Meaty Madness: Thrillist Delivers With BBQ & The Blues Event

By: Mandy Major

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Smoked, roasted, braised, or steamed — no matter how it was served, the vendors at Thrillist’s New York City Wine & Food Festival’s BBQ & The Blues event delivered down-home meaty goodness in its finest form.

Hosted by Rocco DiSpirito at the Hudson Terrace, the sold-out affair on Oct. 12th was classy, cool and packed with eager party-goers energized by the ‘30s-style street jazz of Brooklyn’s Baby Soda band, an open bar and mounds of gorgeous meat for the taking.

In addition to a few seafood-themed options and delectable mini brownies from Fat Witch Bakery, the focus was singular: meat. From Wildwood’s Big Lou Elrose serving up colossal 2-lb. ribs to the best damn chicken wing I’ve ever tasted from Virgil’s, the event made Manhattan’s BBQ scene proud. And most importantly, it helped raise $50,000 for the festival’s benefactors, the Food Bank for New York City and Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry initiative.

Some highlights from the night:

Pictured above: Williamsburg’s Delaney Barbecue promoted its pop-up, BrisketTown — opening at the end of this month — with massive servings of smoky brisket on white bread.

Guests lined up early for the event, and were split between two floors at the Hudson Terrace.

Rocco DiSpirito was on hand to host the event while promoting his latest cookbook, Now Eat This! Italian.

Upstairs, a packed house enjoyed the rollicking, 1930s-tinged jazz of Brooklyn’s Baby Soda band.

Virgil’s Real Barbecue in Manhattan served up some serious chicken wings, coated in a sweetly spiced, garlicky rub topped with BBQ and blue cheese sauces.

Jeff Lutonsky & Meghan Love delivered ridiculously tender, piping hot slabs of brisket from their Brooklyn restaurant, Mable’s Smokehouse & Banquet Hall.

Harlem’s Dinosaur Bar-B-Que dished up its popular pulled pork slathered with BBQ sauce and served with sweet and sour coleslaw.

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