Why the heck would someone from Wisconsin fly all the way to New Orleans for a bratwurst?
Because Emeril Lagasse is the one at the grill wielding the tongs.
The celebrity chef invited Green Bay Packers superfan Scott Schwartz and his wife Lisa, of Pulaski, to come down to New Orleans for the latest episode of his new “Emeril Tailgates” show. Each week, Lagasse introduces a diehard fan from an NFL team and then whips up some tailgate eats inspired by their city.
In the Green Bay episode that premiered Thursday on The Roku Channel, viewers meet Scott, who has been tailgating outside Lambeau Field for more than 30 years and hosts an elaborate Lot 1 party that has fed fans from all over the country.
For audiences not familiar with Green Bay, there’s a quick lesson on the local football cuisine. That would be beer, brats and cheese, obviously.
At Green Bay Distillery, owner Michael NcNerney shows off the beer-battered curds and Bratwurst Philly made with fresh curds, hunks of bratwurst, green and gold peppers and whiskey caramelized onions on a ciabatta hoagie. Over at 1919 Kitchen & Tap inside Lambeau, chef Gage Dawiedczyk talks about the Poutine Burger topped with fries, curds and gravy.
(Not food-related, but the camera crew also stops at Card & Coin in Ashwaubenon to check out Packers collectibles.)
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Down in New Orleans, Scott and Lisa pull up a stool at Lagasse’s outdoor kitchen and chat with him while he makes a couple of “Wisconsin-style recipes”: homemade pretzels with cheesy beer dip and brats with grilled onions and apples with a mustard and honey vinaigrette.
“I’d talk but I’m busy eatin’” Scott says as the three of them dig in at the end. “… Who’d have thought I’d have to come to New Orleans for the best brat I ever had.”
Scott gave Lagasse a lanyard making him a VIP of his Lot 1 tailgate, an honor that only goes to the most dedicated tailgaters.
“Look at that, huh? Oh yeah, baby, we’re good,” Lagasse said as he slipped it around his neck.
Packers fans can watch the full 25-minute episode here.
Scott said a tailgating friend in Denver recommended him to “Emeril Tailgates” should they ever do a Green Bay episode. The show flew Scott and Lisa to New Orleans and put them up in the French Quarter for the taping earlier this year. The episode just happened to premiere on his birthday.
Kendra Meinert is an entertainment and feature writer at the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Contact her at 920-431-8347 or kmeinert@greenbay.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @KendraMeinert.