Titans of BBQ 2019 Showcased the Best of New York’s BBQ Scene
Thousands of people showed for Titans of BBQ last weekend.
Last Saturday, more than 25 pitmasters from around NYC and around the country served amazing barbecued beef and pork bites at the Titans of BBQ event on Pier 97 in Manhattan.
The annual event, which is part of the huge New York City Wine and Food Festival (NYCWFF), attracted several thousand people and was hosted by famed Italian butcher Dario Cecchini, local meat master Pat LaFrieda, and Food Network host/Mabel's BBQ owner Michael Symon.
"I loved the fact there was something for everyone at Titans of BBQ," Ed Randolph, owner and pitmaster of Handsome Devil BBQ, said. "20+ pitmasters giving guests 20+ different flavor profiles. Ask 10 people what their favorite bite was and you probably get 10 different answers. The Titans of BBQ is a great showcase of NYC BBQ."
Ed Randolph of Handsome Devil BBQ shows off his smoked octopus and whole hog at Titans of BBQ.
The best bites from the event included:
Truth BBQ (Houston, TX) - Beef ribs
Handsome Devil BBQ (Newburgh, NY) - Smoked octopus and whole hog
Kimchi Smoke (Westwood, NJ) - Brisket
Morgan’s Brooklyn Barbecue (Brooklyn, NY) - Bacon-cured spare ribs
Pig Beach NYC (Brooklyn, NY) - Prime rib sandwich
Carlitos Tacos (Paramus, NJ) - Beef rib tacos
Hill Country Barbecue Market (Manhattan, NY) - Brisket
Mable’s Barbecue (Brooklyn, NY) - Smoked buffalo wings
Pat LaFrieda (Manhattan, NY) - Prime rib
Peaches HotHouse (Brooklyn, NY) - Smoked Brooklyn wings
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (Harlem, NY) - Spare ribs
Holy Ground NYC (Manhattan, NY) - Smoked and chopped chicken sliders
Carnal (Brooklyn, NY) - Beef ribs
Bardea (Wilmington, DE) - Tri-tip steak
Nick's Lobster House (Brooklyn, NY) - Pulled monkfish tacos
With so many great bites to try, it was incredibly easy to get full and then want to still keep going.
The beef rib from Truth BBQ was one of the top bites at Titans of BBQ.
Titans of BBQ, one of the largest BBQ events held in New York each year, was previously called the Coca-Cola Backyard BBQ. In previous years, a People’s Choice Award with a cash prize was given out to one lucky restaurant.
Despite winning that award in the past, Randolph said he was not disappointed that it was not given out this year
"BBQ is all about family, it’s about sharing what I do with others," Randolph said. "Look at all the people that were there and think about the money we raised for No Kid Hungry and the NYC Food Bank. We all won. If you came looking for a trophy you came for the wrong reason."
Matt Abdoo of Pig Beach NYC shows off a full platter of prime rib sandwiches at Titans of BBQ.
The only drawback to the event is that the tickets are relatively pricey for a 3-hour food and drink. For the past few years, tickets have been $175 for general admission and $225 for a ticket that gets you in 30 minutes early.
It's understandable that an event that features this much talent and takes up this much space would cost a lot to produce but there are ways to make it more affordable.
The beef rib tacos from Carlitos Tacos at Titans of BBQ were immensely flavorful.
Overall, the event provided one of the most complete showcases of New York City's burgeoning barbecue scene, plus a few out-of-towners that also brought unique flavors to the table.
I'm looking forward to attending next year's Titans of BBQ (or whatever new name NYCWFF gives it) and hope to see you all there.
Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ
EAT ALL ABOUT IT
The new Vegabond BBQ in Frenchtown, NJ is attracting attention. (Photo via Vegabond BBQ / Facebook)
Vegabond BBQ, a new joint in Frenchtown, New Jersey (about 60 miles west of NYC), has opened recently, NJ.com reports. The restaurant’s core menu is focused on American barbecue, including brisket, pork, chicken, and ribs. But it will also offer international specials that showcase the cultures of Mexico, Cuba, China, and more.
New Jersey’s Kimchi Smoke will soon open a second location in Bergenfield as a sister location to his joint in Westwood. Owner and pitmaster Robert Austin Cho recently finished a two month popup at the H-Mart in Paramus, so this will be his next big project, Boozy Burbs reports.
After New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered it, utility company National Grid has resumed connecting new businesses to gas lines. The utility stopped earlier this year, which has hurt multiple barbecue joints that wanted to open this year. One such barbecue joint is the forthcoming restaurant Batesy’s BBQ in Rockaway Beach, Crain’s New York Business reports.
The Food Network recently released an unconventional list of the best ribs in every state. Its selection for New York was Ray Brothers Barbeque in Bouckville, New York. The restaurant posted on Facebook that it is “speechless … Thank you all SO much for your support over the years. It feels so incredibly surreal to have our very own restaurant mentioned on the most popular food channel on television! Now, back to the kitchen!”
Finally, if you love barbecue potato chips, you’ll love this new list of the best BBQ potato chips from the top Pennsylvania chip brands. The list includes Utz, Dieffenbach’s, Martin’s, and Hartley’s, with a surprising winner.
IRL BBQ
Fink’s BBQ Crawl this weekend will take people to joints like Kimchi Smoke in Westwood.
Here are the top BBQ (and related) food events coming soon to the New York metro and the Tri-State area:
October 20: This Sunday’s Fink's BBQ Crawl will take a group of people around New York and New Jersey’s top BBQ joints. Dave Finkelstein of Fink’s BBQ will host the event. The tour will start at Fink's in Suffern and go to Smoked in Ridgewood, Kimchi Smoke in Westwood, Southbound BBQ in Chestnut Ridge and wind up back at Fink's in Suffern for dessert and coffee. Buy tickets here.
October 22: Technology has turned many industries upside down, including the food industry. Civic Hall in Manhattan will be hosting a Panel on the Intersection of Food & Technology to discuss the changes including supply chain and scaling up businesses. Buy tickets here.
October 24-27: The Food Film Festival returns to NYC and like it has in the past, it will give you the chance to watch films about food while actually trying the food on screen. Films are followed by an official Festival After-Party with more food, drinks and fun, served up by chefs and restaurants from New York City and beyond. Many of NYC’s top chefs will be in attendance, serving up nearly every type of cuisine. Buy tickets for all four events here.
November 7: The Line podcast will be hosting a live podcast taping at the brand new location of Hometown Bar-B-Que in Industry City with guest Billy Durney. Host Eli Sussman welcomes Durney back to The Line (his last appearance was November 22, 2016) to talk about the exciting new location and its menu, which has elements of both a NYC deli and Tex-Mex taqueria. More info here.
November 16: Brooklyn’s Pig Beach will soon be hosting a Memorial for Carl Ruiz, who passed away recently. The event will feature several top pitmasters from around the city and country, all making fantastic barbecue. More info to come soon.
January 18: The 10th annual Beer Bourbon & BBQ Festival is leaving Manhattan after a decade of fun and heading to Brooklyn. A ticket buys you access to tasting great local barbecue, hot sauces, and tons of spirits. The “Beast Cage” will be back with exotic smoked meats, including alligator, lamb, bison, longhorn rounds, and much more, and there will also be whole hog as well. Buy tickets here.
SAY HELLO
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