Are you hosting a Super Bowl party?
If so, I’d like to extend my thanks on behalf of all the friends you will invite for undertaking this generous project. I’ve done it myself many times, and I know what a pain it can be. But there are a few shortcuts to make it easier. One is to go potluck so everyone else does the heavy lifting in the kitchen.
But that’s a quality control sacrifice, and if you want to impress and make sure the food you serve is really good, without spending the entire day prepping, there’s another path - mail order food. It’s a topic I have written on for years, and I know where to go to get the best Alaskan salmon, grass fed beef, extra virgin olive oil, you name it and I can help you source it. But for the Super Bowl you don’t want any of those things because the whole idea is to not cook. For the Super Bowl you want game ready, crowd pleasing, oversized food that is a bit of an indulgence. And for that, I’ve got you covered.
If money is no object and you want to go down a rabbit hole of choices and mouse clicks, head over to Goldbelly, the biggest site devoted to shipping food from restaurants across the country, with lots of famous names and every category from sandwiches to pizza to BBQ. The problem is that in most cases it’s quite expensive, often substantially more than the food costs at the places they sell from, even when shipping is not included. Sizes are also more geared to individual home meals than parties. It’s convenient, but you pay a premium. Personally I try to go to the source and patronize the restaurants that ship themselves, and all of the following vendors do just that (some do both, sell direct and on Goldbelly).
Real Deal Buffalo Wings: If there was an award for Number One Football and Super Bowl Food, it would be the Buffalo wing. You could even argue that it’s not a Super Bowl bash without them. Media sources estimate that close to a billion and half wings will be consumed on Game Day alone! It’s likely to be even more fitting this year, because the Buffalo Bills are the best team in football, and if the NFL stops trying to give breaks to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Bills should be taking the field in Phoenix. But either way you will want to serve the city’s most famous dish, but that’s harder than it should be. There are a lot of bad wings out there and a lot of misconceptions. The biggest thing to know is that real Buffalo wings are always deep fried, which is why they are crispy, whereas most restaurants, delivery pizzerias and supermarkets outside Buffalo, as well as most home cooks, bake, roast or smoke them, all of which can taste good but cannot be Buffalo Wings.
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The good news is that it’s one of the few famous foods that has a very clear and accepted origin story, traced back to a late night at Frank & Teressa’s Anchor Bar in Buffalo. They started it, they perfected it, they are still there, and they ship direct - in quantities fit for the biggest day in American sports. Packages start at 50 and run up to 300, and the prices include shipping, hot sauce and dressing. I’ve ordered these and followed the directions to reheat and they are excellent, but they take the spice level seriously so consider medium and do not order extreme unless you are an extreme heat lover. This is also a perfect example of the rationale for ordering direct - Anchor Bar wings are also sold at Goldbelly, and the same 50-pack with the same included shipping and same everything costs 10% more.
Texas BBQ: It’s hard to beat slow smoked barbecue for a party and just about everyone loves ribs, brisket, sausage and such. The problem is that very few of the top BBQ joints ship, and when they do, prices and fees tend to be high and portions not party-sized. That’s why for gatherings I always recommend Houston’s Goode Company BBQ, which ships a lot of food, with fees included and large, reasonably priced party platters. They also make a famous and decadent pecan pie (Voted best mail order pie in the country by Bloomberg) that solves your extra problem of dessert. Goode is real deal ‘cue, slow smoked over mesquite in traditional Texas style, and while Texas is best known for brisket, you don’t have to choose if you order a party platter.
The biggest is the “Pride of Sam Houston,” which includes a whole brisket, 2 racks of pork ribs, 2 Czech sausages, 2 jalapeño pork sausages, 2 loaves of the wildly additive jalapeño cheese bread (an awesome Super Bowl side), 2 bottles of BBQ sauce, and of course, a whole large pecan pie. It’s rated to feed 18-20 and can be an awesome centerpiece to your perfect Super Bowl bash ($360). The Independence is similar but slightly smaller, the same combo with one each of ribs and sausages, for 10 guests ($315). There are also lots of other options, like assorted sausage platters, a good option if you already have another big main course, or you can get just a brisket.
