Drayer: Mariners’ Chef Jeremy Bryant’s stories from behind the scenes
May 20, 2020, 3:22 PM
For a look at the lighter side of Mariners baseball, there might be no better place to go than the kitchen.
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Since the team moved from the Kingdome to T-Mobile Park, Chef Jeremy Bryant – usually referred to simply as Chef Jeremy – has been a monumental part of the behind the scenes day-to-day life at home for the Mariners. In addition to being a terrific chef, the man responsible for “Ichi-wings” and the “Seager Sandwich” is a huge Mariners fan, a fact that has not been lost on those he cooks for as he is tremendously popular in the clubhouse.
With this video I wanted to have some fun. Jeremy has got stories and we actually get into some back and forth on the hazards of getting caught up in a player’s superstitions. As I state in the video, as a reporter I: a) never want to be the story, b) never want to inadvertently injure a player, and c) never want to get caught up in a player’s superstition. Well, the team chef is in prime territory to get caught up in superstitions and he has, for better or for worse, and always in entertaining fashion.
You will hear the Ichi-wing story and how that went wrong on one occasion. You will hear Jeremy’s greatest contribution and greatest regret to player performance, or at least how it is perceived by the player involved. Before the Seager Sandwich there were hits in grits, and why shouldn’t there be?
Chef Jeremy has also been fortunate to get an up close and personal look at some historic moments in team history with one moment standing out above all others. If he wasn’t such a team player he would now be in possession of a very significant baseball but instead returned it to the rightful owner.
That experience is topped only by the day he got to watch his son, America’s Got Talent finalist Benicio Bryant, sing the national anthem before a game last year. Chef Jeremy gives us an update on what Benicio has been up to since AGT and when we can expect more from the teen, who has recently signed a major label recording deal.
Last but not least, we talk about the food. Cooking for the Mariners is seasonal work and like many in the food industry, Chef Jeremy has been scrambling during the COVID-19 shutdown orders, transitioning his catering and event company to a to-go order business. Rain City Catering is now providing heat and serve meals that you can call ahead to order and pickup curbside with the menu including both Mariners specialties and what Chef Jeremy calls long time classics and comforting favorites. For more information go to raincitycatering.com.
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