Ultimate Baseball Road Trip (26 page)
Read Ultimate Baseball Road Trip Online
Authors: Josh Pahigian,Kevin O’Connell
If you miss out on Tony Luke’s in the ballpark, fear not. You can still sample the “real taste of South Philly” before leaving the area. Or you can do what we like to do, which is get the pork sandwich with broccoli rabe at the ballpark, then drive to Tony Luke’s for a cheesesteak after the game.
600 Wendover St.
Although it’s not close to the ballpark, Dalessandro’s always makes the list of top steaks in Philly. Meaty, cheesy, and with just enough juice in the roll to induce the “Philly Lean”—you know, where you lean into the sandwich so you don’t lose a bite—Dalessandro’s is a locals’ type of place.
426 Belmont Ave., Bala Cynwyd
Mama’s offers one of the biggest, most expensive, and some say best, cheesesteaks in the area. These steaks are positively ginormous, and we think you’ll love every bite. Unless you can eat like Kevin and Josh, don’t worry about spending the extra cash, because you’re actually buying two meals in one.
1625 Chestnut Ave.—The Shops at Liberty Place
www.rickssteaks.com/order-like-a-local.html
Owner and proprietor Rick Oliveri is the grandson of Pat Oliveri, the self-proclaimed originator of the Philadelphia cheesesteak sandwich. And Rick’s carries on the tradition with pride. Rick’s Steaks used to have a stand where Campo’s now sets up at the ballpark. Of course, Rick’s replaced Geno’s steaks after only two years as well. We’re not sure about the reasons for the turnover at the park. But we know it wasn’t for lack of quality that Geno’s and then Rick’s left CBP.
900 Christian St.
Located in the heart of Philadelphia’s Italian Market, this joint got a nod from local son Will Smith with a mention in his song “Summertime.” It has also gotten props from
Philadelphia
magazine, winning best pizza in town in the annual readers’ poll. But this section (and city) is about steaks, right? And Lorenzo’s delivers a mighty fine steak, too. If you’re road tripping with someone who’s trying to watch her cholesterol, this might be the place for you. Not only does Lorenzo’s profess to serve the leanest steak in town, but it also offers grilled chicken hoagies.
305 South St.
The giant mural facing the street outside will draw you in, and the thinnest slice this side of the Big Apple will keep you coming back. Josh always gets a slice from Lorenzo when he’s strolling South Street. Then again, he always gets a water ice, a cheesesteak, and a pretzel too. Still, you won’t be disappointed by this South Street fave.
214 Market St., Old Philly
Yet another Philly steak joint that claims to have been voted the best, Campo’s has been around since 1947 and serves up a decent steak both inside the ballpark and at their longtime location in the Old Philly tourist district. Campo’s is only three blocks from the Liberty Bell, so if you’re planning on waiting in line to see the dinger, we advise stopping at Campo’s. You’ll thank us.
400 South St.
This is another tourist place for cheesesteaks. Located on festive South Street, not far from the Clara Barton House, Liberty Bell, and Rita’s Water Ice, Jim’s serves a decent steak and offers two levels of indoor seating. You could do a lot worse. Jim’s has been in business for more than sixty years, and some famous visitors have passed through its doors, as is attested to by the many autographed 8-by-10’s on its walls.
The Phillies did everything right with this ballpark, except maybe when it came to choosing its location. The experience is meant to be all encompassing, eliminating the need to spend your dollars outside the ballpark because everything is available inside. From a game-day-experience standpoint, it ranks among the best ballparks in all of baseball, offering everything a fan might come to expect, from natural grass to quirky field dimensions, to striking views of Center City beyond the outfield walls, to baseball-focused sports bars, to monuments and statues that pay tribute to the team’s rich history. There is plenty to see and do before the game, so be sure to arrive early. And once you do get to your seat, you will more than likely be pleasantly surprised by just how good the view is.
WAVERING WALL
The dimensions and wall configuration of this park might very well be the craziest built in the modern era of retro ballparks. In their attempt to imitate the walls of Shibe Park, the architects made an outfield that is challenging for the fielders, but fair to both pitchers and hitters. A thirteen-foot-tall wall in right field runs from the foul pole out to the right-center-field power alley, some 398 feet from the plate. In left, an eight-foot-high wall runs from the pole out to the 385-feet-deep left-center-field gap. That’s where things get interesting. The wall on the left side of a boxed-in area in center-field stands twelve feet, eight inches, and comes in from 385 feet to 381 feet. Then the wall runs back to almost straightaway center at 409 feet, but rises from twelve feet, eight inches to nineteen feet in the deepest part of the park.
A nice touch to this ballpark is the batter’s eye, which is an ivy-covered wall in straightaway center. Not only does it provide for an excellent contrast on the ball for hitters, but it simply looks like a ballpark should. It makes us wonder why other teams have yet to think of this. While some would call
it derivative of Wrigley, we like it. Our friend Thad Henninger, Philly resident and co-tour guide, said it best, “Maybe when the ivy has grown in nice and thick they’ll sculpt in a bust of Charlie Manuel, like something out of
Edward Scissorhands.”
