Cinco de Mayo is always a lot of fun to get a few friends together and to enjoy a great party! Fortunately, I received a great tip about a restaurant that will have great food and drinks from 5 - 7pm! Not only is Elizabeth included within our Beaches, Backyards, Roofdecks and Barbecue Guide, but it is one of my favorite picks for a night out for Cinco de Mayo. Elizabeth is known for its Outdoor Garden which will be "the spot" for the big festival tomorrow. Enjoy .50 shots, tequila flavored sorbet/gelato and tacos - and yes $5 Taneto cocktails. I will defintiely be here and I can't wait to see what goodies will be in the Pinata as well! This is a great way to kick off May and even if it's rainy, the specials will more than make up for it!

One of the creators of this event was one of the most notable BBQ restaurants - Blue Smoke. Throughout all the panels, everyone had talked about them and I was definitely interested in checking out how they created the amazing tastes that were making people smile. As I walked around the park, it was interesting to see all the ways that people make their signature barbecue. The Big Apple BBQ Fest had so many booths that at first, I didn't really think about the main attraction - actually seeing everyone cook! Thankfully, my boyfriend (the guy in the navy shirt with sunglasses on) took out his camera, which made me think of my Flip. Although I didn't attend today, it was hot yesterday and I don't know how everyone was able to keep working with the heat of the pits and also the weather! I did learn one lesson, when it came to the end of the day and you saw that no one was in line, that's when you knew that they were all out. Unfortunately we had to pass up a few booths because of this. Enjoy seeing the hard working folks at Blue Smoke.

 

Today was hot and absolutely amazing! Today I started early in the afternoon at the Big Apple BBQ Fest which took place in Madison Park today and tomorrow! Not only was it hot but it was a lot of fun to see food, music, hear seminars and to hear happy people getting excited about BBQ. I have to say that I was a BBQ novice but after a recent visit to Dinosaur BBQ in Harlem, I had a renewed respect (yes how does a Midwestern girl not get into BBQ until a late age - I don't know but I am definitely interested and got a lot of information). After picking up my press passes (thanks Katy) I went to the seminars first. Sponsored by Snapple and Every Day With Rachael Ray, I really wanted to see what was going on and sit in on a few demos if possible. I had the luxury of making it in to my first cooking demo "On the Side". This was lead by two Food Editors of my favorite magazine - Every Day with Rachael Ray. Pamela Mitchell and Teri Tsang Barrett shared interesting sides that you can include on your barbecue which are just as important as the main attraction! I came in right when they handed out the amazing golden sweet tea and I also sampled the hush puppies that I hadn't had in quite some time. This video clip includes the segment about the hush puppies. Teri is on the right and Pamela is on the left! These ladies were a lot of fun to listen to and was a great way to introduce me to my day!