Solar eclipse 2024: The perfect eclipse-themed menu for your skygazing snacking demands
The solar eclipse happening April 8 will truly be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many viewers.
But it’s not only because the moon will dance between the sun and earth to cast a wide shadow across North America (even if that path just got smaller in Ohio). No, the total eclipse also gives us the perfect excuse to indulge in dozens of outer space-themed snacks.
Grab your eclipse glasses, pull up a chair and munch away while you watch one of the rarest and most spectacular events in the universe.
Our specialty pop-up restaurant – Cafe del Eclipse – is here to serve you as you feast on food while marveling at the magnificent show up in the sky.
Want to view the solar eclipse? This map lets you check your exact location on the path
Start off with the right drink as you watch the eclipse on April 8
Before we look at our selection of celestial snacks to serve for your eclipse viewing pleasure, might we first suggest a beverage?
How about a refreshing Starry to start off your meal? Its bubbly lemon-lime flavor can help cleanse the palette before you dive into other eclipse-themed fare.
If you prefer orange as your citrus flavor of choice, we suggest two offerings. Sunkist is perfect as a bubbly treat. Looking for something healthier (or something that at least seems healthier)? Look no further than Sunny D, a beloved drink for kids of all ages.
For the older crowd, might we suggest a Corona? The refreshing cerveza pairs well with a total eclipse, when the sun’s corona, the outermost layer, becomes visible for those in the path of totality.
Or perhaps a Blue Moon brew? The beer and the actual blue moon come around far more frequently than a total solar eclipse, but the beverage pairs well with the rarest of celestial events.
The perfect appetizers on eclipse day 2024
The chefs have but one recommendation for your pre-meal sampling (probably because it’s the only one they could think of): Sun Chips.
The bad news? The kitchen can only offer baked flavored grain chips. The good news is that they come in a variety of flavors, so everyone should be happy.
Ballreich’s, Ohio’s homegrown chip-maker, made limited-edition Eclipse Chipse ahead of the April 8 spectacular. Alas, the chips proved to be such a popular choice that Ballreich’s sold out.
Time for your eclipse-themed entree
The kitchen regrets to inform that the main courses for our eclipse-themed dining experience are only somewhat related to the show happening in the sky.
We can offer you hot dogs (cooked on our grill and safe to eat; not roasted to roughly 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit on the surface of the sun).
The kitchen also has pizza. It comes with your choice of toppings, but no matter what you choose, they will all “hit your eye/like a big pizza pie.” And they’re so good you’ll be saying “That’s amore” long after the last slice is gone and the moon ends its tango with the sun.
Eclipse dinner deals: Pizza Hut, Applebee's and Sonic serving up eclipse deals and specials
The eclipse dessert cart comes fully stocked
Our chefs couldn’t offer much in the way of appetizers or entrees on eclipse day, but they’re making up for it with dessert.
We can offer Little Debbie’s Star Crunch. The caramel, chocolate and crisp rice confection is a cosmic treat that pairs perfectly with an eclipse. In fact, its bumpy texture sort of resembles the moon’s pocked surface.
And you knew this was coming – a Moon Pie. The chocolate-covered graham cracker and marshmallow sandwich cookie can take center stage in your dessert, just as our nearest celestial neighbor takes center stage in the sky.
Are you more of a fan of traditional candy bar fare? Then try a Milky Way. We promise it’s not left over from Halloween – 2022. Or maybe a Mars bar? OK, OK, we know the red planet has nothing to do with this eclipse, but we felt bad for our little solar system sibling and wanted to include it in our big event.
We can’t possibly forget our special guest – homegrown Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. To celebrate the eclipse, the Columbus-based company released a Punk Stargonaut collection featuring "four out-of-this-world flavors":
Nebula Berry, a tart ice cream with hints of blueberry and raspberry and an elderflower fragrance.
Cosmic Bloom, tropical-flavored ice cream mandarin, passion fruit and kiwi flavors.
Purple Star Born, a Concord grape and currant-tasting ice cream.
Supermoon, a candied violet and marshmallow ice cream that is described as tasting like cereal milk.
If all that eclipse-themed snacking didn’t fill you up, then you might have room for a nightcap. But you’ll have to order that one somewhere else – we’re about to close!
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Solar eclipse: Food choices that pair perfectly with eclipse viewing
