Are you ready for some….FOOD? In honor of the 50th big game, Jersey Bites presents recipes for appetizers (and one dessert) from across the decades. Many thanks to Mary Wozniak, Veronique Deblois, Melissa Beveridge, Terry Krongold, Kerry Brown, and Marina Kennedy for their fine contributions!
Swedish Meatballs
If you were watching the Packers beat the Chiefs in Super Bowl I (1967), you were likely dipping your chips into some “California” dip (Lipton onion soup plus sour cream). That first Super Bowl party may have also offered up a chafing dish of that iconic 60s appetizer, Swedish meatballs. There are myriad variations, many with either sour cream or heavy cream. This recipe (straight out of mom’s recipe box) instead adds Burgundy wine. Don Draper would approve. Click for the recipe. —Mary Wozniak
Fondue
Call it the Bill—or Ted—of party foods. Mentions of fondue can be traced back to the time Homer’s Iliad, possibly as early as 800 BC, according to a BBC article. Cheese fondue’s more modern roots go back to late 17th century Switzerland. And this fine party food made its mark as a groovy appetizer here in the U.S. in the 70s. Click for the recipe. —Recipe submitted by Veronique Deblois
Bread Bowl Spinach Dip
In the 1980s, bread bowls surfaced as an appetizer phenomenon. A fresh round loaf of bread, hollowed out and filled with dip is just as tantalizing now as it was four decades ago. Try a classic spinach dip in the bowl. It’s colorful and loaded with veggies. Cube the bread that you hollowed out of the center for dippers and serve them along with celery sticks, pepper slices and your favorite crackers. Click for the recipe. —Marina Kennedy
Back in the 90s, Hot Pockets were a top choice for afternoon snacks. As a kid, I scalded the top of my mouth countless times on these individual servings of combinations like pepperoni and cheese and of course, broccoli and cheese. Little pockets of treats surrounded by a flaky crust. It was like the hand held pot pie. This recipe take a little twist on our favorite 90s microwave treat, with a homemade pie crust and a hot wing filling that will give your guests the chance to enjoy the flavors of the big game in a throwback bite. (Note: scalding of the mouth is required when eating, so serve ’em hot!) Click for the recipe. —Melissa Beveridge
Cupcakes have been popular since the 1950s when mixes (think Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker) hit supermarket shelves. But they really went big time in the late 90s when Magnolia Bakery in NYC started selling “gourmet” cupcakes for $3.00 each. Then in 2000, the hit series Sex and the City featured a Magnolia Bakery cupcake and people went wild. In fact, Magnolia Bakery is a stop on the Sex and the City tour. In 2003, Crumbs Bakeshop took cupcakes to a whole new level, offering four different cupcake sizes, up to the over-the-top 6.5 inches, and charging $40/dozen. By 2013, the cupcake fad had peaked and fickle foodies flocked to the newest bakery trend: the Cronut. Click for the recipe. —Terry Krongold
Bacon on a Stick
This app combines two hot food trends from the current decade: bacon, and food-on-a-stick. They’re not fancy, but your game-day guests will devour these smoky bites and beg for more! Who can resist bacon with anything? Especially on a stick… Click for the recipe. —Kerry Brown
The Wings
Before delving into dinner, I urge you to have a drink outside by the fire pits or at the lively bar. After you’ve settled in, make your way to a candlelit table and dig into the food that executive chef Bob Belt has created along with regional operating partner Steve Bidgood.
The 
To start, we did go a little off kilter and ordered the pork dumplings, which were on special. I have to admit I was torn between the dumplings, the Creek sliders (they’re served on King’s Sweet Hawaiian buns – a weakness of mine), and the stuffed jumbo shrimp (bacon-wrapped and horseradish stuffed), but we went Asian and I’m happy we did. Crispy on the outside, a tasty pork filling on the inside, with a simple soy ginger dipping sauce, it was, as Gerard said, “a dumpling done right.”
Let’s start with my dish first. What may look unassuming to the eye, was delightful to the taste buds. The Chilean Sea Bass, which was pan seared (crispy on the edges, soft as butter on the inside – no need for a knife) was delicately garnished with a champagne lemon butter broth, then served with Salt Creek’s infamous Yukon gold mashed potatoes, and a side of green beans. The dish was so light and fresh that I forgot I had eaten half of the mashed potatoes and should have felt somewhat full by then. Oh and did I mention it’s also gluten free? (And just one of the many gluten-free dishes on the menu).
The coffee crust was perfectly seared, creating the perfect bite – crusty giving way to tender. (Before taking that first bite, smear the blue cheese all over that steak.) Another insider’s tip: If you’re not a huge sweet fan, order the bourbon caramel sauce on the side – it’s a sweet and light dipping sauce that when combined with the juicy steak, tangy blue cheese and zippy coffee grinds turns a regular bite into a phenomenal bite. If you love sweets – just go for it and let Chef Belt do the sauce drizzling for you.
Since there was no beer to taste (Kane is only a few minutes away so I stopped there afterwards), I had to ask what will be on tap once they open in the spring. Here’s what I learned: the focus will be on an entertaining and interesting tap room. Standards like IPAs can be expected but I’m told they make a killer Heffeweisse. There was also talk of a tart Berliner Weisse complete with homemade “mit schuss.” (That’s the sweet flavored syrup that German’s often add to that style.) I haven’t seen that in a tap room recently.
