Jewcy

Some of you may recall that I was asked to judge the ASBEE Kosher BBQ contest a few years ago. Well, this year I was asked to write about it by the Jewish Daily Forward, a national Jewish newspaper.

It was my first ever national assignment, so I was pretty stoked (and nervous). They asked for a print article and a blog post. Oh, and I had about 24 hours to get it done! Not at all the way I usually operate. (The stories you see locally usually result after weeks of procrastination.) It was challenging to get everything done, but well worth the effort.

The amazing Justin Fox Burks was my photographer. We had a good time talking to people and attempting to learn everything we could in just a few hours. He's a vegetarian so he didn't partake of the food, but I did! (I also entered the adult pickle eating competition!)

I want to give a special shout out to my new best friends, Stuart Lazarov and Alan Harkavay. Had they not disclosed their email addresses to me and subsequently returned the 100s of emails I sent, I probably never would have finished this assignment. Thanks, guys!

The Kosher BBQ Contest really is a fun event. Had I not been working, I would have brought the kids and made a day of it. Next year, it's ON.

I've almost convinced Warren to start a team next year. Anyone interested in helping? There's judging in brisket, beef ribs, and beans. Entry is just $125. Come on, you know you wanna. If you don't, then read my stories linked above and see if you don't change your mind.

Photo by Justin Fox Burks, compliments of the Forward