Cards, downtown association launch dinner program

The Springfield Cardinals and the Downtown Springfield Association have joined forces to promote the team and center city restaurants.

With the program, dubbed "Dinner and a Ballgame," downtown restaurant patrons can pick up $5 Cards field box ticket vouchers with the purchase of entrées at the 10 participating eateries, which are:

• Big Whiskey's;
• Bistro Market;
• Fedora Social House;
• Flame;
• Kai;
• Mille’s;
• Nonna’s;
• Springfield Brewing Co.;
• St. Michael's; and
• Trolley's Bar & Grille

Individual field box tickets typically cost $9 on game day and $8 in advance. Field box seats are near both dugouts, according to the Springfield Cardinals Web site.

The promotion, which will be available throughout the 2011 Springfield Cardinals season, is modeled after Downtown Springfield Association's "Dinner and a Movie" promotion, which has sold nearly 15,000 movie tickets at Hollywood Theaters and The Moxie during the past two years, according to a news release.