Champaign...of course and real glass flutes....and how about a quiche Lorraine?
I always took quiche to a game every year...
I made and crust the night before and blind baked enough to set but not brown the crust...
then grated the cheese, fried and crumbled the bacon and in the morning all I had to do was mix eggs and milk and cream, put the goodies in the crust and pour on the liquid and pop into an oven.
I made 4 for Dad's day for a lot of Years.....I put a heavy plate on top of the cooked quiche ( no fluted crusts on these quiches) and pop them into coolers lined with about an inch and a half of newspaper, dish towel on top, more newspaper and close the lid.
You should see the eyes widen when you take a hot steaming quiche out of the cooler and serve it up.
Linda c

Ratatouille! There are a bunch of recipes, and it's good hot or cold.

Salad Nicoise? Bouillabaisse? French Fries?

Ah, if you have to transport it, I'd probably go with the Nicoise.

Annie

The salad Nicoise would be a good idea; my office caterer makes hers all tossed up together with steamed green beans, cooked and cubed new potatoes, thin slices of red onion, white beans, halved cherry or grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, capers, and a light vinaigrette. You could lay slices or chunks of tuna on top. I could eat the entire bowl!
Teresa

Oops....forgot about the vegetatian....make that a shrimp quiche...or crab...or broccoli.

I'd make an Apple Galette or French Apple Tart. It's fall, and I think perfect for tailgating. The nice thing is that it wouldn't have to be kept warm before serving (I always have trouble with that), but still looks impressive. Just for presentation, I prefer the tart, but the nice thing is you can choose which one according to your own comfort zone.

There are tons of recipes, but the last one I saw that looked really good, was Ina Garten's version.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ina's French Apple Tart

French Onion Soup???
Nice and Warm! With some crusty French Bread.

Not very creative, but if you serve lots of Champagne first, no one will care!! LOL

Deanna

I'd make mini quiches in mini-muffin pans. They're easy and adaptable. Bite-sized is perfect for tailgating!

I participate in Bastille Day celebration every year.

To make the theme really French, yes, French recipes, but you get a lot more French feeling by doing the following:

1. Everyone wears a beret.

2. Decorate with French theme (Google Bastille Day)

3. A few classic French songs playing in the back ground, like La Vie En Rose, Mademoiselle De Paris, La mer ----- etc.

dcarch

How about a seafood sausage (I have a scallop and shrimp with red bell peppers recipe somewhere) or a seafood pate sort of thing?

Either would be amazing on crusty bread with a flute of champagne!

Alexa

Since they're foodies I would do a vegetable goat cheese terrine.
It looks hard but it's not really and it serves way more than four.

Eggplant, Roasted Pepper, and Goat Cheese Terrine with Parsley Sauce Gourmet : July 1993

Yield: Serves 4 with leftovers
ingredients
2 eggplants (about 2-1/2 pounds total), cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup bottled black olive paste such as tapenade or olivada (available at specialty foods shops and some supermarkets)
3 red bell peppers, each roasted (procedure follows) and cut lengthwise into 3 sections
7 ounces soft mild goat cheese, such as Montrachet, sliced thin
parsley sauce (recipe follows) as an accompaniment
parsley springs for garnish if desired

For parsley sauce:
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves, preferably flat-leaved
1 small garlic clove, sliced
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons water
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
preparation

Preheat the broiler. Arrange the eggplant slices in one layer on baking sheets, brush both sides of the eggplant with the oil, and sprinkle them with salt to taste. Broil the eggplant in batches about 4 inches from the heat for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until it is golden and tender, and transfer it with a metal spatula to paper towels to drain.

Line a loaf pan, 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches, with plastic wrap, leaving a 3-inch overhang, and in it arrange the eggplant, the olive paste, the bell peppers, and the goat cheese in several layers, beginning and ending with the eggplant. Cover the eggplant with the plastic overhang, weight the terrine with a 3-to-4-pound weight (such as a loaf pan filled with canned goods), and chill it for 24 hours. (The terrine may be made 3 days in advance).

Remove the weight, invert the terrine onto a cutting board, and discard the plastic wrap. Cut four 3/4-inch-thick slices from the terrine, pour about 2 tablespoons of the parsley sauce onto the center of each of 4 plates, tilting the plates to spread the sauce, and arrange a slice of the terrine on each plate. Garnish each serving with a parsley spring.

To roast peppers:

Using a long-handled fork char the peppers over an open flame, turning them, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the skins are blackened. (Or broil the peppers on the rack of a broiler pan under a preheated broiler about 2 inches from the heat, turning them every 5 minutes, for 15 to 25 minutes, or until the skins are blistered and charred.) Transfer the peppers to a bowl and let them steam, covered until they are cool enough to handle. Keeping the peppers whole, peel them starting at the blossom end, cut off the tops, and discard the seeds and ribs. (Wear rubber gloves when handling chilies.)

Parsley sauce:

In a blender pur the parsley and the garlic with the vinegar, the water, the oil, and salt and pepper to taste until the sauce is smooth and strain it through a fine sieve set over a small bowl, pressing hard on the solids. Makes about 1/2 cup.

Oh, thank you all! These were such great ideas; it was hard to choose.

And the final decision was ...

... rain out. (Not the game, just the tailgate party.)

But I'm all set for next time. You're the best.