FOOD: Plant-Based Eating at Nationals Park [DC]

[Vegan crab cake sandwich]

I don’t like sports. I don’t like watching them on TV, and I certainly don’t enjoy playing them, but I find myself drawn to baseball. As someone who thinks about food (a lot), how can I not help but to be attracted to a sport where one of the centerpieces of a game is a song that glorifies snacks?

Speaking of concessions, it used to be that the only options for plant-based eaters at baseball games were peanuts, popcorn, pretzels and the accidentally vegan Cracker Jack caramel corn. But, as the overall quality of concessions have improved (I mean, Shake Shack, what?), as have the quality of their vegan and vegetarian offerings. Parks around the country are serving up all types of meat-free fare, from veggie chili to vegan pizza to meatless Sloppy Joes, according to animal rights organization PETA’s recently released lists of their top veg-friendly MLB and minor league parks.

It’s particularly good to be a veg(etari)an at the park of my hometown franchise, the Washington Nationals. The park recently revamped its “healthy options” kiosk Field of Greens by making it all-vegetarian, and not necessarily healthy at that. Even better, all of its items can be made vegan by omitting cheese.

[SO MANY OPTIONS. You don’t know how happy/conflicted I was.]

I’ve only been to a couple of games this year, so I haven’t been able to try the whole menu (yet), but the clear winner was the vegan crab cake. As a native Marylander, and as a native Marylander who grew up not liking crab cakes, let me tell you: this was delicious. From texture to taste, it felt like I was eating real crab. Mind blown. I need the recipe. I’ve also had the veggie cheese steak, which came highly recommended by the kiosk’s cook, but which I found only okay, although, the portion size (huge) was a major plus. I look forward to trying the housemade veggie burger on a subsequent visit.

[Veggie cheesesteak sandwich sans cheese, cum mustard]

Another solid veggie sandwich can be found in G by Mike Isabella’s near-legendary roasted cauliflower sandwich, which also features romesco, pickled vegetables and paprika. (But, assuming the bread is the same as what’s used at G’s location on 14th Street, it’s not vegan.)

If you’re in the mood for Tex-Mex, the cuisine is well-represented with El Verano Taqueria’s veggie tacos and quesadillas, Hard Times Cafe’s veggie (but not vegan) chili nachos, and Bullpen Burritos, the park’s answer to Chipotle. Veggie (and vegan) chili can also be found at the park’s two outposts of the iconic Ben’s Chili Bowl. If Mediterranean food is more your thing, Nationals Park hold it down with falafel from outposts of Shawafel and Max’s Kosher Grill. And, if you’ve got a hankering for veggie sushi, South Capitol Sushi’s got a roll for you.

All of these meatless offerings are solid base hits for veg-heads. And, with more and more people adopting a plant-based diet, I look forward to seeing and eating what's next in the line-up.