Because I was converting my site this past weekend I was unable to post the Spotlight Interview so we’re going to do it today.
John Offerdahl the Gridiron Griller is our Spotlight interview this week. The spotlight is about his GridIron Grill-OFF event that will take place on Friday, November 18th, from 5PM-11PM at the Pompano Beach Amphitheatre. John will be hosting his 2nd annual Gridiron Grill-OFF Food, Wine & Tailgate Festival where celebrity, competition & charity collide! Click here to view photos from last years inaugural event. The GridIron Grill-OFF is where 20 Miami Dolphins legends team up with Broward County chefs as fans EAT, DRINK, and VOTE on their favorite Grill-OFF recipe. Click here to view the team lineup and their recipes. Let’s find out a bit more about John Offerdahl and his GridIron Grill-OFF as this week’s Spotlight Interview.
South Florida Food and Wine: How did the concept of the GridIron Grill-OFF come about?
John Offerdahl: I first became known in South Florida as an NFL linebacker for the Miami Dolphins from 1986~1994, it was then that I also cut my teeth as a bagel boy & restaurateur from 1990 ~ 1995. After retiring from both careers by 1995, I came back to my first love and have grown into a grill guy ever since. One day while I was grilling up some of my favorite Wisconsin bratwursts, a vision appeared! From Gridiron (5x Pro Bowl Linebacker) to Grill (Restaurateur & owner of Offerdahl’s Café GRILL), I am the Gridiron Griller! – a unique & credible personality that collides Food & Football. From the Gridiron (Sports &
Entertainment world) to the Grill (Restaurant & Hospitality Industry) the GridIron Griller represents kitchen, backyard bbq & tailgating enthusiasts on the grill! This vision started a journey of building recipes & videos with athletes & chefs and has since been firing up the Gridiron Grill-OFF Food, Wine & Tailgate Festival which teams-up celebrity athletes from the Gridiron with celebrity chefs from the Grill. It’s an event where Celebrity, Competition & Charity COLLIDE!
South Florida Food and Wine: What is a typical day for you as director of the GridIron Grill-OFF?
John Offerdahl: My days are a collision of family, faith, food, football & fun!
South Florida Food and Wine: What is the one thing you love the most about the Grill-OFF?
John Offerdahl: Watching the Fans engage the Celebrities in Competition and for Charity brings a huge sense of purpose and fun to the event.
South Florida Food and Wine: Who is the one person you would most like to go to a Sunday afternoon football game with and why?
John Offerdahl: I love to go with my 2 boys. They both play linebacker on their high school teams and it’s fun to watch and critique the game and the linebacker position play on Sundays.
South Florida Food and Wine: It’s your last day on earth – what would your final meal be?
John Offerdahl: Likely this year’s winning Grill-OFF Recipe!
South Florida Food and Wine: What is your one guilty food pleasure?
John Offerdahl: Peanut M&Ms (Grilled of course!)
South Florida Food and Wine: It’s your day off, what do you do for fun?
John Offerdahl: A round of Bridge (card game) on the backyard porch with my bridge partners (4 guys) grilling up Wisconsin Brats & Onions! Heaven!
South Florida Food and Wine: Tell the readers one thing you want them to know about the GridIron Grill-OFF that they may not know?
John Offerdahl: Competition! – Fans Eat, Drink, Vote on their favorite Grill-OFF Recipe and Compete in the Gridiron Toss-OFF Tournament – a cornhole bean-bag competition that teams-up Celebrity Pros with YOU, the Community Joe. Here’s how it works…
1. Fans play cornhole for 3 hours to vie for
Top 20 leaderboard finish.
2. Top 20 draft an Athlete/Chef Team as
partners in the Tournament.
3. 1 Fan/Athlete/Chef Team is crowned
Gridiron Toss-OFF Champions!
Unbelievable
FAN interaction and engagement with their Celebrities!
South Florida Food and Wine: Dream come true (past or present): you can go to any in game in any city what city would it be? Which game and why?
John Offerdahl: Green Bay! I grew up in Wisconsin and in all of my 8 years, I never played 1 professional football game in Lambeau Field!
South Florida Food and Wine: What’s next?
John Offerdahl: Watch for the Gridiron Griller Show on NFL network or ESPN! Get fired up and Grill ON!
Click here to purchase tickets and visit the GridIron Grill-OFF website
