A little backed up on my posts these days, but let me start by saying this was my favorite GCM BBQ yet. The weather was as beautiful as could be, the food offerings more diverse than ever and the helpers who "assist" in throwing away your trash into the proper bins were obviously given much better training, friendlier and more helpful than ever.
I only took one picture. It was of the porchetta from Ceres' Table:

Sadly, the flavor did not deliver on the expectations raised by the image. But I had plenty of great food. Of course, with nearly 75 restaurants represented, needless to say I didn't try everything. But from what I tasted, these were my favorites:
Smoked lamb (I think belly) reuben from Old Town Social/Kinmont/Nellcote folks - this was my very favorite bite of the night. It's the only item I had seconds of, and though I generally have a rule against eating bread at this event, in this case I made an exception. One of the very best reubens I will have ever tasted, if not the best.
Nduja sausage from Cicchetti - the funny thing is, I first thought they said andouille and as much as I liked the flavor, I was frustrated that it tasted nothing like andouille. I was fine once I realized it was nduja. In any event, a delicious fatty sausage with a terrific snap.
Buckwheat noodle salad from Found Kitchen - Nicole Pederson made the soba noodles herself using buckwheat flour from Anson Mills and these soba noodles were fantastic -- better than any I've ever had in the Chicago area. I am a huge fan of the nutty flavor of great soba and was excited by how perfect these were. Actually, the whole dish was very well composed, including a terrific squash blossom vinaigrette. The best part is, this salad is on Found's regular menu. Yes, I'll be visiting.
Short rib quesadilla from Frontera/Topolobampo - Tender, delicious short rib with a wonderfully smoky salsa. This is the reason people seek out Bayless' food.
Smoked whitefish panini from GT Fish & Oyster - Despite the fact this panini also featured prosciutto, roasted peppers and a caramelized onion aioli, the smoked whitefish flavor came through and the whole panini was remarkably delicious.
Burnt end sausage from Ina's/Smoque/Butcher & Larder - This is one of those dream collaborations and it worked out beautifully. Oh, and the bbq sauce that incorporated cherries was equally brilliant.
Cheese and sausage scone with peach jam and arugula relish from North Pond - the scone might have suffered a little bit from sitting outside, but it was still fantastic and the flavor combination worked so well.
Honey ice cream and warm berry compote from Prairie Grass Cafe - the honey ice cream was so silky and smooth, with the texture and flavors more like a perfect gelato. Add in a wonderful seasonal berry compote and you have the perfect summer dessert.
Jerk pork sausage with smoked peach mostarda and cherry s'mores from Sepia - Sepia was rocking both the savory and sweet. Not at all surprised - every meal I've had there during Chef Zimmerman's stay has been pretty close to perfect.
Though those were my very favorite items of the evening, there were plenty of other delicious bites (including a goat taco from Girl & The Goat and a grilled cheese from Perennial Virant) and a number of fine cocktails (the one featuring Templeton Rye from The Promontory was easily my favorite) and beer. And thanks to my wonderful, omnivorous dining companion who also came prepared with a sharp knife for cutting portions in half, I was able to sample more than I usually do. It's all about tasting and eating as little bread as possible.
The Green City Market BBQ is always one of my favorite meals of the year, and amazingly, this year's was my favorite ever. And food I taste at the BBQ always serves as a launching pad for me to try restaurants I haven't yet tried. Based on what I tried from Found Kitchen, I have put that near the top of my list.