On Friday, February 9, Bon Appétit partnered with MGM Rewards to host a tailgate in Las Vegas that featured food vendors from the two cities of the competing teams of Sunday's game—Al Pastor Papi from San Francisco and Q39 from Kansas City.
Miguel Escobedo of Al Pastor Papi, a celebrated Mexico City–style taco truck in San Francisco, brought chicken al pastor tacos and jackfruit al pastor tacos with mango pico de gallo salsa. The food reflects his mission to bring al pastor tacos to San Francisco after studying traditional technique in Mexico City. Philip Thompson of Q39, a Kansas City–style barbecue restaurant with two locations, cooked pitmaster brisket sliders and pork spareribs with Southwest coleslaw. At Q39 they make everything from scratch, down to four different types of barbecue sauce.
The two chefs also teamed up on a dish: a brisket taco with mango salsa. Justin Frederickson, executive chef of MGM’s Mandalay Bay and Luxor Hotel & Casino, collaborated with both chefs ahead of the event to develop a menu that best represented both cities with a Vegas lens. He and his team were also present to welcome the chefs to Vegas and assist them with prep and service.
Fans gathered poolside at the Luxor Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip to sample the two trucks’ signature dishes. Attendees came through decked out in their team’s gear and enjoyed loud tunes, cornhole and football toss, and drinks from the onsite bars.