From tequila shots with Guy Fieri to the best wings in America, here's what it was like to attend the official Super Bowl tailgate

Like most Americans, my idea of pregaming the Super Bowl usually involves cheap beer, bags of chips, takeout chicken wings, and plenty of dips.

But with the big game happening just miles away from my apartment in Los Angeles, California, I learned that there was an official tailgate party — and it was a total paradise for food lovers.

With a stacked menu featuring dishes and appearances from Food Network stars, Top Chef winners, and the Mayor of Flavortown himself, I knew the day would be a dining experience I'd never forget. The challenge I cared about wasn't the Rams versus the Bengals, but how many dishes I'd physically be able to tackle.

And reader, much like Los Angeles, I was very successful.

With my boyfriend Peter and good friend Jessica in tow, we headed to the Players Tailgate just as it was starting around 11 a.m. on Sunday — about four hours before kickoff.

But the traffic was already bumper to bumper as we inched closer to Inglewood, where SoFi Stadium is located. Handmade signs advertising parking (with prices ranging from $200 to $500 for the day) dotted local businesses as the sidewalks turned into a sea of black, orange, blue, and gold.

The red carpet immediately caught my eye as we got our wristbands and checked in (all attendees were required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test). While I had been invited to experience the tailgate by organizer Bullseye Event Group, many football fans at the 2,000-person event had paid $875 to access the open bar and unlimited food. Proceeds from the tickets support Operation BBQ Relief and the Irie Foundation, and 1,905 pounds of surplus food from the tailgate was donated to local nonprofits in Los Angeles.

It was time to see what an official tailgate party was really like.

Everywhere I turned, there were about five different places to get food or booze. A Stella Artois truck here. A Cutwater spirits booth there. Plates of tacos, ice cream, burgers, and wings constantly streamed past us. Everyone was holding special plastic cups that turned light blue when you poured liquor inside, making it appear like we were all downing Four Lokos with our caviar (more on that in a second).

Despite the fact that it was early February, temperatures in LA on Sunday were clocking in at 82 degrees Fahrenheit. It was hot. Like, really hot.

So nothing sounded better to start the day than an easy, breezy champagne cocktail. Mimosas and bellinis were on offer at the 1849 Wine Company booth, and I gulped mine down as we surveyed our next important move — food.

We landed at the booth of Brian Archibald, the executive chef of Francine in Phoenix, who served up an artful plate of rib eye topped with caviar.

The rib eye was melt-in-your-mouth soft, and the caviar paired deliciously with the meat. It was no doubt the fanciest thing we ate all day.

But what I loved about the tailgate was how it was a true medley of food. Every chef got to bring out their best, no matter the cuisine.

Kyle Kinnett, the CEO of Bullseye, told me that it was the group's vision to turn the Super Bowl tailgate "into a food and wine festival, and take that to a whole different level."

These tacos were dished up by Rene Andrade, who runs the Mexican restaurant Bacanora in Phoenix and is a champion of "Guy's Grocery Games" on the Food Network.

I could've easily eaten at least five of these birria tacos, I loved them so much. The delicious handmade tortillas were the perfect base for the tender and succulent American wagyu. Plus, there's no beating a taco fresh from the grill.

"The tacos really stood out to me," Jessica told me. "They were so juicy, bursting with flavor, and served piping hot."

Andrade's booth was also offering this Sonoran-style octopus on a bed of potatoes. Octopus is such an easy dish to mess up, but the meat was soft and luscious and the sauce was light and bright.

As temperatures continued to rise, it was nice to have such a refreshing bite amid the heavier meat dishes.

Chef Aaron May, who helped curate and select all the chefs for the Players Tailgate, also dished up this brisket short rib double cheeseburger.

I firmly believe that a great burger shouldn't rely on toppings and sauce to shine, and May's is proof of that. The patty was one of the most delicious I've had in a while and paired beautifully with the plump soft bun. The brisket brought all the richness, while the short rib made the patty incredibly moist. It looked like such a simple dish, but it was so deliciously indulgent.

