Super Bowl Fans Set for 4 a.m. Party
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Lena Smirnova – February 1, 2013)
When the Baltimore Ravens square off against the San Francisco 49ers at Sunday’s Super Bowl, the first question on the minds of American football fans in Moscow will be which team will emerge as the national champion. A close second: where to go to watch the game in a city whose residents associate “football” with kicking a black-and-white ball at Luzhniki stadium.
The question is harder to answer than it first appears. The Moscow Times contacted numerous sports bars and diners to find out if they’re planning to host a Super Bowl party.
Most bar managers said they will make the decision this weekend on whether to offer live broadcasts of the game. Others asked what sport the competition is about, and when told that kickoff is at 4 a.m. Moscow time they fell into a discouraging silence.
To avoid making the same calls, we’ve come up with a list of the top bars where American football fans are sure to find common-minded folks and be able to enjoy a live sports game and a beer for a healthy start to Monday’s workday.
The traditional expat hangout Starlite Diner (five locations, including 16 Bolshaya Sadovaya, +7-495-650-0246, starlite.ru) will start the live coverage of the game at 3:30 a.m. on Feb. 4. The diner will also offer a special “two for one” menu on the ultimate sports fan fare, including Heineken beer, chicken wings, nachos, french fries and sliders. Starlite holds Super Bowl parties each year, and though it is busier on those mornings than usual, you should still be able to get a spot. The place is not filled to capacity, its marketing manager said.
Starlite’s sister restaurant, Chicago Prime (8A Strastnoi Bulvar, +7-495-988-1717, starlite.ru), will also carry live broadcasts of the game. To add to the fun, fans can enjoy happy hour during the whole game, with 50 percent discounts on cocktails, house wines and draft beers as well as a 20 percent discount on the bar food menu.
The Bar BQ Cafe (25 Pyatnitskaya Ulitsa, Bldg. 1D, +7-495-258-0995, barbqcafe.ru) has invited the Moscow Patriots, a local football club, to the live broadcast, which it will show on 11 HD television screens starting at 4 a.m. The bar also has discounts and special menus planned for the football fans. Fifty people have already booked tables for the live broadcast, and last year almost 100 people attended the early-morning event.
Those not bold enough to come to work Monday with a painted face and a hoarse voice can watch the repeat of a game at 1 p.m. or 6 p.m. the same day at the Bar BQ Cafe on Pyatnitskaya or its branch venue near Okhotny Ryad (21 Ulitsa Petrovka).
The Hudson Bar (10 Ulitsa Butyrsky Val, +7 495-212-0454, hudsonbar.ru), which is decorated in 1920s and 1930s American style, will show a live broadcast of the game, but managers said they will determine what discounts will be offered closer to the date of the epic field battle.