BBQ – Memorial Day
Barbeque on the Esplanade Contest
Monday, May 30 – Mountain Lakes Day’s first ever “Barbeque on the Esplanade” was a huge success. Judges and chefs alike had fun, enjoying mouthwatering competition. Current and former Mountain Lakes residents competed individually and as teams bringing smokers and grills to the Esplanade – some starting at dawn. There were 23 contestants. Once the grills got going, the crowds started streaming by, hoping for a taste.
Brooke Fisher, organizer for the event, displays one of the entries
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Entries were judged by a hungry group of Lakers and BBQ experts on the following criterea:
- Taste
- Presentation
- BBQness (you know what I mean)
We are pleased to announce the winner of each category:
First place in the fish category, with a score of 40.55, goes to Dan Sylvester and the 2 Pyromaniacs and a Chef from the Fanny Packs neighborhood.
First place in the chicken category, with a score of 39.55, goes to Jim Few and the Eat Crows from the Woodlanders neighborhood.
First place in the beef category, with a score of 39.35, goes to Earl Schneider, Darin Bright, Andy Bulfer, Bruce Merritt, otherwise known as “Up In Smoke” from the Hapgood Hooligantown neighborhood.
First place in the pork category, with a score of 40.75, goes to Nick Kolding, the Wild Norsk, from the The Flats neighborhood.
Finally, we are pleased to announce the overall winner with bragging rights to the “Best BBQ in Mountain Lakes” for 2011 is:
Nick Kolding and the Kolding Boys. Nick is now the pride of his neighborhood, The Flats. It was a very close competition, with Nick inching out Dan Sylvester and the 2 Pyromaniacs by 0.20 of a point!
Hope you all come back next year!
— For further information or to dispute the scores, please contact Brooke Fisher at brooke.fisher@yahoo.com
Contest Winners
FISH
1st 2 Dan Sylvester, Fanny Packs
2nd Mike McAleer, Dave Neuenhaus, Tony Ratchford, Locomotives
3rd Matt Chavez, Dave Schneider, Leon Halford, Duncan Conner, The Cove
POULTRY
1st Jim Few, Woodlanders
2nd Marina and Leon Shereshevsky, Wildwood Lake Stewards
3rd Paul Daggy, Jim Peterson, Tom Menard, The Acorns
BEEF
1st Earl Schneider, Bruce Merritt, Andy Bulfer, Darin Bright, Hapgood Hooligantown
2nd Dave Shertzer, Jason Bradlee
3rd Mike McAleer, Dave Neuenhaus, Tony Ratchford, Locomotives
PORK
1ST Nicolai Kolding, The Flats
2nd Jim Few, Woodlanders
3rd Mike McAleer, Dave Neuenhaus, Tony Ratchford, Locomotives
Themocracy
FYI, Hapgood Hooligantown has a “ringer” in the BBQ competition. I’m surprised that no “Red Tailed Hawks” have entered the contest, given their carnivorous nature. Oh, I get it. They don’t do BBQ in the “Prestigious Hill Section.” They are more the surf and turf type. La-de-da.
Earl Schneider you don’t stand a chance but I’m sure your 2nd place ribbon will still be comforting.
“Strong the sauce in this one truly is” – Yoda
BBQ Contest is starting to gain momentum. Several neighborhoods will be putting in “teams” of several folks working together to produce various entries. This is a great format and please consider for your neighborhood. Please note that we have opened the contest to all BBQ entries (pork, chicken, fish, beef, etc) and we already have a couple of smoked salmon entries amongst the traditional fare.
Hey Hatton, a word of advice…
You better stay on the porch, if you aren’t ready to run with the big dogs.
2 words people bring it
Does Hatton even own a grill?
I have some exciting news: Scott Reid, Founder/Head Pitmaster and Owner of Texas Smoke BBQ restaurant in Rockaway, has agreed to be a judge at our Memorial Day BBQ contest. Scott’s BBQ has won local and national awards, and earned a glowing review from the New York Times. Check out the Texas Smoke BBQ restaurant at http://www.texassmokebbq.com. Or better yet, go pick up some dinner there like me!
Hatton….consider it brung
PHS will be represented! We don’t mind getting our hands a little dirty when there’s smokin’ BBQ involved.