Throwing a Super Bowl Party is Serious Business

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For most people, the Super Bowl is undoubtedly the most important/exciting football game of the year. For those who like to party, and for those who enjoy game-time food, this Sunday is undoubtedly a big day for you as well, even if it's just because you like to eat. You see, throwing a Super Bowl party is serious business. You can't just phone a few friends to come over, open a bag of Doritos around a crappy TV and expect everything to be hunky dory. It takes serious time and dedication to pull of a S.B. party that everyone will be still talking about next football season, and even though you might not have the ability to pull of the Greatest Snack Stadium ever built, there's still time to pull your party together.

To honor the two teams playing on Sunday, it might be fun for you to serve a food from each of the areas that the two teams are from. (If you don't know who's playing, you shouldn't be trusted with the party planning...) Nopalitos, a.k.a. prickly pear cactus, is a food that is native to Arizona. You can usually find it at Mexican grocery stores like this one here in St. Louis. To satisfy the fans at your party who are rooting for the Steelers, try serving pierogies. You can find these tasty little potato dumplings in the frozen foods section of any grocery store. I love 'em. Obviously, you'll also need chips, dip, cold-cuts and other game-watching staples.

Serving dishes like this one and this one set the mood without going overboard. And please, don't go all crazy with curled ribbons and crepe paper; this is a football party after all.

When there's a bad call - because you know there will be - it might be smart to have several of these Bad Call Bricks around. You'd rather the football fans in your home throw one of these foam bricks at your flat screen than the remote control, right?

As far as beverages, I think you know where I stand on this. Simply make sure you have lots of cold ones and koozies to keep your guests calm if the game isn't going their way.