Time flies when you’re having fun. It seems it was not that long ago when we were all “sheltering in place,” eating the food we had ordered in or cooked, and whiling away the hours watching the boob tube. In contrast, next Sunday will find many of us continuing to shelter in place, eating the food we had ordered in or cooked, and whiling away the hours watching the boob tube. The big difference is we will be watching the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers duking it out for bragging rights in Super Bowl LV.
If there’s one upside, it’s that some restaurants and food vendors will be putting their best food forward to make the game-day chow interesting.
Heading he round-up will be the UN Plaza Grill‘s SB Sunday Menu at the modest price of $60 for two. (The menu can be ordered in multiples of 2 depending on how many hungry mouths you plan to feed, but remember to keep the crowd size relatively small). To eat: Think chicken lollipops — pan-fried chicken meatballs with a Thai sweet chili sauce and sesame seeds; hand-ground burger sliders topped with BBQ sauce, grilled onion, and pickle; hummus with crudités, olives, pita; and chicken wings with three sauces, including buffalo and a lemon garlic mayo. Orders can be placed for pick-up at the restaurant, 845 UN Plaza (First Avenue bet. 47 and 48 Sts.) through Big Game Sunday by phoning the restaurant at 212-223-1801. Delivery is also available. By the way, UN Plaza Grill is kosher, should that be a factor.
Where there’s smoke, there’s barbecue, and where there’s barbecue there is the veteran Blue Smoke. Team Chipotle Wings or Team Alabama White Wings? Both are winners. Or opt for the classics, which include fork-tender Texas beef brisket, dry rubbed and cherry smoked Memphis-style baby back ribs, pulled pork, and more. The restaurant is accepting preorders for pickup only at its Battery Park City location (255 Vesey Street, 212-889-2005). Don’t fumble! The cutoff date for pickup orders is Friday, Feb. 5, though the earlier the better.
Super Bowl Sunday with an Italian twist? It can be when you order from Marta in the Flatiron District, which is notable for its family-style servings of sturdy, no-nonsense “EYE-talian” food. Marta is featuring a few specials for the Big Game including Calabrian chili buffalo wings (careful with those) and garlic ‘nots’ [sic]. You can go simple with an Italian hero that feeds up to four ($45) — sweet and hot sopressata, house-smoked Ham, prosciutto, provolone, peppers, and olives on Orwasher’s ciabatta — or serious, with slow-roasted heritage lamb shoulder ($185, serves four to six) with garlic and rosemary roasted potatoes, and salsa verde; add a whole truffle and shaver for an additional $75. Preorder here.
If Super Bowl LV is anything like its predecessors, Americans will scarf down some 1.33 billion chicken wings before the game is over. If you’re wondering whether it’s possible to eat healthfully this coming Sunday, consider the game day menu offered by caterer Great Performances. Their Green Game Menu will showcase vegetarian and vegan riffs on football championship watching food favorites, such as Mae Mae Café red beet sliders, spicy cauliflower buffalo bites with blue cheese dipping sauce, twice baked cheddar-chive Yukon Gold potatoes, and three-bean chipotle chili. For dessert there will be the End Zone’s “team colors cake” in a jar, the layers of which will sport the colors of the two teams battling it out on the field. The multi-course menu, which serves four, is priced at $145 and is available for delivery through Baldor Foods.
