I have a ticket I can't use. PM me if you'd like it.

SOLD

I am also looking for two tickets. Didn't think I could go but plans have changed.

I don't know about anyone else, but I am starting to get excited about the Green City Market BBQ!!

G Wiv wrote:I don't know about anyone else, but I am starting to get excited about the Green City Market BBQ!!

This will be our first time at the GCM BBQ. Mr. X was lukewarm about the purchase of the tickets when I suggested it a couple of months ago, but I bought them anyway. I told him to trust me (and fellow LTHers.) Any suggestions for us first-timers to navigate the event?

The GP wrote:

G Wiv wrote:I don't know about anyone else, but I am starting to get excited about the Green City Market BBQ!!

This will be our first time at the GCM BBQ. Mr. X was lukewarm about the purchase of the tickets when I suggested it a couple of months ago, but I bought them anyway. I told him to trust me (and fellow LTHers.) Any suggestions for us first-timers to navigate the event?

Pace yourself.

I'm very disappointed that I had to wait so long to buy tickets that they were all gone but I hope you guys take lots of pictures for me to salivate over. Next year!

I have one extra ticket. You can pm if you want it.
Elie

The GP wrote:This will be our first time at the GCM BBQ. Mr. X was lukewarm about the purchase of the tickets when I suggested it a couple of months ago, but I bought them anyway. I told him to trust me (and fellow LTHers.) Any suggestions for us first-timers to navigate the event?

Unfortunately I won't be attending this year. My wife and I went last year and had a great time. The advice to pass yourself is good. It can be a little overwhelming when you first arrive because everyone is starting at the same time and lines can be long (especially for the most well-known vendors). But it didn't take long for the crowd to even out and lines to shorten (or go away).

Last year there was a very long line to enter and it created a bit of a bottleneck. Try arrive early so that if there is a line to enter, you won't miss too much time.

One complaint that I had last year is that the beer line was incredibly long, but there were a lot of beer cups already poured, just waiting for some to take them. I remember the guy from Goose Island yelling "Anyone want a cup of Matilda? Anyone?" (Or whatever the beer happened to be.) I don't know if people in line just didn't hear him, or if everyone wanted one of the lighter beers they were offering. But once it was clear that there were 10 cups of beers just waiting to be taken, and a line of perhaps 50 people not taking them, my wife and I just bypassed the line and grabbed a beer. So shot me!

I'd love to take the one ticket but I really need two. Thanks anyway.

Where is the best place to park for the market bbq?

susan13 wrote:Where is the best place to park for the market bbq?

at home, then take public transit. I know that sounds snarky, but parking is likely to be a nightmare, and I recommend finding an alternative.

Kennyz wrote:

susan13 wrote:Where is the best place to park for the market bbq?

at home, then take public transit. I know that sounds snarky, but parking is likely to be a nightmare, and I recommend finding an alternative.

I'll second this. Competition for parking on Stockton Ave. is intense on days when there aren't any special events going on...can't imagine how crazy it'll be tomorrow evening.

If you do get lucky & find a spot elsewhere, it's likely to be a meter or pay-at-the-box, and the 2-hour limit could put a dent in your wallet (especially if you park on or south of North Ave., where it's $2/hour) and a damper on your eating/drinking/fun.

I wish we could, but we are coming with a toddler from the Western Burbs.

But thanks so much for the suggestions

Hi,

Some people are parking beyond that area, then taking a taxi to Lincoln Park.

I am going public transportation from the northern suburbs.

Regards,

There are a couple of parking garages somewhat close. There's a condo building where Lasalle and Clark meet, but I'm not sure if there is public parking there. A little further away would be Pipers Alley (North and Wells). There's also a garage on Clark just north of Fullerton. There might be other garages further south on Clark, closer to the market, I just can't visualize them right now.

Fortunately we're just a short 151/156 ride away.

susan13 wrote:I wish we could, but we are coming with a toddler from the Western Burbs.

But thanks so much for the suggestions

There are some public garages around there. Here are some:

http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&rl ... s&resnum=1

Being involved with the barbecue, I am lucky to be able to see the chef menu items in advance. Since we have a huge amount of chefs this year, I think everyone should be pleased with the diversity of selections. Pork still takes the lead, skimming the list, I count around 15 pork dishes. But who could ever offer have too much pork at a summer BBQ? About 10 beef dishes, 5 lamb, 2 goat, 2 fish, 1 each of elk, duck, turkey, rabbit, chicken. How did the poor chicken every get so short changed? Also lots of salad and vegetable dishes and the usual great selections of cheese, desserts, ice cream and tasty beverages.

Tickets really did sell out weeks and weeks ago, and this was not any sort of marketing strategy, it was a plan to make sure we did not end up with too many people and not enough food. We easily could have sold several hundred more tickets, but we want to see how it goes this year to gage how it works with this amount of people.

Our attempt to avoid the bottleneck at the gate is to have many more volunteers working than last year, and as early as 5, they will take your ticket and wristband you. Then when the gates open at 6, you can go right in and begin grazing. I hope everyone has a wonderful time.

Patty Erd
The Spice House

Cinnamon Girl wrote:Our attempt to avoid the bottleneck at the gate is to have many more volunteers working than last year

Thanks for that! I'm so excited to be a volunteer this year at one of the check-in stations.

Hey! Chicken cracks the menu!

