classy but trashy

It’s June! Memorial Day has passed, the sun is (sort of) shining and I’ve worn shorts on two separate occasions in the past week. While it won’t be official until June 21st, for all intents and purposes- it’s Summer! One of the joys of this season is the opportunity to take mealtime out of the house, on the road and into nature. Be it at a ball game, on a road trip, in the park or at the beach, a picnic is a great way to get outdoors and spend some quality time with friends, family and food! For this month’s Classh Courses I will be packing up and sharing a classhy twist on different picnic types and destinations, so grab your soft cooler, plastic cutlery and a kickass beach blanket—we’re goin’ picnicking!

Falling on the last Monday in May, Memorial Day usually arrives with beautiful weather and the high spirits that only a Monday off work can invoke. With that kind of energy swirling in the air, it’s no wonder this day is one of those most associated outdoor feasting and revelry.

This year I happened to have tickets to see the Giants vs the Rockies at AT&T Park here in San Francisco. Perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of getting to go to a game is the chance to eat delicious ballpark food! AT&T Park in particular has fabulous eats—the only downside is how fantastically expensive everything is. AT&T Park does allow outside food so long as it’s in a soft cooler (as opposed to a hard plastic one) but does not allow outside alcohol. So, if you want to get your drink on at the park, expect to pay $9 for domestic beers and the same for imports, though the cup size will be smaller. Supposing you order two beers throughout the game, that’s already 20 bucks you’ve spent on top of your ticket price! At that rate, I’d understand if you’ve lost your appetite. Well, never fear, because this week I’ll set you up with tips on how to pack in your snacks without missing out on your ballpark favorites!

Introducing this week’s Classh Course:

Giant Ballpark Lunch

 SkyBox Garlic Fries, Stealin’ Home Turkey Dogs

and Game Winning Nachos

Gilroy Garlic Fries easily take the title of signature food item at AT&T Park. Piled high with chopped garlic and parsley flakes, at lease one order of these fries is bound to get passed around your group on game day. While this treat is undeniably tasty, I will admit the garlic can tend to be a bit raw, tumbles right of the fries and is best enjoyed when mixed into a generous pool of ketchup for fry dipping. With this classhy take on garlic fries you can enjoy this in-demand dish without missing a game changing play while waiting in that ridiculous line! In addition, the use of some unexpected and sophisticated flavors make these fries SkyBox worthy!

SkyBox Garlic Fries
Serves 4
½ package of frozen fries (shoestring or regular, not seasoned)
Garlic salt
2 tsp parsley, finely chopped
Spray butter

At Home:

-Preheat oven according to package instructions

-Cover a large baking pan with a sheet of foil and lay fries in a single layer

-Spray fries thoroughly with butter

-Generously coat fries with garlic salt

-Bake according to package

-When done baking, shake fries to the center of the foil sheet and sprinkle on parsley flakes.

-Fold foil up around fries so they are well contained for travel but not smashed

At the ballpark:

-Unfold foil to create a sort of tray for your fries

-Serve with Truffled Ketchup and don’t forget to share!

**There will be a bit of unavoidable fry wilting in transit. To minimize this effect, you will want to time your picnic packing so the fries come out of the oven and go into your soft cooler right as you’re leaving home. Also, consider eating your fries first once at the game!

Truffled Ketchup

¼ cup ketchup

¼ tsp white truffle oil

1/8 cup canned parmesan

Dash white pepper

-Mix all ingredients together, put in small jar or Tupperware and throw into your picnic basket!

Who doesn’t crave a hot dog on a hot summer day at the ballpark?! This is the quintessential American treat to go along with the quintessential American pastime. These turkey dogs are grilled (boiled meat is so creepy!) at home, slipped into hoagie rolls while still naked and ready to take on the condiments table at the park’s concession stand!

Stealin’ Home Turkey Dogs

Turkey dogs
Hoagie rolls

At home:
-Grill up dogs on the Foreman or stovetop
-Put each dog in a roll and wrap the whole package up in tin foil*

At the ballpark:
-Unwrap your dogs and take ‘em to the concession stand.
-Load up on your choice of yellow and deli mustards, ketchup, relish and even some chopped onions… Yum!

*An alternate method would be to pack the dogs and rolls separately. Roll up the grilled dogs side by side in one foil fold and pack them right next to the heat source. Pack the rolls separately in a bag and don’t forget napkins to transport the assembled “dogs in buns” to the concessions!


There’s just something about the kind of cheese that maintains a certain level of viscosity no matter the temperature… I love it. Sometimes it comes out of a pump dispenser, other times it’s just chillin’ in a little plastic cup with a lid. Usually its origin was in a bag. Admit it, you love it too and that’s why I see so many folks contentedly munching away on their ghetto bagged cheese and semi-stale chip nachos at so many sporting events. Well, even this guilty pleasure can be given a touch of classh and packed in with you.

Game Winning Nachos

¼ can Juanita’s Nacho Cheese

2 tsp grated cotija or queso fresco

A pinch of chili powder

½ bag of your favorite tortilla chips (Viva Casa Sanchez!)

At home:

-Spoon the nacho cheese into a small travel container

-Top nacho cheese with cotija or queso

-Sprinkle all with chili powder

-Bring enough chips for everyone in your group!

At the ballpark:

-Simply open everything and enjoy not having paid $8 for your treat!

Required Picnic Gear

Soft cooler

Larger basket, bag or backpack

Tin foil

Assorted Tupperware containers

Personal heat pack (ThermaCare HeatWrap-- found at Walgreen's, RiteAid and larger grocery stores)

Packing up:
The Cooler
Option 1:
     1. Hot dogs in buns go on the bottom of the cooler
     2. Place heat source on top of dogs
     3. Set fries packet directly on top of heat
     4. Squeeze in any additional dogs
Option 2:
     1. Place single package of all bun-less dogs on the bottom of the cooler
     2. Set heat source directly on foil wrapped dogs
     3. Pack fries in on top of heat

Now pack your cooler and all your additional accoutrements into your larger bag and head out. If taking public transit, be wary of other passengers trying to snatch your bag- you’ll be wafting tastiness!