On Saturday, September 9, 2023, it’s time to get your oink on at the 14th annual Pig Island NYC event. Featuring more than 20 chefs and pitmasters cooking whole hog, creative pork dishes, veggies, and much more, this will...
Get ready for food and fun at Pig Island NYC 2023. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
On Saturday, September 9, 2023, it’s time to get your oink on at the 14th annual Pig Island NYC event. Featuring more than 20 chefs and pitmasters cooking whole hog, creative pork dishes, veggies, and much more, this will be a culinary celebration to remember.
Held at Snug Harbor Cultural Center on Staten Island, the event is great for families and groups of friends because there’s room to bring blankets and spread out while you get up and grab food and drinks from various stations around Snug Harbor.
Pig Island is fun for the whole family. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
Participating chefs, pitmasters, and restaurants this year will include:
Jose Perez, Bears Smokehouse, Connecticut (Winner of Rib King NYC 2023)
Bret Lunsford, Blue Smoke, New York, NY
Robert Austin Cho, Kimchi Smoke, Ridgewood, NJ
Anthony Scerri, Smoke Sweats, Brooklyn, NY (Rib King NYC 2023 Runner Up)
Tank Jackson, Holy City Hogs, Charleston SC
Pork Mafia Street Crew featuring Phil Wingo, Mario DiBiase, and Jonathan Kushnir
Cenobio Canalizo, Morgan’s Brooklyn Barbecue, Brooklyn, NY
Fabio Benedetti, aka Chef Benedetti, Paellas Pepe, Brazil
Jase Franklyn, Jase’s BBQ, Queens, NY
Joe Musngi, SmoKING of Meats, New Jersey
Tony Olive, Backdraft BBQ and Operation BBQ Relief, Connecticut
Darlene Lawrence, Sands Jerk Hut, Brooklyn, NY
Smoked Spice BBQ, New York
Craft House BBQ, Staten Island, NY
Chef Jesse Jones, Retiring from competitions, New Jersey
Empire BBQ, Staten Island, NY
Rodrigo Duarte, New Jersey’s King of Ham
Samuel Alleyne, Fire + Smoke BBQ and Big Bob Gibson competition team
Alexandra Donnadio, Chef and Influencer, CookingwithZandge_s
Chef Oak, Kam Rai Thai, Queens, NY
Kyle Smith, Smith Poultry, New Jersey
Mike Lapi, SUNY Cobleskill, New York
Chef Nick, Rhythm and Ribz Smokehouse, New Jersey
Aris Tuazon, Gugu Room, New York
Jimmy’s No. 43 All-Star Team with vegetable grilling station and Cabot grilled cheese
Chef Jesse Jones returns to Pig Island NYC for the last time and will be retiring from competition events. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
As if the food menu wasn’t good enough, there will also be a wide variety of drinks at Pig Island. There will be craft beer from breweries including Montclair, Flagship, Killsboro, and Ramstein; cider from Romilly (France), Aval (France), Austin East (USA), and Original Sin (NY); and a whiskey tent featuring Bubba’s, Fort Hamilton, NY Distilling Rye, Heaven’s Door, and Pinhook Whiskey.
Alexandra Donnadio of CookingwithZandge_s wowed audiences at Rib King NYC and will be back at Pig Island NYC.
For the sixth year in a row, the event’s community partner is the charity Friends of Firefighters, who will present the People’s Choice trophy. If you go, be sure to stop by and learn more about how Friends of Firefighters helps first responders and their families.
Jose Perez of Bear's Smokehouse in CT won Rib King NYC and will return for Pig Island NYC. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
If you’ve never been to Pig Island, you’re missing out. Hope to see you all there. Be sure to grab tickets soon!
Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ
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Do you think you make the best sauce? The NYC Metro Award category for the annual Sauce King NYC competition includes sauces submitted by NYC restaurants and amateur cooks that are not yet available for distribution, including non-shelf-stable sauces. Registration for this category is open August 20- Sept 20, to be dropped off in person at an NYC location on Sept 20 or 21. LEARN MORE HERE.
Duane Joseph (top left), a mighty presence at Food Karma barbecue events, passed away suddenly this week.
EAT ALL ABOUT IT
Here are the top BBQ and related food news stories you need to know about this week:
Duane Joseph, a core team member of Food Karma Projects and a Sauce King NYC judge for the past three years, passed away this week. Joseph, aka Big Duane, was a volunteer and a big presence at many Food Karma barbecue events. He will be remembered fondly. READ MORE.
Myron Mixon BBQ, which opened a location in Hoboken, NJ, in late 2021, has closed its doors for good. The restaurant had made some fans but never became a staple in the competitive Hoboken neighborhood. Myron Mixon BBQ had closed its doors in March with a promise to be back soon, but a sushi restaurant is going in that location now, so it appears to be a done deal. READ MORE.
The Blues BBQ Festival will return to Manhattan’s west side on August 17 with delicious barbecue vendors and free live music. This year’s vendors include Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Blue Smoke, Kimchi Smoke Barbeque, Pure Grit BBQ, Dickson's Butcher, Jase’s BBQ, Big Papa Smokem, and Mighty Quinn's. READ MORE.
Vin Mangual, co-owner of the Empire BBQ food truck, spoke to Rebellion Research about how he created a successful barbecue food truck. READ MORE.
The annual I Love BBQ and Music Festival will return to the North Elba Show Grounds in Lake Placid, NY, on Labor Day weekend this year. Held Sept 1-3, it will feature a KCBS competition, public tastings, family activities, and more. READ MORE.
The Blues BBQ Festival takes place on August 19 in Manhattan.
IRL BBQ EVENTS
Here are the top BBQ and related food events coming soon to the New York metro area:
Saturday, August 19, 2023: Get ready for a fun music and food festival in Manhattan. The Blues BBQ Festival returns to Hudson River Park’s Pier 76 on Saturday, August 19. This free, day-long music festival invites exceptional blues artists to perform on our stage. MORE INFO HERE.
Saturday, September 9, 2023: Back for its 14th year, Pig Island NYC is returning to Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Gardens on Staten Island for its third year in a row. More than 20 chefs will come together for this pork-laden festival and compete for the most delicious porcine dishes. There will also be craft beer, hard cider, spirits, and other food offerings – all included with a GA ticket! BUY TICKETS HERE.
October 12-15, 2022: The New York City Wine & Food Festival will return this October. It will see the return of the huge Burger Bash hosted by Rachael Ray, which is always a fun event. Other notable events include Steak & Whiskey, hosted by Robert Irvine and The Cookout: Hip Hop's 50th Anniversary Celebration, hosted by JJ Johnson and Rev Run. MORE INFO HERE.
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