Image via Complex Original
Yes, it's that time of year, again: Whether you watch for the commercials, the game, the wardrobe malfunctions, or because of unavoidable peer pressure and the lack of anything else to do this Sunday, the Super Bowl is here. And with it come the parties, and the all-too-typical spreads: Wings, nachos, pizza, pretzels, sub platters, and other assorted, mediocre, terrible party snacks.
But if you live in New York City, it's a different story: We have the best restaurants in the country, and the highest concentration of them in one place. If you can't find not just good, but great Super Bowl party food here, you're doing it wrong. If you're not in New York, well, enjoy salivating. And if you are, what are you doing not ordering this stuff now?
These are the 10 NYC Restaurants That Should Cater Your Super Bowl Party.
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10. Pork Slope
Address: 247 5th Ave.
Website: porkslopebrooklyn.com
What To Order: Dale Talde (whom the words "Top Chef alumni" will always pro- or preceede) opened up a roadhouse joint in Park Slope so he could serve really, really excellent, creative, and brilliant bar food. Can't blame him, especially after eating it. For the Super Bowl, he's catering an entire pork shoulder, 24 wings, three sides of your choosing, and a grip of fixings at a decent rate.
Price: $195 (Serves 8-10)
[MORE TALDE: The Big Nacho Interview: Dale Talde Talks Influences, Architecture, and Cheese Sauce]
9. Momofuku Noodle Bar
Address: 171 First Ave.
Website: momofuku.com (Super Bowl Menu)
What To Order: The Momofuku empire could charge $200 for just about anything served at a sports bar and people would probably pony up for it. Good thing their wings make it worth the scratch. Their Super Bowl special? Those Korean-glazed wings you can only score in the restaurant with a pain-in-the-ass-to-get fried chicken reservation, on special, along with some roasted rice cakes, ginger scallion noodles, chilled spicy noodles, kimchi and pickles. But hurry: You need to get your order in today, or you're gonna risk being locked out.
Price: $250 (Serves 8-10)
8. Cheeky Sandwiches
Address: 35 Orchard St.
Website: cheeky-sandwiches.com
What To Order: You'd think a few Po-Boys would be easy to secure in New York City, like almost every other kind of cuisine out there. Think again: There's something about Louisiana Cajun cuisine that's kept it from being done (or at least: being done right) in the big city, unlike every other derivative take on Southern food that otherwise took the city by storm in 2005 and never let go since. Thank your Saints for Cheeky's, then: An LES/Chinatown thimble-sized storefront that dishes out perfect Po-Boys, with NoLa-imported bread and all. Seeing as how the big game's in the Crescent City this year, no better way to celebrate the fact that you wish you were there with these guys. Oh, and also: Mad cheap. But you knew they'd be.
Price: $6 - $8/Sandwich.
7. Hill Country
Address: 30 W. 26th St.
Website: hillcountryny.com (Super Bowl Menu)
What To Order: New York's best BBQ joint is hotly debated, often; what isn't, at least here, is that Hill Country is commonly ranked among the very best, and it's also one of the more centrallly located ones, too. Also, they serve in mason jars, which means something. Really. And yes, their Super Bowl specials are pretty solid deals, but most notably are the under-ordered wings, the smoky, tangy, brilliance of which you can bring home en masse without breaking the bank.
Price: $80/100 Wings.
6. Artichoke
Address: Multiple Locations
Website: artichokepizza.com
What To Order: Yeah, they only make a few kinds of pizza, but when those few kinds are that good, it's really all you need. The Union Square joint that spawned two more locations still serves the best iterations of their namesake artichoke white slice, a grandma pie, and massively underrated crab pie, and that little extra cash you spend on these pizzas will go a long way with friends.
Price: $24-$30/Pie (Serves 3-5)
5. Baohaus
Address: 238 East 14th St.
Website: baohausnyc.com
What To Order: Bao bao! Some people argue that Eddie Huang's indespensible 14th Street shop serves the city's best Asian bun sandwiches-or bao-in the city. Others think Eddie's a loudmouth who needs to stop talking shit. We fall in line with the former camp: The beef cheek is superb, as are the chicken bao. And they're reasonably priced, especially in bulk: The house catering deal will net you 24 buns at a cheap rate, and they only need two hours to prep a tray.
Price: $85 (Serves 8-10)
4. Brooklyn Star
Address: 593 Lorimer St.
Website: thebrooklynstar.com
What To Order: The Williamsburg standby for Southern food that's also a service indsutry watering hole (as they keep the kitchen open past 2 A.M.) is bringing Southern decency to your home. Per Eater, the place will be putting together trays of "seven layer dip, jumbo wings, and baked mac and cheese," the last of which may be among the city's best. Hit 'em up at [email protected], subject line "Party Trays."
Price: Prices vary.
3. Parm
Address: 248 Mulberry St.
Website: parmnyc.com (Super Bowl Menu)
What To Order: Get the SuperBowl Package: It comes with the place's lasagna, house salad, and coffee cake, but more crucically, your choice of the Torrisi Italian Specialties-bred parm sandwich (meatball or chicken) along with the restaurant's worst-kept-secret and best asset, the turkey sandwich. Except, as opposed to a roll or a hero, a special gameday three-footer. And this is, bar none, the best turkey sandwich in New York. Just now: Three feet long.
Price: $340 (Serves 10-12)
2. Momofuku Ssam Bar
Address: 207 2nd Ave.
Website: Momofuku.com (Super Bowl Menu)
What To Order: Get the Bo Ssam (whole slow-roasted pork shoulder with bibb lettuce, napa kimchi) special. The original downtown pork-on-pork special now comes to-go, and for the big game, with sides you can't normally pick up at Ssam Bar that, while not worth the price of admission alone, are definitely compelling, if only to see how Momofuku produces enchiladas and plantains (something completely alien to the Asian-ish cuisine the place is typically putting out).
Price: $350 (Serves 8-10)
1. The Meat Hook
Address: 100 Frost St.
Website: the-meathook.com (Super Bowl Menu)
What To Order: Real G's cook their own Super Bowl party. And Williamsburg's home butcher shop knows that, which is why they've put together a specialty menu of sausages (like a killer andouille, shouts to NoLa), wings, brats, and stuffed meats. Check the menu here and hit them up on the phone with any questions. Again, better to buy on the earlier side, and get your recipes (and prep cook) in order. Show up at any party-or host your own-with these ingredients, you'll show up anything anyone else brought, and paid exponentially more cash for.
Price: Prices vary.
