Where to Explore Next: Ballpark Village

  While the Cardinals have proven it doesn’t take a village to create a winning team, Ballpark Village at 601 Clark Ave., is certainly playing a great game. With five distinct venues at which to eat lunch and dinner (with more on the way), and even more places to grab a drink, this truly impressive space beckons for many visits to come.     In the middle of the 120,000-square-foot entertainment district, feast on a juicy Bacon Three Way Burger (pictured) at Fox Sports Midwest Live!, while you watch the ballgame on a 40-foot wide TV. If the weather cooperates, you might just get a tan when the glass atrium’s roof retracts.       The village has quite a few bars. (See the full listing here.) But when the temperature really heats up, nothing beats a margarita. Choose from the margarita menu at Tengo Sed, or take your poison straight with one of the bar’s nine tequilas.     At the Budweiser Brew House, find more food and a whole lot of beer (239 taps throughout). Between a swanky rooftop deck and a biergarten complete with fireplace, communal tables and Adirondack chairs, there are plenty of fun spaces to explore in this 26,000-square-foot venue.       We recommend washing down the Brew House’s fish and chips with a Goose Island Honker’s Ale or the chicken apple blue cheese salad paired with a Stella Artois Cidre. For a more fine-dining experience, check out Cardinals Nation. For quick eats, head to Tengo Hambre, or on the outside of the village, find Drunken Fish.  

{Pictured from front: Starburst roll, White Tiger roll}

 -photos by Julie Cohen