Grilling In The Big Apple

With the Fourth of July rapidly approaching and the barbecue season about to hit the high water mark, it's time to answer that age old question, "Where can I barbecue in New York City?" And the answer is, "Lots of places." NYC has over 30 parks where grilling is legal.

Some of my favorite spots in Brooklyn include:

• Manhattan Beach, which has two grilling locations, Oriental Boulevard & Hastings Street and Northeast of Promenade, median adjacent to parking lot (no amplified sound permitted)
• Red Hook Park, Bay Street near Columbia Street
• Prospect Park, which tops all the Brooklyn parks with six locations, but my favorite is by the band shell

In the Bronx, I recommend:

• Crotona Park, Crotona Park East & Charlotte Street (Indian Lake)
• Ferry Point Park, at both the north and south ends of the park
• Van Cortlandt Park, with two locations, my favorite being In front of the pool, Broadway and 242 Street

In Manhattan check out:

• East River Park, Along FDR Drive at East 10th Street but a special permit is required, but I've never seen it enforced.
• Wards Island Park, East River & Hell Gate (near the children's playground)

In Queens pay a visit to Alley Pond Park, Winchester Boulevard & Grand Central Parkway and in Staten Island I frequent Franklin D. Roosevelt Boardwalk and Beach at Midland Avenue and Lincoln Avenue

Of course these are just some recommendations, you can check out the entire list of grilling spots in New York City at the Park's Department webpage.

Remember; barbecuing or grilling is allowed in designated areas ONLY. No barbecuing permitted under trees. All coals and litter must be disposed in trash receptacles. Please remember to extinguish all coals before dumping them into a trash can. No extra fires please. And if you're going with a group of 20 people or more, the city requires that you get a $25 permit 21 days in advance.

I'm Alright

The Beach Bums Of Brooklyn

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Cyclones Opening Day

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Get Back Ya Really Got Me

Get Back

Get back, get back.
Get back to where you once belonged
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Get back to where you once belonged.
Get back Jojo. Go home
Get back, get back.
Back to where you once belonged
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Back to where you once belonged.
Get back Jo.

BBQ 25 - The Winners

Hey folks. Sorry for the delay, but here's the awards program for my last contest "Cooking With Your Father."

The winners are:

1. Christopher for his outstanding story of boiled ribs.
2. Dave and his iron stomach
3. Chris for his story of his non-cooking but hard working father.

Thanks for playing guys. Drop me an email at BrooklynQ@gmail.com and I'll get the books to you ASAP

Day Is Done At The Big Apple Block Party

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Moonlight Bar-B-Q Inn At The Big Apple Block Party

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Wisdom @ The Big Apple BBQ Block Party

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Smoked Pork Hot Link At The Big Apple BBQ Block Party

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Jim n' Nick's Bar-B-Q At The Big Apple BBQ Block Party

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Crowds Are Lighter This Year At The Big Apple Block Party

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Beer Garden At The Big Apple Block Party

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Live from the BABBQBP

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BBQ Events: The 8th Annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party

This weekend - The 8th Annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party. Madison Square Park June 12-13, 2010, from 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM.

Look at this lineup of Pitmasters....

Ken Bosley
Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn, Owensboro, KY

• Ken Callaghan
Blue Smoke, New York, NY

• Pete Daversa
Hill Country, New York, NY

• Joe Duncan
Baker’s Ribs, Dallas, TX

• Big Lou Elrose (Past Grillin' On The Bay winner!)
Wildwood Barbeque, New York, NY

• Jimmy Hagood
BlackJack BBQ, Charleston, SC

• Tommy Houston
Checkered Pig, Martinsville, VA

• Chris Lilly
Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, Decatur, AL

• Patrick Martin
Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint, Nashville, TN

• Mike Mills
17th Street Bar & Grill / Memphis Championship Barbecue / Murphysboro, Illinois / Las Vegas, NV

• Ed Mitchell
The Pit, Raleigh, NC

• Myron Mixon (You've seen Myron making an ass out of himself on TLC's Pitmasters Series)
Jack’s Old South, Unadilla, GA

• Garry Roark
Ubon’s Barbecue of Yazoo, Yazoo City, MS

• Drew Robinson
Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q

• Michael Rodriguez (Listed on Grub Street, but not on the official BABBP website)
The Salt Lick BBQ, Driftwood, TX

• Skip Steele
Pappy’s Smokehouse, St. Louis, MO

• John Stage
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, New York, NY

• John Wheeler
Rack & Soul, New York, NY

I hope I didn't leave anyone out! Be there or be square!

Contest: Cooking With Your Father

Adam Perry Lang has a new cookbook out - BBQ 25 - and I'm giving it away! I've got three copies of BBQ 25: The world's most flavorful recipes now made foolproof for 3 lucky readers. And one could be yours, or your dad's, just in time for Father's Day.

To honor all our fathers, much in the fashion of Adam who uses both his father's and step father's last names, I want to hear stories about cooking with your dad, your grandfather or your step dad or a father figure. It doesn't have to be a cooking story per se, but it must involve food being prepared and/or served.

I'll give out one book to the best story in the dad, granddad and step dad or father figure categories. But here's a twist, my son the vegetarian will choose the winners.

So come on folks, let's hear how dad taught you to grill, or that story of sitting on the river bed cooking up the day's catch with your grandfather, or how your step dad would always prepare a special dish whenever he was going to drop some heavy news, or how your scout master would always insist on cooking but burn the food and serve bologna sandwiches instead for every meal.

Be creative! Have fun! Post your stories below in the comments section. Stories must be posted by Wednesday June 9, 2010. Winners will be announced on Friday, June 11.

Wordless Wednesday