Industry News: WA: Seattle Mariners and Ethan Stowell collaborate on ballpark beer and food pairings

Safeco Field (home of the Seattle Mariners), in cooperation with Centerplate, are betting fans will happily trade their love of light lagers and peanuts, for an order of Beecher's Flagship Cheddar cheese curds with a pint of Fremont Summer Ale. Now in it’s fourth year, Centerplate is continuing the trend of inviting local chefs to Safeco Field, by collaborating with "How To Cook A Wolf" co-owner and Chef Ethan Stowell. Focused specifically on two locations, Swinging Wings and Sound Seafood, one should be on the lookout for wings, chowder, fried oyster, salmon sandwiches, and fried fish.

"Featuring three hand-crafted signature sauces designed by Chef Ethan Stowell, including ingredients from Bonache Hot Sauce Company of Ballard. The menu also features Beecher’s cheese curds, Ballard Bee Co. honey, and Bay Valley Pickles." -Swinging Wings' introduction.

Coming to Swinging Wings.

• Classic Wings "Tossed with house-made “classic” wing sauce spiced with Bonache’s Socorro hot sauce."
• Honey Serrano Wings "Tossed with house-made honey-serrano sauce spiced with Bonache’s Hatch hot sauce."
• Barbecue Wings "Tossed with house-made whiskey-cola barbecue sauce."

At Swinging Wings, Ethan Stowell (along with Centerplate executive chef David Dekker) looked at people’s perceptions of comfort food, paired with local beer, while incorporating with locally-sourced ingredients.

Starting April 8th, look for unique wings like the Classic Wing with Bonache’s Socorro hot sauce, Honey Serrano Wings with Bonache’s Hatch hot sauce, Barbecue Wings in house-made whisky-cola barbecue sauce, fried cheese curds made from Beecher’s Flagship Cheddar, Dirty Tots, or fried pickles.

Beer pairing suggestions

While picking up an order of Honey Serrano Wings, you might consider a draft pint of Summer Ale from Fremont or a cask of Georgetown Lucille India Pale, which are both located in select locations throughout the ballpark.

If wings are not to your liking then you might be interested in Dirty Tots, deep Fried Cheese Curds, or Deep-fried Pickles.

• Dirty Tots "Crispy Northwest tater tots topped with Beecher’s Flagship Cheddar, Carlton Farms pork belly and Bay Valley pickled peppers."
• Fried Cheese Curds "Deep-fried Beecher’s Flagship Cheddar cheese curds (in a light cornmeal breading) drizzled with Ballard Bee Co. honey and topped with Bay Valley pickled peppers."
• Deep "Fried Pickles “Crispy dill pickle spears dredged in a light batter."

Swinging wings is located in the 'Pen, at field level.

Enjoy a taste of traditional maritime food with Sound Seafood

"The wealth of fresh, local seafood that is readily available in the Seattle area inspired the re-made Sound Seafood stand, located in the Third Base Terrace Club, which features ingredients from the waters of Puget Sound and Alaska fisheries." -Sound Seafood's mission statement.

Located near section 249, Sound Seafood is one of the newest additions, representing Northwest food, in a ballpark setting. Look for Fish & Chips, Fried Oysters & Chips, Salmon Sandwiches, Crab Rolls, Oyster Po' Boy, Apple wood smoked Salmon Chowder, and Clam Chowder.

• Fish & Chips "Single plank of fresh Pacific cod, hand-dredged in Manny’s Pale Ale batter, served with thick-cut sidewinder chips and house-made remoulade sauce."
• Oysters & Chips "Taylor Shellfish freshly-shucked oysters, hand-dredged in cornmeal flour, served with thick-cut sidewinder chips and house-made remoulade sauce."
• Salmon Sandwich "Fresh local salmon served on a brioche bun with pickled red onion, arugula and house-made remoulade."
• Crab Roll "Local Dungeness crab served on a soft roll with shredded lettuce, tomato and house-made remoulade."
• Oyster Po’ Boy "Taylor Shellfish freshly-shucked oysters, hand-dredged in cornmeal flour, served on a soft roll with shredded lettuce, tomato and house-made remoulade."
• Apple wood smoked Salmon Chowder "House-smoked local, wild-caught salmon in a creamy chowder."
• Clam Chowder "House-made classic, creamy New England-style chowder."

Beer pairing suggestions

Grabbing a Fish & Chips? How about washing down the tartar sauce and chips with some Georgetown Manny's Pale Ale, Oakshire Watershed IPA, or Black Raven Trickster. But if that Salmon Chowder or Salmon Sandwich is calling then maybe a Silver City Ridgetop Red or Elysian Immortal IPA will push some of the Sound’s salinity away.

New to the ballpark this year, cask and firkin beers!

Don’t forget to take a stroll around Safeco Field and visit section 129 for one of 2 cask beers or Power Alley at section 132 where they have 1 cask beer during as well as a large selection of local beers. Plus the ‘Pen will feature a firkin during Friday home games. Unlike other home games, throughout the week, pints will be $5 until the keg is empty!

Get your tickets today!

About Ethan Stowell

Ethan Stowell is the executive chef and owner of Ethan Stowell Restaurants in Seattle. His highly acclaimed restaurants include Tavolàta, How to Cook a Wolf, Anchovies & Olives, Staple & Fancy Mercantile, Ballard Pizza Company, Rione Xlll, Bar Cotto, Mkt., and Red Cow. His food philosophy is all about keeping it simple, using fresh ingredients, and allowing the food to do the talking.

In 2010, Stowell launched Lagana Foods, an artisan pasta line, and began consulting for the Seattle Mariners. His work with the Mariners helps to bring local products into the stadium for fans to enjoy. Ethan Stowell’s New Italian Kitchen was released in September 2010 from Ten Speed Press.

Stowell was named one of the 2008 Best New Chefs in America by Food & Wine magazine and has been honored with multiple James Beard Award nominations for “Best Chef Northwest.” In July of 2013, Stowell was named one of the Best New Chef All-Stars by Food & Wine magazine.

Deeply devoted to his hometown, Stowell is a fervent advocate committed to seeing that Seattle is recognized nationally as a culinary destination. He and his wife, Angela, and young son Adrian, live in Seattle’s Green Lake neighborhood.

To learn more, visit www.ethanstowellrestaurants.com.

More about Dikla Tuchman, photographer of photos, ‘man with buffalo wing in mouth’ and ‘beer on the bartop’,

Dikla was born in Israel, grew up in LA, and has studied at Boston University, San Francisco State University, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium, and University of Washington. After receiving her BA in Political science back in 2004, and having fallen in love with beer while living in Brussels where she discovered her love for beer, she decided in 2010 to start a beer blog, Have Growler, Will Travel. Outside of her day jobs as a local journalist and working in nonprofit, she's a freelance beer/food writer and photographer. Her work has appeared on The Seattlest, The Seattle Star, Capitol Hill Blog, Beer West Magazine, and other Pacific Northwest media outlets. While her life's work is focused in nonprofit and social justice, she always makes time for chatting about beer, brewing her own homebrew or snapping a gorgeous shot of an IPA.