Yesterday morning started off with a trip to one of the most popular breakfast joints in Phoenix. Matt’s Big Breakfast featured a great selection of fresh from scratch breakfast foods like omelette and pancakes.

Let me say that this place is a must. The service was fantastic, the food was amazing and the honey strawberry lemonade alone makes the trip to downtown Phoenix worth it.

Following the breakfast, we decided to find the new Lay’s potato chips that are currently part of an ongoing vote. We went to a Fry’s (a grocery outlet) hoping to find them. The one we went to only had Sriracha but one of the workers there told us to go to another Fry’s in Scottsdale. The old clientele in that neighborhood likely wouldn’t buy new flavor chips, so they might have plenty. We went there and we got the rest of the three. I think Sriracha is my favorite but cheesy garlic bread is clearly the best.

Following that, it was time for us to head to Phoenix Municipal Stadium to see the A’s and Giants. The chips were our lunch but that was OK because I was more about going to my first ever Spring Training game.

The atmosphere was great. Everyone there was friendly. Despite it being a small park, it had that family feel. The seats were all bleacher type benches and it was cool. The cheers were even for both the Giants and A’s. I didn’t get autographs or anything, but I just soaked it in.

Most of the starters didn’t play more than a few innings and I didn’t even stay for the whole game. But it was nice to walk around, see some legends like Rollie Fingers and Bert Campeneris there.

But the highlight for me was talking shop with photographer Michael Zagaris and A’s equipment guru Steve Vucinich.

Following that, we left after the 8th inning to check out some spots in Tempe before returning to our hotel, getting on StubHub and buying tickets to the Suns-Hawks game. It only cost us (including fees) $7 per ticket.

This is the first time I’ve been to another NBA arena outside the Bay since 2007 at Madison Square Garden. It was a nice arena and very big. The game wasn’t all that so we left at halftime. We were starving, so it was time to go to Lo-Lo’s Chicken & Waffles.

Let me tell you, this was the best chicken & waffle place I have ever been to in my life. The atmosphere was great, the service was superb and the menu items gave me a great laugh.

Topped off with some Kool-Aid, we loaded up on chicken & waffles and some stupid fries. I love fries and gravy, but with peppers, cheese and chicken? That was the best!

It was a meal that I wish I could eat again. But that was it. I had a great time and today will be more baseball and more food. Let’s go!