Citizens Bank Park: Vegan Baseball Burger

Baseball. My mind conjures the image of loud, stanking drunk men using extremely perverse language to convey their discontent over the futile performance of obscenely overpaid professional athletes, smelling like drunk men do in the midsummer heat ... a culture a girl like myself can hardly identify with.

I'll admit, I was skeptical of this whole baseball thing. When the Phillies were winning the World Series I was sick with a stomach virus in a Ft. Lauderdale airport bathroom and during the parade I was stuck in a conference for work. Needless to say, I did not catch the fever and never in my wildest dreams would I pair baseball games with yummy vegan treats but I am just tickled by these little amazing discoveries. As Justin so lovingly blogged about his hot dog, I feel it necessary to comment on the burger that I devoured at the park:

So, in terms of vendor food at a major sporting event, I was thoroughly impressed with this vegan option. Usually I would be content with a basket of greasy fries doused in ketchup and deal with the consequences of said actions later. Instead I was greeted with the option of protein and vegetables in the form of an all American classic. Hurray! BUT ... Coming from a vegan who's eaten her fair share of veggie burgers this one ranked pretty low on the overall burger scale of perfection. It had promise with it's appealing crispy golden exterior and its habitat of a hearty roll but it all fell apart in the flavor and texture department. It was obviously made by a person unfamiliar with vegetarian cooking due to the lack of creativity and flavor. Onions, carrots, and peas oh my! Usually I'm a fan of the natural burgers that don't try to imitate meat but this was a clusterf*ck of steamed veg and bready binder. Some seasoning and soy sauce would have helped cut the "blah" but I can't say I minded the lack of originality all that much. This meal really was a case of "its the thought that counts." So, thanks baseball. [[jessica]]