The Super Bowl is one of the biggest eating days of the year, second only to Thanksgiving. Some consider it quite the “chicken-wing-intensive” holiday. But for some, Super Bowl Sunday just wouldn’t be right without scarfing down some sopressata.
At Gaetano’s Italian deli in Stratford, they’ve been taking orders for 6-foot heros for the past month. They say they’ve made enough sandwiches that if stacked end to end they would reach across the length of a football field, end zone to end zone. They say most of their 80 orders are for their Italian combo.
“The Italian sub, you have ham, mortadella, sopressata, capicola, salami, provolone, roasted peppers and lettuce and a little balsamic vinegar you could put on the side,” explained Owner Milanno Ukehaxhaj.
For many places that make food, the Super Bowl means super sales. When the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers hit Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, many will be reaching for wings. The National Chicken Council projects that more than 90 million pounds of wings will be eaten this weekend alone.
What’s more, Americans may spend more than $50 million on snack food for this one day. It’s giving a kick start to local economies, hours before the kick-off. But in Stratford, for some the journey of 100 yards, begins with two yards – that’s two yards of sandwich.