Trendspotting for Super Bowl XLIV

You don’t have to be a football fanatic to love the Super Bowl. Between the raucous parties, unabashedly digging in to mayo-based dips, and companies doling out millions of dollars for a 30-second commercial spot (what recession?), there’s a little something for everyone.

This year, South Florida got a double dip of football with the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl back-to-back, both hosted in our party-central backyard. This is the record-breaking 10th time Miami has hosted the Super Bowl, which, if you ask us, is the ideal location for wild Super Bowl parties.

We at The Gab Group have some predictions regarding what’s going to go down this Sunday…and we’re not talking about the final score.

Game day is going gourmet. Expect spins on classic sliders, or exotic sauces and salsas to complement go-to classics. Deborah Hartz Seeley, Food Editor for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, recommends Polynesian Wings, chicken wings cooked up with tropical flair, including crushed pineapple, brown sugar, ginger root, and garlic. Eat up to rep your team – shrimp po’ boys scream “Go Saints!”, while deep-fried pork tenderloin sandwiches show your Colts love.

When you’re out an about on game day, don’t forget your camera. South Florida is already celeb-central, but with the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl mere days apart, expect even more big names. Everyone who’s anyone will be in town, so keep an eye out.

Football will meet fashion. No one wants to schlep around in a jersey in South Florida’s sexiest city, especially when you never know who you’ll run into.

We’ll be at Il Bacio Restaurant & Lounge, otherwise known as Atlantic Ave’s Super Bowl headquarters, for The Big Game. Playmate Leticia Cline and Maxim Magazine Hometown Hottie Tami Donaldson will host as we sit in the lap of luxury, watching the game on 100-inch screens and chowing down on Il Bacio’s gourmet buffet.

Editor's note 4/16/10: Everyone had a great time at Il Bacio's Super Bowl viewing party! Check out our photos from the event...