It was a big night for the area’s top chefs, college football fans and revving up the holiday magic for children…all in the ‘game plan’ for the Inaugural Great Chefs Tailgate Showcase & College Spirit Night lead-in event for the Marmot Boca Raton Bowl. Kicking off a fan-tastic wave of Palm Beach County pride for the County’s own NCAA-sanctioned college football bowl game, the the open-to-the-public festivities featured the creative tailgate cookery served up from:
- Boca Raton Resort & Club: 501 Wings, Honey Bourbon Glaze, Chili Shooters,
6-foot long loaded subs and an ice keg beer wall - PGA National Resort & Spa: Foie Gras Bratwurst, Port Wine Pick Relish,
Stella Artois-Fontina Fondue and Napa Slaw - Via Mizner Golf & Country Club: Crab Cake with Yellow Tomato Relish/Smoked Pork Sliders and Seared Ahi Tuna (Wasabi Japanese Mayonnaise, Soy Drizzle) and Asian Slaw
- Broken Sound Club: Mini S’mores Hand Pies
- Florida Atlantic University/Chartwells: The FAU Signature Talon Burger
- Tilted Kilt: One Shot Johnny Shepard’s Pie and Guinness BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders
- Rebel House: Flavored Popcorn Munchies
- E.A.T. Eatery & Taproom: House-made Chorizo Sliders with Chimichurri Aioli,
Fried Corn with Cotija Cheese - Barrel of Monks Brewing: Nuance Saison-7.5% Belgian-Style Saison and
White Wizard Wit-5.5% *Belgian-Style Wit - The Little Chalet: Lindt Chocolate Fondue
- American Fine Wine Competition: Tips on Tailgate Wine Pairings
Celebrity judges included Mid-American Conference Commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher, legendary head coach Howard Schnellenberger, FAU First Lady Carolyn Kelly aka College Football Tailgate Queen, ESPN West Palm on-air personalities and Spirit of Giving President Ann Rutherford. Donned in their college colors, event-goers scored for their individual favorite ‘draft pick’ tailgate recipes, tried their skill at tailgate games and competed in a halftime football trivia challenge.
CELEBRITY JUDGES’ PICKS:
- MAC Commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher’s Choice: E.A.T. Eatery & Taproom
- Coach Howard Schnellenberger’s Choice: FAU Talon Burger
- FAU First Lady Carolyn Kelly Choice: Boca Raton Resort & Club
- Ann Rutherford/SOG Choice: Boca Raton Resort & Club
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS:
First Place: FAU Talon Burger
Second Place: Via Mizner Golf & Country Club
Third Place: PGA Resort & Spa
SPECIALTY CATEGORY AWARDS:
Best Dessert: Broken Sound Club
The Sweetest: The Little Chalet
Best ‘Sports Bar’ Serve: Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery
Most Creative: PGA Resort & Spa
Best Munchie: Rebel House
Best Brew: Barrel of Monks Brewing
Best Tailgate Vintner: American Fine Wine Competition
Most Valuable Player: Boca Raton Resort & Club for the most creative and extensive décor, number of items served up)
Most Spirited: Florida Atlantic University for bringing out mascot Owlsey, the FAU Dance Team and Cheerleaders to rev up attendees
“All in all, the real winner was our bowl’s charity partner Spirit of Giving (SOG) and the thousands of children in Palm Beach County that will benefit from its 2015 gift drive that will be bringing the magic of the holidays to those in need,” noted Marmot Boca Raton Bowl Executive Director Doug Mosley. “We are proud of our relationship with Spirit of Giving and all the contributions it makes to spread cheer and support not just during the holidays, but throughout the year.”
Still Time To Join In The 2015 Bowl Festivities
Mosley added that there are still “opportunities in which to join in the fun, excitement and festivities of Boca’s Biggest Annual Outdoor Party℠” and encourages South Florida residents to:
- Purchase game day tickets: Sales have been brisk so reserve tickets as soon as possible. For individual (sideline at $47 and end zone at $27) and special group and corporate ticket packages, call the ticket office at 561-362-3650, visit com or e-mail tickets@thebocabowl.com.
- Get ‘game on’ early at free open-to-the-public pep rallies, Monday, December 21st. Area residents are invited cheer on the competing teams at free team pep rallies held the night before the bowl on Monday, December 21st. The MAC team will be center stage at Mizner Park Amphitheater and the AAC will rally at CityPlace hosted by Revolutions. For updates and details visit marmotbocaratonbowl.com.
- Make it a great and memorable 2015 game day and night with family, friends, neighbors, coworkers and business colleagues:
- Bowl game tailgating begins at 3 p.m. with the bowl’s Ford Fan Fest and Oh Boy Sports Midway surrounding the stadium. There will be plenty to do and see, including a live band, family fun and games, activities, food trucks, a beer garden, exhibition tents featuring giveaways and contest, the performances by the two college bands and cheerleader performances from the competing bowl teams.
- Kick off begins at 7 p.m. The excitement and revelry of traditional bowl game kick-off ceremonies will feature skydivers descending on the field with the game ball and coin for the coin flip, an American Flag unfurled to fill the entire playing field during the performance of the Star Spangled Banner by Boca Raton resident singer/songwriter/recording artist Kendra Erika.
For more information Marmot Boca Raton Bowl, updates on bowl team announcements and other news, visit www.bocaratonbowl.com and become a fan on Facebook.