New York Daily News: MANHATTAN, NY – Restaurants say large orders of takeout chicken wings indicate Super Spreader Sunday is on the horizon, despite Governor Cuomo’s plea that New Yorkers avoid large indoor gatherings for the big game.
Jeff Bank, the owner of Carmine’s Italian restaurant on the Upper West Side, said he’s been inundated with orders that serve two or three families.
A typical Super Bowl spread, he said, is around 75 chicken wings (the double-jointed), orders of spaghetti with six softball-sized meatballs, 2 pounds of calamari, a 15-inch pie of tiramisu and a large Caesar salad that serves six people.
The orders are “always geared toward eight to 12 people, which is not the average size family I know of. That means you’re having people come over — you’re not just watching with just your wife and kid,” Bank said.
Cuomo, meanwhile, pleaded Saturday for football fans to avoid large celebrations.
“Super Bowl weekend is here and the instinct may be to celebrate together,” Cuomo said. “We cannot get cocky — we must continue doing the things we know are effective at taming the virus: wear a mask, adhere to social distancing, and avoid gatherings”
Coronavirus cases spiked following the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, when many families ignored warnings about the risk of infection.
At John Brown Barbecue, a Kansas City Chiefs spot in Queens, manager Yajaira Sanchez, 36, said the joint received loads of takeout orders, some as large 4 pounds of smoked meat, which serves 10 people.
“The phone has been ringing off the hook,” she said.
Advocates for the ailing restaurant industry say the risk associated with at-home Super Bowl parties is reason for Cuomo to allow restaurants to resume indoor dining ASAP. City restaurants currently can host diners indoors starting Valentine’s Day.
“Reduced occupancy, highly regulated indoor dining has not been shown to be a major source of infections compared to private indoor social gatherings,” said Andrew Rigie, executive director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance.
- Top Feature Photo: Jeff Bank, the owner of Carmine’s Italian restaurant on the Upper West Side, said he’s been inundated with orders that serve two or three families. A typical Super Bowl spread, he said, is around 75 chicken wings (the double-jointed), orders of spaghetti with six softball-sized meatballs, 2 pounds of calamari, a 15-inch pie of tiramisu and a large Caesar salad that serves six people – Shawn Inglima
