Eating in Iowa: Score big with game-day hangouts and crowd favorites
By Laura Dillavou
By this time next week, the winner of Super Bowl XLIV will have claimed their victory for the entire nation to see. And whether you’re a super fan, a game-day only enthusiast, or just watching the game for the wings and beer, Super Bowl parties are a highlight of the winter doldrums between New Year’s and St. Patrick’s Day.
Area pubs, bars, and restaurants are serving up a number of Super Bowl steals. Here are a few local places that offer food and beverage specials for the big game.
Third Base (3 Bag) – This West Des Moines favorite is offering $2.50 tall boys, $4 bombs, and 2 for 1 pizza on Sunday. Many televisions and a large projection screen, along with ample seating, make this bar a popular gathering spot.
Trophy’s – Located in Des Moines’ Plaza Lanes, Trophy’s has 35 televisions, including a large projection screen. They will be offering $6.50 pitchers, $2.75 drafts, $2 off large taco or meat lover’s pizzas, $12 domestic buckets of beer, 49-cent wings, and the $15 tower of beers. Trophy’s is also creating a series of game-day competitions throughout the afternoon. At 1 p.m., there will be a Buck Hunter contest; 2 p.m. will mark the start of beer pong; at 3 p.m., there’s a wing-eating contest, and at 4 p.m., the bowling for beer contest will begin.
West Towne Pub – A family-friendly restaurant and sports bar on Ames’ west side, the West Towne Pub is advertising $7 Old style pitchers, $5 for 1lb of chicken, plus one side, and $5 Bloody Marys. The restaurant also has a children’s menu available.
Welch Ave Station – This Ames favorite will have $5.50 domestic pitchers, $3 double Captain and Cokes, and $3.50 well pints on Sunday. Welch Ave also offers food from the Pizza Pit, located just above the bar in Ames’ campus town area.
If you’d rather hang out with friends and cheer on your team from the comfort of your couch, there are still plenty of ways to enjoy the Super Bowl. One of the highlights of gathering with friends, at least for me, is the assortment of appetizers and goodies that appear around the table. Below are a couple of my favorite recipes – easy to make, but sure to be crowd pleasers.
Spicy Cheese Dip
1 block of Velveeta cheese
1 lb spicy Italian sausage or hamburger
1 can Ro-tel
1 bag tortilla chips
Brown sausage or hamburger and drain. Add Velveeta to the pan (it helps to cut up the cheese in chunks). Stir mixture over medium-low heat until cheese is smooth and creamy. Drain Ro-tel and add to cheese and meat mixture. Serve hot (it’s easy to store in a Crockpot), and serve with tortilla chips.
Puppy Chow
1/2 c. butter
1 c. peanut butter
12 oz. pkg. chocolate chips (I like to use milk chocolate)
12.5 oz. pkg. Crispix or Chex cereal
Powdered sugar, at least 3 c.
Melt butter, peanut butter and chips together just until smooth. Put cereal in large bowl and pour melted mixture over it. Stir gently to coat all pieces - it will clump together.
Add cereal mixture and at least 3 cups of powdered sugar together in a large plastic or paper bag. Lock or roll top of bag closed and start shaking. Add more powdered sugar until each piece is coated. This recipe makes a 5-quart ice cream bucket full. Keep it cool in the refrigerator for best results.
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Laura Dillavou is a communications professional for Iowa State University with a passion for tasty food and fine wine. Her favorite places to dish on the latest dishes include Sbrocco, The Café, Trostel’s Dish, The Waterfront, and Ohana Steak House – but she’s pretty happy with a pizza and cold beer, too. While not writing about food and wine or consuming them, you’ll find Laura baking up a storm of cookies, cakes, and other desserts in the kitchen.
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