News

Phantom Gourmet BBQ Beach Party, June 18-22

Just as New York City is gearing up for the 6th annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party, Boston is welcoming the second annual Phantom Gourmet BBQ Beach Party two weeks later.

The line-up of pitmasters includes:

• Joe Alexander (of Rasta Joe's, Indiana)

• Dennis Carino (of Porky 'n' Beans, Florida)

• Dallas Green (of Cowboys Barbeque and Rib Company, Texas)

• Dan Johnson (of Johnson's Bar-B-Que, Virginia)

• Butch Lupinetti (of Smack Your Lips BBQ, New Jersey)

• Paul Mackay (Awesome Aussie BBQ, Australia)

• Jack McDavid (of Jack's Firehouse in Philadelphia and co-host of Food TV's Chillin' and Grillin')

• Tuffy Stone (Q Barbecue, Virginia)

• Steve Uliss (of Firefly's BBQ, 3 locations in MA)

• John Willingham (of Willingham's, Tennessee)

For more details and tickets, see www.phantomgourmetbbq.com

Big Apple BBQ Block Party, June 7-8

It's exactly two months until the 6th annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party rolls into Manhattan. On June 7 and 8, you can taste the array of barbecue profiles from Texas to Alabama to Mississippi to the Carolinas and back to New York City as national and local pitmasters converge for this 2-day event. The Big Apple Barbecue Block Party is also an excellent opportunity to meet some of the nation's legendary pitmasters, such as Chris Lilly, Mike Mills, Ed Mitchell and more.

So far, the line-up of New York BBQ restaurants includes:

• Blue Smoke (Kenny Callaghan)

• Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (John Stage)

• Hill Country (Marc Glosserman)

• Rack & Soul (John Wheeler)

The line-up of nationally-known restaurants/pitmasters includes:

• 17th Street Bar & Grill (Illinois, Mike Mills)

• Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q (Alabama, Chris Lilly)

• Black Jack BBQ (S. Carolina, Jimmy Hagood )

• Mitchell's BBQ (N. Carolina, Ed Mitchell)

• Salt Lick BBQ (Texas, Michael Rodriguez)

• Ubon's (Mississippi, Garry Roark)

For more details and tickets, see www.bigapplebbq.org

"Hopocalypse Now" at Jake's, Apr 28

From the people who bring you Rib Wars each summer comes Hop Wars, an epic battle of the IPAs at Jake's Dixie Roadhouse (Waltham MA). On hand will be celebrity judge Kerry Byrne, food writer for the Boston Herald and beer writer (nice gig) for Esquire magazine. The line-up of brews, served in a blind tasting, will be IPAs from Boulder Brewing, Dogfish Head Brewing, Harpoon Brewery, Smuttynose Brewing, Stone Brewing, Wachusett Brewing and Waltham's own Watch City Brewing. All of these will be paired with an unlimited supply of all-you-can-eat barbecue. The event costs $29.95 and requires reservations.

www.jakes-bbq.com

Stout & Porter Dinner at Redbones, Mar 24

Will Meyers of Cambridge Brewing, Tod Mott of Portsmouth Brewing and Allen Rietz of Dogfish Brewing are the guest speakers at Redbones (Somerville MA) for their stout and porter on Monday, March 24. The event, including the speakers, dinner and beer, costs $45 and requires reservations. www.redbones.com

New Year's Eve at East Coast Grill, Dec 31

East Coast Grill (Cambridge MA) will have a four-course prix fixe menu with five options for course 2 and four options for the entree, with seafood and grilled meats equally represented. There are so many good looking choices that choosing will be tough. Reservations are accepted for parties of all sizes. www.eastcoastgrill.net

New Year's Eve at Tremont 647, Dec 31

Tremont 647 (Boston MA) is also offering four-course prix fixe menu, with multiple options for each course. The lobster pot pie and the "fudge for the table" options both caught my eye, as did the special New Year's Day brunch the next morning. Next door at Sister Sorel, they're going to party like it's 1989, with eighties music and cocktails, and a jello shot toast at midnight. www.tremont647.com

New Year's Eve at Route 7 Grill, Dec 31

Route 7 Grill (Great Barrington MA) has a 3-course menu, with a choice of baked stuffed sole or prime rib for the entree. www.route7grill.com

New Year's Eve at Hill Country, Dec 31

Hill Country (New York NY) will feature dancing and live music with the Jack Grace Band starting at 11PM. For food and drink there are three options requiring reservations: a "chow down" tasting menu, "just drinkin" from an open bar, and chow down plus open bar. The everyday Hill Country marketplace menu will also be available all evening with no reservations required. www.hillcountryny.com

