Tasty Tailgating

By Amanda Rowell

Tailgating is, for many, a much-loved pastime. Awaiting the coming football season with bated breath, sports fans have begun to elevate game-day eating to an entirely new level. We have included some suggestions for where to go to get the best tailgating treats to help you welcome the season with a full and satisfied stomach.

Henri’s Bakery
61 Irby Ave.
6289 Roswell Road
(404) 237-0202, www.HenrisBakery.com

Henri’s has a variety of sandwich selections, all of which can be put together as box lunches with coleslaw, potato salad, or pasta salad and your choice of two cookies, two brownies or an éclair.  Larger parties can order trays of fruit, vegetables, meat and cheese, or miniature sandwiches.  Be sure to browse the unusual selection of French pastries for dessert before you leave for the game. Most orders require 24-hour advance notice.

Savor
2355 Peachtree Road
(404) 869-0070, www.SavorGourmet.com

Customers can order antipasto, vegetable, cheese, and dessert platters in advance that will include a variety of treats to satisfy every taste bud.  In addition, Savor offers a variety of salads and sides, including fruit salad and Mediterranean pasta salad, sold by the pound. A long list of sandwiches can be combined in a platter with a minimum of ten sandwiches and 24 hours’ advance notice.

MetroFresh
Midtown Promenade,
931 Monroe Dr., Suite A106
(404) 724-0151, www.MetroFreshATL.com

MetroFresh lives up to its catch phrase: Fresh Food Fast. The menu changes daily but always includes some kind of chicken breast, chicken salad, and a variety of specialty salads. Head to MetroFresh the day of the game to place your order and wait there for it to be prepared.  For an extra $10 they’ll put your order together in a picnic box for up to four people with essentials like condiments and cutlery.

Alon’s
1394 N. Highland Ave. (404) 872-6000
4505 Ashford Dunwoody Road (678) 397-1781
www.Alons.com

Alon’s offers a variety of prepared foods, sandwiches, deli salads, and dips, all of which can be packaged up and taken to go. Customers can order selections in advance online or by phone for pick-up on their way to the game.

Whole Foods (Ponce De Leon)
650 Ponce de Leon Ave.
(404) 853-1681, www.WholeFoodsMarket.com

The possibilities are endless for these types of orders from Whole Foods, with meals ranging from ginger-baked salmon with Asian cucumber salsa on a bed of orange cashew rice to platters of smoked salmon, beef tenderloin au poivre, shrimp cocktail, and more.  In addition, for those who like the traditional feel of on-site grilling at a tailgate, Whole Foods will do all of the prep work for beef or turkey burgers, kabobs, or fish, put together a condiment platter, buns, sides, drinks and desserts and have it all ready for pick-up. A variety of vegan and vegetarian options are available as well.  Whole Foods usually requests that orders be made 48 hours in advance for upscale catering for pick-up the day of the event.

The Mercantile
1660 DeKalb Ave., Suite 150
(404) 378-0096, www.TheMercantileATL.com

Anything from The Merchantile’s lunch menu can be ordered in advance, and the store has various selections in its deli case that can be packaged to-go, including deviled eggs, deli salads, and delicious desserts, including homemade chocolate cake and cookies.  Boxed lunches and cheese and crudités platters are also available.  Customers can also call 48 hours in advance to place an order for some of Chef Samantha’s fabulous smoked meats.  A Southern Barbeque Buffet for $17.99 per person (for a minimum of 6 people) includes pulled pork, smoked chicken, bourbon-baked beans, coleslaw, pickles, sandwich buns, BBQ sauce and fruit cobbler.  Add ribs for an additional $3 per person.  In addition, The Merchantile offers a Summer Picnic menu for $16.99 per person (for a minimum of 6 people) that includes fried chicken, white-bean salad, buttermilk-dill potato salad, Ceasar salad, roasted corn and black bean salad, and a homemade apple pie.

Publix (Lenox Marketplace)
3535 Peachtree Road
(404) 848-0344, www.Publix.com

Publix has emerged as an unlikely source for delicious gourmet tailgating selections.  Call or go in to your local store 48 hours in advance to order platters of meats, fruits, cheeses, salads, sides, and spreads.  Custom sandwiches are also available, as well as selections of miniature desserts or cakes from the bakery.