Greg Luzinski’s Dinger
A replica of the Liberty Bell originally hung from the center-field roof of the Vet. Phillies slugger Greg Luzinski was the only player to ever ring the bell, dinging it with a monster shot on May 16, 1972. That dong was one of seven balls Luzinski launched into the Vet’s 500 Level during his career, more than anyone else in stadium history. It seems more than just coincidental to us that a player known as “the Bull” would be the only one to ding the Bell. It’s kind of like Mike Greenwell playing in front of the Green Wall for so many years in Boston. Some things are just meant to be.
A large neon Liberty Bell above Ashburn Alley is instantly noticeable from the field. It lights up and rings every time a Philly homers. Though the effect is diminished during day games, we think efforts at ballpark uniqueness such as this are what make baseball great.
If you don’t have a game-day atmosphere outside your ballpark, why not build one inside? Fans are allowed to enter this festive, history-filled, outdoor entertainment area an hour before the ballpark gates open. Named after Hall of Famer and former Phillies broadcaster Richie Ashburn, the alley extends the entire 625 feet of outfield concourse between the left- and right-field entrance gates, offering an atmosphere similar to Eutaw Street in Baltimore, only with a better view of the playing field and bullpens. Here you’ll find great food, cool drinks, water ice, a statue of Ashburn, a full kids area complete with game-show style amusements, and a tribute to the history of Philly hardball. And to top it off, you can still see the game.
Widely regarded as one of the top defensive center fielders of all time, Ashburn made five All-Star teams during his twelve seasons with Philadelphia, and led NL outfielders in chances per game in ten of eleven seasons from 1948 through 1958. He retired after playing the 1962 season with the Mets, having amassed 2,574 hits and batted .308 in fifteen total seasons. He then began a thirty-five-year broadcasting career, which continued until a heart attack claimed his life at age seventy in 1997. Ashburn’s number 1 was retired by the Phillies in 1979. He was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1995.
Appropriately, a ten-foot-tall bronze of Ashburn running the bases is located behind the batter’s eye in center. Phillies greats whose numbers are retired by the team are honored here, too, including Robin Roberts (36), Steve Carlton (32), Jim Bunning (14), and Mike Schmidt (20).
Not far from the statue, Memory Lane provides an illustrated timeline of baseball in Philadelphia, which includes historic moments from the Phillies, Philadelphia A’s, and Negro Leagues teams that played in the city.
Watching the big-screen, high-def JumboTron offers a clearer, better picture than your TV at home. In fact, the picture quality is so good on this mammoth TV that you can see it clearly as you drive across the Walt Whitman Bridge.
A nice touch that we’ve also observed in other parks is the radio broadcast of the game being piped into the concourses and restrooms. It’s another way to keep fans connected to the game when they have to leave their seats.
In August 2011, a seven-foot-high statue of Harry Kalas was unveiled behind Section 141, near the ballpark pub bearing the legendary broadcaster’s name. The statue’s $80,000 price tag was paid almost entirely by the Phillies and Kalas fans that had launched a petition to see him bronzed.
The Phillies have done an outstanding job bringing local food items of choice into the ballpark. From cheesesteaks to crab fries and back again, you can seriously get your grub on inside Citizens Bank Park.
The Tony Luke’s cheesesteak in Ashburn Alley is a top-quality Philadelphia cheesesteak worthy of an exalted place within the ballpark. The Phillies must have read the earlier edition of our book because they invited one of the better cheesesteak purveyors in town into the park and the quality is evident. There’s no real difference between the ballpark offering and that served in the restaurant, which dubs itself “the real taste of South Philly.” The line for this place is half an hour long before the first pitch and it just keeps getting longer as the game progresses. So once again, get there early or you might spend three innings waiting for your fix of delicious grilled Philly steak.
Perhaps equaling Tony Luke’s cheesesteak among Philly’s gastronomic delights, this monster of a sandwich can only be described as glorious in its artery-hardening prowess. Originally developed at McNally’s Tavern in Chestnut Hill, the Schmitter is grilled steak, grilled onions, grilled salami, special sauce, three layers of cheese, and tomatoes (why, Lord?) piled high on a Kaiser roll. It is a sandwich that must be tasted to be understood, and we encourage you to taste away, as you can only get this baby at the ballpark, at the Philly football venue, and at the tavern where it has been served for more than forty years. We were only saddened to learn that this ultimate sandwich was not named after Mike Schmidt.
Kevin:
I like the Schmitter better than the cheesesteak.
Josh:
Bite your tongue.
Kevin:
It’s going to be hard not to. The Schmitter would pose even Dagwood a challenge!
Another fantastic food option that has fans lining up throughout the entire game is the Crab Fries, available from the Chickie and Pete’s stand in Ashburn Alley. As our friend and tour guide Dave Hayden promised, these crinkle-cut fries dusted with Old Bay seasoning are good enough as they are, but even better with the cheese dipping sauce.
The addition of a quality ballpark cheesesteak has not been paralleled by the dogs at Citizens. There are so many great options for eats inside CBP that we nearly put this limp weenie on the list of items to which you should say “no, thanks,” and walk away.
Tony Luke’s also offers a
pork sandwich
, served with broccoli rabe, that stands up well alongside the cheesesteak offering. The
BBQ at Bulls
remains at the top of our ballpark list as well, as does the Bull himself, Greg Luzinski, who hit 307 home runs in a fifteen-year career split between the Phillies and White Sox. The Bull is out grilling and meeting with fans during nearly every home game, so stop by and say hi while you’re ordering your
“Bull Dog” kielbasa
. The
Hatfield Sausages
are great, served with grilled onions and peppers.