YourTailgateParty.com -- Tailgating Across America in search of the Blacktop's Best Chefs!

Weather or not ...

The unseasonably sunny week in New England gave way Sunday morning to heavy gray skies that threatened, according to weather reports, to open up by mid-afternoon.

Still, tailgaters filled the lots and broke out the grills, lighting fires and portable heaters to keep warm. But within hours, well before predicted, the threat had turned to reality, and what started as a soft drizzle had developed into downpours.

Fans huddled together beneath canopies and in make-sift tents, and around the RV lot many had moved their parties inside.

But on the grill, the food was hot -- and surf and turf were both on the menu. We met fans with coolers full of live lobster, along with prime rib! Chicken and sausages were poplular, too. We even found one group steaming asian dumplings in an enormous wok!

Several local channels sent reporters out to cover the Taste-off, and we were grateful they braved the rain and stuck it out to the end!

The fans, of course, did not disappoint. They carried over their slightly soggy dishes and filled out wet entry forms, then squeezed together under our awning to wait for the judges' decision.

The judges tasted a variety of entries, and debated --in true New England fashion-- thoroughly before naming their top 5.

They awarded prizes to Carol Carbaugh for her Stuffed Quahogs, Bruce Walker for his Steak Tips, Matt Smillie for his BBQ Beef, Jeff Golding for his Killer Calzone and Margaret Colognesi-Penttila for her Butt-Kickin' Jambalaya.

When the prizes had been awarded, and the food mostly devoured, fans packed up their wet gear and started heading into the game just as the skies started to clear -- at least for November in New England.

A neighbor in the lot stopped by and gave us his "extra" tickets, so for the first time our whole family -- all 5 of us! -- got to go into a game together!

Inside the spectacular Gillette Stadium the stands were a sea of yellow slickers as the lighthouse above the scoreboards blinked through an ever-thickening fog. It was a scene that simply screamed "New England".

And despite a loss at the end of a cold, wet day, Patriots fans returned to the lots to continue celebrating. They fired up the grills all over again, and gathered around our television outside to watch the late games well into the gray night.

You couldn't find a Buffalo wing within a mile of the stadium! Seems Bills fans save that treat for the post-game celebrations at local bars, which all claim to have the "best".

(So we had to visit the Anchor Bar Monday on our way out of town, just to get a taste of "the original". No wonder nobody was cooking them... who could compete? Those wings are like nothing we've ever had, and the smell from the bar wafts through the neighborhood making you mouth water. On our way back to the RV with our "take-out bucket", a guy actually threatned to mug us for it!)

Still, the food in the tailgating lot was impressive, and a good crowd started to gather to see who would win the honors.

We were glad to have Team Blacktop's own Rodney and Camp Chef's Steve with us to share in all the fun!

Our judge was Rich, our neighbor for the weekend, a Green Bay fan who'd traveled over from 'sconsin at the invitation of his buddy who just happens to be defensive coordinator for the Bills.

Together with Jay, he tasted them all and awarded an honorable mention to Jeff Conrad for his Stuffed Banana Peppers, fourth place to Jeff Dockeray for his Slow-Cooked Pork Roast, third place to Chris Robinson for her Grilled Shrimp, and second to Thomas Fisher for his Stuffed Jalapenos.

And for the rest of the afternoon, even after the prizes were awarded, tailgaters kept bringing by tastes of their best, even during and after the game. "Try my jambalaya" or "my ribs are the closest you'll get to heaven." We kept eating, of course, and by the time Jay's ribs were done cooking that night, we weren't even hungry anymore.

So we packed up a "to go" bag for the Commish, and wished him well in his travels, as he pulled out of the lot and we called it the end of our longest tailgate party ever!

And on our way back to the campground, we drove across the bridges over the rivers sparkling with city lights, and through the downtown streets filled with fans walking to their favorite sports bars to celebrate a Steeler's victory!

Friend of the Tour!

A legend around this tailgating lot," Mr. Young" is the face of New England itself -- at least for fans of the original movie, JAWS!

See, Mr. Young appeared in the 1975 film as one of the local fisherman, and he wears a custom Patriots jersey to make sure everyone knows!

Super Fans!

The crew from the Tailgater 2000 bus have one of the best organized tailgates around. From the pre-dawn pick-ups to a synchronized set-up, a staging order on the grill and strict rules against burgers and dogs, to the post-game celebrations and a slick and quick teardown, these guys have been doin' it for more than 15 years, and they've got it down!

The highlight of the day is always announced by the ringing of a bell, and even on this rainy day it drew a huge crowd. Standing in a downpour with shot glasses raised, Patriots fans waited eagerly to hear the traditional "Prayer" delivered by the "Reverend" Gerry McCarthy.