Tampa: This Was Our Favorite Football Beverage This Season

At the end of a long and memorable NFL season, we tend to reflect upon the highs and lows of what our favorite team accomplished (or didn't) this year. Restaurant management software company Toast, recently published detailed information on the food and drink highlights this for the 2023 NFL season. In Tampa, the alcohol beverage of choice that fans grabbed for Bucs football games was a hard cider.

Overall, with Bucs having a 19-game season (including their two playoff games), Toast says the market experienced a, "1% increase in restaurant food and alcohol sales on Sundays during the NFL season compared to out of season."

Furthermore, Mashed broke down alcohol's popularity with football fans even further. Ahead of the big game, they specifically detailed which alcohol got the overall biggest boost for NFL Sundays. The answer was that hard seltzer saw the biggest increase by far. Mashed said, "Hard seltzer was the most popular drink to sip on during a game; the beverage saw a whopping 47% increase in consumption on football Sundays compared to Sundays during the rest of the year."

Cider popularity was up 46% in Tampa this NFL season as the top beverage of choice. Joining cider was lager (craft beers) coming in as the second favorite. Then, beer in general rounded out the top three alcohol drinks of choice to accompany NFL games for Tampa fans this season.

In addition, Toast detailed similar information on the food choices. Tampa football viewers seemed to have downed a lot of chicken wings this fall. Per Toast data, wing orders increased 35%.

In order to compile this information, Toast studied data through their point of sale software system. Specifically, they analyzed the order differences per item on NFL Sundays through mid-December. The restaurant industry as a whole saw alcohol orders up 6% this football season.

The upcoming Super Bowl is obviously another major impactful day when it comes to the food and beverage industry. It's fair to say your food and drink choices to accompany your game festivities are crucial decisions. The joy of not having your team in the Super Bowl is that Tampa fans can order buckets of chicken wings, pour some cider, and just enjoy the game.

Do you want fries with that? Tasting Table recently published a list of restaurants with the best French Fries in the country and two New Florida establishments were named.

"From high-end steakhouses and neighborhood brasseries' to fast food restaurants and even grocery store freezer aisles, fried spuds can be found in just about every type of restaurant or shop across the country," Tasting Table explains. Their feature is specific to non-fast food restaurants.

French Fries are always a fan-favorite whether a side dish, an appetizer, or just a snack. They come in all shapes and sizes. Shoe strings crispy versions, thick-cut steak fries, seasoned curly fries, waffle fries, and even tater tots (are those considered fries, though?).

In a 2019 story published by the Daily Meal, they discussed unique facts on French Fries in America. Two of the most fascinating have to do with McDonald's. "Approximately 7 percent of the potatoes grown in the U.S. meet the same fate: they become McDonald's french fries," they said. They later stated that this fast food chain sells one-third of the French Fries consumed in the United States.

French Fries are like music. They are a common bond, and they are subjective. What one person prefers may be completely different from another. Better yet, both choices are correct.

For example, Best Things Florida released their list of best French Fries in the Sunshine State. It is completely different from Tasting Table's. However, Tasting Table went and explored all corners of the country to crown their French Fry kings.

The two restaurants in Florida that were recognized for having some of the best French Fries in the country serve two very different styles. One of them is part of a restaurant that has expanded to other markets. The other is served in a restaurant where fries compliment BBQ.

Located on 2727 Indian Creek Dr. in Miami Beach, Broken Shaker has fries that are so good, they even get their own line item on the menu. These are Shawarma Fries, served with Harissa ketchup. You can order them on their own or have the fries paired with any of their burgers or sandwiches. Although Broken Shaker does also have restaurants in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Madrid, their menus show a some different takes on their hand-cut fries in certain markets. For example, Los Angeles has Carne Asada fries. New York and Miami both have the Shawarma recipe.

"In terms of meaty all-American food pairings, french fries go just as well with barbecue as they do with burgers," Tasting Table exclaims. The Polite Pig is located in Disney Springs. They describe their menu by saying, "Our menu is inspired by the best seasonal food that Florida has to offer, bringing new twists to local flavors and BBQ." They serve waffle fries with a polite rub. They can be selected as a side to any dish or in a giant platter to accompany your catering order. In addition, sweet potato tots are on the menu as well.