The Wandering Que’s Ari White Crowned 2016 Brisket King of NYC
It was another amazing night of “kosher bacon” loveliness as we crowned a new King of Brisket! On Wednesday, March 16th, Texas-born Ari White of Wondering Que was the Judge’s favorite, taking best in show for his Lamb Brisket.
Winners in all categories:
Smoked category
Runner up: Izzy’s Brooklyn Smokehouse
1st prize: Blue Smoke
Brisket Innovation category
Runner up: Pitmaster Robbie Richter
1st Prize: Cannibal
Cured category
Runner up: Marlow & Daughters
1st Prize: The Wandering Que
Brisket King of NYC
Runner up: Izzy Eidelman of Izzy’s Brooklyn Smokehouse
Brisket King of NYC 2016: Ari White of The Wandering Que
Some other favorite dishes of the night:
Get tickets now for 2016 Brisket King of NYC, taking place on Wednesday, March 16th, at Sanders Studios (Brooklyn) from 6-9:30PM
ALL-INCLUSIVE TICKETS ON SALE HERE. INCLUDES ALL YOU CAN EAT AND DRINK; FULL-ACCESS TO EVENT! TAKES PLACE ON 3/16/16 (FROM 6-9:30 PM) IN BROOKLYN. VIP TABLES (FOR SIX) ALSO AVAILABLE!
“Meat” 2015’s Best Butcher of NYC Jay Fox, who will be carving up a whole beef shoulder at this year’s Brisket King of NYC.
When this artisan butcher comes to Brisket King of NYC on Wednesday, March 16th, the thing he’ll most be looking forward to isn’t winning the crown in the fifth annual “kosher bacon” competition. What he’s most anticipating is being at the center of an incredible beef carving demo as he brings an entire beef chuck shoulder to the event.
“I don’t remember ever seeing a public beef butchering event,” Fox noted earlier this month while removing the cheeks from a beef head at his butcher shop, Hudson and Charles, in the West Village. “People do pig carving demos, but a cow is just so big.”
Fox is one of NYC’s many emerging “meat chefs” who are interested not just in great recipes but the actual meat and artisan practices of craft butchery. His beef is grass-fed and grass-finished from a Finger Lakes farm he works with exclusively.
This “Battle of the Meats” continues to show off both new and established meat chefs and this year we expect to have 20+ chefs and butchers all competing for the glory of beef! Confirmed chefs/restaurants thus far include (subject to change):
- Marlow and Daughters
- Schatzie’s
- Chef Ari White – Gemstone Catering
- The Cannibal
- Jimmy’s No. 43
- J. Fox of Hudson & Charles – with a live butchering demo
- Pitmaster Robbie Richter
- Jake Dickson of Dickson’s Farmstand Meats
- Beast of Bourbon
- Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
- Hill Country Barbecue
- Izzys Brooklyn Smokehouse
- Kimchi Smoke/Robert Austin Cho
- Mable’s Smokehouse
- NYC Hot Sauce Co.
- Ribs Within
- East Village Meat Market
- Many more to come…
As part of our continuing pursuit of working with local farms, we will be creating a special sustainable meat/butchering demo with Slow Money NYC; WÜSTHOF will provide awards for best brisket in several categories along with the award for the new Brisket King.
Also included in the all-access ticket: specialty craft beer and an Indie Spirits line-up curated by Modern Distillery Age Magazine. Also we’ll have Ciders of Spain Avalon from Asturias, produced by Trabanco. All in attendance will enjoy three+ hours of some of the city’s best brisketeers, beer, wine and spirits!
Get your tickets here ($90/pp) and be sure to check out the city’s first public beef carving demo at Brisket King of NYC!
This year’s signature meat event will harken to the rich ethnic culinary heritage of New York City, focusing on up-and-coming meat chefs and artisan butchers who will deliver fresh takes on “the Kosher Bacon” that is brisket. Celebrating our city’s great meat culture, this year’s entries will include everything from traditional brisket to Jewish-style meats to Asian influenced BBQ.
Among the special features for this year’s event will be a beef carving demo by J. Fox of Hudson & Charles, who will be bringing a whole beef shoulder to the event! Your ticket includes the demo, along with all-you-can-eat brisket and all-you-can-drink beer and spirits.
Our first four years of Brisket King of NYC introduced the public to new chefs (John Brown Smokehouse in 2012; Daniel Delaney of Delaney BBQ won in 2013) chefs putting a unique spin on brisket (Will Horowitz, 2014) and established BBQ masters (Billy Durney of Hometown BBQ is the reigning King). This “Battle of the Meats” continues to show off both new and established meat chefs and this year we expect to have 20+ chefs and butchers all competing for the glory of beef! Confirmed chefs/restaurants thus far include (subject to change):
- Marlow and Daughters
- The Cannibal
- Butcher-Chefs Jocelyn Guest and Erika Nakamura
- J. Fox of Hudson & Charles – with a live butchering demo
- Pitmaster Robbie Richter
- Jake Dickson of Dickson’s Farmstand Meats
- Beast of Bourbon
- Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
- Hill Country Barbecue
- Izzys Brooklyn Smokehouse
- Kimchi Smoke/Robert Austin Cho
- Mable’s Smokehouse
- NYC Hot Sauce Co.
