NYCWFF Brings Back Huge Burger & BBQ Events This Month
Chef and pitmaster Matt Abdoo of Pig Beach NYC is a staple at NYCWFF events and will return to both the Burger Bash and Backyard BBQ this year. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
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The New York City Wine & Food Festival (NYCWFF), one of the city’s largest annual culinary events, returns to NYC in full force on Oct. 14-17 after going virtual in 2020 due to the pandemic. With its return, the festival will once again cater to burger and barbecue fanatics with two huge sessions — the Blue Moon Burger Bash on Oct. 14 and the Backyard BBQ on Oct. 17.
Both the Burger Bash and Backyard BBQ take place at Pier 86, home of the Intrepid Museum, and they will feature many chefs and pitmasters from around the country serving up their best culinary creations. The two sessions will also have copious amounts of drinks, sides, and desserts for attendees to enjoy.
The Burger Bash event is one of NYCWFF’s most attended sampling sessions and features lots of top chefs. (Photo courtesy of NYCWFF)
The Burger Bash will feature a top-notch lineup of chefs and cooks. They include:
Matt Abdoo and Shane McBride of Pig Beach NYC
Mike Puma of Gotham Burger Social Club
John Karangis and Mark Rosati of Shake Shack
Stephen Parker of Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer
Jelena Pasic of Harlem Shake
Stratis Morfogen of Brooklyn Chop House
Rev Run and Justine Simmons of Rev Run's Sunday Supper (yes, that Rev Run!)
Chef, author, and TV personality Rachael Ray will host the event. Celebrity judges at the Burger Bash this year will include Tyler Blevins, David Burtka, Josh Capon, Neil Patrick Harris, and C.J. Mosley.
Pig Beach NYC has won multiple Burger Bash events and won in 2019 with this simple, perfect burger. (Photo courtesy of Pig Beach NYC.)
Acclaimed Brooklyn barbecue joint (and occasional wedding venue) Pig Beach NYC won the Burger Bash in 2019 and will return as the reigning champions. Chef Matt Abdoo said he loves serving up dishes at the Burger Bash.
“The Burger Bash is one of the events that we look forward to doing every single year and one of the biggest events we do each year,” Abdoo said. “It certainly has its challenges. It's a very high volume, high demand event and when you throw that competition thing in the mix, it stirs the proverbial emotional pot because everybody wants to win. But our team has a ton of fun doing it. We love getting a chance to be amongst some of the best chefs in the city making incredible burgers.”
Mike Puma of Gotham Burger Social Club will also be at this year’s Burger Bash. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
Abdoo noted that the burger served up at the Bash is different from the restaurant’s burger (which is also well-rated.)
“For the Burger Bash, we do a griddle burger versus the char-broiled burger that we do at the restaurant,” Abdoo said. “We also add bacon-onion jam and we use pickles that are a little bit different, more of a diner-style. And we use yellow American cheese on this one versus white American. It also has our secret sauce, and the one this year is seasoned with our new soon-to-be-released seasoning.”
For traditional BBQ lovers, the Backyard BBQ event at NYCWFF is a large can’t-miss affair. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
The Backyard BBQ will feature a ton of pitmaster and chef talent from New York, New Jersey, and Texas including:
Billy Durney of Hometown Bar-B-Que
Matt Abdoo and Shane McBride of Pig Beach BBQ
Ash Fulk of Hill Country Barbecue Market
Robert Austin Cho of Kimchi Smoke
Ed Randolph of Handsome Devil BBQ
Leonard Botello IV of Truth BBQ (visiting from Texas!)
James Beard Award-winning chef and host of TV’s Bizarre Foods Andrew Zimmern will host the Backyard BBQ. There will also be live music to jam to while attendees are sampling the goods.
Pitmaster Robert Austin Cho of Kimchi Smoke in NJ served incredible brisket in 2019 and will return this year. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
Abdoo notes that the Backyard BBQ has a more laid-back and family-friendly atmosphere versus the Burger Bash. But that doesn’t mean the food options aren’t just as stellar. The 2019 version of the event featured brisket, beef ribs, buffalo wings, spare ribs, whole hog, and more. Pig Beach specifically will be back with a new item.
“The item we're sharing at the Backyard BBQ is a new sandwich that we're featuring at Barclays for this basketball season,” Abdoo said. “It's a smoked roast beef sandwich with raw onions and Gochujang ranch.”
Chef and pitmaster Ash Fulk of Hill Country and chef/judge Josh Capon will be back at the Backyard BBQ (Photo courtesy of NYCWFF)
Both the Burger Bash and Backyard BBQ will be some of the biggest barbecue and food events held in the city for the remainder of 2021, so don’t forget to grab tickets if you’re interested.
Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ
EAT ALL ABOUT IT
The winners of the annual Sauce King NYC competition were announced this week, with many local operations taking top prizes. (Photo courtesy of Food Karma Projects)
Here are the top BBQ and related food news stories you need to know about this week:
Sauce King NYC, an annual competition dedicated to finding the best sauces, dips, and marinades, has announced its top winners from around the country. Sauces are judged by a variety of food media and experts. The Grand Champion prize was awarded to Juke Sauce from Low Country Sauce Company in Houston, TX. Notable local winners include the Memphis Mop BBQ Sauce from NJ-based BBQ Buddha and the Hot Harissa sauce from Elfassy Foods in New York City. Some of the big winners included:
Grand Champion: Juke Food Dressing and Dipping Sauce, Low Country Sauce Company, Houston, TX
Top Barbecue Sauce: Memphis Mop BBQ Sauce, BBQ Buddha, Asbury, NJ
Top Vinegar-Based Barbecue Sauce: Jalapeño Business, B.T. Leigh’s, Bowling Green, KY
Top Hot Sauce: Green Bastard Hot Sauce, Coney Island Saucery, Brooklyn, NY
Metro NYC Startup Gold Award: Hot Harissa, Elfassy Foods, New York City, NY
Metro NYC Startup Silver Award: Spicy Cucumber Mango Sauce, Spice Shanty, Queens, NY
Metro NYC Startup Bronze Award: Mango Jerk Barbecue Sauce, Vons Famous Jerk, Middletown, NY
Starting on Friday, October 8, vegan BBQ operation Pure Grit BBQ will launch its first-ever BBQ pop-up operation in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. The Pure Grit team will be operating for about three months out of the Al Horno Lean Mexican Kitchen. This will be the first chance the public has to sample Pure Grit BBQ before the operation opens a full-time restaurant in 2021. READ MORE.
Not long after opening its second restaurant, Staten Island favorite Juicy Lucy BBQ has now acquired a food truck and will soon be serving meals in a new spot. The truck plans to start operating Monday through Friday, beginning November 1 at The World Financial Center in Downtown Manhattan. READ MORE.
The Norwich Bulletin recently profiled Diane and Chris Ozmun of Oz'NBones BBQ in Colchester, Connecticut. The couple has found success with both a restaurant and a food truck. READ MORE.
The Battled Tested BBQ Sauce was brought to market by New York-based Air Force veteran Mike Otis in 2019. Since then, the brand has grown more popular, and more people have learned about the sauce’s roots in Watertown, NY. READ MORE.
Pig Beach NYC in Brooklyn will be serving a decadent special starting Friday, Oct. 8 — a smoked Japanese A5 Wagyu beef sandwich for $35. It's an admittedly expensive item but on the other hand, you won't find this hardly anywhere. READ MORE.
IRL BBQ EVENTS
The NYC Food & Wine Festival’s Backyard BBQ event is coming up soon and will feature pitmasters including Ed Randolph of Handsome Devil BBQ. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
Here are the top BBQ and related food events coming soon to the New York metro area:
October 14-17, 2021: The New York City Wine & Food Festival will return this month. It will see the return of the huge Burger Bash hosted by Rachael Ray and the Backyard BBQ hosted by Andrew Zimmern. BBQ lovers will certainly enjoy both the Burger Bash and Backyard BBQ, but other fun events will be held too. This will be one of the last big events happening this year in NYC, so don’t miss out. BUY TICKETS HERE.
October 16-17, 2021: The 8th Annual Hot Sauce Expo NYC will be back for two days in fall 2021. The event will be held at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint and will feature tons of hot sauce samples, barbecue, and beer to purchase, fun on-stage events, and more. BUY TICKETS HERE.
October 23, 2021: The Bowl of 'Zole Pozole and Mezcal Festival from Food Karma Projects celebrates pozole and mezcal by bringing excellent chefs and top importers together in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The second annual Bowl of ‘Zole will take place on Saturday, October 23. There will be outdoor and indoor spaces to enjoy food and beverages. BUY TICKETS HERE.
October 23, 2021: If you enjoy sampling beer, don’t miss the Jersey City Craft Beer Fest. Harborside’s Morgan St Lot will be hosting an eclectic local variety of beer and cider in all styles combining the best elements of a beer garden with the staggering array of choices found only at a festival. Guests will enjoy craft beer samples paired with live entertainment, food, and games. BUY TICKETS HERE.
November 11, 2021: The annual WhiskyFest New York event is back in November at the Marriot Marquis in Times Square. Meet the whisky distillers, master blenders, and other whisky experts who will be in attendance. This is your chance to taste from a selection of single malt and blended Scotch, Irish, bourbon, rye, Tennessee, Japanese, Canadian, and craft-distilled whiskies, all assembled in one Grand Ballroom. BUY TICKETS HERE.
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