Amid all the Packers, Jets trade talk, Aaron Rodgers sends a little love to Chives Restaurant in Suamico
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Aaron Rodgers has dropped the name of another one of his favorite dining spots: Chives Restaurant in Suamico.
During an interview Wednesday on "The Pat McAfee Show" in which the Green Bay Packers quarterback announced he intends to play for the New York Jets next season, pending a trade, he also talked about his love for the city that has been his NFL home for the last 18 years.
"I do love Green Bay. I mean, I love the people. I love going to Chives and seeing my buddy Logan. I love India Bhavan now. Incredible Indian spot in town. I love my boy Rob at FrameMakers (framing shop at 2162 S. Ridge Road). I love so many people in that town."
It's the second time in two weeks Rodgers mentioned India Bhavan, the Ashwaubenon restaurant that serves authentic Indian food. He spoke highly of the restaurant on the "Aubrey Marcus Podcast" on March 1, thrilling co-owner Damodhar Shankar, who said Rodgers frequently orders takeout during the Packers season.
Chives, 1749 Riverside Drive in Suamico, is well-known by locals as Rodgers' favorite restaurant. Here's why:
Rodgers was a regular at the Chef's Table even as a young player
In a Green Bay Press-Gazette feature story on the restaurant in 2009, Rodgers called himself a regular, often eating there two days a week. He frequently dined at the $65-per-person Chef's Table just a few feet from kitchen, where then executive chef and owner J.R. Schoenfeld interacted with diners while he created.
"I love being in the kitchen and hearing the talk. I get the background info on what I'm eating, get an incredible meal every time. It's more than I could ask for," Rodgers said in the 2009 story. He was dining with Packers teammate A.J. Hawk, Hawk's wife, Laura, and Packers assistant athletic trainers Nate Weir that evening.
Schoenfeld said he frequently catered meals to Rodgers' house for player gatherings during the 2008 season.
"You've got this 20something-year-old kid ... and you go over to the house and he's got DiGiorno pizzas and sports water in his fridge," he said of Rodgers. "I'm actually pushing him to try things. Educate him a little bit."
Chives is now owned by Logan Higgins, who started working at the restaurant when he was 16. He was its longtime general manager before taking over ownership in 2020.
It's where the Danica Patrick-Aaron Rodgers dating story broke
In early 2018, sports gossip blogger Terez Owens reported Rodgers and race car driver Danica Patrick “were spotted at Aaron’s favorite restaurant in Green Bay after Christmas.” Translation for everyone who lives in Green Bay: Chives Restaurant.
Just weeks after that report, in which “an onlooker said that Danica and Aaron were all over each other, kissing and couldn’t seem to keep their hands off each other," Patrick confirmed she and Rodgers were indeed dating. They were a couple for more than two years before breaking up in 2020.
Chives, 'Game of Thrones' were part of Rodgers' Packers ticket giveaway
In 2017, when Rodgers was just new to Instagram, he offered his 314,000 followers at the time a chance to win four Packers tickets. The challenge: Figure out the restaurant he was pictured standing in front of (his favorite one, he wrote) and be the first to show up and name his favorite "Game of Thrones" character. The tickets would be waiting for the winner at the bar.
Rodgers repeated the challenge with other locations and questions that year.
Kendra Meinert is an entertainment and feature writer at the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Contact her at 920-431-8347 or kmeinert@greenbay.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @KendraMeinert.
SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM: Our subscribers make this coverage possible. Click to see the Green Bay Press Gazette's special offers at greenbaypressgazette.com/subscribe and download our app on the App Store or Google Play.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Aaron Rodgers gives Chives Restaurant some love on 'Pat McAfeee Show'
