Tom Cizauskas at Yours for Good Fermentables has a great post today, discussing whether the Orioles or our very own Nationals have a better ballpark when it comes to beer. He decides in favor of Camden Yards, noting that the Nationals have a larger selection, but fail when it comes to incorporating local beers into the mix. Clipper City, Cizauskas notes, is the closest brewery, just 35 miles distant, but its beers are not among those on offer. (Note: Cizauskas is the brewery’s territory manager.) This may be true, but having grown up in Chicago (Bruce speaking here), I’m delighted to see that Nationals Park offers more than the ubiquitous “Bud men” that circulate the stands at Wrigley Field. Maybe it’s different these days, but Bud certainly had a lock on summer afternoons in Chicago.

The Nationals started out slow. In their first year, the park was a beer wasteland, far behind the times. But as the team has gathered steam, so have the concession stands. They’ve also gathered ridiculously high prices, but that’s another story. The Washington Post offers a handy list of what to expect this year during your trek to cheer on the Nationals. I have to say, its a respectable list, even if it does omit local options. The offerings, according to the Post:

Bottles: Budweiser, Bud Light, Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Lite, Coors Light, Bell’s Oberon American Wheat Ale, Harpoon Summer Ale.

Draft: Peroni, Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout, Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale, Southampton Triple Abby Style Ale, Harpoon UFO Hefeweizen, Williamsburg Tavern Brown Ale, Flying Dog Old Scratch Amber Lager.

Few things make me happier in the dead of winter than reading this phrase in the sports section: pitchers and catchers report. It’s spring training time and despite the steroids and the gross imbalance of power in the sport, I still love baseball. The snap of a fastball in a catcher’s mitt. The crack of a bat. The deli mustard on an all-beef frank. The drunk behind me who won’t stop harassing the Nats’ left fielder.

Now there’s a blog dedicated to exploring food at the ballpark:

• Scoreboard Gourmet is eating her way through spring training. SG only has one fault that I can find: She’s a Yankees fan.
• Food Allergy Buzz reports on two local games this year that will cater to fans with peanut and other allergies.
• The Washington Nationals have formed a partnership with Levy Restaurants, a James Beard-award-winning company, to provide fare this year at the park. Levy is promising “regional dishes and innovative versions of D.C.’s favorites.” (OK, this isn’t a blog link. Sue me.)

On the non-baseball front:

• Both Metrocurean and Penn Quarter Living have their own takes on the recent opening of Zola Wine & Kitchen.
• Prince of Petworth has an early tease about another new watering hole on 14th Street NW.
• The Express maps the locations of D.C.’s latest speakeasies.