It's almost time for the honored tradition of American pigskin played on a super scale, and if you you are entertaining at home this Super Bowl Sunday, the most important menu item to have on hand, obviously, is beer. Lots o' beer. And it's going to make you hungry, because those tricky brain receptors demand munchies when inebriated, so better plan ahead for cravings. Pretzels, Doritos, chips and dip...sure, it's easy to toss the stuff in a bowl, but these are not the satisfying snacks you seek.
Deep frying chicken wings seem a bit beyond your kitchen reach? Need a suggestion when it comes to the football feeding frenzy? Save yourself the hassle and get it to go. Here's our top five favorite menu items from local restaurants prepared to box it up for you on game day.
5. The mini corn dogs ($10) at Burger & Beer Joint come on super long
skewers, ideal for perfecting Jedi saber skills or dipping into the
accompanying jalapeno-cheddar sauce. They use Hebrew National cocktail
franks and dip them in a dense corn meal batter; although we like to
mustard them up, the cheddar sauce is good for finger dipping, or if
completely wasted, drinking straight from the small plastic container.
4. Order the three rack version of Hogzilla's signature slab ($69) and you can take home dry rubbed beef "long rib" bones, slow smoked for ten hours. This platter of ribs is served with jalapeno cheddar muffins and your choice of a side dish, including some truly Southern cookin' infused offerings like collard and kale greens with ham hock, sweet potato tater tots, and burnt end black eyed peas.
3. The "Barbecue Platter" ($23) at Bulldog Barbecue offers your pick of 3 meats from the barbeque section, including pulled pork and brisket, chicken and ribs. Plus, you'll choose 2 sides, from mac and cheese, chipolte fries and beer battered onion rings, to Chef Howie's Carolina slaw. Buy a few platters and share among friends, or if your party requires large quantities, call them directly and order off the catering menu.
2. Eschew the standard buffalo wings and instead get a twenty piece order of Sakaya's Korean wings ($22.99) to go. Doused in soy and ginger, with a spicy kick, Chef Richard Hale's wings get fried twice, for an extra crispy coating. The wings are also offered in the "Crowd Pleaser" special Superbowl package for ten people ($180), which includes items like honey orange ribs, roasted pork buns, and those strangely addictive brussels sprouts.
1. The meatball and ricotta pizza from Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza, offers ultimate game day sustenance. Giant globs of soft cheese are punctuated by little balls of salty ground meat. We applaud the decision to make mini-balls, rather than slice up one giant ball, into individual rounds like pepperoni, which is the norm. These meatballs stay juicy and the pizza is really filling because there are so many of them covering the surface. Even friends who can usually take down 3-4 slices will be clutching their stomachs and falling back into the couch cushions after the second piece.
Follow Short Order on Facebook and Twitter @Short_Order.
