Every year, when the air gets crisp and lap blankets come down from attics, mini-reunions take place near stadiums and playing fields, where food and fun are the menu of the day.
VirginiaLiving.com exclusive!
VirginiaLiving.com exclusive!
VirginiaLiving.com exclusive!
VirginiaLiving.com exclusive!
Antipasto Baguette Slice 1 baguette lengthwise. Layer with two slices each of ham, salami, turkey, Swiss cheese and dill pickle. Spread bread with mustard and mayonnaise. Serves 8
Models: BEC Chandler, Julie Bailey, Sarah Wilson, Carter Allen, Savannah Singletary, Stephanie Singletary, Paris Surherlin. Credits: Vintage bamboo table and chair: West end Antiques Mall.
William & Bloody Mary Table A snapshot of what you might find on the Novogratz table. lemon and lime wedges sriracha sauce Old Bay Seasoning celery Tabasco salt and pepper tomato juice clamato juice olives pickled okra and carrots bacon spirits
Roasted Corn on the Cob 8 ears corn on the cob, shucked and cleaned olive oil to coat butter, softened 4 tablespoons chives, chopped salt, pepper to taste Coat ears with olive oil and grill until charred evenly all around. Coat with softened butter and garnish with chives. Serves 8
Touchdown Sliders 1 pound ground beef 1 pound ground pork 2 shallots, diced 2 tablespoons olive oil 10 slider rolls 10 slices onion 10 small squares sliced cheese condiments Sauté shallots. Mix meats and shallots and roll into 3-ounce patties, cook to desired doneness. Top patties with onions and cheese. Dress with slider sauce. Slider Sauce: Mix equal parts mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. Spread inside top and bottom of slider rolls. Serves 10
Roasted Tomato Brie dip 6 large tomatoes, diced ¼ cup balsamic vinegar ¼ cup olive oil ½ tablespoon rosemary ½ tablespoon thyme 1 ½ teaspoons salt fresh ground pepper to taste 4 cloves garlic, minced 8 ounces soft cream cheese 8 ounces brie, softened, rind removed ¼ cup basil, julienne thinly sliced baguette, toasted Mix the tomatoes with the next seven ingredients. Bake for 30 minutes at 450 degrees until roasted. Remove from oven and allow to cool. In a mixer, combine brie and cream cheese. Add tomato mixture and basil to cream cheese and brie mixture. When incorporated, pour into ovenproof bowl and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow to cool. Slice baguette thinly and place slices on cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees until toasted. * Do not overcook baguette; bread will harden before it browns. Serves 6 Sweet Potato Hummus 2 medium sweet potatoes 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed, drained 2 tablespoons tahini 3 cloves garlic juice of 1 lemon zest of 1/2 lemon salt to taste 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika ¼ teaspoon ground cumin ¼ teaspoon ground coriander olive oil to drizzle on top toasted sesame seeds for garnish Bake sweet potatoes in 400-degree oven 45 minutes to an hour. While they are cooling, combine all other ingredients in a food processor. Peel potatoes, and cut into pieces. Add to processor and blend well. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and toasted sesame seeds. Serves 6
Deviled Eggs 6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and halved 1 medium ripe Haas avocado, peeled, seeded 3-4 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice salt, pepper to taste paprika for garnish Mash egg yolks with the avocado, and mix well with mustard, mayo, salt and pepper. Using a pastry bag, fill the whites. Top with a dash of paprika. Serves 6
Fruit & Waffle Cones 8 waffle cones 8 blackberries 8 slices melon 8 slices peaches 8 slices strawberries Place one of each piece of fruit into each cone. Serves 8
2013 Mercedes Benz ML350: Special thanks to Kathy Mullsteff.
Tailgating is much more than a social event. With food and drink as anchors, it draws people together and, it would seem, keeps them together over years. In equal measure, tailgating is an homage to a place and a moment in time that directed the course of their lives; a link in a continuum that deserves a well-thought-out celebration of all that’s gone before.
“I met my wife [Tina, William and Mary ’98] there. I got engaged there. I got married there,” says John Novogratz (class of ’96), father of five, as he gears up for his seventh year of tailgating with family and friends from back in the day. “You met as kids yourselves, and now your kids are meeting each other.”
The Novogratzs’ friends get involved, with one couple—both alums—putting together an annual make-your-own “William & Bloody Mary” table.
Occupying the same spot next to the same people since 2002 has created a “tailgate family” for former UVA football player Walter Kulp (class of ’91). Every year, the same 15 or so friends lay out spreads adjacent to one another. The tailgate, Kulp says, “is certainly football driven, but it’s driven by a sense of community and love of UVA … It’s an extension of the university family.”
Committed tailgaters forge their own traditions. Here are some of our favorites from practiced tailgaters around the Commonwealth and recipes for starting your own tailgate traditions.
UVA
If you’ve ever surveyed the parking lot at Scott Stadium (i.e., gotten lost trying to find your car), you might have seen Walter Kulp’s tailgate just outside the gate, where he has put down stakes every year since 2002. He marks the spot with a bust of Thomas Jefferson wearing an orange and blue tie. “A lot of people ask to take a picture with the bust,” says Kulp. There are two other constants at a Kulp tailgate: “There’s always a bottle of moonshine,” he says, “and Wayside Chicken is always on the menu.”
Virginia Tech
“Location, location, location,” says Guy Gentry (’73), noting that each parking lot at Tech games has its own flavor. After 40-odd years, he has nailed his routine: By 6:30 a.m., his rig is set. “Then, about an hour before game time, we have a special Hokie cheer and a shot of a beverage [the cinnamon schnapps liqueur Hot Damn!] that signals it’s time to start getting to the stadium.”
William & Mary
“It started out just telling people ‘Hey, come by’… it’s like six degrees of Kevin Bacon,” says Joe Montgomery (’74), who has been tailgating at homecoming for more than 30 years. “We’ve never had to send out an invitation.” As many as 400 people may turn up to the popular party. “That’s what’s fun about it … they know they’re going to see somebody they know.”
University of Richmond
When UR moved its home games to its campus stadium, Jeff Brown (’85) and his fellow tailgaters of 28 years purchased space #42 and 11 adjacent spaces. Fried oyster Po’Boys are “a perennial favorite.” In case of emergency, don’t call 911; go to #42, the “most sought-after duty location for campus and local law enforcement working the game,” according to Brown.
JMU
JMU Vice President Donna Harper has tailgated with a core group of friends for the past 15 years. But every week sees new additions to the gang … parents of students, alums, locals. Once, a regular even brought along country music singer Phil Vassar. According to Harper, all are welcome, with one caveat: “Everyone wears purple and gold. That’s all that matters.”
This article originally appeared in our October 2014 issue.
