The Danny Meyer broadcasting service just put out the word: The Big Apple Barbecue Block Party is on for this year. It wasn’t a foregone conclusion. Although the annual June bonanza is hugely popular, it’s also massively challenging. Past barbecuers have expressed much dismay that souvenirs and T-shirts yield very little profit (food profits go to the Madison Park Conservancy), and that the travel allowance doesn’t cover the cost of transporting heavy smoking equipment across hundreds of miles.
Then there are the political hassles: RUB won’t be back, for instance — their placement in a remote location last year sparked a memorable shouting match between owner Andrew Fischel and Blue Smoke chef (and Block Party manager) Kenny Callahan. And yet somehow Meyer has found a way to make this year’s event bigger and more complicated than ever. More information can be found at Bigapplebbq.org.
