By Joseph Santoliquito

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Originally from the Philadelphia area, Mike Costanzo was raised on Philly food, Italian food. Spaghetti, cheesesteaks, pizza. You name it, the Phillies' first pick in the 2005 draft was devouring it. But something happened when the 6-foot-3, 210-pound third baseman played for Costal Carolina, where he was a two-position all-American.

The local boy from Archbishop Carroll (Radnor) fell in love. He fell for barbecued food. That infatuation caused Costanzo to come back home and open Game On Restaurant & Interactive Sports Bar, with Tony Scheirer and Anthony Fenza, on Route 202 (109 Wilmington West Chester Pike) in Chadds Ford, Delaware County.

Costanzo opened Game On on December 10. It features 15 large-screen TVs, 20 different Martinis, eight different beers on tap (Bud Lite, Rolling Rock, Victory, Blue Moon, Miller Lite, Guinness, Yuengling and Stella Artois), and 20 varieties of bottled beer, and seven interactive stations in luxurious lounge chairs that carry a wide range of Xbox and Wii games.

But it's the food that you may fall in love with most. Scheirer, who runs Pig Out Barbecue, has a diverse selection of homemade sauces that tingle the taste buds, and the food comes in large helpings.

"I was never really a barbecue person until I went to college, but that's all they eat down there and I fell in love with the food," said Costanzo, 28, who is currently playing for the Cincinnati Reds Triple-A affiliate Louisville Bats and was the Phillies' first pick and 65th pick overall in the June 2005 draft.

"I wanted to open a place where people could relax and hang out, where everyone feels comfortable and can enjoy themselves. "I wanted to bring something different to the area, and we're offering something no one else in this area has, and that's interactive games, in a comfortable setting with great food."

It really is a slice of the South. Sandwiches are $5 during happy hour, the meaty wings and babyback ribs drenched in the homemade sauces add to the laidback Southern ambience of the place. Downstairs is a separate dining area that's set up like a Southern picnic.

"This is the step that I'd like to go after my playing days are over," said Costanzo, who is scheduled to report to the Bats on February 26th in Goodyear, Arizona for Spring Training. "I want to obviously keep playing and I want to stay in baseball as long as I can, maybe even coach after my playing career. But my other big priority is building a future, and building this ultimately into a chain. I think this is a nice start. I wanted to create a really cool place young people can hang out, enjoy themselves and have great food."

It looks like Costanzo has with Game On.

GAME ON INTERACTIVE SPORTS BAR
109 Wilmington West Chester Pike (Rt. 202)
Chadds Ford, PA 19317
610-558-1660

Hours 11 AM-2 AM Sun.-Sat.
Kitchen Hours
11 AM-10 PM Mon.-Thurs.
11 AM – 12 AM Fri.-Sat.