6. Or, Astroturf on the Buffet
Astroturf can also be used in other spots. Food service company Sysco Metro NY served tacos and other hors d’oeuvres from a station covered in Astroturf at Jets & Chefs: the Ultimate Tailgate hosted by former quarterback Joe Namath and Mario Batali. The event was held as part of the New York City Wine & Food Festival in 2013.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
8. Strategically Placed Helmets
Helmets can also serve as decorative accents. Tables at the premiere of football player Ernie Davis’s 2008 biopic, The Express, featured centerpieces with pom-poms, helmets, and pennants.
Photo: Dale Wilcox for BizBash
8. A Pigskin-Inspired Table Spread
Or, look for a tablecloth that reflects a football theme. At Diffa’s Dining by Design in Chicago in 2013, an elegant tailgate party inspired the vignette from Sparc Inc., designed by Richard Cassis and Hunter Kaiser.
Photo: Barry Brecheisen for BizBash
10. Lots of Solo Cups
Solo cups are an often-spotted component of any tailgate party and can also be a fun, inexpensive way to dress up a football-viewing party. Turn the cups into decor by arranging dozens of them inside the spaces of hurricane fencing to spell out game day messages, as David Stark did for a high school graduation party in New Jersey in 2013.
Photo: Susie Montagna
1. Thematic Snacks
Tony C's Sports Bar and Grill, a restaurant with two Boston-area locations, is serving up football-inspired fare this season. Clever menu items include a dish called "Pig Skins," which is actually potato skins with two types of cheese, bacon, scallions, and sour cream drizzled to reflect the stitches on a football.
Photo: Courtesy of Tony C's
