Here’s a quick dining primer for Rainiers baseball games, plus a look at new options at Cheney Stadium

Now that we’re heading into the season of better weather (in theory), a Tacoma Rainiers game at Cheney Stadium surely is on your agenda. Here’s a look at what’s happening for eats at the stadium this season.

PARTY DECK NOW OPEN: New this year is a party deck featuring three new food vendors, with room for more, said Rainiers spokesman Brett Gleason. The party deck is along the walkway on the upper terrace. Just head up the ramp near the Flying Taco food booth, as if you were going up to the R Yard. The vendors will serve at all home games.

The three new party deck vendors are:

GET YOUR WARM COOKIE HERE: Joining the roster of party deck food vendors is longtime South Sound cookie company Bite Me Inc.

Owner Deborah Tuggle started her bakery in Tacoma 18 years ago. She once owned a retail store in the Hilltop neighborhood, but the Tacoma native and Stadium High School graduate took her business wholesale about 15 years ago. She makes her cookie dough at her bakery in Lakewood. At Cheney Stadium, she serves her cookies freshly baked from a kitchen built into a silver Airstream trailer.

Her famous Belgian-chocolate-and-walnut cookies are served warm. There’s also cold brew coffee or regular or chocolate milk from Smith Brothers Dairy. Her signature chocolate-nut cookie is $5, a cup of cookie bits $6.

Tuggle and Tacoma ice cream company Ice Cream Social are working on ice cream sandwiches using cookies and ice cream from the two businesses.

GRAB A GYRO: It’s Greek To Me is the other Tacoma-based company that has opened a food stand on the party deck. Owner Jim Wick said he’ll serve a choice of a flame-broiled gyro pita sandwich or a sausage sandwich with marinara on pita. Sandwiches are paired with chips or pasta salad, both $10. A Greek salad ($10) with warm gyro meat and pita or a hummus-tzatziki-pita plate ($7) also is on the menu.

BARBECUE ON THE GO: Ivar’s, which runs the concessions at Cheney Stadium, opened a barbecue stand on the party deck last week. Gleason described a menu of pulled pork and brisket, but said “it will change a lot. They’ll rotate the menu.”

RED HOT STILL SWINGING STRONG: In the main concessions area, Tacoma brothers Stu and Chris Miller are still operating the Cheney Stadium outpost of their Sixth Avenue hot dog and craft beer emporium, The Red Hot.

The menu duplicates what the hot dog stand offered last year (including the same prices) with a menu of five gourmet dogs ($5.75-$8.25), including vegan and vegetarian options.

There’s still the Wurst Sausage in Baseball, a pork-and-beef bratwurst topped with beer mustard, grilled onions, sauerkraut and dill on a bun ($8.25). The Crackerjack also returns, an all-beef dog topped with a swipe of peanut butter, bacon and Cracker Jack caramel popcorn ($7.75). The stand also still offers a rotation of craft beers that change frequently.

THE USUAL EATS: Ivar’s operates five other food stands. Here’s what each is serving this year:

The Kidd Valley burger stop serves cheeseburgers and foot-long corn dogs ($8.25), shakes ($5), Rainier or Polish Dogs ($6-$7), and garlic fries ($7).

The Ivar’s fish-and-chips stand serves a three-piece cod and chips, chicken strips and chips, clams and chips, or three-piece fish tacos (all $10), chowder ($5.75) or three kinds of dogs ($6-$8).

The Invincibles Pizza stand has big slices of cheese or pepperoni pizza ($7.75), nachos ($7) or two kinds of hot dogs ($6-$7).

The Fowl Territory stand has fried chicken strips and chips ($10), a spicy chicken sandwich or boneless chicken wings ($8), garlic fries ($7) and two kinds of hot dogs ($6-$7).

The Mexican food stand Flying Taco has a taco plate with rice and beans, grande nachos or a taco salad ($9.75) or chips and queso ($7).

MENU CHANGES COMING SOON: As for the five Ivar’s concessions, some will see menu revamps after next month, said Gleason. “By June 5, all the concessions will be refreshed and ready to go,” he said.

This story was originally published May 3, 2017 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Here’s a quick dining primer for Rainiers baseball games, plus a look at new options at Cheney Stadium."