Pretty sure I’m not the only one whose March Madness bracket is in the toilet. After my strategic selection process, which (of course) lead to terrible decisions, I’ve resigned to the fact that my bracket will not be winning the BostInno pool. Le sigh.
But no matter – it doesn’t mean I can’t eat my March Madness-losing feelings with food inspired by the NCAA tournament. Which is exactly what I did last week at Pauli’s in the North End.
The Salem Street eatery is serving up a special “ultimate March Madness platter” inspired by the NCAA Tournament’s final four regions: East, South, Midwest and West. The massive sandwich platter is available now through the championship game on April 7, and is perfect for group viewing parties – especially if your guests are hungry.
While I certainly couldn’t eat an entire platter, I did attempt to taste test each of the final four region’s distinct sandwiches. The sandwiches included:
East Coast: Lobster roll filled with chunks of fresh lobster meat and mayo on a grilled New England-style hot dog roll.
South: Crispy fried chicken sandwiches on a fresh roll with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo.
West Coast: California wraps made with grilled chicken, fresh avocado, mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumber and chipotle mayo.
Midwest: Steak Tip wraps with grilled steak tips, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions and olives.
Obviously – as a native southerner and a New England resident – my favorites were the lobster roll and the fried chicken sandwich. And trust me, Pauli’s didn’t hold back at all when it came to sandwich ingredients. As you can see from the photos (above), the dishes were jam-packed with meats, condiments and plenty of cheese.
Fortunately, the entire platter is enough to feed an army of hungry basketball fans. The platter includes 3 lobster rolls, 3 fried chicken sandwiches, two California wraps and two steak tip wraps. That’s 10 sandwiches total that you can happily split between more than 10 people.
The platter is available for both pick-up and delivery for $109.99. I recommend ordering yours for the Elite Eight games this weekend because if you can’t win March Madness, you might as well eat!
Images via author and Pauli’s
