Where the fans are as great as the food...
The first thing that has to be said about New York is that these are the nicest people in the world. Really. Friendly, helpful, fun...
And they can cook. These people take their food seriously, and they bring out some serious equipment to grill it up.
The boys from Big Blue BBQ haul out their Smoker-Cooker that they tow behind a big delivery truck full of tents, tables, space heaters, refridgerators, and anything they might need to grill, boil, fry, smoke, mix or serve...
It's a sight to see. These guys do everything BIG, including the massive rack of ribs they brought down to the Taste-off.
While the morning got off to a slow start (in tailgating terms), the lot started to fill up by ten. (We suspect that the bitterly cold winds that whip through "the Meadowlands" might keep all but the craziest fans home until closer to gametime!)
But even while the weather wasn't the warmest, the welcome always was, even for the Redskins fans brave enough to show their colors.
As more tailgaters started to arrive, Jay climbed up on the rooftop survey the lot and sneak a peek at the NY skyline in the distance.
Soon, the lot was full and the winds died down, and the late October day turned unseasonably warm.
We found tailgaters all around the lots enjoying the sunshine, whether out drinking their beer (barefoot!) of the back of their Saab or while sunbathing on their own make-shift "beach" (complete with clam shells, we might add!)
When it was time for the Taste-off, the entries started to arrive, and were as diverse as the people we met during our visit. We tasted chicken and pork, clams and mussels, beef ribs and burgers, and even Rack o' Lamb a la Beast (prepared by Michael Rinaldo on his BBQ Beast, with an impressive presentation and a flavor to please, even if you're not a lamb fan!)
The most creative (and thoughtful) entry was submitted by Greg Friedman as a tribute to the late owner of the Giants, Wellington Mara.
He and his Dad prepared individual, sandwhich-sized servings of Beef Wellington that could be eaten with your hands.
The flaky crusts were baked golden brown on their grill in the lot, proving their is not limit to what you can cook on the blacktop. Great job, guys!
Surprisingly, (given the NY sports fan "stereotype") this was one of the quietest Taste-offs we've had. Aside from Austin's smack-talk (of which there was plenty) the crowd waited patiently for the judges to sample their way through a table-full of food. (Nick and Luc climbed up on the roof to throw t-shirts and aprons out to the crowd just to liven things up a bit!)
And typical of the kind of hospitality and generosity we encountered from everyone we met during our stay in New York, these contestants were not stingy with the food. Trays piled high with tailgating treats tempted the judges to take more than a taste (and allowed for onlookers to sneak a sample, too!)
In the end, we came away with some great recipes and a clearer understanding of the iconic slogan that has come to represent America's greatest city.
It is easy to understand why so many people from all over the world can wholeheartedly say,
I
♥ NY
XTREME fans !
The people
at Culpepper wood products know how to throw a tailgate party
with style!
For their
annual event, they rented not one, but TWO Fleetwood Flairs from
El Monte RV to keep their guests comfy, just like the one they
gave us to use as the Tailgating Tour Coach!
With double
slideouts there's plenty of room to relax out of the weather,
and with TV's, microwaves, and refridgerators they offer all the
conveniences of home...
Including
your own bathroom, which every tailgater knows is the ULTIMATE
tailgating luxury!
Photo of the Week !
Here's something new...Trucks, trailers, RV's, hatchbacks, limosines, school busses-- you name it,
we've seen it. or so we thought! These guys know you don't need a tailgate to
have a great time. They just pull up on their bikes and break out the beer.
"We have saddlebags," they explained. "We're not tailgating,
we're saddlebagging."
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