February 9, 2024 – Deion Sanders, star cornerback for the San Francisco 49ers the last time they won the Super Bowl, is talking nuts.
Not talking nuts-crazy, or nuts-fast—though he can do both—but nuts as in California almonds.
It’s noon thirty on a pre-Super Bowl Thursday and a crowd has gathered on downtown Las Vegas’ Fremont Street amidst all its 360-degree stimulation.
Some 300 smartphone-filming football fans gather here on the promise of seeing and hearing Sanders, now known to most as Coach Prime, talk about habits for success.
“Eat the right things and get with the right friends and the right family, maybe get rid of some of them who aren’t doing the right thing,” he says.
When most people think of the Super Bowl, healthy food probably isn’t the first thing that pops into their heads.
But that doesn’t mean it can’t be a part of a game plan—as the latest Blue Zones Project meal planner email throws down.
Reminder, for those more familiar with football’s “red zone” than Blue Zones: BZP is the collaborative community push, inspired by the longest living communities on the planet, “to make the healthy choice the easy choice,” who recently helped boost healthy food access in Salinas.
Genevieve LeBlanc serves as Blue Zones food policy lead and as a chairperson on the Monterey County Food Policy Coalition where I also participate.
She also serves as a spiritual advisor-of-sorts to Found Treasures, turning me onto superb family-run restaurants that have added meat-free and health-minded prepped menu items.
My favorite GLB revelation to date: Culturas Hidalgo y Oaxaca on East Market Street in Salinas.
It’s a spot where the operative word might be burst.
Color and art burst on the exterior and interior.
Tamales and tostadas burst with an overload of fresh ingredients.
The service bursts with youth, warmth and enthusiasm.
The far-ranging and regionally authentic foods—starring homemade salsas—burst with flavor.
Its Instagram profile echoes the Blue Zone nacho tagline: “Not your average Mexican restaurant!”
Thinking about my latest pilgrimage to Culturas turns on the saliva taps as I type.
A thick tamal Oaxaqueño comforted with a thick maíz masa with the right moisture and texture, packed with mole and chicken.
Tacos “Culturas” (we chose carne asada and chorizo) shined with fresh tortillas, radish, queso blanco, cucumber, lemon and avocado.
The tlayuda, also available in vegan form, layers a huge crispy corn tortilla with various meats, quesillo Oaxaqueño (string cheese), zingy red sauce, tomato and avocado.
And three Hidalgo-style tlacoyos, the stars of the spread, impressed with thick and chewy masa shells stuffed with black beans and showered with lip-smacking green sauce, queso fresco, cilantro and shaved radish.
From the ample Blue Zones section of dishes—long on mushrooms, nopales, huitlacoche, rich mole sauces and other vegetarian delicacies—a squash blossom tostadita won an enthusiastic endorsement.
Meanwhile Blue Zones continues to expand its roster of local participating restaurants, with a number of Mexican-food-focused eateries to prioritize.
Notable spots worthy of earmarking, many of them underappreciated gems, are each individually Found Treasure worthy—Aki Fresh Mex, Angelina’s Bakery Deli & Café, El Cantaro Vegan Restaurant, Guadalajara Grill, La Casa del Sazon among them.
Taken collectively, the list works like a full-on treasure map, and one that’s still being updated all the time.
As the week rolls toward Super Bowl Sunday here in Vegas, I’m not exactly following Coach Sander’s leadership, though I did eat some almond packs they were handing out before his talk.
“I never have a bad day, [because] I have the remote control for me, you don’t control me,” he said. “I genuinely love almonds, that’s why I’m lean and mean and looking so good.”
Instead of lean and mean, I’m going investigative and indulgent, with my very first tastes of White Castle Burger, Coney Island Hot Dogs and Evel Pie in the last 24 hours.
Fortunately I can dive back into the Blue when I return to California for Monterey’s County’s premiere amateur sporting event, Mega Bowl (all hail commissioner Stuart Thornton), and the Other Big Game (let’s go Fighting CMCs).
After all, as Sanders and the Almond Board of California announced on stage, they’re trying to stamp Feb. 12, the Monday after the Super Bowl, as National Recover Day.
Which will hopefully contribute to the type of redemption and calm Prime stressed before signing off.
“I forgive and I forget, but I keep receipts,” he said. “My peace, you can’t buy it, you can’t seduce it, and there’s nothing you can do to infect it. My peace is my peace.
“Can someone put out their weed please?”
More at Culturas’ Facebook page and website.
About the author
Mark C. Anderson, Edible Monterey Bay's managing editor, appears on "Friday Found Treasures" via KRML 94.7 every week, a little after 12pm noon. Reach him via mark@ediblemontereybay.com.
