The game was nearly half over when I hit La Casita Pupuseria, whose stand makes Salvadoran masa cakes fresh to order, two for $11.99, which is the bargain of Nats Park. La Casita’s line was short, but so was its inventory. It had only shrimp pupusas left. Mine were plump with mozzarella and crustaceans, the masa shells browned from a brief stay on the griddle; at several points, the curds had broken through the masa lining, forming tiny pools of cheese that turned all dark and chewy on the grill. The pupusas were served with the usual condiments: a seasoned tomato salsa in one container and curtido, or pickled slaw, in another. As I stood behind the left-field bleachers, trying to sneak a peek at the game through the wall of humanity, I was content to compose bites — torn segments of pupusa topped with salsa and slaw — as the sun fell warmly on my face, the action on the field relegated to background music.
