CLEVELAND — Jesse Blakely is helping his team prepare party foods and platters ahead of the Super Bowl weekend as the executive sous chef at Gust Gallucci’s Italian Foods in Cleveland.
“Gallucci’s is now in year 114. We're one of the oldest businesses in Cuyahoga County,” he said. “This started as a fruit cart from immigrant Gus Gallucci, and we're on our third store right now.”
Blakely said they’ve become a hotspot for Super Bowl shopping, offering a variety of finger foods and Italian specialities. Last year, snack food sales hit around around $670 million in the week leading up to the big football match up. Chips, dips and salsa typically take the crown for the highest percentage of snack sales in connection to the Super Bowl.
Still, this year, Blakely said the store is bringing out a four-year-old savory surprise.
“This is Grana Padano Stravecchio,” Blakely said. “Now, Grana Padano is a cheese we always regularly carry but this Stravecchio – which is the Italian word for ‘even older’ – means it's aged longer than the 12 months that Grano Padanos age for.”
Blakely said Gallucci’s will be closed on Sunday, but they're inviting the community to sample football foods at their tasting event on Saturday.
“[We’re] gonna have sausage, peppers and onions. Plenty of pizza supplies. Some asiago artichoke dip, crostini,” he said. “Just a lot of Italian specialties that are really going to add something extra cool to your party.”
Across town, one sports bar is anticipating a full house on game day.
“We're running at 20% off your entire tab, and we're just excited from a Cleveland perspective to see Travis Kelce in the Super Bowl again,” Hanna Kassis said.
Kassis is the owner of Whistle Taproom at the heart of downtown Cleveland.
“We are the only self-serve taproom in Cleveland,” he said. “We have the widest selection of drinks, 50 taps of craft beer, wine, ciders, [and] cocktails.”
This Sunday, they’ll be hosting a Super Bowl Watch Party, Kassis said, serving sports fans’ food favorites.
“... Pepperoni pizza, you know, and people love the cheesy pretzels – those are a big hit,” Kassis said. “We have grilled cheese bites, which are delicious.”
Food is the name of their game, Blakely said, but celebrating the Super Bowl is about more than just sales.
“And the game — just like when football is on on Christmas — is something in the background to add your experience. If the Browns can't be in it, you can enjoy the food most most of all.
