The Champions Dinner as selected by Sterling

Before every Masters golf tournament, the reigning champion gets to pick the menu for a dinner of all the former champions.

As you can see, Dustin Johnson picked this year’s menu, based off of his victory back in November.

Now let’s just pretend, in a Cinderella story that even Carl Spackler couldn’t dream up, I, Sterling Pingree, won the Masters.

Here is what I’d pick to serve, the “Green Jackets” at Augusta National.

Appetizers

Buffalo Chicken Rangoons and a Small Cheese Pizza

Crispy wonton wrappers with delicious buffalo chicken inside, topped with ranch (no blue cheese allowed). These make their crab counterparts look like cat food.

Anybody who knows me, knows that one of my signatures is the “split a small pizza as an appetizer” is my go to move. (It developed further during the pandemic, probably some hording tendencies, but it’s always a great table setter

First Course

Caesar Salad

Because I refuse to put thought into salad. Add some chicken, what the hell, I’m not paying for it.

Family Style Sides

Mashed potatoes, smashed with good canned milk, light on the butter, no salt, plenty of pepper. Pinch of garlic powder. Non-negotiable.

Burnt ends (because why can’t BBQ be a side dish too?)

Main course

Cowboy Ribeye (side of Stubb’s Sweet Heat sauce, if you don’t like sauce with your steak you can hang up your coat and kindly leave my dinner)

Half rack of baby back ribs (sweet and tangy KC BBQ sauce) Ribs are fall off the bone tender, yet have an immaculate sear on the top making the cap look like the world’s most succulent jerky.

Dessert

Strawberry shortcake: Mashed berries, real whipped cream, served on a biscuit cut in half

Apple pie a la mode (I don’t care what kind of vanilla ice cream, just pick one and don’t tell me it’s country of origin or that it came from a bean.)

Beverages: Tap water from Kingfield, Maine, Dunkin’ coffee and Pappy Van Winkle 15-year Bourbon (I’ve never had it, but at $2,499 a bottle, this might be my only chance to try it.)