Football is often associated with groups of men in beer helmets screaming at the television, but we at Charleston Women know that there are many female football fans out there who love putting the feminine touch on game day. Whether you’re hosting to cheer on your favorite college or NFL team, or you’re prepping for a Super Bowl party, it’s important to create a strategy when it comes to entertainment that brings the thrill of the game right into your home.
The Menu
The first step is to outline a menu that includes something for everyone on your guest list. Wings with a host of choices for sauces are a great option for classic game day fare with choices and variety. To keep it simple, Priscilla Bloedoorn and her partner Rachel Bailey, owners of Not Your Average Wings, suggest offering finger foods from the variety of 35 flavors of dry or battered wings they offer. A few fan favorite flavors include: honey barbeque, honey mustard, honey garlic, garlic parmesan, lemon pepper, jerk, spicy teriyaki, spicy lemon pepper and cajun garlic. A staple food for football fans, wings can be displayed in a bowl, on various plates or on a platter, along with sides from Not Your Average Wings such as fried okra, fried pickles, crinkly fries, onion rings, chicken and waffles or chicken tenders — all freshly made, never frozen.
To spice up these delicious quick-grab options, add a dash of honey hot, hot, Buffalo mild or Carolina Reaper flaming hot sauces. Place your order ahead of kickoff by calling 843-900-3349 or ordering online at NotYourAverageWingsSC.com.
The gals at Not Your Average Wings love football so much that anyone involved in the sport, including players, coaches, cheerleaders, mascots and administrative staff, are welcome to enjoy 50 percent off specials during the weekdays. Just check the website to see which day this applies to you. Moreover, veterans always get a 10 percent discount when dining in, and everyone gets one-dollar wings every first Monday of the month. What’s not to love?
Another savory and classic choice to add to your game day menu is a charcuterie board, such as the “Gone Crazy Build” that Keith Lovas creates at Graze Craze. Sure to be a crowd-pleaser, the board includes hot soppressata salami, sweet coppa, fennel spiced ham, Italian prosciutto, peppered salami, artisan turkey salami and hand-carved hatch chili salami; cheeses include, aged cheddar, red wine merlot, smoked gouda, swiss, brie, manchego, mozzarella and goat cheese with honey and crushed pistachio. The boards are also complete with fruits, veggies, rustic and dessert breads, baguettes and crackers. All of that is topped off with a variety of jams and dips such as lemon dill mayo, roasted red pepper hummus, roasted beet hummus and everything bagel cream cheese dip. Sweets include dessert macarons in seasonal flavors and dark chocolate bark with cranberry pistachio and pink Himalayan sea salt.
While Graze Craze boards can be customized for small groups of two to four, each large board accommodates bigger crowds of 14 to 20 guests. As Lovas says, “You never know what your guests want, and with our charcuterie options, there will always be something that makes everybody happy.”
No matter the size of your party, boards can be ordered for pick up, or the team can deliver and style boards in your space. Visit GrazeCraze.com, or simply call 843-438-2523 to talk through the options.
The Style
After crafting your chic yet simple and classic menu, the next step is to style your entertainment space, and it can be more innovative than dollar-store go-to’s. Debbie DeLong, interior designer with Designs by Imagine That, suggests ditching the streamers and plastic pennants, and opting instead for fresh flowers and greenery in your team’s colors. When setting up your bar, a nice touch is a big silver bucket filled with plenty of ice for beer and wine, along with football-themed cocktail napkins and football stir sticks. The perfect tablescape can be created by clearing off the dining room table and lying out a fun runner rather than a fussy tablecloth. This sets the stage for the greenery and decorative accessories that go with your game day theme.
To create space to allow your guests to serve themselves, push the dining chairs back against the wall or into your viewing space for additional seating. If necessary and if possible, rearrange the other furniture so that everyone can view the game on the television without obstruction.
For outdoor entertaining, rather than glassware, choose sturdy plastic tumblers; instead of standard paper or plastic plates, go with football-themed melamine dishes, according to DeLong. Moreover, silver or gold plastic cutlery is always a better option than the usual plain white ones. To add ambience, light a few candles before guests arrive; and make sure to tidy up the powder room, where you can also incorporate festive paper hand towels.
Now that you have your entertaining strategy in place, you are ready to kick off your game day event effortlessly. You’re sure to score big points with all of your friends and family while having a great time.
For further tips on creating intimate settings for game day festivities and more, contact Debbie at DesignsByImagineThat.com or at 843-345-5788.
By Sarah Rose
