Since many of us won't be able to tailgate near the stadium anymore, here's a way to have your own recipe offered on the stadium menu. On Sunday, June 13, six fan-created recipes will go head-to-head at the Great American Food Festival at the Meadowlands. The winning two dishes -- one for the Jets and one for the Giants -- will be chosen and added to the stadium menu for the entire 2010-2011 season. Cook-off will be judged by celeb chefs including Jets fan Gary Vaynerchuk, Paula Deen, Tom Colicchio and others. The press release is after the jump.
New York Jets and New York Giants to Ignite Fan Friendly Cook-Off Contest and Award Official "Tailgate Bragging Rights"
The Original Recipe of One Winner from Each Team Fan Base to be Included on Menu for Inaugural Season
Finals to Take Place at the Great American Food and Music Fest
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – May 25, 2010 – Draft picks for the New York Jets and New York Giants have already been selected, but both teams have space on their respective rosters for one lucky grill master, chili connoisseur or rib maven. Football fans and foodies alike are invited to submit an original tailgate recipe and compete for official "Tailgate Bragging Rights," with one grand prize winner selected by each team set to receive top honors and a place on the game-day menu at the New Meadowlands Stadium. This cooking contest is the first of its kind in the NFL.
To enter, participants must log on to www.newmeadowlandsstadium.com and submit a detailed description of their original recipe. The contest will begin at 9 AM EST on May 14, 2010, and end on June 4, 2010, at 5:00 PM EST.
All submissions will be reviewed by chefs of the Delaware North Companies Sportservice Inc., the official food supplier of the New Meadowlands Stadium, and players and staff members of the New York Giants and New York Jets.
The entry field will be narrowed down to six finalists - three representing the Jets and three representing the Giants. The selected fan groups will be invited to fire up their grills and duel in a heated battle at the New Meadowlands Stadium on Sunday, June 13, during the Great American Food & Music Fest, a one-day event celebrating the rich traditions of classic American fare and music. The contestants will be asked to prepare their dishes on-site, and the final fare will go head-to-head in front of the celebrity panel of judges to determine a final winner for each team.
In determining the winner, judges will base their decision on the following criteria: taste of the product prepared for the judges; adaptability of final product to a stadium and mass production setting; originality of final product; presentation of product prepared for judges; and ease of replication of the final product. In the event of a tie for any prize, a majority vote by the Judges will be used as the tiebreaker.
The contest is open only to legal residents of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry, with a valid e-mail address as of May 14, 2010.
The Great American Food & Music Fest will feature a "who’s who" of culinary talent, including restaurateur, author and television host Paula Deen; Tom Colicchio, critically acclaimed chef and host of Top Chef; Pat and Gina Neely, co-owners of Neely’s Bar-B-Q and hosts of Down Home with the Neely’s; and Ace Of Cakes star and master baker Duff Goldman. The all-star team of chefs will be joined by Wine Library’s Gary Vaynerchuk, a live performance from Eepy Bird and legendary food purveyors including Neely’s BBQ, Maine Diner, Tony Luke’s and Willie Mae’s Scotch House.
For more information about the competition, please visit www.NewMeadowlandsStadium.com.
For more information about the Great American Food and Music Fest, please visit