Beer & BBQ Pairing at Blue Smoke, Nov 12

In New York City a week from Monday, Blue Smoke Executive Chef Ken Callaghan and Brooklyn Brewery Brewmaster Garrett Oliver will discuss how to pair beer with food and host a 5-course dinner. Look for pork belly, Louisiana white boot brigade shrimp, smoked chicken and much more, paired with Brooklyn Brewery craft beers. This event is $99, with reservations recommended.

www.bluesmoke.com

Chili Challenge at Jake's, October 22

October is National Chili Month, and Jake's Dixie Roadhouse (Waltham MA) is holding their annual Chili Challenge and Heatfest on Monday, October 22, from 7PM to 9PM. For $12.95, you can sample chili from nine competitors and vote for the winner. Competitors from the barbecue world include Blue Ribbon, Andy Husbands (of IQue and Tremont 647), Uncle Jed's BBQ team, Haggerty's Hell Raisers BBQ team and Jake's Dixie Roadhouse. Reservations (and Rolaids) are required, so call the restaurant at (781) 894-4BBQ to get your seat.

www.jakes-bbq.com

BBQ Battle Benefit in Sayvile NY, October 20-21

Summer may be over, but that doesn't mean barbecue contests and festivals can't continue. The first annual Battle of the BBQ Brethren will be a part of the Sayville Fall Festival on Long Island next month. Though many of the teams are members of the BBQ Brethren, the sanctioned barbecue contest is open to all teams and will have a minimum $5000 prize pool. It's also being held as a benefit for Breast Cancer Help, Inc., a charity that is at the forefront of the fight against breast cancer on Long Island.

There will also be crafts, food vendors, films, parades and other family entertainment. Barbecue vendors signed up include Willie B's BBQ (an event sponsor, Bay Shore NY) and Tennessee Jack's (E. Islip NY).

The contest organizers are looking for KCBS cerified judges for the event. See the event website or email saberinc@optonline.net for details.

www.bbqbattleli.com

Big W's Named for Best Pork Ribs by Hudson Valley Magazine

The October 2007 Hudson Valley magazine is out, and its annual "Best of the Hudson Valley" issue honors Big W's Bar-B-Q (Wingdale NY) for best pork ribs.

Uncle Pete's Adds Burnt Ends

Uncle Pete's Hickory Ribs (Revere MA) just added another item to his arsenal: burnt ends smoked for 20+ hours.

Boston Herald article

Village Smokehouse Named Best BBQ in Boston by Improper Bostonian

It's that time of year again, and the Improper Bostonian's annual "Best Of" issue is on the stands. This year's barbecue stand-out is the Village Smokehouse in Brookline, a joint that's been around for 20 years. I should note that the winners were selected by a "celebrity" panel.

Sam Adams Ribs at Jake's

Jake's Dixie Roadhouse (Waltham MA) is now featuring special St Louis ribs cooked over a low wood fire using Samuel Adams Utopias beer barrels. (Utopias is the beer that's so strong, it's forbidden to be sold in 14 states. It has a warm, sweet flavor highlighted with hints of vanilla, oak and caramel.) The ribs are then finished with a Sam Adams Black Lager BBQ sauce.

www.jakes-bbq.com

T.O.N.Y. Poll Names Blue Smoke Best BBQ

Tequila Menu at Chili Head BBQ

Chili Head BBQ in W. Bridgewater MA recently put together a new tequila menu featuring more than 40 varieties. You can select individual tequilas or samplers of three different varieties of the same brand, each aged for different lenghs of time.

www.chiliheadbbq.com

Cookhouse Offers Pull-Your-Own Whole Butts

It started at RUB in New York City with a pull-your-own whole butt. Then Daisy May's in NYC upped the ante with its Big Pig Gig menu offering whole pig, half pig, whole smoked pork butt and 8-bone American rack of lamb. Now interactive barbecue is crossing the Connecticut border as the Cookhouse, with 4 locations, will be serving up 8-lb Smithfield butts in what it's calling the Big Pig Pull.

www.thecookhouse.com

Firefly's Sauces To Be Sold at Star Market and Shaw's

Steve Uliss of Firefly's Bodacious Bar-B-Que announced last week that his barbecue sauces will soon be available at Star Market and Shaw's supermarkets throughout the New England area. These will include the new Dixie Kiss sauce, a bottled version of the sauce used on the ribs that won first place in the 2005 Best of the Best invitational in Douglas, GA.

www.fireflysbbq.com

Ribfest at Virgil's, Wednesdays

Virgil's Real Barbecue in New York City's Times Square is continuing their Ribfest that includes 5 different types of ribs for $28.95. Ribs include chipotle/honey St Louis ribs, Asian style beef short ribs, pork loin babyback ribs, lamb riblets and Virgil's pork spare ribs.

www.virgilsbbq.com

Big W's BBQ Moves Indoors

After operating out of a roadside stand on Route 22 in Pawling NY and promising to open a real restaurant, Big W's BBQ finally did it. In early December the restaurant version opened in a stripmall in Wingdale NY. They'll be open at 4PM every day but Tuesday, closing when the food runs out.

