Elevate Your Tailgate Party
By Tracey Moro
Tailgating comes easy if you’re the one showing up to enjoy all the delicious food. But for the chefs and people hosting, it can be a daunting experience. Coming up with a menu, buying the food, and then preparing it all can be a lot of work, let alone cleaning your home or man cave for the party. Macomb Now reached out to our favorite local chefs who shared some great tailgate recipes. This year when the Lions are roaring with wins and your favorite college team is playing you, can be ready to host a not only delicious tailgate party but a memorable one, where even if your team doesn’t win, the food will be a big win.
Chef Bobby Nahra
Chef Bobby, of Hook Restaurant in St. Clair Shores, knows tailgating pretty well. His catering experience with Encore Banquet Hall, along with Freedom Hill Banquet Hall, and now with Hook Restaurant has made him well known throughout metro Detroit. So much so that he’s shared many recipes and tailgating tips on the local TV networks, including going to Eastern Market for tailgating with Fox 2 Detroit before Detroit Lions’ home games. He’s shared some of his favorite on-air tailgate photos and his recipe for Cognac Lamb Chops.
Chef claims the lamb chops are quick and easy to make on the grill, and are sure to please your crowd. You can elevate your own party with his recipe or if you’d rather go direct, the chops are on the menu at Hook Restaurant. You’ll find all Lion’s home games showing on the big screen TVs along with the local college games as well. The outdoor patio will be open until the end of October.
Chef jeff Baldwin
Chef Jeff Baldwin always comes to the table with a winning recipe and Wigleys Corned Beef Reuben Soup is sure to please everyone at your tailgate party. “It’s perfect for a cold day and easy to prepare and serve while tailgating outside, or inside,” said Baldwin. During the Baldwin Group’s golf outing this past summer they served the soup, using the Wigleys brand of corned beef. Baldwin is good friends with Wigleys vice president, Macomb Township resident Jim Klein. You may remember seeing Wigleys at the Eastern Market and you can find their corned beef at local meat stores, including both Vince & Joe’s Gourmet Market locations, Cattleman’s Meat & Produce in Center Line and Weiss Meat Market in Chesterfield.
“The corned beef is great, and I love using local products in my recipes,” said Baldwin, who added he may end up putting the soup on his menu since it is becoming so popular. “Last year we (Jim and I) shared the soup at a WJR St. Paddy’s Day event and it was a big hit.” It would join his popular Butternut Squash Soup, which is on the menu all year.
Vince & Joe’s Gourmet Market
Vince & Joe’s Gourmet Market continues to add to their catering menus and even has a special Game Day Catering menu with popular choices for any type of tailgate event. “We added a new Slider Menu in 2024 with several different slider choices that have really taken off,” said Vince Vitale, co-owner. “The Ultimate Chicken Mozzarella Slider, although not on our slider menu, is an easy way to elevate your sliders at home. It easily goes with a tray of pasta, which makes for a hearty game day meal. It’s really an upgrade to the Fried Chicken Slider which very popular.”
Other sliders Vince & Joe’s offers include Hawaiian Ham, Chicken & Waffle, Quattro Formaggi, Grilled Mushroom and even Panelle Sliders – just to name a few. The Hawaiian Ham Slider is easy to make, as well, using your favorite sliced ham, Swiss cheese, a grilled pineapple slice and a brioche bun topped with butter, poppy seeds, whole grain mustard and salt.
According to Vitale, sometimes it’s hard to please everyone, so a Slider Bar is a popular option. “We suggest having a couple choices for people. You can set up the protein choices — like beef patties, chicken or ham — then have the toppings spread out with the buns ready and your guests can make their own.” If you don’t want to make your own, Vince & Joe’s has several slider choices on their website with the option to get them already made or separated so people can make their own.
