The fans have spoken! Oaxacan chapulines, toasted grasshoppers, will return to Safeco Field's concession stands for the 2018 season. Centerplate General Manager Steve Dominguez is incredibly proud of the Seattle Mariner's new menu (which is jampacked with lots of other goodies) but we couldn't bury the lede here.
Watch the video above to see the entire Seattle Mariners' menu for the 2018 season!
TOASTED GRASSHOPPERS ARE BACK! @Mariners are keeping chapulines on the menu (Cred: @Centerplate) 🚨🚨 pic.twitter.com/mRia7fsDwW
— Kari Steele (@KariVanHorn) March 23, 2018
No one could have predicted the south of the border delicacy to send fans flocking from all corners of the country up to Seattle for a tempting taste test. The Mariners went through 18,000 grasshoppers during the first three games of last season. The demand was so high the kitchen made an emergency run to re-stock! You can experience the chile-lime salted novelty snack in a 4-ounce cup for just $4.
"I think they are great but they aren't for everybody," Dominguez chuckled. "We positioned the price point and the quantities to where if you love them, great! It's only $4 -- but if you don't like them and you just want to try it and get the selfie, it's only $4. They're great if you love them to wash a beer wash down with and you don't love them, they're great to wash out with beer!"
Dominguez and his team worked on bringing toasted grasshoppers to the ballpark for four years. The ballpark culinary expedition began when the Mariners brought the fences forward during the offseason between 2012-13 and the team sourced the Oaxacan chapulines to add on top of tacos for Edgar's Cantina. The team persisted over the years and had a successful tasting of the toasted grasshoppers with the Mariners. As you know, the rest is history! Dominguez tips his cap to the Seattle Mariners saying without them taking a bold leap of faith, baseball fans would have never seen how far ballpark food can push the envelope. "At the end of the day, it is an authentic Oaxacan experience," states Dominguez.
NEW Classic Reuben Sandwich at @Mariners: Corned Beef, Swiss 🧀, Sauerkraut + Thousand Island (PHOTO: Ben Van Houten/ @Mariners) pic.twitter.com/jtYVCIVTzT
— Kari Steele (@KariVanHorn) March 27, 2018
Steve Dominguez is a big meat eater and was looking at the Mariners' schedule when Game of Thrones night jumped out at him. "We thought why don't we do this big piece of meat on a bone and that started the conversation. We've always wanted to do ribs out at our barbecue area." That's how the new House-Smoked BBQ Longbone Rib joined the list of new items for this season's menu.
NEW House-Smoked BBQ Longbone Rib + Coleslaw at @Mariners (Photo: Ben Van Houten/ @Mariners) pic.twitter.com/l3UCeC7jws
— Kari Steele (@KariVanHorn) March 23, 2018
Hungry and ready to grub at a game? Click here for tickets!
RELATED: HR DERBY! Arizona Diamondbacks' new virtual reality challenge
MORE: CABANAS! D-backs first MLB team to haveluxurylounge area instadium
ALSO: ABC15 DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE: STEAK AND ALE TOTS! New D-backs 2018 regular season menu
