July 10, 2013 By Bill Parry
Well over 200 people are expected to descend on Sunnyside Gardens Park on Thursday evening for “Summerbeat,” a culinary celebration of roasted meat and locally produced beer.
The event is being presented by Edible Queens, a popular foodie magazine published by a local resident. For $40 per ticket, attendees will be offered open-fire roasted meats prepared by five of the best chefs in Queens. They will also be served with craft beer produced by local breweries. The event goes from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and is an all-you-can-eat, all-you-can drink affair.
Jay Soysal, a resident of 42nd St. and Skillman Ave., took over as the publisher of Edible Queens in March after several years as its creative director. “Summerbeat” coincides with the release of his first edition entitled: This Summer Eat Meat, Drink Beer.
“In a way it’s a relaunch party for the magazine,” Soysal said. Furthermore, “I want Sunnysiders to see what’s going on in the rest of the borough, and I want the restaurants to see what’s going on here in Sunnyside.”
Tyson Ho, a well known pit master from Flushing, is preparing a 200 pound Yorkshire hog for the event, where he will use traditional North Carolina smoking techniques.
Ho, who operates the The Arrogant Swine doesn’t actually have a restaurant; however, he is known for taking his skills on the road—such as his “Hog Days of Summer” tours between Long Island City and Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
Ho aims to impress Sunnysiders because he might open his first restaurant in this neighborhood.
“I’ve been looking in Sunnyside,” Ho said. “This is a great neighborhood.”
Meanwhile, Peter Giannakas, the chef at Ovelia Psistaria in Astoria, is also looking for positive feedback. Giannakos will serve up a 25-pound rotisserie lamb roasted on an open flame.
The owner of LIC Market, Alex Schindler, will be roasting whole ducks. “Crispy skins and succulent juices,” Schindler said, adding, “It’s going to be a great night.”
Anne Shisler-Hughes, who writes for Edible Queens and planned ‘Summerbeat’, said the event will “be a high quality, chill event that will raise funds for some of the park’s facilities.”
“There will be great chefs, from great restaurants filling up the shady grove barbeque area. Several local breweries will roll out the kegs to wash it all down,” Shisler-Hughes said.
Big Alice Brewery, and Bridge and Tunnel will serve up the brew, along with Rockaway Brewing Company. RBC’s owner Ethan Long understands that the roast meats will garner most of the attention, but said: “We make the beer, so we’re a good part of the story.”
Sunnyside establishments aren’t a part of the event despite Soysal’s ties to the neighborhood and his association with The Skillman Project for whom he does consulting work. He even designed the logo that the group uses to advertise their seasonal pub crawls.
The Edible Queens publisher says he frequents several of the local establishments, including Claret, Murphy’s Bar, Flynn’s Garden Inn and The Copper Kettle. “I love those places, but they aren’t hardcore meat roasters,” Soysal said. “I think they’re cool with that and hope that these businesses cash in on the after parties.”
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24 Comments
I went there on Thursday night and it was a nice enough event. Was disappointed that they didn’t hav the pig on view as it cooked and also we didn’t see the ducks cooking. I happen to like the crispy parts of the roasted animals but that was discarded into thrash bins. It was a nice event and nice to see people enjoying themselves in the park and meeting new people. But they could definately do a better job with it in the future. $40 is a little too much to expect people to pay for this kind of event. My big disappointment was just the way the food was served. They advertised it as a big roast but we never saw any of that.
@ sully
The ones in the neighborhood aren’t very good. This is coming from someone who is really hoping for some new better ones.
Wish I’d seen this sooner, I love barbecue and I would definitely encourage a barbecue place to move into Sunnyside.
$40 is steep, but for all-you-can-eat barbecue AND all-you-can-drink beer? Harder to argue with that.
@ Get a Life Dinner at any one of the restaurant/bars in Sunnyside with 3 or 4 beers would be about $40. At this event you would have got a belly full of beer and some good food, just the same as if you went out to eat at the bar. $40 is a reasonable, IF you actually think about it rather than jumping on the ‘moan about everything’ band waggon.
Based on Bar 43
Vegetible Spring Roll Startes $7.95
Fish & Chips Main $12.95
3x Goose Island IPA’s $18.00
Tip & Tax $5.86
TOTAL $44.76
$40 to get in? Yup, an event for the Sunnyside Gardens elites.
so, none of our own restaurants made the cut?….just wondering why they weren’t included……what’s up with that?
Come see Donald and Lydia at Murphy’s after! Singing classic Americana and originals. Good drinking music!!
I LOVE Edible Queens. Am going to try to get out of work early to go to this event!
Have you seen some of the people in Sunnyside? I’m afraid he will need more than 1 hog.
Sound great! Go Edible Queens!!
For a few months now I’ve been really excited about this. That being said I was pretty bummed out when I saw the day and time as I don’t get home from night classes until after 9:30. I’d have loved to meet more non-frat pub crawl potential foodie drunks my age.
Again, I stand by my willingness to pay a large monthly fee just for grill access.
Sounds like a great local event. Much needed community uplift for our area, if you ask me. Why pee all over it?
@ anon
Your response is invalid for their receipt of public funds argument, thank you very much.
Long lines, a plethora of pushy Moms with more kids than they know how to control, arrogant Hipsters, clueless newbies to the ‘hood, Yuppies with entitlement issues….oh, and a hot and steamy afternoon with a great chance of being soaked both literally by thunderstorms and at the door?
Fuggetaboutit!!!!
I will be at Murphy’s enjoying fresh, cold oysters for a dollar each and ice cold pints of my favorite beer.
@NativeNyer It’s your’s, feel free to use it as needed, I’ll even send you an extended version for when someones comment is really really stupid 🙂
SP
Suddenly you don’t want opinions regarding the park? Yet, you include a quote by Ann Hughes that says the event will raise funds for some of the park’s facilities! Who do you think you’re kidding? Can’t have your cake & eat it too.
Any strippers?
What local beer?
@Anon.an.on: Well said. May I borrow you answer every time Sunnyside Post does a story on the park? 🙂
The O’Sullivan clan will be there! My only apprehension is the weather: we have been enduring extreme heat and humidity for the past couple of weeks (the norm for NYC summers), plus the weather channel is calling for scattered thunder storms on Thursday evening. Hope the weather turns out nice! This looks fun!
@me No, they want your $40 to cover the ‘all you can eat food and drink’. Sunnyside Gardens is a private park, those that use it pay their fee and give up some of their spare time to keep it running, although it would be nice if it was open to everyone, it isn’t their fault that you didnt move into Sunnyside Gardens thus giving you access. I don’t have access neither but that’s my fault for not moving within the garden catchment area. Don’t be bitter about it.
This is a special event put on by Edible Queens and has little to do with how the park functions.
Please save your opinions regarding the park (pro or against) for another time. Thank you.
This sounds great! Can’t wait
I get it now………you want my $40 and THEN I can come into Sunnyside Gardens Park where I am not allowed otherwise???
FORGET IT!