The 2020 baseball season finally began this weekend and I was glued to my couch like the cardboard cutouts behind home plate at Dodger Stadium. Thanks to ESPN and Fox Sports, three of the four games of the opening series against the Giants were available to stream and it made for a glorious weekend at home.

Games at Dodger Stadium are special. In the summer, 7 PM games begin in daylight. As the game goes on, the sun creates an orange glow in the distance behind the palm trees. It’s a view so many Angelenos get to appreciate year after year. Like all other elements of daily life, the coronavirus eliminated that experience. The stadium, the seats, the players, and the view are so close and yet so far.

Just like the players must adjust to this abbreviated season, so too must fans. The best way to bring the baseball feel home is through food. During Thursday’s game, the ESPN cameras focused on a closed Dodger Dog stand. My daughter turned to me and suggested the Dodgers open up the stands and deliver stadium food to fans. As it turns out, that service will be available starting Monday, July 26. But my preferred Dodgers-food pairing is a French double-dipped turkey or lamb sandwich from Philippe’s. It doesn’t get more Los Angeles than these two city staples.