There’s probably no activity that I, the Veggie Vigilante, associate more with summer fun than going to baseball games. As we know, the Paw Sox are easily accessible and have incredible vegetarian offerings (at the Hess Express, no less).

Once in a while, though, I manage to get called up to the Big Leagues, and last Friday was one of those rare nights at Fenway. The game was pretty bad; we got clobbered. And there was no Manny, hardly any Papi, and not even a Lugo to hurl insults at! I wish I could say the food was better than the game, but I won’t lie–it wasn’t. Yeah, yeah, I know, as my companion pointed out, Fenway Franks rule and the Sausage Guy’s the bomb, but for vegetarians, Fenway has very few tasty treats to offer, making it tough for us to share in everyone else’s food fun. Here’s the best I can do for a veggie itinerary at Fenway:

Aside from one standout item that McCoy doesn’t have, the veggie pickings are slim, and the vegan options hardly existent. Start on Yawkey Way, and get the easy to find fresh roasted peanuts which you can share with any carnivorous companion. Sadly, healthy eating peaks at this stage. Totally vegan friendly.

Move on into the park, and chase those peanuts with some kettle corn. Don’t be fooled; it’s not the mediocre popcorn in the bag that you find at the frank stands. The kettle corn guys stand alone in the Big Concourse, past the right field concourse. The kettle corn is hot, sweet with a light caramel glaze, salty, buttery but not greasy, and truly some of the best popcorn I’ve ever had. Take a break, (2 innings or so). For your main course, for better or worse, pretty much all you can have is a Papa Gino’s personal cheese pizza. It is what it is. In the moment, it’s not terrible, and it does take me back to memories of childhood birthday parties. I must note that the same Papa Gino’s pizza is consistently served hotter and tastier at McCoy. As a side, go with the garlic fries. With a kind of Cajun style batter, they taste really good, but again they’re not as hot, fresh, or plentiful as the fries at McCoy. For dessert, really, there’s really only one option — the sometimes too icy fro-yo in a souvenir helmet. And please, for your own good, do avoid the “healthy selections” case in the Big Concourse. The fruit medleys are unappetizing and pathetic for the price. Also, vegans will definitely have some dairy dangers in everything except the nuts and fries.

Ultimately, to improve their vegetarian fare, particularly for vegans, Fenway need only turn to their minor league brethren for advice, as the folks at McCoy always seem to get it right. You can email VV at hollaback@veggievigilante.com

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