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Category: Event Mon Jul 12, 2010Meatopia: An Ode to NYC Barbecue For years I've always looked forward to drooling over the meaty masterpieces that come out of food writer extraordinaire Josh Ozersky's birthday parties, appropriately dubbed Meatopia. Sinful amounts of meat, each one looking more delicious than the next, it's like a long lost twin of the Meatwave. So when I first found out that Meatopia was expanding from private birthday party to all out meat festival this year, my enthusiasm was unbridled. I quickly bought two six-tasting tickets, and before I knew it, I was setting sail to Governor's Island, hoping to return with a belly full of some of the best meats NYC has to offer. Prior to arrival, what excited me most was that the event was being branded as "NYC BBQ." As convoluted as the way us northerners use the term "barbecue," so is what's considered barbecue in NYC now-a-days.  It wasn't long ago that New Yorker's best hope for good barbecue was the annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party. Leading up to and following the first Block Party, there were only a handful of restaurants serving true barbecue, most focused on the imitation of a distinct regional style from somewhere else in the country. As we got comfortable in our barbecue skin, and with the usual ribs and brisket territories well covered, barbecue in the city seemed to quickly go to no-holds-barred—as long as it's smoked or grilled, it can be barbecue in New York. Large swaths of country probably cringe at this, but I'm in the business of embracing it, which is why Meatopia was so exciting. I thought of it as a State of Barbecue in NYC, which has room on its plate for everything from La Caja China roasted pigs to smoked duck tacos. It's unfortunate that the event ended up being a less than ideal setting for getting the best NYC barbecue fix possible, mostly due to a few shortcomings. I'm dubious of any new event, as it usually takes a couple years to really work out the kinks, and Meatopia was not safe from those first-year mishaps.  I started getting nervous about the crowds when we had to wait 45 minutes on a hella long line to board the ferry over. Once there, I was actually surprised with the organization— tickets were being handed out quickly based on last name, and much like the fast pass at the Big Apple Barbecue Block party, the Meatopia passes eliminated the need to bust out cash for que, which keeps lines rolling. After a lap around the event, where not all the stalls were exactly where the map said they should be, the three of us decided to divide and conquer. While the lines were long, it only took 15 minutes for use to reconvene and dive into our first three samplings. With a taste of what's to come, we quickly went off for our next three plates, but by this time—around 2pm—some of our must-haves were already gone. We settled on a few alternative items, then went off for round three. Now it was about 2:45pm and it seemed as if at least half of the vendors were sold out, thee-hours into the event with 2 hours to go. Those still with meat started to have lines prohibitive for the less patient. I convinced my band of now un-merry men and women to stick it out for one more round, where we waited on now half-hour lines to get food that didn't hold the most interest to us. After that round, and over two hours in the heat and a little rain, my crew was done, and I relented and headed back to the ferry with two tastings still available on my ticket. It seems that despite a great effort in organization, New Yorkers' insatiable hunger for meat was underestimated. Even so, in the two and half hours I was there, I sampled eleven different tasty meats, even if they weren't all my number one choices. So what's NYC BBQ today? Here's small tasting that was dictated mainly by supply and demand. More after the jump >> 
Mon Jun 9, 2008Big Apple BBQ Block Party 2008 Forget Christmas, New Year's, or Thanksgiving, the most magical and anticipated time of the year for me is the weekend when the Big Apple BBQ Block Party takes over Madison Square Park. I count down the days until pitmasters from across the nation amass in this Manhattan square to smoke up some of the best 'cue this country has to offer. As I write this, the 2008 BABBP has come to a close and the countdown to next year has already begun, but my stomach and mind are still full with the remnants of all the sweet, smoky meats that were consumed and I need to share a bit of the joy they brought me with you. More after the jump >>
Sun Jun 10, 2007Big Apple Barbecue Block Party: Day 2 So it worked, I went to bed and by the time I woke up, it was time for more bbq (not that it isn't always time for bbq)! Sadly my friends couldn't make it today, but that didn't stop me from sampling a few more items that were being served up at this year's party. More after the jump >>
Sat Jun 9, 2007Big Apple Barbecue Block Party: Day 1 When you normally exit the subway in NYC during the summer months, you're greeted by the wonderful aroma of urine and/or rotting garbage, but there's two days a summer where, upon your exit at 23rd St and 5th Ave, you're nose is filled with nothing except the sweet smell of barbecue. When this happens, you know the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party has finally arrived, and the long wait is finally over. Although I wish it could last forever, I know that good things don't last, so I get as much 'cue into these two days as possible. More after the jump >>
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