Grapevine: Super Bowl XLVIII: There’s Also a Culinary Challenge
Here we are, several days before Super Bowl Sunday, and the game is finally in our own backyard. So, after XLVII games, we finally get a local venue, only to find ourselves boxed out from supporting our local teams–and from participating in the festivities, which are monopolized by fat wallets and checkbooks. There are ticket prices starting at $1,500; an orgy of expense-account visitors and 1-percenters paying exorbitant prices for hotels, restaurants and private events; and 1,500 private jet flights crowding the tarmac at nearby TeterboroAirport.
As I pondered this week’s column, I thought of the rivalry on the gridiron and began transposing it to culinary rivalries between Denver and Seattle.
Once a year we indulge guilt-free in those waist-widening, artery-clogging foods we try to fastidiously avoid all year. And what better way to wash down those calories and fat than with your favorite beverage.
But what to eat and drink?
Here are several food facts for Super Bowl Sunday from the National Restaurant Association: 69 percent of us will be noshing on salsa, chips and dips and 63 percent will be inhaling chicken wings. In fact, according to the National Chicken Council, 1.25 billion chicken wings will be devoured.
Here’s my premise for this week’s column: a Super Bowl Challenge for the best food, wine and beer produced in the two rival football regions.
FOOD:Seattle’s proximity to Northwest waters makes it famous for fresh seafood sold at Pike’s Place Fish Market. Denver is surrounded by mountains populated by wildlife perfect for grilling and roasting.
Both cities lean toward healthy eating. All the fresh air and easy access to skiing and hiking are perfect conditions for conscientious, healthy-eating residents. A sample dish showcasing Seattle’s culinary diversity is cedar-planked salmon with wild huckleberry demi-glace, caramelized Walla Walla sweet onions and Washington apple pie.
For Denver, local wild game is par excellence. I’ve personally enjoyed a meal beginning with Bison sliders and Denver green pepper chili, followed by a roast of wild boar and elk. I must admit I’ve not tried the other famous game specialty of the city: Rocky Mountain Oysters. The winner? This decision is as close as I expect the game to be; my nod goes to Seattle.
WINE: This is an easy category. WashingtonState is becoming one of the premier producers of fine Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux blends. There are over 700 wineries, a number of which are a short distance from Seattle. Quilceda Creek, Andrew Will and Chateau Ste. Michelle consistently produce quality wines year after year.
Although Colorado is not known for its wines, the local wine industry is over 100 years old and there are currently close to 100 active wineries. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling dominate production. Top wineries include Balistreri and Zephyr, which are predominantly sold locally. The winner? Washington wines, by their sheer consistency and power, dominate this category.
BEER: This is the most difficult category. Each city overflows with craft breweries–over 150 each, several with national reputations. For Denver, look for New Belgium, Great Divide and Left Hand in our area; For Seattle, look for Pyramid, Red Hook and Elysian.
The winner? It’s like the quarterbacks: Payton Manning has a long-term reputation for excellence, backed by a Super Bowl ring, versus Russell Wilson, a relative newcomer with excellent potential, making his big game debut. I have to go with the hand of experience.
One other category comes to mind. Each state has legalized marijuana for recreational use. Is the local weed of Washington better than Colorado’s? Is there a discriminating connoisseurship developing in each state? I admit (present-day) ignorance on this category. I’ll call it a draw (no pun intended).
Whatever your plans are for the Big Day, relax with your favorite junk food, your beverage of choice and enjoy the game.
Nick Antonaccio is a 35-year Pleasantville resident. For over 15 years he has conducted wine tastings and lectures. He also offers personalized wine tastings and wine travel services. Nick’s credo: continuous experimenting results in instinctive behavior. You can reach him at nantonaccio@theexaminernews.com or on Twitter @sharingwine.
