Long yardage
If you’re hosting a Super Bowl party Sunday, how will you keep your guests interested if the game’s dull, the commercials are lackluster, there’s no halftime wardrobe malfunction and the touchdown dances aren’t obscene? Two words: Big Food.
Subway has long cornered the market with its Giant Sub. Yes, it’s just fat subs lined end-to-end (expandable at $27 per yard), but it’s a crowd-pleaser that feeds four to six per foot. Like a returning Super Bowl champ, it’s a favorite for a reason.
Enter the underdog: Acapulco Restaurant’s fairly new Burritos by the Foot. Picture a burrito 3, 4 or 5 feet long, stuffed with beans, cheese, salsa and a choice of carnitas, picadillo beef, shredded beef or chicken -- stretched out like an albino anaconda. At $40 for the yard ($50 and $60 for larger sizes), it feeds two to three per foot. Plus, your vegetarian pals can feast on the sides: chips, salsa, salad and rice.
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Super-size playoffs
Giant sub
Taste (***)
As with all Subway sandwiches, you pick the ingredients, so you control the taste. The fresh- baked bread, always a plus, looks nifty when the white and wheat are braided together.
Portability (***)
The sandwich is shrink-wrapped on 3-foot cardboard planks, making it pretty easy to transport in your car’s back seat.
Diet Watch (***)
If you believe the Jared commercials.
Hype-o-meter (**)
Like an old friend, it doesn’t need much hype. You may find your anticipation growing, though, because you must place your order 24 hours in advance.
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Giant burrito
Taste(***)
Though all the meat fillings are yummy, the chicken’s particularly good. And don’t fret if the burrito goes cold; it just makes it easier to eat with your fingers.
Portability (***)
The burrito comes in a sturdy cardboard box with a removable tray, but you’ll need a truck bed to transport the 5-footer.
Diet Watch (**)
You want healthy? That’s what the salad is for, dummy!
Hype-o-meter (***)
They make the most from limited advertising. A glossy junk-mail flier made me curious enough to try it. Plus, they need only 30 minutes’ prep time.
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Winner: This one goes into overtime. The sub takes the early lead with its time-tested reliability, but the novelty of the burrito and its gut-stuffing side dishes is enough to squeak out a victory.
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* Ratings are on a scale of one (lowest) to four (best).
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