Why not use Superbowl Sunday as the perfect excuse to gather friends and family, for a low cost, comfort food, high sport style party?
First, start with décor. It always sets the tone, and creates a wonderful atmosphere and energy when guests arrive.
For a no fuss casual party, you always want to set a self serve bar and a buffet. It allows you to preset the entire menu, so you can relax and enjoy your guests during the party. Remember the rule, the more fun that you have, the more fun guests will have. Guests really take their cues from the host or hostess…so make sure you are the one having the most fun. Second, interactive stations allow guests to spend time chatting while helping themselves to food and drink, getting to know eachother, and make both new friends and old.
I love setting the table with two linens – making a bold color statement and also featuring both teams fairly. Here we set a Cardinal red linen and a black Steeler linen. You want to make sure they overlap eachother, one underneath the other, so the table doesn't peek out of the seam at the center.
For décor, its fun to mix onhand props in a fresh, new way. For the Cardinals, recycle and repurpose red bird Christmas ornaments from your holiday tree, by wiring them onto spray painted branches, hand picked out of your backyard. Tuck the branches into a red ribbon wrapped cylinder vase, and voila – you have the perfect arrangement. For the Steelers, paint cylinder vases gold, and do the same with footballs. Simply top the vases, here we feature two different height cylinders, with the matching gilded footballs for a Vince Lombardi Superbowl trophy replica.
Next, the bar. The perfect cocktail or mocktail for each team can be fun to design:
Arizona sunsets are my favorite – featuring a hint of tequila, sweet lime juice, orange juice and grenadine with a cherry garnish.
Pittsburgh's famous Iron City Beer is the perfect accompaniment to round out the bar specialty drinks.
For the menu, again I love to get creative and do old favorites that are specific to the region of each team:
Primanti Brothers Sanwiches have been served since the depression – and are the perfect taste of the 'Burgh. We created mini bites with Italian Bread, Mustard, Corned beef, Provolone, Cole slaw and French fries all stacked inside! A second option, which is their 2nd best seller, The Pitts-burgha Steak and Cheese.
On the sweet side, pay homage to the invention of the Banana Split in Latrobe, PA with a do it yourself Banana Split Bar – complete with vanilla, strawberry and chocolate ice gelato, toppings, and more.
And let's not forget the hometown favorite – Clark Candy bars!
And on defense…
Cardinal "wings" make the perfect Superbowl snack, with half a dozen dips to add a fresh take on a sports classic. From traditional Blue Cheese to Peppercorn Ranch, Green Goddess, Vidalia Onion and more guests can make their own wings.
A Taco Bar is a great way for guests to mix and mingle at the buffet – discussing their favorite combinations of shells, meats, cheeses, like Grand Canyon queso, and fresh cactus salsas. This is also a great healthy buffet choice – with low fat ground turkey, fresh vegetables, and skim shredded cheeses.
The ultimate end to the evening features a Cupcake Decorating Bar – various flavors of cupcakes, icings (my favorite is of course the cream cheese), sprinkles, fresh fruits, and so much more.
Now that's one dessert, that definitely takes the cake!
A Perfect Event
Chief Eventeur
3050 N. Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
T 773.244.9333
F 773.404.2112
