Food Guide: Tailgate like a Pro

The tailgate pick from Joey Hilty of The Vandal: a boudin blanc sausage sandwich.

Football season is in full swing, and if you’re like any of us at TABLE Magazine, you’ll agree: the best part of any game day is the food.

Leave your nacho cheese at home, because with the help of some local industry professionals, we’re taking tailgate spreads to a new level. We’re talking hearty, guilty-pleasure food that still has good flavor, warms our souls and, like the game in front of us, has a few surprises.

We asked a handful of local chefs and industry folks what satisfies their tailgate appetites. (If anything, we learned that no Pittsburgh tailgate is complete without a little buffalo chicken.) Take some cues from the pros and get inspired for your next game day with these top-notch picks!

Joey Hilty’s boudin blanc sausage sandwich.

Joey Hilty, The Vandal

To Joey Hilty of The Vandal, tailgate food is something familiar and ritualistic. “I’ll never forget making the same exact buffalo chicken dip week after week during one of the Steelers Super Bowl runs. We won that super bowl solely because of that recipe.”

Typically, Joey says, he’ll get some high-quality steaks to grill and put together a few sandwiches, pairing the spread with a light sparkling wine or beer. His top choice? A simple stack of boudin blanc sausage, honey mustard, sauerkraut from S&D Polish Deli, and crispy, fried onions on brioche bread from Mediterra Bakehouse.

Pizza from East End Chewing. Photo by East End brewing Company.

Scott Smith, East End Brewing Company

“Since a sit-down table or chair scenario at a tailgate is somewhat rate,” says Scott Smith of East End Brewing Company, “I find the most easily enjoyed foods to be things you can pick up and eat with one hand while holding a beer in the other.”

Right now, Scott’s go-to dish is from the brewing company’s in-house pizzeria, East End Chewing. Though pizza in all forms is the perfect food for a tailgate, Scott says he’s particularly drawn to these thick, crust, specialty pizzas. (Every football Sunday, East End Chewing runs a beer and pizza special, perfect to serve to a tailgating crowd.)

A peek into the kitchen at Fig & Ash. Photo by Fig & Ash.

Cory Hughes, Fig & Ash

“When I think of a tailgate I think of cold weather, so I think of something warm and spicy,” says Cory Hughes of Northside fire to flame eatery, Fig & Ash. His go-to dish is kielbasa with stewed peppers and onions – with a few roasted jalapeños for that kick of heat.

There’s no hesitation when Cory’s asked about pairings for the dish: beer. The chef says he’d look for something light, like a lager.

Sliders from Quantum Spirits. Photo by Quantum Spirits.

Ryan Kanto and Killian Hiner, Quantum Spirits

If there’s one thing Chef Killian Hiner, at the helm of Quantum Spirits’ new kitchen, has learned about tailgating, it’s that “There always has to be some kind of buffalo chicken.”

With chicken on the table, Killian says his go-to tailgate food is sliders. “You can eat however many you want,” he says, “and each slider you can customize. It’s a mini-experiment each time.” Ryan Kanto, co-founder of the distillery, says his pick for a tailgate would be a charcuterie board because it’s “a little bit of everything.”

Both pair their tailgate picks – including the buffalo chicken – with one of Quantum Spriits’ ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails. “It’s classing it up a little bit,” Ryan explains. “You want a cocktail, but it’s a tailgate. I’m not going to bring out my whole bar kit up. With RTD cocktails, you put forth the effort and it’s better than just the vodka bottle with whatever you have.”