They work long and hard for our eating pleasure all year long, but what do some of our favorite chefs, restaurant owners and winemakers do during the big game? Many will score touchdowns in restaurant kitchens to delight fans, some will enjoy sitting on the sidelines and others will do double-duty at work and at home. Read on for delicious details and inventive ideas.
Top Chefs Name What They’re Eating & Drinking During Sunday’s Big Game:
Chef Joe D’Andrea of Vera Pasta, West Chester
What do you get when you take a tried and true game-day classic and put it in Joe’s hands? A new twist on a flavor that reminds him of watching football: Buffalo chicken raviolis. He’ll roast chicken until it falls off the bone, slather it with his homemade Buffalo sauce and complete the magic with cream cheese, a bit of ricotta and fresh herbs. Handmade in fresh pasta, these raviolis will be drizzled with a light gorgonzola cream sauce. Adult beverages on the menu cover Joe’s love for football and his Italian heritage: a variety pack of Victory Brewing Company beer and La Spinetta Barbera. Want some ravioli goodness? They’ll be available at Vera Pasta the week of the Super Bowl.
Chris Barnes, co-owner of Lucky’s Last Chance, Manayunk
Chris plans to take quintessential football food and make it less messy (for the host) and more interesting for guests. He’ll whip up Buffalo chicken mac & cheese by cooking off chicken breast and shredding it, then tossing it back into a warm pan with Buffalo sauce and a little butter. He’ll add it to his favorite super-creamy mac & cheese recipe, and encourages home cooks to do the same. Chris likes to pair this dish with a good, hoppy IPA to cut through the heat of the Buffalo sauce. Try the nicely balanced Victory Brewing Company’s Dirt Wolf Double IPA.
Head Chef Jared Cannon of Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Chestnut Hill
For Jared, big-game food is all about the dips and pick-n-eats. He’ll put out homemade guacamole and fresh corn chips, and the avocados won’t know what hit them when serranos, fresh garlic, white onion, diced tomatoes, cilantro and lime juice come to play. Other nibbles will be pork-belly sliders with Asian slaw and grilled Buffalo chicken skewers. His Buffalo sauce’s ‘secret sauce’ is Frank’s Red Hot, plus scallions and whole butter. A selection of cheese and crackers, and whatever else strikes his fancy that day, will round out the spread. He’ll be offering Iron Hill’s Ironbound, and perhaps a hoppy seasonal or two.
Executive Chef/Partner Patrick Feury of Nectar, Berwyn
Patrick will slow cook pork shoulder on the “green egg” for a good four hours to get the smokiness he loves. He’ll start a day ahead and brine the de-boned shoulder in salt, sugar, water, garlic, red pepper, mustard seed, coriander seed, crushed bay leaf and peppercorns. If you’re not already swooning, the pre-barbeque rub features minced garlic, thyme, rosemary and sage. Sides will be collard greens, plus a farro and olive salad kissed with parsley and Meyer lemon. Simple yet sophisticated, and pulled together with Victory Brewing Company’s Headwaters.
Executive Chef Jason Goodman of Fette Sau, Philadelphia
Jason will enjoy a well-deserved day off with friends doing the cooking. But, it’s quite possible they’ll take the smart route and serve Fette Sau’s signature barbeque meats – dry-rubbed with a secret mix and smoked in-house, of course – and hearty sides. Think super slow-cooked pulled pork, brisket, chicken or St. Louis ribs in the company of burnt-end beans, mac & cheese, kraut, coleslaw, potato salad and broccoli salad. And although you can’t take out any of the 122 North American whiskies available at the restaurant, Jason suggests acquiring one to complement smokey barbeque. Drool over the menu choices here and call ahead to get your super Sunday share.
Sous Chef Joseph Pryor of Victory Brewing Company, Downingtown
Joe’s going Jersey-style for the big game. He’ll tote a growler or two of Victory’s Hop Ticket Session IPA to his parent’s house. The door’s always open, so friends and family drop in throughout the day to nosh on an authentic Italian sub – all four feet of it – from a legit New Jersey deli. If you get an invitation, save room for buffalo chicken nachos, at least three different chip-and-dip sets with a fresh vegetable crudité and, of course, the assorted variety of store-bought puff-pastry-rolled meats, pizza rolls and other snacks die-hard guests will bring. But wait, there’s more. That’s just the pre-game warm-up. For the main event, Joe will cook up his scratch-made chili with a side of freshly made pomme frites and beer bratwurst. It’s a four- to five-hour food marathon, but the Jersey strong are up to the task.
President and Winemaker Gino Razzi of Penns Woods WInery, Chadds Ford
Gino goes the traditional route with big servings of crowd-pleasing nachos: tortilla chips loaded with jalapenos, cheese, chicken and veggies. His Pinot Grigio is a great cheerleader for this dish, as the minerality stands up to the cheese and gives a clean, refreshing finish. Going full-out, mouth-afire spices? Make sure to choose a slightly sweeter wine with some residual sugar to manage the burn. Check out other game-day food-and-wine pairings courtesy of Gino and his creative team.
Executive Chef David Wassel of Winner’s Circle Sports Grille/Riverstone Café, Exton
Dave will be doing double-duty at both restaurants during the day, but he’ll get his crock pots going in the morning. Crock pots plural, as in four slow-cooking masterpieces: meatballs (pork, veal and beef) in homemade pomodoro sauce; two kinds of tacos (pork and chicken) braised, then slow-cooked in chicken stock with fresh cilantro, garlic, chipotle peppers, bell pepper and onion; and beef short ribs. Plus Dave’s classic fiesta dip layered, from bottom to top, with black bean hummus, salsa and shredded smoked Gouda cheese. He’ll melt that in the oven and then top it with iceberg lettuce, jalapenos and red onion. The cooler will feature a selection of Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, Troegs Mad Elf Ale and even PRB pounders. Add a few malbecs, and there’s something for everyone at Dave’s party.
Now that you have a few new game plans, huddle up with your fellow food fans and execute the plays to score big Feb. 2. No “Hail Mary” will be required now that you’ve taken a peek into the playbooks of some of the area’s top food and beverage quarterbacks.
Let us know what you’re creating; leave us a comment below.
- Fette Sau BBQ Feast: Jason Varney
- Chef Joe D’Andrea of Vera Pasta: Nina Malone
- Chef Patrick Feury of Nectar: Steve Legato
- Gino & Carley Razzi: Penns Woods Winery
