Did you ever want to take a road trip across the United States? That is what the Hudson Valley Renegades offered fans on a Wednesday night at Dutchess Stadium. The NY-Penn League team had a “Great American Road Trip” night in which the between inning sideline games and food offerings paid tribute to popular destinations in the USA. Fans followed along on a map displayed on the scoreboard and food specialties were offered while the fans were still “visiting” that locale. Crab cakes were available while fans were “in” Baltimore.
On the hot dog front the Renegades have a “Be Your Own Chef” stand and offer a different specialty dog during each homestand. During my visit the Renegades were honoring Washington DC as we close in on the Fourth of July. DC is famous for their half-smoke and that is what you could use as the foundation for your own creation. I put mine on a pretzel bun, added onions, kraut, chili, red peppers, mustard and commenced munching.
Appeal-the idea of designing your own dog ensures you get what you want. And anyone that has ever tried a half-smoke likes it. The stand was a bit difficult to find. 4
Ingredients-quality ingredients, using a Sabrett’s half-smoke frank. The pretzel bun was good, but I have had softer. 4
Uniqueness-half-smokes are not new, in fact they are quite popular in DC. Making it the dog of the homestand for Independence Day was a great idea. And with a build your own you can design it the way you want. 4
Monstrosity Factor-a nice size dog, and I wasn’t hungry the rest of the game, but I also had no problem demolishing it. 3.5
Value-for a large dog with a half-smoke on a pretzel bun $6.50 it is a good deal. 5
Overall Taste-pretty tasty. While the Sabretts frank is good, it isn’t my favorite; but I like the fact it is a regionally recognized product. Decent pretzel bun and a generous amount of good-tasting toppings. 4.5
| APPEAL | 4 |
| INGREDIENTS | 4 |
| UNIQUENESS | 4 |
| MONSTROSITY FACTOR | 3.5 |
| VALUE | 5 |
| OVERALL TASTE | 4.5 |
| TOTAL | 25 |
An overall score of 25 is a solid showing for a short-season class A ballclub. It is not an easy task to toss out a specialty offering in a modest ballpark where space for preparing concessions is limited. The Renegades do a good job of giving fans’ tummies something to look forward to when they get to the stadium.
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| Camino Walker Linda |
It was also a special night for me as I got to take my friend Linda to the game. Linda and I met while walking the 500-mile Camino de Santiago in Spain a few years ago. She graciously allows me to stay with her when I go to the Yankees games and take the train that drops you off right in front of Yankee Stadium. I even got her to eat a hot dog.
So how did the Renegades do on the field? Did I mention they have a great hot dog?
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