AlwaysPartying: Grill-off at Water Taxi Beach (Long Island City)

Josh Kaplan — July 23, 2009

Water Taxi Beach in Long Island City, Queens

Tuesday night, the brave, food-serious masses paid $35 to eat grilled food while huddling under tents as it rained in Long Island City at Water Taxi Beach (view site) for the Local Grill-off, the signature event of the first annual NYC Good Beer Month sponsored by the Good Beer Seal. The event benefited the Slow Food NYC Harvest Time and Snail Buck programs, which encourage New Yorkers to buy local food from regional Greenmarket farmers.

Amateur contestants battled for the title of “Good Beer Month Grill-off Champion” by preparing grilled food that was supposed to be produced from sustainably and humanely-raised animals and produce grown on farms within 150 miles. Challengers ranged in experience— some were semi-professional, competitive cooks while others were nine-to-fivers seeking culinary adventure. Their ingredients were grown, purchased, foraged, donated and hand-picked from farmers’ markets and local farms.

Ribs Within took top honors with their Smoked Pork Belly with Bok Choi Shooter. The best of the rest succeeded by aiming low and letting local, seasonal ingredients speak for themselves.

 

Clockwise from top left: BBQ Chicken Wings (Fatty Cue), Motz Burger (Water Taxi Beach), Pulled Pork & Pork Belly (Fette Sau)

There was other food on hand. Water Taxi Beach offered their Motz Burger and Fette Sau provided their pulled pork and ethereal pork belly. Jimmy Carbone of Jimmy’s No. 43 hosted and provided Flying Pig Farm’s Sausages with mustard. But Zak Pelaccio’s Fatty Cue owned the day with a preview of his brined, smoked, grilled, curried BBQ chicken wings served by Fatty Crab chef Corwin Kave. It was paired with a “wing condiment” (rye, sherry and lemon orgeat), a riff on the Mai Tai designed to be paired with the West Indian dry rub spices on the wings.

Following are the contestants, their entries, the farms from which they acquired their ingredients and the contestants’ favorite summer ingredients.

Click here to learn the contestants, their entries and the farms and the contestants' favorite summer ingredients. >>