Spring training is here, and it's a great time to take someone out to the ballgame and work up an appetite while you're at it. Every major league and minor league team in the Cactus League is playing in the Phoenix area, and with games every day until April, there are plenty of opportunities to spend a day at a nearby ballpark.
When it comes to deciding what you're in the mood to eat before or after the game, skip the peanuts and Cracker Jacks, and step up to the plate at Chompies on University Drive.
With a wide range of traditional Jewish dishes, as well as more basic fare, you're bound to find something pleasing to the palette at this bakery, bagelry and delicatessen, whether it be for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Don't head over to Chompies if you're feeling lazy, however. With a nearly endless list of choices, reading the menu is no simple task.
Start with breakfast: Chompie's has an extensive selection of egg skillets and omelets. Some of the best include the Lumberjack - a hearty mix of hash browns, bacon, cheese and mushrooms.
For health nuts there's the Fitness - egg whites enveloping turkey, tomatoes, chiles, spinach, mushrooms and tomato.
Cheese lovers will adore the French - a blend of parmesan and havarti, as well as mushrooms, bacon and scallions.
If you're in the mood for something richer, try the Torrey Pines omelet - a mix of portabella mushrooms, tomatoes, basil and French goat cheese.
The many Benedicts are also a favorite among anyone who loves richer breakfast foods.
There are also a variety of Southwest-influenced breakfast items and more adventurous morning choices like the Breakfast Potato Skins.
If you'd like to brunch on something more uniquely Chompies, take a swing at the Lox and Bagel or Matzo Brye, a mix of scrambled eggs and matzo crackers.
Be sure to sample the Signature French Toast, which is made from challah bread and is some of the best in town. There are also cheese or blueberry blintzes (Jewish crepes), latkes (potato pancakes) and bialys (Jewish bagels that are baked and not boiled).
There are plenty of traditional Jewish lunches and dinners to be had, as well. Start a meal with some Matzo Ball Soup - a mix of round matzoh dumplings, vegetables and chicken broth - before moving on to one of the dozens of high-stacked sandwiches. Try layers of beef brisket stuffed between potato pancakes, and you won't be disappointed.
Those with slightly more gentile tastes can still calm their hunger with turkey, meatloaf or roasted chicken, to name just a few.
You won't be able to slide past the bakery case on the way out, either. Chompies has quite an assortment of pastries, cakes, pies and other goodies bound to please the pickiest dessert lover. Pick up a couple of giant cookies on the way to a game for a sweet treat between innings.
No matter what, a day at the ballpark and a meal at Chompies are bound to be a hit. And with low prices and huge portions, you won't have to worry about striking out at the bank at the end of the day.
Reach the reporter at: jessica.kokal@asu.edu.
