Northwest Arkansas Naturals: Italian Sausage

Nothing beats Texas League action at the AA level on a hot midwest night. Most of the league has nice, new ballparks and cozy confines that serve up some delicious dogs. The Northwest Arkansas Naturals have been in my sights for some time since they often play in Tulsa. I finally pinned them down to a date and set my sights on Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, just up the street from Fayetteville; a town that supposedly has a good college football team, although I have never heard of them.

I was able to speak briefly to the General Manager, and it looks like I missed the specialty dog boat. The Naturals offer up a third of a pound frank topped with a choice of five of the following: lettuce, tomato, American cheese, grilled onions, diced onions, cheddar cheese sauce, cole slaw, sauerkraut, and applewood bacon. With a selection like that you could play Picasso of Processed Meat and create your own work of art in a bun. Unfortunately, that dog is not available every night, and being on a Sunday and a kids eat free day, I was relegated to trying the the next biggest thing: the Italian Sausage.

Appeal-after seeing what could have been, I was despondent. So depressed that I was considering a slice of pizza. But I snapped out of it and opted for the the Italian sausage. It looked pretty tasty sizzling on the grill. 3.5

Ingredients-a Johnsonville sausage paired with grilled onions and sauerkraut. 4

Uniqueness-most ballparks are doing the brat/sausage with grilled kraut and onions. 3

Monstrosity Factor-it wasn’t a small dog, but not overly large either. 3

Value-A little pricey at $7.50. 3

Overall Taste-nice soft bun and a tasty sausage. I enjoyed it. 4

APPEAL	3.5
INGREDIENTS	4
UNIQUENESS	3
MONSTROSITY FACTOR	3
VALUE	3
OVERALL TASTE	4
TOTAL	20.5

I wish I had the opportunity to try the build your own specialty dog. The Naturals would have undoubtedly scored higher than 20.5 out of 30. But, I have to get what I can when at the ballpark. Missing out on that dog gives me an excuse to return to Arvest Ballpark to see another game. Which I will, Naturally.