Once the kids are back in school, it’s time to celebrate what really gets us excited in the fall: the NFL football season.

Yet it’s not just the game that gets us fired up and ready to roll on Sunday afternoons in the fall.

We also love the pregame party in parking lots outside the stadium or, if you’re homegating, in front of the TV in family rooms, decks and backyards across the city.

The best tailgate eats bring the flavor. They also speak to the game’s team spirit by being totally shareable, and are easy to eat while also holding the obligatory adult beverage.

Purists agree it wouldn’t be a proper tailgate party without chicken wings, and the ultimate game day get-together also requires some kind of tasty dip. (And no, for the first home game of the season, a carton of French onion

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