in the club level of right-center field.

4. Five Guys (Alexandria, Va.)
When it comes to ordering from the successful local franchise, go big or go back to the bleachers. Single patties are not an option here, says Director of Communications Molly Catalano. "We have the regular hamburger, cheeseburger, bacon burger, bacon cheeseburger," she says. And "regular" means two helpings of beef with a choice of 15 toppings. Fries will be served in one size, and hot dogs will be offered in cheese and bacon dog variations. If the smell of sizzling beef doesn't give away their location, look for 'em next to Cantina Marina in right-center field.

5. Gifford's Ice Cream (Silver Spring, Md.)
The stadium's sweet spot will be this mini-ice cream parlor stationed between home and first. Twelve flavors of ice cream — from Swiss chocolate to peppermint stick — will be served in cones and cups. Milk shakes and caramels are also available. Try a novelty ice cream sandwich called "The Dinger," says co-owner Neal Lieberman. The grand slam will be sundaes served in red souvenir Nats helmets. "We're not sure if we'll have them on Opening Day," Lieberman admits, "but we will have them." Suh-weet!

6. Hard Times Cafe (Alexandria, Va.)
Look for all of the old favorites at Hard Times, which will provide chili dogs, nachos, wings, chili mac and Frito chili pie. "We're the old reliable," says Doug Welsh, whose stand will be in the left-center field food court. "We have a lot of loyal customers who are very happy to see us in venues like this."

7. Krazee Ice (Clinton, Md.)
In the center-field plaza, fans can find 31 flavors of New Orleans-style shaved ice — perfect for cooling off on those particularly hot D.C. summer days.

8. Mayorga Coffee (Rockville, Silver Spring, Md.)
There's beer and soda, water and lemonade, and then there's Mayorga, featuring lattes, cappuccinos, coffees, organic iced teas and smoothies (one flavor will be mango). "It's unique to have a hand-crafted latte at a park," says owner Martin Mayorga. "Our people will be coming out into the stands with iced tea and smoothies — those will be served right out of a jet pack. It will be cool and innovative." They will have four carts located at the suite level behind home plate, the first-base side club level, and the first- and third-base sides on the main level.

9. Noah's Pretzels (Gaithersburg, Md.)
Salt, plain, cinnamon and gluten and casein-free are all options. Pretzels not shaped in a Nationals' "W" are not. "I went on a Web site, saw the team logo and started playing with it," says owner Dwayne Herndon of the distinct shape. Herndon's 8-year-old son Noah — for which the business is named — has autism, and 10 percent of proceeds from the stand in the left-center field food court will benefit autism awareness.

» Hometown Helpings
Maybe it's because Stan Kasten is not from around here — or maybe the man who's traveled around to baseball stadiums for so long just gets it. But either way, the team has figured out that, in this transient city, there are going to be people who — gasp! — didn't grow up on Ben's. For them, the Nats will rotate through some traditional favorites: Cuban sandwiches when the Marlins are in town, Texas brisket for Astros fans, fried ravioli for the visiting St. Louis Cardinals and California sushi rolls for the L.A. Dodgers faithful, just to name a few.

» Seeing Red in Center Field
Beer belching and rowdy fans typically come to mind when you think of center field seats. Not so for the Nats. A $65 ticket lands your rump in a cushy seat with complimentary in-seat service. There's also a $20 credit toward food and booze that can be cashed in at the nearby Red Porch Restaurant and Red Loft Bar.

Photo by Marge Ely/Express

Posted by Kris Coronado at 12:01 AM on March 26, 2008
Tagged in Dining , Nationals , Nationals Park , Sports , Top Stories