New Food at Safeco Is a Huge Hit

Photo by Leslie Kelly

The new hot dog torta from Flying Turtle Cantina at Safeco Field is a homerun!

Let's not get into a big testosterone-fueled discussion about the Seattle Mariners' chances of putting up more W's than L's, of maybe going to the playoffs (hey, it's possible!) or whether Jack Cust was a good pickup. As far as I'm concerned, this year's M's season is already a big hit before the first batter even takes a swing during Friday's home opener, and here's why:

Photo by Leslie Kelly

Ethan Stowell helped source ingredients for the revamped concessions at Safeco, including sourcing grass-fed beef for this burger.

The revamped 'Pen area lived up to some sky-high expectations at Wednesday's media tasting. This space is like a fantasy food court with incredible culinary efforts from some big names. Ethan Stowell's name is on a creperie serving sweet and savory crepes, as well as a spot specializing in grass-fed burgers, frites with garlicky aioli, and a snappy Cloverdale frank in a natural casing topped with bacon-spiked sauerkraut. Now that's a Haute Dawg!

Bill Pustari, a seasoned veteran of the storied New Haven, Conn., pizza scene, has launched his first West Coast outpost of Modern Apizza at The Safe. The pies are absolutely terrific, built on crusts with character and topped with local ingredients including pepperoni from Zoe's.

Batting cleanup, let's hear it for Roberto Santibanez, the New York City-based chef who has done a brilliant job adapting tortas for the ballpark, serving beef, chicken, pork, and, hell yeah, a hot-dog version of those sensational sandwiches! Oh, and did I mention the hot-dog nachos? Yes, they cry out for beer, and yes, you're in luck because you're just steps away from the Bullpen Pub.

Photo by Leslie Kelly

The new 'Pen area is more open and has a whole bunch of new great food options.

I'm curious to see how these restaurant-style concessions handle the crush of fans certain to head their direction. Sure hope they can avoid the garlic fries-type lines and move folks through. And once you grab your food, head over to the bars by the actual bullpens. They've taken down the fences, so there's no better place to get an up-close view of the guys warming up. Who knows, they might even ask you for a bite of your fan fare.

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