Chicken wings are an essential Super Bowl food, so Chef May reached out to the best of the best for the Players Tailgate.

The Blind Rhino — a sports bar with locations in South Norwalk and Bridgeport — recently won the best chicken wings in America at the National Buffalo Wing Festival in Buffalo, New York.

On its tailgate menu were four different types of wings: classic Buffalo, garlic parmesan, togarashi brown sugar, and plum Sriracha — which won Best in Show at the festival.

"These are the four flavors that have put us on the map and really get people to turn heads," co-owner Casey Dohme told me. "It seemed like a simple choice."

But the magic isn't just in the sauce.

"Everybody precooks their wings, some people bake them, some people smoke them. We wanted to make a great product before we even fried and sauced them," Dohme said. "So we made a great house rub that seasons the chicken and makes it an unbelievable piece of chicken."

The plum Sriracha and togarashi brown sugar are the flavors that really stood out to me. The first brings this beautiful sweet and subtle heat that still allows the wing to shine, rather than becoming too sugary and syrupy. And that togarashi brown sugar was a dry rub unlike any I've ever seen on a chicken wing. It's been days, and I haven't stopped thinking about them.

"The wings were the best I've ever had," my boyfriend told me. "The brown sugar wings were a sweet and savory combination that was completely unique."

"I'm really sad they're based in Connecticut," Jessica added. "I'd be getting these all the time."

And while they've got 19 trophies back home, co-owner Matt Basco told me it was so special getting to see people's faces at the tailgate as they first bit into the wings.

"Wings are kind of basic to most people," he said. "But, in the moment they tried it, you could see their eyes light up. That was so rewarding, you could tell people were genuinely enjoying the product. There's nothing better than to share it."

Fieri got on the Players Tailgate stage multiple times throughout the day to hype up the crowd for the big game.

"We've thrown some parties and I gotta tell you, this is hot," Fieri said. "This is literally hot, but this is a good time."

"Have you had enough to drink yet!?" he yelled as the crowd cheered.

Then Fieri began throwing individually-wrapped cigars from his own "Knuckle Sandwich" brand to excited fans. Now it was definitely a party.

This was the dish I had been talking about all week leading up to the Players Tailgate. I'm a huge condiments person, so 23 sauces sounded like my dream. Honey mustard, sweet n' sour, habanero, avocado crema, cumin lime mojo — they were all there and more.

But it was actually the fried chicken that really blew us away. The meat was super crispy, moist, and juicy, with a delicious skin already packed with tons of flavor.

"The fried chicken was so good it didn't even need one of the 23 sauces," Peter said.

"I honestly got distracted by how good the actual chicken was that I wanted to just eat it plain," Jessica added.

Fieri was just as energetic and friendly as he's always been in my interviews with him on Zoom, happily pouring us shots from his own tequila brand and making sure we were having a great time.

Whoever said never meet your heroes has clearly never met one like Fieri.

There was ice cream from Los Angeles legends Salt and Straw and Craigs, but we decided to check out the sundae bar being run by celebrity chefs Antonia Lofaso, Brooke Williamson, and Nyesha Arrington.

The delicious cup featured fresh soft-serve ice cream, churros, and homemade dipped marshmallows. It was exactly what we needed to cool down.

But the best part of the booth was getting to meet and chat with Arrington, who I've been watching every week on Gordon Ramsay's series "Next Level Chef."

Football may be about scoring touchdowns, but the tailgate was all love. Every fan we spoke to — Bengals or Rams — was so excited to talk about the food or encourage us to check out a specific booth. I loved getting to chat with chefs all day about their dishes, and it was cool to see so many of them come together from so many different places — whether that be a sports bar or a hit Food Network show.

After such a weird two years, where so much of our dining experience has involved plexiglass walls or countless takeout boxes, it felt really special to spend the day connecting with chefs and trying their dishes right in front of them.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to plan a trip to Connecticut for more of those insane chicken wings.