Noon kicks suck. Setting up all the stuff for what amounts to less than 4 hours of tailgate just doesn’t do it for me. But we persevered LOL. Great weather and great turnout.

We came with pre-prepped cheesy potatoes and bacon, just to get things rolling, then Chef Andy knocked a pile of Pain Perdu out of the park, and it was probably the best thing you ate all day if you were an early arrival. It paired nicely with the thick cut bacon and the Canadian supplied Bloody Caesars. Many a tailgater inquired about the recipe, which Andy says he kind of winged, but I think this one from Food Republic will get you in the ballpark, especially if you swap out for a fruit-studded loaf and follow Andy’s suggestion to leave it out on the counter for a week to get nice and stale before starting.

From there we moved on to a classic tailgate staple of breakfast hash. This one leaned Greek, an homage to Detroit diner fare. It started with onions and green pepper in bacon fat, followed by shredded potatoes and gyro meat, and finished with feta, scallions, and scrambled egg. Seasoned with garlic, lawry’s seasoned salt, and an herb blend (classic Mrs. Dash).

Then it was pre-game Detroit Coney Dogs smothered in chili sauce and onions, served with copious sides of chili-cheese fries. For some reason I didn’t take a single Coney pic, but you can get the gist from this crowd shot I guess. Chili sauce was the star…should I have told everyone they were eating beef heart? Nah, Oscar Meyer doesn't promote what’s in their stuff (spoiler alert: lips and assholes). I adapted this recipe from Amazing ribs, and added a little masa thickening by way of pulverized canned hominy.