1st Annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party

1ST ANNUAL BIG APPLE BARBECUE BLOCK PARTY BRINGING AMERICA'S FINEST BARBECUE TO THE STREETS OF NEW YORK CITY MAY 31 AND JUNE 1

LEGENDARY REGIONAL PITMASTERS, BARBECUE SEMINARS, DOCUMENTARY FILM SCREENINGS, AND FREE LIVE JAZZ & BLUES

The 1ST ANNUAL BIG APPLE BARBECUE BLOCK PARTY will hit the streets of Manhattan Saturday, May 31 and Sunday, June 1, 2003. Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG), Blue Smoke and Jazz Standard will present food and music lovers with a rich array of regional barbecue, workshops led by legendary pitmasters, and the sweet sounds of free live performances. According to Danny Meyer, co-owner of Blue Smoke, "We hope to promote the cultural value of American Barbecue and launch a New York Barbecue tradition with the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party."

Each day, between the hours of noon and 6P.M., five pitmasters will sell sample tastes of their award-winning barbecue on East 27th Street between Park Avenue South and Lexington Avenue. The Block Party will feature four daily acts performing Jazz and Blues during those same hours. Attendees will also have the opportunity to sit in on specially arranged documentary barbecue film screenings and informative panel discussions with barbecue experts, which will take place daily from 2-4P.M. Admission to the Block Party is free, which includes demonstrations and live music. Food, beverages and merchandise will be available for purchase with coupons.

Thanks to generous sponsorships from companies like American Express, Coca Cola, Delta, and North Fork Bank, the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party will be able to contribute a portion of its proceeds to Jazz at Lincoln Center (www.jazzatlincolncenter.org) and Music Maker Relief Foundation (www.musicmaker.org).

Following the Block Party, Jazz & Blues will be performed at 6:00, 7:30 & 9:30P.M. (11:30PM Saturday only) at Jazz Standard (116 East 27th Street). To purchase tickets, call 212-576-2232.

The Barbecue menu will feature:
7 Mike Mills, 17th Street Bar & Grill, Murphysboro, Illinois & Memphis Championship Barbecue, Las Vegas, Nevada - BABY BACK RIBS & BEANS

7 Rick Schmidt, Kreuz Market, Lockhart, Texas - BEEF SHOULDER CLOD WITH ONIONS, PICKLED JALAPENO PEPPERS & SALTINE CRACKERS, and SAUSAGE WITH ONIONS, PICKLED JALAPENO PEPPERS & WHITE BREAD

7 Ed Mitchell, Mitchell's Ribs, Chicken, & Barbecue, Wilson, North Carolina - WHOLE HOG & COLESLAW

7 Chris Lilly & Don Mclemore, Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, Decatur, Alabama - PORK SHOULDER & BAKED BEANS

7 Ken Callaghan, Blue Smoke, New York, New York – SMOKED CHICKEN & POTATO SALAD, CHIPOTLE CHICKEN WINGS & POTATO SALAD, and B.S. CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE

Barbecue plates, which include a Barbecue and a side dish will be $6/Plate & $1/side dish.
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE at JAZZ STANDARD
Jazz Standard, 116 East 27th Street, Between Lexington & Park Avenues


ADMISSION: Donation $5 coupons
BAR SERVICE: Jazz Standard bar will be open during seminars. Beverages can be paid for with coupons.

Saturday, May 31st, 2003
2:00 – 3:45 p.m. (2:00-3:00 film; 3:00-3:45 discussion) - Smokestack Lightning
A rare viewing of the film inspired by one of the most authoritative barbecue books of all time. Smokestack Lightning opens the door to the journey taken by a handful of legendary American pitmasters in their passionate pursuit of perfection. The screening is followed with a lively conversation with filmmakers Scott Stoller, David Branson and the book’s photographer Frank Stewart, with moderator/filmmaker/author Lolis Eric Elie, Smokestack Lightning.

4:00 – 4:45 p.m. - American Regional Barbecue: One Language, Many Dialects
The definition of great barbecue is as subject that is as controversial and hotly debated as religion and politics. And sometimes, with even more vitriol! We've assembled a panel of pitmasters from the