Find featured products and host Michael Chiarello's hand-selected kitchen essentials and home decor. Shop NapaStyle Request a catalog

Molinari's Delicatessen has been making it's own salami, sausages and coldcuts since 1896 and is considered to be the oldest delicatessen west of the Rockies. They offer the following tips for game night grub:

• Don't overwhelm your sandwich with too many ingredients. Instead, focus on the balance of flavor.
• Acidity stimulates saliva, and the enzymes in saliva help food taste better.
  
• Meats:
  • Sopresatta is made from cured-dry pork and flavored with black peppercorns.
    
  • Hot coppa rivals Prosciutto in flavor and should be sliced thinly.
    
  • Cut salami will last for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
• Differences in protein, fat and tannin influence wine and cheese combinations.
  
• Pairings:
  • For red wine try stilton, feta, U.S. brie and bleu cheese.
    
  • For white wine try goat cheese, Swiss and provolone.
    
  • Cabernet Sauvignon pairs well with parmesan.
    
  • Gruyere and provolone pair well with chardonnay.
    
  • Champagne goes well with gouda, mild chedder, chevre and colby.
• Chimay, a Trappist beer brewed by Cistercian monks, is a great beverage for game night.
  
• There are three types of Chimay beer: Red, Blue and Triple. All are best served between 42-46 degrees.
  
• Chimay is only one of six beers than can be labeled Trappist. It was the first of its kind made available to the public.

Molinari's Delicatessen
373 Columbus Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94133
415-421-2337
www.molinarideli.com