Time was, you could pretty much count on just three types of food when you visited a major-league ballpark: Hot dogs, peanuts and, as the seventh-inning anthem tells us, Cracker Jack.

This was back in the day when the only people in the stadium who wore baseball caps backward were the catchers.

Things change.

The modern ballpark is a sea of food vendors, from food carts to full-blown restaurants. The options are such that even a famed trencherman-athlete like Babe Ruth would find his head spinning, and not just from the cocktail options.

Here in Denver, Coors Field is at the forefront of this movement, with nearly 100 food outlets. Yes, you can still buy traditional fare. But you’ll also find barbecue smoked on site, chicken breasts stuffed with pine nuts and sundried tomatoes, fresh berry kabobs drizzled with white chocolate, and a 32-item salad bar.

There is an on-site brewery and even an herb and vegetable garden, the first in a major-league park.

“We’ve taken a lot of pride in being on the cutting edge of this movement,” said Richard Hesse, regional director of operations for Aramark, Coors Field’s concessionaire. “We’ve tried to keep up with these trends because that’s what folks are looking for.”

Last year the stadium took a cue from the food-truck craze and brought in Wok in the Park, a kitchen-on-wheels that specializes in Asian noodle bowls.

And just to show the locals that Coors Field respects regional tastes, you can buy a bison dog and elk sausage, plus a plate of Rocky Mountain oysters. The latter look like fried zucchini, and if you’re allergic to shellfish, let’s just say that it will not be an issue with this dish.

“It’s not our top seller, but it’s been on the menu for 19 years,” Hesse said.

Not that Aramark, which operates in 11 major-league parks, is turning its back on old-school ballpark food. The company estimated it sold 11,000 hot dogs at Coors Field on Opening Day to go along with 2,825 bags of peanuts. There was also a major chile-pepper slaughter, given that 3,100 orders of nachos were sold. (“The Silence of the Jalapeños”?)

This year, concession chef Daniel Albert and his crew developed Sausage on a Stick. It’s just what it sounds like, skewered like a corn dog but without the coating. The options: a smoked cheddar wurst, spicy Polish and Italian.

Fans of Mexican food will find a smothered empanada topped with green chile and pico de gallo.

In a recessed food court on the third-base side of the main concourse, new dishes get their rookie debuts. It’s akin to a culinary spring training camp.

“This is like an R&D area,” said Al Wolfe, Aramark’s general manager for Coors Field. “We try out a lot of things, gauging the response of people. Last year we tried the smoked brisket bacon melt. It was a huge hit. This year it’s the Rocky Mountain ribeye melt with horseradish Havarti cheese.

“It’s started out well and is growing,” said Wolfe.

A stone-fired pizza oven turns out pies, including a tasty margherita version with mozzarella, tomatoes and basil.

The Mountain Ranch Bar & Grille in Coors Field’s right-field corner has proved a popular spot, one open to anyone with a ticket. With two open-air tiers, visitors can watch Dexter Fowler patrolling center field when they’re not downing deep-fried avocado, guacamole made tableside, a mahi mahi sandwich or roasted mushroom strudel with goat cheese.

The hops-averse can order a glass of Kendall-Jackson chardonnay.

Another favored venue over the past four years has been the Helton Burger Shack. The signature item is named for the Rockies’ long-time star first baseman.

“We worked with Todd for the exact blend of meats and the sauce,” Hesse said. “It’s a mix of brisket, shoulder and sirloin.”

On a recent evening’s visit to the dining room that serves clubhouse-level ticket holders, the buffet in the upscale but casual setting included chicken stuffed with asparagus and tomatoes, dried fruit and wild rice salad, scalloped potatoes and an array of cheeses that would make a high-end cheesemonger nod approvingly.

Swordfish is on the menu. A carving station rotates through tenderloin, pork loin and, on Sundays, ham.

“And there’s a hot dog grill, because even in here, everyone wants a hot dog,” Hesse said. “They’re a favorite, and not just for the youngsters.”

Count Karen Silveira of Arvada a fan. She was in the Longs Peak Suite along the first-base line on a recent evening, watching the Rox play the Tampa Bay Rays with a group of female friends.

“They have the best food here,” she said of the row of chafing dishes along one wall, including one with braised pork and avocado. “Just beautiful food.”

Given this is a ballpark named after a Colorado-based beer conglomerate, a nod to craft brewing seems logical. Coors’ Blue Moon division has a brewery on site. Among the output is a beer called Batch 19, a pre-Prohibition style lager, and the tap room is now open on non-game days.

“Baseball is an experiential thing that includes everything that happens after you get to the ballpark,” Hesse said. “And a big part of that is food and drink.”

William Porter: 303-954-1877, wporter@denverpost.com or twitter.com/williamporterdp

Online: Watch a tasty slide show of food from Coors Field http://bit.ly/ZVkx6t