NYC: Where to Watch the Super Bowl and Eat Your Weight in Nachos

@Stefadook

The NFL Super Bowl XLVIII has the Seattle Seahawks against the Denver Broncos duking it out at MetLife Stadium. My money is on the Broncos because as my coworker says “Sherman is totally gonna cry and make a butt outta himself and all the critics are gonna cry cause they thought Peyton Manning was dead but he’s an elite quarterback, 4 time MVP, bishes.” On a tangential note, have you seen our NFL fan profile mini docs? If not, you should. Shameless plug.

Anyway, back to the matter at hand. There are many reasons to watch the SuperBowl: the thrill of the sport, the LOL of the commercials, the spectacle of the halftime shows…but mainly, I watch for the nachos. In the holy trinity of Super Bowl foods (wings – pizza – nachos) nachos are my Holy Spirit. They are my North Star. And let’s be real–that’s why you’re shlepping to all corners of the city. Because a small mountain of tortilla chips smothered in cheese, chili, jalapeños and sour cream is what really brings America together.

Below, we’ve rounded up a list of the best places to get your nacho fix. But first, a Nachos History Quickie. Most Remezcla readers would probably deliver some swift side-eye if you so much as suggested that nachos are real Mexican food. However! Culinary sources (like author Josh Chetwynd) attribute the dish to a guy called Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Anaya, who was working in Piedras Negras, a border town in Mexico, during WWII. The story goes that one day in 1943 the wives of US servicemen popped over the border to Nacho’s restaurant for some food, and since the chef was unavailable, Nacho had to improvise. He tossed together the nearest ingredients of cheese and jalapeños on tortilla chips, and a glorious snack was born.

There is a competing theory, however. The Diccionario Enciclopedico de Gastronomia Mexicana by Ricardo Munoz Zurita says that nachos originated as totopos – day-old corn tortillas that are cut into eighths, deep-fried and served with melted manchego cheese, serrano chillies and tomato sauce. According to Zurita, these were eaten as a snack in the northern state of Monterrey, and their origins are gringo.

Not sure why people aren’t falling all over themselves to take credit for the creation of this delectable treat, but either way these are the best places to eat (good) nachos and pretend you know what you’re yelling at the TV screen:

Pork Slope

Nachos at this dimly lit, cozy Park Slope bar and restaurant come in all different shapes, sizes and countries. All served on cafeteria style trays, they’ve even got Irish Nachos, which replaces tortilla chips with tater tots but keeps it basic with the toppings we all know and love. Their tender pork smothered nachos are a massive hit with patrons…as well as their Sriracha infused cheese. For the big game, Pork Slope will be offering an all-you-can-eat-and-drink $75 package.

MexiBBQ

With locations in Astoria and UES, MexiBBQ is all fusion no fuss. Their Fiesta Nachos is an eight-layer dip of cheddar cheese, jalapeños, beans, salsa roja, pico de gallos, olives, mexican créme and guacamole. People on Yelp are also going HAM about their Mexican Street Corn. Wash it all down with their huge selection of beers or if you’re feeling fancy, a blood orange margarita.

South’s Bar

TriBeca bar South’s Bar is English pub meets old school New York, dimly lit and lots of beautiful wood everywhere. Their food is fresh and their portions generous, with a plate of their $12 plated of fully loaded nachos enough for two grown men.