After sleeping off an epic eating adventurer, I'm finally ready to share my favorites of the night. Incidentally, I didn't think it was that hot this year - certainly not as hot as last year. For those taking notes at home, I think we stumbled upon the best strategy of the night: three-person teams, playing bite & switch. Six hands makes food & beverage easier to handle, and 1/3 portions means you can try more and concentrate on the stuff you love.

For my team, the winner of the night was clearly Perennial Virant's Duck Sausage with Kimchi, served on Steamed Buns. This was the only place I came back for seconds on - and was sorely tempted to come back for thirds.

Benny's Chophouse: BBQ Glazed Bacon. Bacon - with a cherry on top. Mmmmm...
Cafe des Architectes: Lamb Burgers with French Country Aioli on Homemade Brioche
Decca at the Riztz Carlton: Lamb & Beef Banh Mi, and some awesome raspberry and blueberry push-pops.
Dirk's Fish: Grilled Walleye Tacos with Tomato Jalapeno Chutney
Hot Chocolate: Ice Cream Sandwiches (Mint, Praline & Pecan, and Strawberry, served on an utterly delicious cookie)
El Ideas: Smoked Duck, Turnip, Yogurt, Granola. My brother went back for seconds here.
The Gage/Henri: Elk Sausages, Blueberry Giardiniera, Mustard Relish & Iceberg
Girl and the Goat: Goat sandwich
Kendall College: Lamb Mortadell Hot Dogs with Chow Chow and homemade mustard
MK: Elote, Cotija Cheese, Ancho Powder, Lime Aioli. After consuming many, many sausages (including a trip to Hot Doug's for lunch), this was incredibly refreshing.
Old Town Social: Mini Lamb Hot Dogs, Goat's Milk Yogurt, Pickled Cucumbers
Vie: Lamb Salami with Marinated Eggplant and Breadcrumbs

It's more than a little humbling to eat yourself into exhaustion (I was the dude laid out flat on his back in the camping area), then to check the program and realize how many places you missed. I think we got to about 90% of the places we were interested in, but there are so many that I missed. By the time we got to the south end, all three of us were near death, and not giving most stalls more than a cursory glance. We insisted that our ice cream sandwiches be 'open-faced', because the second cookie might have done us all in. There's always room for bacon, so I made room for Benny's chop house, which was my last stop of the night.

Places I wish I'd found/had room for: Sepia (Grilled Merguez Sausage, Harissa Aioli, Pickled Eggplant, Bun), Prairie Grass Cafe (Honey Ice Cream with Fresh Berry Medley), Sable (Cherry Wood Smoked Duck, Grilled Corn Johnny Cake, Blueberry Salsa & Duck Cracklins), Leopold (Rabbit Sandwiches with Pickled Market Vegetables), Embeya (Lemongrass Scented Beef, Lettuce, & Pickled Vegetable Wraps). We somehow missed the Paul Kahan Empire's table, but we plan on hitting Avec, Blackbird, Publican, and PQM within the next four days anyway.

Intelligentsia also deserves special mention for their beverage station, because their iced teas were incredibly refreshing, and helped power us through the event.

This is one of those rare events that gets better every year! The shared eating strategy is definitely the way to go. Thanks to Girl & the Goat for providing the frisbee plates and mbh for bringing the knife!!

My top picks were:

1) anteprima's spit roasted suckling pig w/greens--hopefully next year they'll bring along some kind of signage so people will know whose great food they ate!
2)cafe des Architectes lamb burgers --the house made brioche bun was so good i made an exception to my no bread policy.
3)carnivale's Pere Jaques sorbet with frozen Klug peaches--definitely my favorite sweet bite of the night
4)el ideas' smoked duck, turnip, yogurt and pine nut granola
5)moderno's chilled grilled cucumber soup w/whipped blue cheese & pumpernickel croutons--can't wait to try this at home!
6) Old Town Socials lamb mini dog w/pickled cukes
7) Vie's salami w/marinated eggPlant
the habanero ginger syrup and gin cocktail

Fun night and nice to see so many LTHers enjoying the lovely evening.

