Ballantyne Magazine covers news, events, real estate, restaurants, shopping, health, schools and business in the upscale Ballantyne Area of Charlotte, NC.
Issue link: https://ballantynemagazine.epubxp.com/i/370594
In-Your-Face Fun Your Panthers Tailgate Can Take a Bite Out of the Opponent By Dina Berg Blazek Tailgate photos by Ray Sepesy WHETHER IT IS THE CAROLINA PANTHERS or Providence High Panthers you're cheering for this season, nothing screams fall more than the perfect tailgate party. Mint Street, the location of our event office, has been a tailgating mecca for years and has created traditions for many people who love our pro team. It's fun to watch the parking, the setting up and the execution of this game-day ritual on Sunday after Sunday. What makes the perfect tailgate? Some say Aunt Jayne's trail mix or Grandpa's moonshine, but let's get creative about this year's pre-kickoff fun! How to spice it up? Take a bite out of the opponent before game time. This year's home schedule features some food-favorite cities, so along with your family's must-have's, incorporate traditional fare from the opposing team's locale. Oct. 5: Da Bears, Chicago For my hometown, think Vienna Beef hot dogs. The only items you need for authenticity are poppy seed buns, celery salt, relish, yellow mustard, chopped onions, sliced tomatoes, sport peppers and a pickle spear. Sport peppers, by the way, are medium hot, crunchy and come in a jar. Oct. 30: The Saints, New Orleans Gosh, where to start? This is the one we had fun with for the accompanying photo. We elevate the art of trash talking with "Send the Po' Boys Home" in honor of the famous New Orleans sandwich. We also play off traditional jambalaya with "Fumble- Aya." Panthers Punch, Keep Pounding Cake, chips and buckets of New Orleans beer finish off our spread. We topped a six-foot table with a wheatgrass "field," adding opposing helmets and Panthers paraphernalia to tie it all together. Dec. 21: The Browns, Cleveland Ballantyne resident Glenn Lyman, a grill master and friend, says there are only two words to remember: "Beer Brats." The midwestern fave of bratwurst is perfect for this early winter game. The Panthers also host the Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so the food options are endless. Start thinking now about "in your face" culinary choices. Let's face it — tailgating is synonymous with drinking and we aren't necessarily talking Cheerwine. And yes, the idea of the "signature" drink has been there done that, but when creating a drink that is popular with the opposing team, it shakes it up a bit. Hurricanes, anyone? You never can go wrong with beer. It is complex, local and well-loved. So think outside the bottle and feature some amazing local brews in your beverage mix. BYOK — everyone has them stuffed in a drawer or at the back of a cabinet. A monogram from someone's wedding or a logo from your favorite hangout, member- guest outing or beach spot adorns them. So, have your guests bring their own koozie and make a game out of explaining where it came from, spurring lively stories about "that night." Beyond creating storytelling opportunities, remember to put together a tailgate playlist. Include local favorites for the hometown team, fight songs for that favorite college or university and Top 40 tunes to get everybody jammin'! Happy tailgating and Go Panthers! Let's give our opponents a little food for thought! Left: Check out this imaginative spread "in honor of" the New Orleans Saints when they come to town in late October. For the New Orleans game, spice up the jambalaya a little more by calling it "Fumble-Aya." Blazek is the owner of Dina Berg Blazek Event Planning & Design. Photo by Deborah Triplett Hair/Makeup by Lindsey Regan Thorne BALLANTYNE MAGAZINE 55 FALL 2014