Back for seconds: Even more MiLB food debuts 

(This article first appeared, in modified form, in the latest edition of the Ben's Biz Beat Newsletter. Read it here, and subscribe here to have all the fun of the Minor Leagues delivered to your inbox each Thursday.)

You may have read Tuesday's MiLB.com article on 2023 concession stand debuts, which featured pepperoni pretzel pizzas, a gigantic seafood sandwich, myriad uses of macaroni and cheese and much more.

Speaking of much more, there's still much more where that came from. Welcome to 2023 Minor League Baseball food debuts, the sequel!

We begin with the Richmond Flying Squirrels, longtime purveyors of unique gastronomic delights (the polarizing PB&J Burger being a prominent example.) This season, the Double-A San Francisco affiliate is serving up a hot dog creation at The Diamond that is, quite literally, a Big Dill.

Introducing the Big Dill Dog 🌭

Try it for yourself throughout the 2023 season at The Diamond! pic.twitter.com/3rcYjNWQZD

— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 4, 2023

The Big Dill Dog is what its name implies, a hot dog which utilizes a split dill pickle as a bun. The team touts it as a "gluten-free alternative to a traditional hot dog," which this gluten-free writer very much appreciates. (No Designated Eater needed.) Kudos to the Flying Squirrels for carrying on the brined legacy of the Charleston RiverDogs, who went viral in 2010 with their Pickle Dog.

Before Richmond was home to the Flying Squirrels, it was home to the Richmond Braves. This Atlanta Triple-A affiliate relocated to Georgia’s Gwinnett County prior to the 2009 season and are now known as the Gwinnett Stripers.

These season, the Stripers have added several items to the menu at their Southern-themed “All the Fixins” stand at Coolray Field. Here are two: The Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich (left) and the Bacon Onion Jam Footlong Hot Dog.

If there’s one ballpark where you’d absolutely expect to find a Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich, it’d be the Triple-A Nashville Sounds’ First Horizon Park. Your expectations would be fulfilled, of course, as the Brewers affiliate has served this cayenne-dredged local specialty since the ballpark opened in 2015.

But, in 2023, there’s a twist: From July 7-9, the Sounds will take the field as the Hot Chickens.

The Hot Chicken in the above photo is from Waldo’s Chicken and Beer. If you’re now wondering “Where’s Waldo’s?,” the Sounds' Hot Chicken Passport should help you find it. (When I visited the Sounds in 2015, my Designated Eaters told me that Prince’s is the “O.G. of Nashville Hot Chicken.” Tread lightly.)

Love hot chicken? Love trying new restaurants? This is for you!

The first 1,000 fans tonight will receive a Hot Chicken Passport to get stamped at various places around town.

Don't miss out: https://t.co/TRqfqtLlVJ pic.twitter.com/ko4zBkfXsA

— Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) April 12, 2023

Perhaps you’d like fries with -- or more accurately, under -- your spicy fowl? Then please know that the Double-A Rocket City Trash Pandas have got you covered at Toyota Field.

If you’re intimidated by hot chicken, but still looking for some serious spice, then be informed that Flamin’ Hot Cheetos remain a popular flavor enhancer at Minor League ballparks. Last year I documented a Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Hot Dog served up at Double-A San Antonio's Nelson Wolff Stadium and a Flamin’ Hot Brat offered up at Double-A Hartford's Dunkin' Park.

The High-A Winston-Salem Dash get in on the act this season with Minor League Baseball's first (to my knowledge) Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Corn Dog.

If it’s international flair that you’re looking for, then embark on a journey to Las Vegas Ballpark. The Triple-A Aviators are continuing their gourmet frankfurter legacy with the Banh Mi Dog, a ballpark take on the popular Vietnamese sandwich.

For dessert, we return to Winston-Salem. The White Sox affiliate added 15 new items to its concessions menu at Truist Stadium, and in addition to the aforementioned Flamin' Hot Cheetos footlong corn dog, there are a pair of dessert dishes that don't, at first glance, necessarily resemble dessert. Baked Potato Ice Cream consists of cocoa-dusted vanilla ice cream, with whipped cream and a lemon Starburst. Spaghetti Ice Cream, meanwhile, features strands of vanilla ice cream topped with strawberry sauce, chocolate balls and wafer cookies.

Have you tried any of the above items? Or more broadly, have you tried any Minor League concession items this season that were new to you? I now deputize as a Designated Eater: send your food pictures and commentary to [email protected] for possible inclusion in a Ben's Biz Beat Newsletter.

For more information on what the Minor Leagues have to offer, visit our Ballpark Guides, presented by Wyndham.