Two of the United States’ most celebrated chefs—Charlie Palmer and Michael Mina—are collaborating on what might be the ultimate tailgate dinner. On January 29, just a few nights before Super Bowl XLIX, Palmer and Mina will host the first Super Bowl Culinary Kickoff at Mina’s Bourbon Steak restaurant at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess resort in Arizona—about a 40-minute drive from the University of Phoenix Stadium, where the New England Patriots with take on the Seattle Seahawks.
The party—open to 150 guests—will begin with a formidable lineup of canapés, including black-truffle chestnuts, prosciutto-wrapped prawns, and Choripán sandwiches with smoked sausage and chimichurri. It will continue with a salad of lobster, clementine, and nasturtium, with fresh mozzarella pulled at one of the two cooking stations at the reception, while pasta with guanciale, spring garlic, and smoked egg yolk will be cooked at the other. The canapés will be served with wines from the brands of sports luminaries, including Vermeil Wines, Red Stitch by Rich Aurilia, and Doubleback by Drew Bledsoe, with Kistler Chardonnay, Kosta Browne Pinot Noir, and Realm Cabernet Sauvignon served with dinner. Mina and Palmer will prepare the three-course dinner starting with a dish of wild and organic mushrooms, oak-creek cress, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and miso broth, followed by spice-crusted duck breast, and finally Miyazaki wagyu strip loin and Szechuan lobster with garlic jus and croquettes of charred scallion and violet mustard.
Tickets to the dinner are $2,000 per person. A charter package is also available at $17,500 per person and includes a round-trip private jet from the San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles, or other locations; four nights’ luxury accommodations at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess a ticket to the Super Bowl on February 1; and entry to four Super Bowl parties throughout the weekend, hosted by ESPN, DIRECTV, and others. Some proceeds from the Culinary Kickoff will benefit the Culinary Institute of America, the private nonprofit college where Palmer is the chairman of the board of trustees and Mina is a board member. (thedelislegroup.com; or email chrissy@thedelislegroup for more information)
