Food is probably one the most essential items you need while watching the Super Bowl, along with a good seat, drinks and friends/family.

Patch Picks: Super Bowl Food

1. Pizza- It's traditional, fun, easy and most people like it. You can cook pizza from scratch or you can order it from one the great pizza places in town. Such as Domino's Pizza, which has great deals on medium and large pizzas.

Next you can head to Eugenio's Pizza, they have original recipes and was ranked number one for their pizza.

"Making it the old-fashioned way," is the model for Rosati's Pizza. They have been in Cary since 1994.

Take-out, delivery, catering, dine-in? That's no problem for Galati's Pizza & Pasta. Owned by Vince Galati and his partner Len Lipetri. Galati says they like Cary because it still has that small-town, family atmosphere. 

It may be a franchise spot, but Papa John's Pizza has large selections of toppings, with one their specialties being a pie called "the works" includes pepperoni, ham, sausage, onions, green peppers, portabella mushrooms and black olives.

Last but not least, we have Romanesco Italian Eatery, in addition to pizza; they provide calzones, pastas, sandwiches and wraps.

Only downfall with pizza may be that you've had pizza the day before and looking for something new.

2. Wings- Affordable, easy to make, fun and tasty. You can cook a large batch for the party or call up Buffalo Wild Wings, Wings Etc or Hooters. I'm a big fan of wings but depending if you are getting different sauces on the wings, they may become messy.

3. Nachos- Very tasty, variety, filling and fun. You can be very creative with nachos because you can put just about anything on them. You have meat, beans, veggies, chips and many sauces to pick from. However, for a party you may have to _spend_ a little more to get enough food for your party.

4. Chili- Once again, tasty, filling and great for the winter. If you or someone you may know has a special recipe, chili could be number one on your list. If made correctly, chili is by far the best overall food to have during the big game. However, it takes time to prepare and cook. Depending on the size of the party, you may need to cook a larger batch, plus you run the risk of cooking too much if your crowd doesn't eat it all. Jewel-Osco in Cary has all the essentials you may need with a quick-30 minute recipe ready to go. 

5. Italian beef- There wouldn't be a list without this Chicago favorite. It's tasty, filling and is a true classic. It's all about the beef, so you made this at home, be sure to have the right seasonings and enough to go around.

Kojak's in Cary signature dish is the Italian Beef sandwich, so place an order with them for the party. Italian beef is number five on my list because I'm still warming up to it. I'm a Michigan native, Italian beef isn't a big seller back there but I'm trying to acquire a taste for it.

I know I could have picked some other foods but these are my top five.

But add to my list or build your own list and share it with us.

Enjoy the Big Game, even though the Bears will be watching with us.