Even though it doesn't open until March 31, everyone is talking about the new home for the Reds, the Great American Ball Park. During the bleak, gray days of winter, it seems, there's little else to cause a buzz.

I, too, can barely contain my excitement. And I was thinking the new stadium presents a rare opportunity for the folks in charge of food at the stadium (Sports Service) to serve fare other than the same old hot dogs, ribs, pizza and tortilla chips smothered with bad cheese. They could offer dishes and food indigenous to the Tristate. Maybe it would help prove Cincinnati is not just another bland Midwestern town. We do have a personality of our own. Yeah.

I tried to pass my idea by Sports Service, but they haven't returned my calls. (I'm sure they're very busy.) We've heard they're planning a club or restaurant at the ballpark, and maybe even a brewpub. But there are highly paid chefs and consultants who can dream up those menus. I'm more interested in ballpark food for the masses. So here are my suggestions for concessions at our new Great American Ballpark.

IF YOU WERE KING

If you were king of concessions at Great American Ballpark, what kind of food would you sell? Send your suggestions, including your name and home neighborhood, to cmartin@enquirer.com.

Fried cod sandwiches on rye: California baseball stadiums have their fish tacos and sushi, and the Baltimore Orioles serve crab cake sandwiches. Cincinnati's seafood dish of choice is a beer-battered cod on rye, with lettuce, tomato and tartar sauce, crinkle-cut fries on the side. If I worked at Sports Service, I'd call the good folks at the Green Derby in Newport and Greyhound Tavern in Fort Mitchell for advice. They know how to make the best fish sandwiches in town.

Kroeger & Sons' Vidalia Onion Sausage: Mike and Mark Kroeger of Findlay Market in Over-the-Rhine make plump, porky sausages stuffed with bits of sweet onion and red pepper. These links are far better and more unusual than boring brats and mettwurst.

Mr. Gene Green's Findlay Market Honey Mustard: Sweet with a kick, this mustard won a gold medal last year at the prestigious Napa Valley Mustard Festival. What better endorsement do you need? This condiment has more character than that brown mustard from out-of-town.

Vista Grand Ranch Hickory-Smoked Pulled Buffalo Barbecue: Serving this innovative product on a bun would help disprove those stories about Cincinnati being a "fat city.'' Buffalo (some call it bison) is lean and high in protein, and Vista Grand Ranch raises it free range, in New Richmond.

Fried chicken leg with sweet-sour German potato salad: Sports Service could bring in a few of those talented volunteer cooks who work church chicken dinners in Indiana and western Hamilton County every year to consult on this combo. It would become so popular, fans would soon yell for a "leg and salad.''

Limburger and raw onion on chewy dark rye roll: This would be one of those "I dare you snacks'' that fans from other cities would go home talking about. ("Can you believe those guys in Cincy eat that?'') If I were in charge, I'd give a discount for this stinky snack to fans sitting near the opposing team's dugout. When they cheered loudly and often, the limburger-onion odor would distract the visitors, squelching possible rallies.

BarrelHouse beer: Beer made by this fine Over-the-Rhine brewery was sold at select Cinergy concessions stands until last year. I say RedLegg Ale and Flying Pig Pilsner should be available at every concession stand in the new park. At one time, Cincinnati was one of the three major brewing towns in the nation. It would be terribly embarrassing to offer beer from only St. Louis or Milwaukee in the new digs on the river.

Aunt Flora's Sweet Potato Cobblers: Price Hill resident Katrina Mincy, who named her business for her Aunt Flora Saunders, makes these double-crusted pies from scratch. She even offers a small, individual-serving size, perfect for eating while watching the game. If Great American Ballpark sold sweet potato pie, it would prove Cincinnati has plenty of soul.

Graeter's ice cream: So if we are home to the world's best premium ice cream, why even bother to sell that foul-tasting fruit-flavored ice? Scoop Graeter's raspberry-chocolate chip, peach or another incredible flavor into a cone (or on top of warm cobbler), and fans would keep coming back no matter how many games the Reds win.