1475 Route 22

Wingdale, NY 12594

(845) 832-6200

www.bigwbbq.com

RUB Named in 10 Bites of the Big Apple by Travel+Leisure

Travel and Leisure's December issue has an article featuring New York's Top 50, and included the Pulled Pork at RUB as the #6 entry in their 10 Bites of the Big Apple list. According to the list, "the burnt ends are pretty good too." Gee, ya think?

www.travelandleisure.com

Redbones Named Boston's Best by Weekly Dig

The DIG's October 25 issue announced their 2006 DIG This awards, naming Redbones in Somerville for Best Boston BBQ. Runners up included Blue Ribbon, Soul Fire and Pit Stop BBQ. www.weeklydig.com

RUB Named Best of 2006 by Village Voice

Village Voice came out with their Best of NYC awards, and RUB took "Best Raunchy Ribs" honors.

www.villagevoice.com/bestof/2006/category/food/210

Firefly's Wins Cape Cod Classic Grilling Contest

At the final New England Barbecue Society event of the 2006 calendar season September 30 and October 1, Firefly's (Marlboro and Framingham, MA) was the grand champion of Saturday's grilling contest and reserve grand champion of Sunday's barbecue competition.

www.fireflysbbq.com

Daisy May's Wins Hudson Valley Ribfest

On August 20, Daisy May's BBQ was named Grand Champion of the KCBS barbecue competition at the 2006 Hudson Valley Ribfest in New Paltz NY. They also took the trophy for best brisket.

www.daisymaysbbq.com

Yankee Magazine Names N.E. BBQ Joints

After mentioning East Coast Grill in an earlier article spotlighting Cambridge, Yankee magazine in the July/August 2006 issue does a survey of New England barbecue, recommending one joint from each of its 6 states: Blue Ribbon Bar-B-Q in Newton MA, Wood's Pit BBQ in Bantam CT, Down 'n' Dirty Bar-B-Q in Manchester NH, LJ's BBQ in Pawtucket RI, Curtis's All American Bar-B-Q in Putney VT and Buck's Naked BBQ in Freeport ME.

RUB Menu Available at Gotham Comedy Club

RUB 's next door neighbor, the 300-seat Gotham Comedy Club, will provide RUB barbecue on site. Upcoming comedians performing at Gotham include Harlan Williams and Jake Johannsen.

www.gothamcomedyclub.com

More Accolades for Blue Ribbon

The August 2006 Boston Magazine named Blue Ribbon of Newton MA and Arlington MA for Best BBQ in Boston. A few weeks back, Blue Ribbon was also named Best BBQ by Improper Bostonian in their annual "best of" issue.

www.bostonmagazine.com

Bacon on the Menu at RUB

RUB added a new appetizer a few wees ago: BBQ Bacon Chunks: "house cured and triple smoked Berkshire black pork belly bacon (nitrate free)." I think of it as the pork version of their burnt ends.

BBQ Joints Among Cheap Eats in NY, Boston

In New York Magazine's August 2006 rankings the 101 best cheap eats in the city, barbecue restaurants did well. Blue Smoke ranked #26, with Charles' Southern Style Kitchen at #35, Rack and Soul at #47, Daisy May's BBQ USA at #54 and Dinosaur Bar-B-Que at #65. My first reaction was why wasn't RUB included? Especially considering they were named best BBQ by the very same magazine just 5 months earlier. Reading the details, it looks like Blue Smoke's inclusion had more to do with the burgers than the barbecue. Ditto Dinosaur and their wings.

www.newyorkmetro.com/restaurants/cheapeats/2006/18479

The Boston Phoenix had a similar list, with 50 meals under $10. Blue Ribbon BBQ in Newton and Arlington made the list for its brisket sandwich. In the print version, there aren't any rankings. In the online version, Blue Ribbon came in at #1. I can't say I disagree. A few weeks back, Blue Ribbon was also named Best BBQ by Improper Bostonian in their annual "best of" issue.

www.thephoenix.com

Rib Wars at Jake's Dixie Roadhouse, July 31

This fun annual competition at Jake's Dixie Roadhouse in Waltham wound up with competition teams beating the restauranteurs for both the people's choice and judge's choice awards. Defending champion Andy Husbands of Tremont 647 lost his crown to the Haggerty's Hell Raiser's BBQ team (people's choice) and Uncle Jed's BBQ team (judge's choice). The I Smell Smoke team, who through sustained high contest results in New England Barbecue Society competitions won Team of the Year honors this July, placed second in the people's choice.

http://jakes-bbq.com