"Liquor pop rowdiness?" I did see one quite grown adult male bouncing up and down chanting "bourbon cool pop, bourbon cool pop" at the David Burke's stand.

It was another great year at the GCM BBQ -- my very favorite food event of the year. I cannot believe how many great tastes there were. This event really brings out the creativity of the participants, who are so generous with their time, effort and materials. What follows is a very unofficial report of what I tasted but there were several great bites that I never even got shots of (thinking about Lula Cafe's Porchetta and Prairie Grass Cafe's Ice Cream, to name just a couple). On that note, my apologies for any omissions or errors. Corrections are encouraged and most welcome . . .


Anteprima's Spit Roasted Suckling Pig



stevez and Jazzfood



Rick Gresh of Primehouse and Ina Pinkney of Ina's



Barry Sorkin of Smoque



Smoque's and Ina's Pastrami Sandwich



Stephanie Izard (left)



stevez and Phillip Foss of El Ideas



El Ideas' Smoked Duck with turnip, yogurt and granola



Jared Van Camp of Old Town Social and Nellcote



Nellcote's Grilled Flatbread



Old Town Social's Lamb Hot Dog



Goose Island's Grilled Hopleaf-Wrapped Tilapia



Carol Wallack of Sola (left)



Sola's Shortrib Sandwich



Browntrout's Chicago Falafel Dog



Pat Sheerin of Trenchermen



Trenchermen's Pig Skin Noodles with market vegetables



Susan Goss of West Town Tavern (left)



Vera's Pisto Manchego



Leopold's Rabbit Sandwich



John Manion of La Sirena Clandestina



La Sirena Clandestina's Ceviche



Jennifer Petrusky and Matthias Merges of Yusho



Yusho's Robata Tofu



Stout Barrelhouse & Galley grilling lamb



John des Rosiers of Inovasi and Moderno (right)



Inovasi's House-Smoked Walleye



Moderno's Chilled Cucumber Melon Soup



Dirk's Fish - Grilled Walleye Tacos



Red Door's Bulgogi-Glazed Spareribs with kimchi and pickles



The Chopping Block's Grilled Apricot with house-made ricotta and bacon sable breton



Carriage House's Low Country Boil



Benny's Chophouse's BBQ-Glazed Bacon with summer truffle creamed corn



Prasino's "New" St Louis style ribs



Pecking Order's Prodigy Chef



Pecking Order's Filipino-style Chicken BBQ on a stick



Sunday Dinner's Fresh Ground Beef Burger



Alllie Levitt of The Butcher & Larder (left)



Rob Levitt of The Butcher & Larder mans the grill



The Butcher & Larder's Grilled Chicken Hearts



Eric Hay of Wirtz Beverage serves the Beatrix Potter



Justin Anderson of Wirtiz Beverage serves his Hot-Hot-Heat



Hot-Hot-Heat x 3



Atwood Cafe's Corn, Vanilla and Tomato-Tobacco Gelee with Guanciale



Limelight Catering's Summer Ale Braised Pork Shoulder



Stout's Lamb Al Asador



Convito Cafe & Market's Yellow Tomato Gazpacho



Nomi's Glazed Chicken Wings



Urban Belly/Belly Shack's Black Bean Salad with Red Thai Curry



Plates-a-plenty



Big Jones' Chaurice with Pinto Beans and Green Tomato Relish



Osteria Via Stato's Summer Panzanella Salad



Three Floyds' Duck Sausage (?)



Lockwood's Balsamic-glazed Lamb Ribs



Girl & The Goat's Goat Tostada



City Provisions Deli and Flossmore Station Brewery's Spinach and Cous Cous Salad (?)



Kendall College's Lamb Mortadella Dog (?)



Terzo Piano's Honey Chicken Leg with Crespelle



Perennial Virant's Duck Sausage



Socca's Smoked Red Wattle Pork



Park Grill's Cheese Crostini with Sweet Cherries and Spicy Greens



Sepia's Grilled Merguez Sausage with Harissa Aioili and Pickled Eggplant



Avec/Big Star/Blackbird/Publican/PQM's Beef Barbacoa with Sungold Tomatoes on House-Made Ciabatta



The Gage's Elk Sausage with Blueberry Giardiniera



Chilam Balam's Young Goat Birria Taco



North Pond's Jowl Pastrami on Charred Cornbread with Blueberry Compote and Arugula



Anteprima's Skirt Steak with Salsa Romesco



Anteprima's Spit-Roasted Suckling Pig with Bacon, Greens and Charred Veggies (?)



