Partisan supporters, die-hard fans, and even the gridiron action-impaired eagerly anticipate the big day that lies just ahead. Whether drawn to the spectacle of sport or merely tagging along for the lively social scene, Super Bowl Sunday revelers know they’ll be digging into bowls, baskets, and platters loaded with tasty food.
In the United States, Super Bowl Sunday reigns as the biggest snack day of the year, second only to Thanksgiving in terms of the sheer quantity of food consumed. Statistics vary widely, but according to the best estimates, folks gathered around the nation’s television sets munch upwards of 4,000 tons of popcorn (more than on any other single day), 11 million pounds of potato chips, and 54 million pounds of chicken wings dressed in dozens of different sauces.
For avocado growers, Super Bowl Sunday spells a welcome sales bonanza, with 12 million pounds of avocados mashed to make 8 million pounds of glorious guacamole, enough to coat an equal tonnage of crisp tortilla chips. And after the snacks are gone, honchos at the Pizza Hut chain figure their staffers will deliver more than two million piping hot pies.
Super Bowl parties are, by nature, fluid affairs where people flop on sofas, pace the floor, and generally mingle amid the furniture and food tables. Formal, sit-down dining doesn’t usually figure here, so hosts tend to fortify their guests with portable finger foods that facilitate grazing.
First among all-time favorites, the many varieties of chips make fine companions for an endless array of dips. Potato chips pair with creamy onion and spinach dips, corn chips with spicy bean dips, and sturdy tortilla chips handily scoop up everything from salsa to chunky jalapeno crab dip.
A more structured use of tortilla chips, nachos—that gooey stalwart of sporting events everywhere—can be as simple as chile-spiked cheese sauce drizzled over a base of chips. To turn the snack into a meal in itself, add layers of ground beef browned with chopped onions, spicy refried beans, guacamole, and sour cream.
Pretzels, crackers, and roasted nuts beckon from bowls set about the room, while food tables offer more substantial fare, such as deviled eggs and jumbo shrimp with cocktail sauce for dipping. Warm snacks may include Swedish or Hawaiian meatballs, buffalo chicken wings, and oven-fried onion rings.
For the diet conscious, carrot and celery sticks, broccoli and cauliflower florets, radishes, and mushrooms make low-calorie dippers, while plenty of beer, soda, and bottled water on ice keep the party well hydrated. At half-time, break out the sliced cheese, cold cuts, and French rolls for do-it-yourself sandwiches, or unveil that crockpot full of chile con carne.
For ready enjoyment during the second half, desserts should be finger foods, too. Cookies, brownies, lemon bars, cupcakes, and candies all lend themselves to serve-yourself nibbling during the last nerve-racking minutes of the game.
To simplify cooking chores, Dino’s Deli (925-4438, dinosdeli.com) offers party trays featuring meat and cheese, sliced fruit, fresh cut vegetables, mini-sandwiches, or tortilla wraps. Choose from small, medium, and large trays, as well as from an assortment of sides, such as pasta, potato, broccoli, and macaroni salads; coleslaw; and fresh salsa—but be sure to order early.
If you’re lucky enough to have been invited to a Super Bowl party, why not surprise your host with one of Dino’s Beer Bucket gift baskets? Stuffed with beer, chips, salsa, beef jerky, and roasted nuts—ready to open and eat—all that’s needed is ice in the bucket to keep those beers cold.
Football fanciers unwilling to stay home or throw a party need look no further than The Loading Dock, where all the action plays out this Sunday on a 7-foot screen, and two 42-
inch TVs (934-3471, orcuttbrew.com). An all-inclusive Super Bowl package lets fans enjoy the game, beer, and a sumptuous dinner, for $40 per person, no reservations required.
“We’re going to have Santa Maria-style tri-tip sandwiches, beans, salad, and salsa,” said Clay Frick, owner of The Loading Dock. “For those who are 21 years or older, the all-inclusive package is all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink soda and beer from kickoff to the end of the third quarter, and you can choose from any of our beers.
“It’s going to be a pretty good crowd,” he continued, “because a lot of people are looking for a place to watch the game. It’s a nice, big, open room, and there’s plenty of atmosphere here.
“We decided to do the all-inclusive package,” he added, “because it gives us a chance to watch the game, too!”
No matter which team you root for, Super Bowl Sunday just seems to go better with like-minded folks, cold beer, and lots of good food. m
A party just isn’t a party until K. Reka Badger arrives. E-mail comments or ideas to rekabadger@hotmail.com.
This article appears in Jan 29 – Feb 5, 2009.