Ultimate New York Deli: Ever since the Jets decamped for New Jersey 29 years ago, New York has been the largest city in the country without an NFL team (at least New York State still has the Bills). But they make up for the void with exceptional delis, and one stands out above all others. If you ask most food critics what the best Jewish-stye deli in the entire country is, the most common response will be Katz’s, a venerable pilgrimage destination for foodies since 1888. It’s the oldest and most famous of the city’s many great delis, made even more famous in the “I’ll have what she’s having “ scene from the hit film When Harry Met Sally, and just the best for staples like pastrami, corned beef and brisket. Katz is a big, busy operation that has been in the food shipping business longer than just about anyone else (in WWII its slogan was “Send a salami to your boy in the army”), and they do it right.
There are myriad options, including all the bestselling sandwich meats by the pound, but I recommend the Triple Classic, a pound each of the top three meats, pastrami, corned beef and brisket, along with a whole loaf of their exceptional seedless rye bread, deli mustard and a quart each of the house made half sour and full sour pickles ($155). That’s a dozen quarter pound sandwiches, a make your own spread of epic proportions, and your guests will swoon. Katz also has a special Game Day “Super Box,” with a pound each of pastrami, corned beef and Swiss cheese, plus half a dozen oversized all-beef house made franks, four of their famous beef garlic knockwursts, rye bread, buns, mustard, sauerkraut, Reuben dressing, and pickles, quite the spread with something for every taste, easily feeding eight or more. ($150). With free shipping on all orders over $100, and reasonable prices to begin with, you can go wild on the website. I’ve eaten at Katz’s many times, I’ve ordered from them, and I have never been disappointed.
Deep Dish Pizza: I love pizza. You love pizza. Everybody loves pizza. The only problem with pizza is that it doesn’t ship well, and the most popular styles, thinner crusts like New York or Neapolitan, just are not that good if you don’t get them fresh. The easiest route is to order pizza locally, but the big national chains, the ones that run TV commercials and have two for one deals or 30 minute delivery guaranteed, make pretty awful pizza. I wouldn’t eat it and I certainly would not serve it to guests. If you have a great local pizzeria, like if you live in New York City or New Haven, just get that, but for everyone else, the best bet is Chicago deep dish, which ships great, tastes 98% as good at home as in the restaurants, and since most people don’t have it often, it’s a surprise and treat. It’s also good party food because a slice is a substantial fork and knife affair. I’ve written extensively on Chicago pizza, and my favorite is Lou Malnati’s, which is also tops for mail order. If you get a selection (spinach, sausage, cheese, pepperoni) just pop them in the oven, put them out on the counter, and your crowd will go wild!
Lou Malnati’s ships through a local consortium called Tastes of Chicago, I’ve done it, super reliable, and you can also add other Windy City specialties perfect for parties like famous and addictive Garrett’s popcorn or Portillo’s Italian beef subs. A Malnati’s 4-pack is $110 and a 6-pack $130, shipping included and these are hearty pies, each of which can be cut into six ample slices. You can mix and match the flavors for your audience.
Take Me Out to the Ball Game: There is no food associated more with stadiums and sporting events than the humble hot dog. But stadium hot dogs usually are not very good, whereas if you know how to shop, you can find some exceptional artisan examples. But I have not tried ones I like more than the passionately made craft versions from chef Ralph Perrazzo, who has devoted years to perfecting the recipes for his Snap-O-Razzo brand. Perrazzo grew up in New York and was raised on the best local Kosher hot dogs, Germen wursts and all kinds of artisanal ethnic sausages, and he later set out to build all that flavor and snappiness into the perfect hot dog.
Veteran Los Angeles Times food contributor Mike Hiller wrote, “No matter how you cook them, these are damn good hot dogs. Vegetarians should find a loophole. No one should pass up a Snap-O-Razzo.” I concur. There are two styles, all-beef and a beef and pork version. They are both excellent, both oversized (7.5 inches), both made of high-quality meats in natural cases with no fillers, and both are snappy, juicy and delicious. Perrazzo recommends griddling the beef franks (which you can do in a frying pan if you don’t have griddle) and simmering the pork and beef dogs in water, both easy crowd pleasers. Perrazzo is now based in Las Vegas where his dogs are so popular they are served at Allegiant Stadium, home to the Raiders, and the 2024 Super bowl venue, so if you want a real deal exceptional Game Day hot dog with pedigree, this is it. They are also extremely reasonable, in packages of four 6-dog packs, 24 large dogs, for just $55. Even better, they are running a 10% off Super Bowl promo (the product is also sold in about 300 Kroger supermarket stores nationwide). If your guests gobble down two each you can still feed a dozen people with one pack. Try to beat that.
