WHILE THE CITY IS BUZZING about the new Nationals ballpark -- and the nightmares of parking and Metroing there -- food fans should divert their attention to the array of D.C.-centric stadium snacks.

The Ben's Chili Bowl outpost will offer, among other items, the iconic half-smoke and vegetarian chili. A new startup from Gaithersburg, Noah's Pretzels, will serve hand-rolled pretzels and offer gluten- and casein-free versions.

To spice things up -- and cool things down -- enjoy Cajun food and frozen drinks from Cantina Marina. And, should you start falling asleep during the fifth inning of a pitcher's duel, stop by Mayorga Coffee for an espresso to wake yourself up through the ninth.

» Nationals Park, 1500 South Capitol St. SE; (South Capitol).

Written by Express contributor Stefanie Gans
Photo by Marge Ely/Express

WHEN HELMUTH, OBATA & KASSABAUM (HOK) was commissioned to work on Nationals Park, there was no such thing as the Washington Nationals. Jim Chibnall, the lead architect, was working with the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission, but he didn't know who his ultimate boss would be or what that eventual boss would want.

But he and the rest of the HOK team fell in love with city's historic monuments and wanted to translate their shapes to the stadium.

"The Washington monument is a line; the Jefferson memorial is a sphere; the Lincoln memorial is a cube — so those kinds of explorations, really helped us," says Chibnall, who has worked on more than a dozen stadiums for HOK, most recently the new Busch Stadium in St. Louis. "We started drawing circles and triangles, and out of that came the result of the building. The seating bowl is really a circle in plan. The elevation along south capital, we looked at a series of rectangles and squares and certainly triangles there."

Continue Reading "Monumental Achievement: Designing Nationals Park" »

AT THE CORNER OF GEORGIA AVENUE and W Street in Northwest Washington, an important piece of the city's baseball history is easy to miss.

On that spot, now the location of Howard University Hospital, once stood Griffith Stadium, the home of the Washington Senators from 1911 to 1961.

Built quickly after a fire destroyed an earlier wood park on the site, Griffith stadium hosted some of the game's greats — Ruth, Mantle, Aaron, Musial and Mays — and was the part-time home of the legendary Homestead Grays of the Negro League.

Continue Reading "A Lot To Live Up To: D.C.'s Baseball History" »

ALTHOUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD directly around Nationals Park isn't quite Wrigleyville yet, the surrounding area provides quite a few food and drink options within a reasonable walk. With Capitol Hill and the vibrant 8th Street corridor just blocks away, we highlight some hangouts to consider if you're looking for something to do before or after a ballgame.

HAWK 'N' DOVE
» This popular political bar attracts Hill interns and staffers most nights, yet appeals locals and tourists alike. The small outoor seating section is perfect for summertime pre-or-post game drinking and socializing. (329 Pennsylvania Avenue SE — 202.543.3300)

BANANA CAFE
» Banana Cafe doubles a Cuban, Mexican and Puerto Rican cafe by day, and a fantastic piano bar by night. Buffet brunch will appeal to those looking to grab a bite before weekend day games. (500 8th Street SE — 202.543.5906)

Continue Reading "Hardball Hangouts: Where to Go After a Game" »

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.

Continue Reading "Buy Me Fish Tacos and Chili Mac: Nats Park Eats" »

WITH JUST 5,000 SPACES parking at Nationals Park will be a nightmare. We have the best ways to get to the game on time.

» METRO: RED LINE
» They Say: Take the Red Line to Union Station, where you have your choice of two options. A walk south down 1st Street to New Jersey Avenue will guide you straight to the ballpark. Also, Metrobus has ramped up service on the N22 line which runs between Union Station and the Navy Yard station.
» We Say: This is a good option. Although taking a bus from Columbus Circle to the Navy Yard might not be any faster than a 25-minute walk during rush hour.

Continue Reading "Driver's Remorse: Getting to Nationals Park" »

IT'S GOT 100,000 square feet of field covered by grass with 98 sprinklers to water it. It has more than 3 million feet of power wire, nine miles of pipe and 14,000 lights.

It boasts 853 seats for the disabled, 64,200 square feet of restaurant space and the capacity for 41,888 people to settle in.

After years of planning, months of work and more than $600 million in taxpayer money, the new stadium is nearly ready for Opening Day on Sunday. Photographer Lawrence Luk visited Nationals Park on Saturday, and here's what he saw.

» Click here for a slideshow.

» NATIONALS PARK SPECIAL: Find out how the stadium was designed, how to get there and what treats to eat in our special Nats Park section.