It won
’t be the San Francisco 49ers or the Oakland Raiders racing down
the field on the opening kickoff of the 38th Super Bowl on Feb. 2,
but one thing is still clear: the Super Bowl is the second largest
food-eating day of the year behind Thanksgiving. And with this
year’s big game taking place at th
e new Reliant Stadium in Houston, why not give your own Super
Bowl party a little Southwestern flavor?
It won’t be the San Francisco 49ers or the Oakland Raiders racing down the field on the opening kickoff of the 38th Super Bowl on Feb. 2, but one thing is still clear: the Super Bowl is the second largest food-eating day of the year behind Thanksgiving.
And with this year’s big game taking place at the new Reliant Stadium in Houston, why not give your own Super Bowl party a little Southwestern flavor?
The team of Aramark executive chefs at Reliant Stadium are helping superbowl partiers do just that with he release of a few menu items they concocted specially for the Super Bowl with their home in Houston in mind.
“If you will, (on that day) we’re the largest restaurant in the world,” said Doug Moretz, director of premium services for Aramark at Reliant Stadium. “Our goal is to give the people around the nation a taste of Texas.”
On top of the 72,000 that will pack the stadium for the game, there are more than 10,000 staff members, another 10,000 in corporate hospitality tents and more from media outlets.
“All in all, I’d say in the neighborhood of 200,000 people will be fed that week,” he said. “We’ll be bringing in 70 chefs and managers from around the country.”
There’s quite a responsibility with the spotlight on Houston for Super Bowl week, but Moretz sees the big game as an opportunity to showcase the best his staff has to offer.
“It’s quite different from what we usually do,” he said. “We wanted something very unique.”
In order to create dishes that would accurately portray south Texas and held up when serving tens of thousands of guests, Aramark’s regional culinary team consisting of Regional Executive Chef Michelle LeBleu and Executive Chefs Mark Cornish and Jason Forrest have been preparing for the last six months.
“That was one of the big factors, Houston and Texas,” said Cornish, who has been a chef with Aramark for more than three years. “The the reason why the menus are based the way they are – a lot of Southwest flavoring.”
Moretz said it was a challenge to put together a menu that would be served to more than 40,000 fans, especially with the discerning taste buds of the higher class crowds that make their way to the Super Bowl – unlike most of the rest of the games, a hot dog or Polish sausage won’t impress the high-class tastebuds that can afford to sit in the box seats at Reliant on Sunday.
“We’re going to have a few high-end tastes,” he said.
Cornish said the chefs worked to make sure the meals would hold their flavor when served for such a large group.
“That was a major concern,” he said. “We do a lot of pork and a lot of chicken. We do larger portions, which hold up better, and all our beefs are going to be cut at carving stations.”
Cornish isn’t new to putting together high-end feast for large groups and in a big spotlight. In the Texas native’s three years with Aramark, he’s been involved with the opening of Reliant Park, participated in the opening of Houston Astros’ Minute Maid Park and served as an executive chef for the 2000 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia. But that doesn’t mean he’s not excited about taking part in the Superbowl.
“It’s going to be a great experience,” he said.
Cornish said the chefs put together dishes with the hope that vistors from outside of Texas would come away with a learning experience.
“This might sound a little off the wall, but I hope they find it friendly, exemplifying a warm Southern hospitality, sit-at-home kind of meal, with a look of culinary expertise,” he said. “I want them to say, ‘I never thought that Texas food looked and tasted like it did.’ ”
Of all the different dishes the team came up with, Cornish said he was most proud of the Cilantro Pesto Shrimp.
“Our grilled items are the items we’re most proud of, like our shrimp and cilantro,” he said. “We’re pretty confident that if they’re coming from the East Coast or the West Coast, this is going to be a huge experience.”
