Take me out to the ballgame!

On Tuesday, April 1, the Hillcrest Marketplace at the University of Iowa switched gears for a night and offered a special baseball-themed menu in honor of the beginning of the 2008 season. Gone were the usual offerings of pot roast and mashed potatoes. Instead, Hebrew National hot dogs (with all the toppings, including chili and cheese), walking tacos, soft pretzels, and, yes, even deep-fried pickles were offered as an alternative. For dessert, diners were treated to cotton candy, snow cones, and Cracker Jack--a baseball essential.

Sure, most locals will avoid the Marketplace (it's just a fancy word that sounds better than cafeteria), but Burge and Hillcrest do occasionally offer up a few surprises every now and again. Tuesday night was a perfect example of what a little creativity can do. Inflatable baseballs and bats sat atop the sneeze guards and a large sign proclaiming "Play Ball!" was taped to the wall nearest the entrance. And, of course, the food was good too.

Walking tacos, an ingenious little item, consists of a crushed bag of Doritos (or, as was the case yesterday, Fritos), topped with taco meat (or spicy chicken), cheese, lettuce, or whatever else you want. Served with a fork, the idea is simple: As you walk around the park (or the cafeteria), you can eat your taco on the go without spilling everything on the inside. Thus, walking taco.

The only thing missing was baseball-themed songs or employees wearing baseball hats or other appropriate outerwear. Still, it's all about the food, isn't it? The Hillcrest Marketplace delivered nine full innings of fun last night (sorry about that lame excuse at humor). For those interested in learning more about their special meals, visit the Residential Dining website to see when the dueling marketplaces on campus will offer their next change-of-pace menu.