Eating Our Way Through the 2011 Season
Bulgogi Sliders with grilled onion, picked ginger, jalepenos, and spicy cilantro mayo. Ramen dip with Fritos
Oh man, isn’t football season GREAT? Of course it is. There’s the sport itself, of course, and that’s wonderful. And then there is the whole ritual of watching the games: getting the kids in their jerseys, tracking down your Jets underwear, sucking down a few beers, and preparing that perfect football-watching meal. This year we are putting some additional thought into that last part. For the full 17-week season, we plan to make meals that pay homage to the hometown of the Jets’ opponent. Here’s how the menu is shaping up. The first three weeks are done, but we value your input on future meals.
| Week | Opponent | Meal | Note |
| 1 | Dallas | Brisket | A Texas tradition. |
| 2 | Jacksonville | Airplane food | We were on a flight, but isn’t it kinda perfect for JAX? |
| 3 | Oakland | Bulgogi sliders | ET1 is Korean American, and from Oakland-adjacent. |
| 4 | Baltimore | Crab cakes | …and heroin. |
| 5 | New England | Lobstah rolls | Best thing about Boston. |
| 6 | Miami | Ropa vieja + arroz con frijoles | You see, Miami is close to Cuba. |
| 7 | San Diego | Baja fish tacos | San Diego is practically Mexico. |
| 8 | BYE WEEK | Chili | No theme for the bye week; I just like chili. |
| 9 | Buffalo | Wings | Natch. |
| 10 | New England | Apizza | That’s actually how they spell it in Connecticut. |
| 11 | Denver | Chili | With some Coors Rocky Mountain Banquet Beer. |
| 12 | Buffalo | Buffalo meat burger + poutine | Buffalo is close to Montreal, right? |
| 13 | Washington DC | TBD | Does this city have any personality? |
| 14 | Kansas City | Ribs | Fred Flintstone-style. |
| 15 | Philadelphia | Cheesesteak | The only redeeming thing about Philly. |
| 16 | New York Giants | Pasta Bolognese | Thar be Italians. |
| 17 | Miami | Stadium concession | We’re going to this game, right? |
Posted on September 29th, 2011 Filed in: Life
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This looks inspired. Curious what the menu would feature had the Colts been on the schedule?
Wow! When I think of foods in DC, I think of Ben’s Chili Bowl and Ethiopian food. So maybe an Ethiopian chili dog? and to drink, water infused with lead.
Colts would have been a hard one. Thank goodness I don’t have to worry about seeing them in the playoffs. I think you’d have to work corn into it, right? Hoosier state and all that. Maybe corn dogs? I do LOVE corn dogs. Here are a few more tough culinary pairings: Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, St. Louis, Minnesota, Seattle.
Two that I am bummed about not having on the schedule: New Orleans and Green Bay.
What do you think about DC? Tough one, eh?
Ah! I posted before I saw And’s comment. I’ve never heard of Ethiopian food being a DC thing, but it is now under consideration!
For Indy, you could have done a “state fair” theme couldn’t you? The Pacers used to play up the Hick routine when they were going at it with the knicks in the late 90s. I would would go state fair all the way
New England – clam chowder
Pittsburgh – either chipped ham or hogies with french fries in them
Cleveland – pigs in a blanket and puppy chow for dessert
Cincinatti – chili over spaghetti of course
Detroit – broccoli cheese rice casserole with a side of meth (this is not really Detroit as it is general midwest dish that i am sure marshal mather ate.)
St. Louis – home of the hot dog or to be more obscure egg foo young sandwiches.
Minnesota – pickled herring and jello salad
Seattle – anything seafoody.
Catjjy and I were/are going back and forth on doing clam chowdah in a bread bowl for one of the two New England games. If the team were the Boston Patriots, I think we would have no choice. But since it is meant to encompass all of New England, including Connecticut (or at least the part of the state east of I-91), I felt comfortable going with apizza, which I like a lot more than milky soup.
PIBs are certainly not a Cleveland food! That’s pure southern trash cooking, defined by combining two or more pre-packaged processed foods together (in this case, Li’l Smokies and Pillsbury crescent rolls). This is a family specialty. It’s the first dish I ever made for Catjjy.
You are right with Cincinnati, but it just breaks my heart to see chili defiled that way.
Is St. Louis really home of the hot dog? I know they fancy themselves the home of the fried ravioli, which is what I would have probably gone with if pressed (with Budweiser, of course). Fortunately, the Jets aren’t playing them this year.
The one we really do need is DC – what’s your take there, ET1?
Also, no high-five for the white-boy bulgogi? It was really delicious!
For Jets v. Colts it would have been a baked potato bar. In honor of Indy’s most illustrious couch potato.
HIgh-five, Catjjy!
@Evil Twin #1
Or, Seattle– terriyaki.
Also, just checked in with my sister who lives in DC. She said Ben’s chili bowl or ethiopian (without prompting on my part).
Agree that anything in the midwest could use jello and/or marshmallows. Even for an entree.
@Sparks
Why is CT even it’s own state? Half of it is a suburb of NY and the other half can be given to Western Mass. Bisect thru Hartford. Blandest state in the Union.
@Catjjy
You would of course need some caps and robes to be real students of the potato bar.
Also – do you prefer fresh jalepenos to pickled ones on sandwiches? Or could you just not deny a beautiful fresh pepper from your own yard?
@Sparks
hi-5 for white boy korean food (the sliders may also qualify as vietnamese bahn mi so random shout out to my yellow bros.)
@And @Sparks
washington dc – softshell crab sandwiches (b’more and dc have a crab rivalry) but i think something more esoteric like pork (get it?) would be good too. another really popular dish is fried lake trout (although i am not sure if white folk are allowed anywhere near the joints that serve it). i also like ben’s chili bowl and fasika’s but sparks has too much chili on the roster.
ET1 – I like where you are going with this pork thing. That is exactly the right angle. Roasted pork butt it is!
I know everyone is talking about this Ben fellow and his chili, but chili just can’t be a mid-Atlantic food. It’s cowboy food, range food, Old West food. One pot simmering over a campfire and all that. Perfect for Denver, but not DC.
KB1 – I prefer fresh jalepenos to pickled ones in nearly every application. That makes me a bad Texan (which is fine, because I am not a Texan).
@And
Totally agree with CT assessment.