L.A. has been getting warmer, sunnier, and more colorful, which all points to one thing: Dodger baseball. Opening day is on April 3 this year, and as everyone knows, the game itself is the last thing on anyone's mind. The real excitement are the new ways fans can gorge themselves on game day-appropriate food. What better way to celebrate a home run than by cheers-ing two pieces of breaded chicken?

This year the Dodgers are focusing on the history of the stadium and its connection to the local community. This mission involves revamping new social areas in the 55-year-old stadium, working with ride share and Metro for a more seamless experiencing getting to/from the stadium, as well as community-specific events and promotional items. The stadium will also be unveiling a statue to commemorate Jackie Robinson on the official Jackie Robinson Day on April 15.

Among the stadium's crew, the food team is taking a similar cue by bringing in classic Dodger fare, as well as new, regionally-specific menu items. Executive Chef Ryan Evans, who helped make the selections, hails from L.A. himself and is bringing his experience from the South and West Coasts to the 2017 Dodger Stadium menu.

One trend on the menu? Bowls. The new poke bowls are made with ahi tuna over rice, and topped with vegetables, wakame, and ponzu sauce. Now you can pretend it's 1 p.m. on West Third when really it's 4 p.m. in Elysian Park. This Hawaiian influence is also reflected in a partnership with King's Hawaiian BBQ sauce, which Evans has incorporated into a dish with smoked wings and King's Hawaiian Big Island Lava Sauce. The bowl angle also includes more classic stadium food, like the "Lots of Tots" bowl, which is filled with tater tots topped with chili and cheese.

Evans is ensuring everything on the menu includes house-made items, and for the tater tots this means fresh chili to top the crispy potato goodness underneath. It also means cooked-to-order churros and funnel cake in a new dessert-only stand. This sweet treat area will include a new Stumptown cold brew ice cream float (!!!) and fried Twinkies and Oreos.

Furthermore, the suite package now includes a "Taste of L.A." menu, which includes mezze, Vietnamese spring rolls, a ramen salad, street food wraps with hoisin-marinated grilled pork, grilled mole beef sticks, and more.

After several hours of watching baseball under the aggressive summer sun, your tastebuds may no longer be fully functional. But it's possible to stare at a hotdog through blurry beer vision and tell yourself what you're tasting is a smoky and delicious bacon-wrapped sausage covered in grilled pepper, onions, mayonnaise, and mustard (it's an existing item that Evans has kept from previous seasons).

We know you'll be missing Vin this season. But with such a delectable lineup of food at your disposal, you'll be able to eat the pain away. Here's to a great season.

