From Neah Bay to Quilcene, Port Townsend to Kalaloch, restaurants, taverns and all other manner of public gathering places will offer up Skittles and green-and-blue cocktails in front of massive television screens.
It’s the golden opportunity for the North Olympic Peninsula’s 12th Man for the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl matchup Sunday against the Denver Broncos.
Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m., although pregame coverage starts in the early morning hours on sports channels.
Because the number 12 has become synonymous with the Seahawks fan base, the Peninsula Daily News has found 12 spots to gather and watch the game.
“The Skittles are getting tough to find, actually,” Jeff Crumb, manager of Club Seven at 7 Cedars Casino in Blyn, said Wednesday.
Legend tells the mother of star Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch rewarded him with Skittles when he scored youth football touchdowns while growing up in Oakland, Calif.
The sugary treat has become a staple of Seahawks fandom since Lynch — aka “Beast Mode” — became a Seahawks standout.
So Skittles will be on the menu at several Peninsula hot spots.
“We had a friend who owns a convenience store order a couple cases for us,” said Angie Oppelt, co-owner of Next Door Gastropub in Port Angeles.
“So we’re crossing our fingers they come in.”
Here are 12 public gathering places for Sunday’s game, in no particular order:
1. 17 Cedars Casino, Blyn
The casino will become 12 Cedars for the Super Bowl, with the big game on every screen and piped through the sound system of the casino at 270756 U.S. Highway 101.
Club Seven, normally the nightclub, will lower the biggest projection screen on the Peninsula for the game and offer up game-time discounts on food and drinks, including specially concocted cocktails.
Among the drinks: “Beastly Iced Tea” and “DangerRuss Punch,” named for the Seahawks’ beloved backfield of Lynch and quarterback Russell Wilson.
The casino also will offer up green-and-blue 12th Man Jell-O shots throughout the day.
Fans will be able to take home special gifts at the Rainforest Sports Bar, as a prize wheel will spin every time the Seattle squad scores.
Raffle tickets will be given away for prize drawings with every food and drink purchase in both Club Seven and the Rainforest Bar.
2. Elks Lodges, Port Angeles and Port Townsend
Naval Lodge No. 353 at 131 Front St. in Port Angeles happened to schedule a special “membership drive” on Super Bowl Sunday, which means the public can come share in the prizes, blow on noisemakers, feast on a potluck and enjoy happy hour prices on cocktails from 2 p.m. throughout the game at the normally private club, according to manager Arlene Blume.
“We’re going to be the best party in town, lovie,” Blume said.
Across the North Olympic Peninsula, the Port Townsend Elks have installed Jefferson County’s largest TV system — an Omega 120-inch projection screen with high-performance surround-sound speakers — at their lodge at 555 Otto St., Exalted Ruler Dave Sather said.
Doors open at 2:45 p.m., open to members and guests.
3. Logger’s Landing, Quilcene
Although the bar at 295023 U.S. Highway 101 will have Seahawks specials and a halftime potluck party, owner Jack Helgens — a lifelong fan of the Oakland Raiders — stands by his allegiance to the Silver and Black.
“Anybody that comes in wearing a Raiders uniform, I’ll give them half off everything,” Helgens said, invoking his favorite franchise’s “Just win, baby” mantra.
“We got four rings. How many do you all have?” Helgens asked.
4. Next Door Gastropub, Port Angeles
Oppelt and Justin Tognoni, two-thirds of the Gastropub’s ownership, will test their partnership as their fandom allegiances clash with a pie-in-the-face wager.
Tognoni, a Wyoming native, grew up a Broncos fan, while Oppelt grew up a fan of the Seahawks.
The losing fan takes a cream pie to the kisser after the game.
“Hopefully, we can dye it orange,” Oppelt said.
Oh — the bar at 113 W. First St. will offer up food and drink specials throughout the game, including a 12 Man Pale Ale from Dick’s Brewing in Seattle for the Seahawks fans and Dale’s Pale Ale from Oskar Blues of Lyons, Colo.
5. Highway 20 Road House, Port Townsend
Expecting some sorry Broncos to appear on the roadhouse’s 140 inches of television screens after a Seahawks win, bartender Connie Robertson said the place at 2152 W. Sims Way is hoping to help ease the pain of the Coloradans.
Coors Light, brewed in Golden, Colo., will be sold on special for $2 each during the game, she said.
“Well, we have to give them a little bit of business since we’re going to be kicking their butt,” Robertson said.
6. Hungry Bear Cafe, Sappho
The road stop at U.S. Highway 101’s Milepost 206 has been Seahawks central for the West End prairie all season.
That will only escalate for Sunday’s big game.
Owner Debbie Johnson said the cafe will feature snacks, drink specials and raffle prizes during the game, which will be shown on the big-screen TV in the back room.
“Go Seahawks,” she said.
7. Port Townsend Brewing Co., Port Townsend
Chief brewer Carter Camp and company came up with a special batch of 12th Man-inspired C Hawk Imperial IPA beer that will be on tap at the brewery, 330-C 10th St., Port Townsend.
With an 8.7 percent alcohol count by volume, the brew packs as beastly a punch as Lynch’s line-busting runs.
8. Warm House Restaurant, Neah Bay
Although the large televisions that will show the Super Bowl will have to compete with the eatery’s windows overlooking Neah Bay and its marina, the Warm House, 1471 Bayview Ave., is still looking to accommodate the 12th Man and company with a two-burgers-for-$12 special.
9. Zoog’s Caveman Cookin’, Port Hadlock
What’s a Super Sunday without loads of artery-testing beer and meat?
Celebrating its second Super Bowl, Zoog’s at 141 Chimacum Road will offer up $2 draft beer, $2 sliders and $2 Hawk Dogs — a cheddar hot dog wrapped in bacon and deep-fried — in addition to its take on CenturyLink Field’s Beast Mode burger.
10. The Oasis Bar and Grill, Sequim
No place in the Sequim city limit has as many TV screens as The Oasis at 301 E. Washington St., so there’s no bad seat in the house, owner Dale Dunning said.
“You won’t be able to turn around without seeing us take the Super Bowl,” Dunning said.
To complement the seats even more, The Oasis is offering up beastly specials on burgers, drinks and — of course — Skittles.
[Honorable mention: Applebee’s restaurant at 130 River Road, with TVs on every wall.]
11. BBG Blakeslee’s Bar & Grill, Forks
In addition to dishing out the coldest beer on the West End, BBG at 1222 S. Forks Ave. is cooking up special Hawk burgers and will raffle off prizes every time the Seattle team puts points on the MetLife scoreboard.
12. Bella Rosa Coffee House, Port Angeles
While there is no television or Super Bowl specials planned for Bella Rosa, the coffee house at 403 S. Lincoln St. makes a great place to keep in mind for clearing Monday morning’s inevitable cobwebs.
“We’re actually better for the next day,” barista Melanie Heikkila said. “It’s like New Year’s Day. We get packed as people come in for caffeine after their Super Bowl parties.”
[Honorable mention: Laurel Lanes, 108 W. Eighth St., Port Angeles, which will offer bowling as well as its bar — something in which to work out aggression just in case things don’t go well for the Seahawks.]
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Joe Smillie can be reached at 360-681-2390, ext. 5052, or at jsmillie@peninsuladailynews.com.
