BEVERLY HILLS–College football’s most legendary bowl game tradition, the Lawry’s Beef Bowl, returned for its 67th year. Each year since its inception, with one exception, before the 1957 Rose Bowl Game, Lawry’s The Prime Rib in Beverly Hills has hosted the participating college football teams for a pre-bowl celebratory prime rib dinner.
Since 1956, Lawry’s has hosted both participating Rose Bowl teams on separate nights to indulge in the restaurant’s “signature” chilled spinning salad, thick-cut prime rib, creamed corn, mashed potatoes, brown gravy, and apple pie á la mode.
Lawry’s welcomed back the Beef Bowl with the student-athletes and coaches of the University of Michigan and The University of Alabama on Dec. 28 and 29, respectively.
Following a fanfare arrival with live marching bands and police escorts, Kris Jenkins from the University of Michigan helped with the opening dinner honors each night with the famous Lawry’s tableside spinning salad.
Trevor Keegan from the University of Michigan and Jaheim Oatis from The University of Alabama each had the honor of doing the ceremonial first cut of prime rib for the Beef Bowl.
Following the ceremonial honors, both teams enjoyed a traditional prime rib dinner from Lawry’s including the famous spinning bowl salad, a California cut of prime rib served with Yorkshire pudding, mashed potatoes, gravy, creamed corn, and horseradish, finished off with apple pie a la mode for dessert.
Zak Zinter from the University of Michigan and Seth McLaughlin from The University of Alabama were each awarded the Scholar-Athlete Award during the Beef Bowl.
“It’s been special. Especially with the group of guys we have, they’re going to be friends for the rest of my life. They’re going to be in my wedding,” said Keegan. “These guys we got and this team we have, it’s already an amazing group to be around, having this whole experience. This is an amazing week we will remember for the rest of our lives.”
This Rose Bowl is part of the College Football Playoffs, the winner will face either Texas or Washington for the National Championship.
On New Year’s Day, the No.1 Michigan Wolverines will face No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide in the Rose Bowl. Kickoff is slated for 2:00 p.m. and will air on ESPN.
By Christopher