Honestly, it's probably been a week since I've eaten pig. I need some pork like I was in politics!

gastro gnome wrote:Hey! Chicken cracks the menu!

Wait - Tony Hu's one of the chefs?

Man, this sounds like it's going to be a well-organized, blissfully gut-busting event. I'm really sad to miss it. If any of your ears start to burn as you're taking a bite of some picture-perfect pork belly, that's me jealously thinking of you as I bite into a dry, gray, formerly-frozen burger in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

Hopefully I'll get to make it to this awesome-sounding BBQ next year!

Khaopaat wrote:If any of your ears start to burn as you're taking a bite of some picture-perfect pork belly, that's me jealously thinking of you as I bite into a dry, gray, formerly-frozen burger in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

Pick up a blueberry pie from Main Street Cafe in Bloomer, and at least a little of that envy will be reflected back this direction. Give Castle Rock Dairy ice cream a try too.

Kennyz wrote:

Khaopaat wrote:If any of your ears start to burn as you're taking a bite of some picture-perfect pork belly, that's me jealously thinking of you as I bite into a dry, gray, formerly-frozen burger in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

Pick up a blueberry pie from Main Street Cafe in Bloomer, and at least a little of that envy will be reflected back this direction. Give Castle Rock Dairy ice cream a try too.

I could go for a slice of that for breakfast right about now...unfortunately, we're heading due north of Green Bay, so it doesn't look like delicious pies are in my future.

However, if all goes according to schedule today, I could have lunch at Captain Porky's to look forward too

I do appreciate the recs though, and look forward to hearing about this BBQ and drooling over any pics anyone might take!

Khaopaat wrote:

Kennyz wrote:

Khaopaat wrote:If any of your ears start to burn as you're taking a bite of some picture-perfect pork belly, that's me jealously thinking of you as I bite into a dry, gray, formerly-frozen burger in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

Pick up a blueberry pie from Main Street Cafe in Bloomer, and at least a little of that envy will be reflected back this direction. Give Castle Rock Dairy ice cream a try too.

I could go for a slice of that for breakfast right about now...unfortunately, we're heading due north of Green Bay, so it doesn't look like delicious pies are in my future.

However, if all goes according to schedule today, I could have lunch at Captain Porky's to look forward too

I do appreciate the recs though, and look forward to hearing about this BBQ and drooling over any pics anyone might take!

If you can make it over to Marinette, you can at least get an outstanding burger from Mickey Lu Bar-B-Q.

I'm really excited for this BBQ! Any advice on plan of attack? Get in line for drinks first and then tackle the food, or vice versa? I'm sure that it will be a complete mad house for the first 30 mins or so, and I want to maximize consumption

DosaGirl wrote:I'm really excited for this BBQ! Any advice on plan of attack? Get in line for drinks first and then tackle the food, or vice versa? I'm sure that it will be a complete mad house for the first 30 mins or so, and I want to maximize consumption

Scroll up. I don't think it matters if you eat or drink first.

This will be my third visit to the Green City BBQ and I'm as excited as ever. I think the "pace yourself" advice is spot on. I can't remember being so full of food as I was the last two years there. Also, skip lunch! I don't recall having any issues with inordinately long lines. For first-timers, I think you'll pick up the vibe of the event and how to approach it very soon after you arrive--just have fun and enjoy the evening.

As for parking, you might try to park on Armitage between Sedgwick and Halsted. There are no meters for a few stretches there and no residential parking restrictions. You can grab the #73 bus east to the park or just walk over from there.

I literally am counting the seconds until tonight's event, see you all there!!!!

Fun times! I tried to pace myself, it didn't work. I enjoyed most everything I had there. I think my favorite was the blood sausage corn dog. I have a soggy praline I stuck into my pocket, maybe it will still have structural integrity in the morning... Saw a bunch of LTH-ers, not even counting everyone at Gary's booth (prime spot just inside the entrance).

One suggestion - the coolers were not labelled, so we didn't drink from them, and I could have used a non-alcoholic drink. I just wanted water...

The rain wasn't that bad, either

Had a terrific time at our first GCMBBQ. Great eating, great drinking, and great to stop and chat with folks before quickly getting back to eating and drinking.

Quick notes:

1. Slider City, Pt. 1: The Ritz's Hot Dog Slider could win a Top Chef Reimagined Classic Junk Food Challenge™.

2. The two longest lines I saw tonight were for Bayless and Wiviott. Go Gary.

3. Call me a Mado fanboy, but their BBQ Beef Tongue sandwich was outrageously good.

4. Figs-Trout-Homerun

5. The only parts of my Eli's goat cheesecake that weren't frozen were the outermost edges. They tasted good, but with a 2-hour gorging window, I couldn't wait for the rest to thaw.

6. Slider City, Pt. 2: Best burger of the night easily the Park Grill's juicy, medium rare slider. Pulled pork topping was superfluous. Nobody told them Wiviott was coming?

7. I couldn't taste the "smoked" or the "panna cotta" in Chef Sweet T's Smoked Blueberry, Yogurt & Outmeal Panna Cotta, but I enthusiastically ate the whole thing while trying to make sense of it.

8. Stephanie Izard's beer-braised goat: Hype lived up to.

8. If one more person calls this the must-attend event of the summer... I will have to agree with them.

Thanks to all who made this party happen.

--Rich