refuse to discuss the game other than to say that the Chargers never showed up, nor did their coach. The outcome was especially hard on my hubby since he is a second generation season ticket holder dating back to 1961. In conclusion, regarding the Chargers all I can say is, “boo-who”!On a much lighter note, I must share with you our wonderful tailgate party meal and do a review of our own food. My son always teases the hubby and me for our elaborate tailgate food, appetizers and wine…and rightfully so since in the past we have enjoyed the likes of grilled Australian leg of lamb, air-chilled organic whole roasted chickens, teriyaki organic Cornish game hens, New York steak salad, etc.
As tailgate meals go we decided the best playoff game meal should be more traditional so we opted for a special sausage sandwich with a freshly baked French baguette roll and all the accoutrement. Therefore, the ol’man made a special trip out to “Sabatino’s Sausage Company” a.k.a. “Lido Shipyard Sausage Company” in Newport Beach to purchase his prized sausages.
The Sabatino family is from Sicily and they have been making these delicious sausages since 1864. Their sausages are unique in that they are made daily and stuffed with a special goat milk cheese from Sicily and fresh herbs. You can purchase a sausage coil then cut it to order at home before grilling. That is a very fresh sausage my friends!
In my most humble of opinions, to call a sausage sandwich delicious, one must have equally tasty and prepared accompanying toppings. Therefore, we grilled green, orange and yellow bell peppers with sweet Maui onion, fresh garlic slivers and thinly sliced jalapenos, and also served sides of roma tomatoes, sauerkraut and Dijon mustard. As noted in the photo, the veggies were sautéed with a dab of butter which brought out their lovely sweetness but we decided to leave the tomatoes fresh and serve them along side the sauerkraut.
Hubby sliced up the fresh sausage roll into small enough pieces to fit within the wonderful crusty French bread (which, was also baked fresh that very morning!) and began grilling away. As the aromatic Sabatino’s sausages began to grill, you could see some of the cheese begin to ooze out of the casings of the succulent slices of yummy goodness. The cheese actually began to caramelize and turn crunchy on the grill (yes, I nibbled!).For his special contribution to this hearty meal, our dear friend, John, chopped up a lovely fresh baby spinach salad (he even hand picked the spinach leaves that morning…what a great guy!) which included diced cherry tomatoes, candied pecans, red onion, green grapes, avoca
do, Craisins (dried cranberries and raisins), crumbled goat cheese and Jenny Craig Balsamic Dressing (advertisement, hey, they should really pay me for this one!). The salad was lively and full of luscious flavors. Thanks John!For dessert we all enjoyed a grand slice of delectable Cherry Pie…what a way to end a tailgate. Although, I can not end this tailgate review showcasing the perfect sausage sandwich without telling you that with this meal we all shared some very nice wines together.
Our little group was in agreement that the 1999 Arajo Altagracia stood up extremely well to the sausage and jalapeno slices which were in the bell pepper medley leaving the 1995 Palmeyer Red Table wine as our second choice. The crispy, refreshing 2006 William Selyem Chardonnay was very nice with the spinach salad.
In addition to homemade sausages, Sabatino’s serves brunch and has a varied menu offering all the traditional Italian dishes with a touch of Sicily. They also offer vegetarian dishes for the non-carnivores out in blog land.
In any event, the Chargers may have played like chickens with their heads cut off but we decided our tailgate meal showcasing the Sabatino’s sausage sandwiches made their loss seem bearable. And the wine helped! Until next time.
Cheers!
Sabatino’s Sausage Company
251 Shipyard Way, Cabin D
Newport Beach, California 92663
(949) 723-0621
Open Daily and Catering Available
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