- Pig Guy NYC
- Ribs Within
- Many more to come…
As part of our continuing pursuit of working with local farms, we will be creating a special sustainable meat/butchering demo with Slow Money NYC; WÜSTHOF will provide awards for best brisket in several categories along with the award for the new Brisket King.
Also included in the all-access ticket: specialty craft beer and an Indie Spirits line-up curated by Modern Distillery Age Magazine. This year we are also selling a limited number of VIP tables for six. All in attendance will enjoy three+ hours of some of the city’s best brisketeers, beer, wine and spirits!
ALL-INCLUSIVE early bird tickets are $70 and available here. And be sure to check back closer to the event for updates.
Brisket King of NYC Returns Wednesday, March 16th, 2016
What others are saying:
“The now annual ‘Brisket King’ competition has become a late winter staple amid New York City eventgoers, growing larger and larger with each passing year. With more than a dozen options to choose from – and with the many big names representing New York’s barbecue scene – it’s no surprise that the crown is such a highly sought after achievement.” – Local Bozo review of 2015 Brisket King of NYC
We’re in a new and bigger space this year at Sanders Studios, which will allow us to bring even more meaty awesomeness and possibly a “Brisket” week with details to follow. Expect two dozen chefs, plus spirits, wine, beer and VIP areas.
ALL-INCLUSIVE early bird tickets are $70 and available here. And be sure to check back closer to the event for updates.
Looking to compete or interested in being a sponsor? E-mail us today and we’ll reply with more information.
From 2015:
On Monday, March 16th, we crowned a brand-new Brisket King of NYC! The bragging rights went to Pitmaster Billy Durney of Hometown BBQ (Red Hook, Brooklyn) with his traditional smoked brisket.
Winners include:
- 1st place Smoked Category + 2015 Brisket King of NYC: Billy Durney of Hometown BBQ
- 2nd place Smoked Category: Matt Fisher, Fletcher’s Brooklyn Barbecue, with Brisket Bulgogi
- 1st place Innovation Category: Ari White, Wandering Que, with Sous Vide Brisket Nigiri with Lamb Bacon
- 2nd place Innovation Category: Fletcher’s Brooklyn Barbecue
- 1st place Cured Category: Bacsynski’s East Village Meat Market
- Honorable Mention: Morgan’s BBQ (Brooklyn)
For more photos, check out Local Bozo’s gallery here.
PREVIOUS NEWS FOR BRISKET KING 2015
Brisket King returns for a third year to a larger venue! Where else to crown the King of Brisket than in Kings County? That’s right, we’re heading for Brooklyn (Fort Greene) where 20+ chefs will compete for the glory of beef! Anticipated chefs/restaurants to be present (subject to change):
- Food Network Kitchens
- Beast of Bourbon in Brooklyn
- Chef Paul Denamiel
- Ben’s Best
- Hill Country BBQ
- Kimchi Smoke/Robert Cho
- Hometown BBQ
- Chef Brian Perrone (Slows in Detroit, MI)
- Morgan’s BBQ
- Pig Guy NYC
- The Wandering Que
- Dinosaur BBQ
- Ben’s Best Deli (Rego Park, Queens)
- Fletcher’s Brooklyn BBQ
- Chef Jesse Jones
- East Village Meat Market with chef David Navarro of Jimmy’s No. 43
In addition, we’ll have 15+ distilleries curated by Modern Distillery Age:
- Tap Whisky
- Brinley Gold Shipwreck Spiced Rum, Coffee Rum & Vanilla Rum
- Meletti 1870, Amaro & Cioccolato (Market Street Spirits – Opici)
- Teeling Irish Whiskey
- Michter’s Whiskey (Chatham Imports)
- Menage a Trois Vodka (Trinchero Family Estates)
- Pig’s Nose and Sheep Dip Blended Scotch Whisky, Sheep Dip Blended Islay Malt and The Feathery Blended Malt (all Frederick Wildman & Sons)
- Tito’s Vodka
- 4 Roses Bourbon
- Proof Positive Beverages (Golden Moon, Merlet, and Brovo Spirits)
- Scorpion Mezcal
Plus we’ll have both people’s choice and judges awards (special guest judges to include author Stevie Pierson [The Brisket Book], reps from Katz’s Deli, and chefs and personalities from The Food Network). Plus craft beer from Coney Island Brewing.