Marion Street Cheese Market's Whitefish Ceviche



Nightwood's Cured Mackerel and Pig Ear Taco



Deca's Summer Sausage Griller (?)



West Town Tavern's Grilled Bruschetta of Capriole Farmstead Cheese and Market Fruit Relish (?)



Spiaggia's Carne Salata



Allium's Homemade All-Beef Hot Dog



Allium's Peach Dreamsicle



Benny's Chophouse's Bittersweet Chocolate Pudding Cake with Cherry Compote and Opal Basil



Nightwood's Strawberry Shortcake Blizzard



Sepia's Summer Fruit Salad in Watermelon Mint Syrup with Coconut Oatmeal Crumble



Until next year . . . put a fork in it!

=R=

Really great post and great pictures Ronnie.
Please tell me you didn't actually eat all of that

Great pics...the guy next to des Rosiers is not Phil Rubino.

zoid wrote:Really great post and great pictures Ronnie.
Please tell me you didn't actually eat all of that

Thanks. I tasted it all but finished none of it.

milz50 wrote:Great pics...the guy next to des Rosiers is not Phil Rubino.

Thanks, noted.

=R=

Hi,

I appreciate some items labeled ???, because keeping track of everything seems rather daunting.

Thanks!

Regards,

Ronnie, the pictures are enough to even make me pause & say, "if I ever decided to start eating animals again, I would do it at this event"***.

I think I really should go. Maybe 2013 will be the year.

Thanks for sharing.




*** Also said about the LTH Forum Picnic

pairs4life wrote:Ronnie, the pictures are enough to even make me pause & say, "if I ever decided to start eating animals again, I would do it at this event"***.

I think I really should go. Maybe 2013 will be the year.

Thanks for sharing.




*** Also said about the LTH Forum Picnic

I will say that my vegetarian sister managed to eat a ton, loved it (two years in a row) and still did not manage to sample much of what was offered. And if you ask nicely, many of the chefs will plate portions without meat, and the meat was not always the star of the show.

Thanks, everyone, for the kind comments. Again, that was one excellent event. The scale, the way it's organized and the intensely enthusiastic participation of the chefs, bartenders, owners and managers makes it second to none. For me, between the eating, the drinking, the socializing and the picture-taking, it was hard to keep everything straight (and on that note, thanks, to Louisa, for sending me some key corrections). There were so many great bites, it almost overwhelmed.

I try to document it every year so that those that who did attend can remember some of their favorites and those who didn't (or who have never been) can see it in all its glory.

I agree with Brad that there are plenty of non-meat items to choose from. A vegetarian could do very well here. Not sure the same could be said for vegans, though. In any case, for omnivores, it's the ultimate eating event of the year, especially when the weather cooperates, like it did this year.

Yes, it used to be a steal at $50 & $60 per person. But even at $100 (or $125 for non-members), it's still a solid value and the proceeds help support the GCM, which is a great cause.

=R=

Adding to our GCM BBQ 2012 album!


The Butcher & Larder's grilled chicken heart


Embeya's lemongrass scented beef, lettuce, and pickled vegetable wrap


Big Bowl's Asian BBQ organic pork in steamed buns with housemade pickles


Boka's cucumber salad with pickled green strawberry, grilled watermelon, shiso, housemade grilled halumi, wild lily pesto, and fresh raspberries


Zealous' housemade ricotta tart with heirloom tomatoes, cucumber relish, and Greek yogurt


Quince's beet salad with summer corn, tomatoes, and herbs


Vie's lamb salami with marinated eggplant and breadcrumbs



676's lamb hot link with summer peach and basil


Café des Architectes' lamb burgers with French country aioli on housemade brioche and smoked salmon potato salad


