Famous New York restaurant Rao’s takes over Phoenix restaurant for the Super Bowl
Harlem’s iconic restaurant, Rao’s, is keeping athletes, stars and those lucky enough to score well fed ahead of the 2023 Super Bowl in Phoenix.
For the fifth consecutive year, Rao’s has partnered with private aviation company Wheels Up to provide VIPs with five nights of dining before the big game.
Guests, who so far included CC Sabathia, Michael Strahan, Reggie Bush, Trevor Lawrence, Anthony Anderson, Ciara and Russell Wilson, dined on the New York restaurant’s famous meatballs concocted by executive chef Dino Gatto.
The four-course menu also included fritto misto, vodka penne, fra diavolo shrimp, porterhouse steak, eggplant and chicken parmesan and ended with cheesecake cannoli and Cincoro-infused truffles.
Unlike last year, when they hosted the restaurant site events in Los Angeles, Rao’s took over the Frashers Tavern steakhouse in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale. We’re told they redecorated the entire joint but kept the restaurant servers, who were comfortably outfitted in Rao’s t-shirts and custom Air Jordans. We hear they were allowed to keep every item.
Later on Friday evening, Wheels Up founder Kenny Dichter took the microphone and thanked guests for attending the party.
“People always ask us what meatballs and private aviation have in common and I would just say those are the values we share and the way we treat our people,” he told the court. crowd grilled with shots of Cincoro.
Spies also spotted Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott sharing a sweet moment with his former coach Jason Garrett.
Joe Montana, Sean Payton, Rachel Lindsay, JJ Watt, Jesse Palmer, Cooper Manning, Davante Adams, Bobby Wagner, Sterling Shepard, Pat Perez, Keegan Bradley, Cam Jordan, Andrew Whitworth, Scott Van Pelt, Adam Schefter, Kirk Herbstreit, Ron Berkowitz, Emilia Fazzalari and Mike Tannenbaum were among the guests at the multi-night event.
Meanwhile, we learn that Eli and Peyton Manning are about to attend Saturday night dinner and might even get their hands dirty in the kitchen.
The Philadelphia Eagles will face the Kansas City Chiefs in Glendale, Arizona on Sunday in Super Bowl LVII.