Checking out the fan fare at a Modesto Nuts game

Enjoying a “surprisingly good” Philly cheesesteak and a bag of peanuts – “You gotta have peanuts at the ballpark” – at Friday night’s home game of the Modesto Nuts at John Thurman Field, fan James Chagle said grub is “50 percent of the (ballpark) experience, in my book. If you’re not enjoying food, you’re not fully enjoying it.”

He had a good point. You can, root, root, root your heart out for the home team, with no guarantee it will have a good night. But hot dogs, chicken strips, tri-tip, nachos – they’re not going to let you down.

Ed Mack, vice president of concessions with the Nuts, knows the importance to fans of good, reliable fare.

“We came up with a seasoning and recipe for tri-tip that fans very much enjoy,” said Mack, who cooks the meat personally. “On a good night, we have 4,000 people, so we do it the same every game, so if someone comes out for Game 1, Game 10 or Game 50, there’s that consistency.”

Tri-tip is one of the menu staples at Thurman, along with chicken strips and fries, nachos “and the all-important hot dog,” Mack said. “That’s what we see the most of.”

Sure enough, chicken strips and nachos were seemingly everywhere at Friday’s Nuts vs. Stockton Ports game. The strips and fries were Modesto resident Katrina Saragosa’s pick, though she also was carrying chili-cheese fries for a family member.

“I absolutely love them,” she said. “It’s probably the best value on the menu, for what you get.”

Hughson resident Marvin Harper also ordered chicken strips. He said he never eats before coming to a game, because the food is such a big part of the fun.

Overhearing that daughter Kristin Lovejoy was going to try the new grilled-chicken bowl with rice and veggies, Harper exclaimed in mock disgust, “That’s healthy!”

Appealing to fans who are looking for healthier fare than hot dogs and fried foods is one of the reasons the Nuts added the teriyaki bowl to the menu this season, Mack said. The bowl of diced chicken, rice, Japanese-style vegetables and sauce replaces the deep-fried spicy chicken sandwich that was on the menu.

“It sold OK, and people liked it,” Mack said of the breaded sandwich, “but people were asking, ‘Outside of the chicken wrap and turkey burger, what healthier options do you have?’ ”

The Nuts typically try to add a couple of new menu items each season, “whether it’s a trend or something we tried in a restaurant or had somewhere else around the country,” he said. “We’ll throw it in to see what works and what doesn’t.”

But “throwing it in” doesn’t mean just adding an item without some fan feedback. Items being considered for the menu often are rolled out at an event for season-ticket holders in October, Mack said. The team also runs items by corporate partners that do picnics and barbecues at the ballpark.

“We try to keep things fresh because we’ve had groups out here seven, eight, 10 years in a row and don’t want it to get stale,” he said.

Also, after each homestand, the team surveys the fan base on topics such as parking, tickets, ushers and concessions. Overall, “it’s a year-round process that we’re engaging mini-plan holders, season-ticket holders, corporate sponsors and people who buy their tickets online,” Mack said.

A couple of years ago, the lobster-and-crab roll was added to the menu and has gained a following among mini-plan and season-ticket holders.

This year, in addition to the chicken bowl, new items include deep-fried cheese curds and a soup-and-grilled-cheese-sandwich combo. The cheese curds replace Buffalo wings on the menu.

Mack and Nuts Vice President/General Manager Mike Gorrasi tried the curds at an annual Sysco private food show they regularly attend.

“They bring in vendors that think their food could be used at the stadiums,” Mack said. “Mike and I look at the taste, how it looks, see if it fits in the realm of what we’re doing.

“One of the companies had cheese curds there. I popped one in my mouth and was like, ‘Holy cow.’ I’m a cheese freak, and my cardiologist hates me for it. Once I ate one, I must have eaten 20. Mike, who has a different palate than I do, did the same thing – ate one, ate two, ate five. You can’t stop. ... We thought it would be a great addition to our garlic fries stand.”

Friday, fan Bruce Gong of Riverbank tried the curds. He said he’s had them once before elsewhere, but “These are better.”

LeeAnn Workman of Modesto said she’s all about the cheese, whether it’s with a soft pretzel or on a hot dog or nachos. Hearing about the new cheese curds on the menu, she said, “I’ll most definitely have to check them out.”

A quick survey of what other fans were consuming:

Jose Avila of Ceres has been coming to games for years. Friday’s was his first this season and he was having a spicy sausage. It’s “slightly sweet,” he said, but what he really likes is the heat, which he kicks up by adding onions.

His wife, Marlene, was having a tri-tip sandwich. She said her requirement for food is, “Can you put it in your mitt?” She wants fare she can just pick up, no cutlery needed.

Jonathan Rosquites of Livingston, at the game with nephew Nicolas Macion, 9, and daughter Emerie, 6, said nachos with the works get him through the night. Nicolas took a big bite of pulled-pork sandwich and declared, “It’s good.” Emerie went with the classic hot dog.

And eating cotton candy, Riverbank 13-year-old Alexis Summer said she also likes funnel cakes and garlic fries.

“Oh, yeah, the kids are big on the funnel cakes,” added her dad, Steve.

This story was originally published May 1, 2016 at 11:50 AM with the headline "Checking out the fan fare at a Modesto Nuts game."