Balena/The Bristol's cheeseburger with pickled Tropea onions on potato bun



Sable's cherrywood smoked duck, grilled corn johnnycake, blueberry salsa, duck cracklins, and freeze dried corn


Allium's chili cheese chips


Farmhouse's cherrywood smoked trout with summer squash and young green bean bread salad


The Signature Room's smoked Superior trout with sake-lime-mirin-marinated-cucumber and wasabi chip


Uncommon Ground on Devon's uncommon chilled BLT (tomato water gelée, crispy pork, rooftop lettuce and basil)


Hot Chocolate's chocolate ice cream sandwich


Uncommon Ground on Clark's peach pot de crème with butterscotch crumble, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries


Sepia's summer fruit salad in watermelon mint syrup with coconut oatmeal crumble; lime spritz cookies; almond honey shortbread cookies; butter cookie chocolate sandwiches


Intelligentsia's ginger plum iced tea


Primehouse chef Rick Gresh plays with dry ice

Everything I tasted here: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjACdHDY
And yes, I did doggy/doggie bag!

Thank you both for the amazing photos. I'm torn between reliving my favorites as I watch and mourning the goodies I somehow missed!

Great pictures Ronnie and Louisa - I'm getting full again just looking at them. Every year, the Green City Market BBQ is my single favorite dinner of the year - I think it's a fantastic showcase for midwestern produce and for the amazing chefs/restaurants in the area who go out of their way to feature this produce. I'll also echo Ronnie's comments about the generosity of the chefs and restaurants - sure there's a publicity aspect to having your presence at the BBQ, but it's still quite effort (additional time, money, staffing, cooking/prepping outside of your normal elements and willingness to subject yourself to whatever mother nature throws your way).

And I just love the setting of the market, under shade of trees and in the park (sadly much drier than usual); luckily it cooled off quite a bit by the lake this night making it far more tolerable. I thought about making a whole list of my evening's favorites, and simply gave up . . . too many. And of course as I became well over-filled, so items I tried to sample later in the evening just didn't taste as good as they probably would have if I wasn't so stuffed.

I'm already excited for next year's event. In the meantime, I'm using inspiration from dishes I tried and a morning of shopping at the market to do a little summer cooking.

I find it slightly frightening that I recognized Louisa Chu's stunning photography because I was standing next to her at 676 when she took the shot of the hot link on the wooden spoon

Most of my thoughts on the GCM BBQ have been said while I was out of town over the last week; the trash police really irked me, especially because they seemed to all have their own interpretation of the "rules"; there was a bit too much emphasis on liquor for a hot summer night; there were few dishes that were truly wow. Having said that, I did enjoy the BBQ more this year than in previous years, perhaps because we know how to manage it better - we didn't arrive when it first opened, we knew to eat one bite or two rather than finish everything, and we had someone try a dish at many places before we all did.

One thing not said is that one of the core GCM BBQ rules seems to have been relaxed this year - not everything was locally-sourced. e.g. GT Fish & Oyster apparently were serving a shrimp dish (didn't get there in time to try it), Vera had anchovies atop their pisto manchego, etc. Personally I do not mind this at all, it made for some more variety and creativity than our first trip to GCM BBQ in 2009, which was a veritable pork fest.

Some real standouts for me were:
Embeya's lettuce wrap - captured everything about a great Asian street dish
Sunday Dinner's burger - a really great burger
Frog and Snail's steak - so flavorful, and a generous portion
Prairie Grass's "Bees Knees" cocktail
Finally meeting Paul Kahan and being a total fanboi with him - the barbacoa was outstanding too
Sepia's lamb sausage - the chef was very personable too

Thank you to all the chefs and restauranteurs for putting forth a tremendous effort this year. It's still a highlight of the summer.

Did anyone try the Chipotle offering? I was curious how easy it was to eat while walking around.

milz50 wrote:Did anyone try the Chipotle offering? I was curious how easy it was to eat while walking around.

No. There was too much actual food to eat. Actually, other than the fact that Chipotle obviously makes a huge contribution to the GCM, it strikes me as odd that they are even there. (One of these things is not like the others).