Pork in the Park BBQ and Food Festival Piggifies the New Mill River Park in Stamford

Bob LeRose can’t seem to sit still or remain inactive.  He first brought Bobby Q’s to Westport and quickly stacked up awards, smoking out the competition at contest after contest.  From there, he organized and built up one of the best events in the state:  Blues, Views & BBQ.  Then, Bobby took BBQ in Fairfield County in a whole new direction with the creation of Bar Q, tapas style BBQ in Downtown Stamford.  And, just recently, he opened up Bobby Q’s Pit Stop in Old Greenwich with his cousin Joey Boucher, serving up BBQ, burgers, chili, and dogs.

For the average, ordinary person that might be too much to handle in just a few years, but we’re not talking about anyone average.  We’re talking about Bob LeRose, whose veins run rampant with BBQ sauce.  He’s taken it to an all new level now with the creation of the first ever Pork in the Park, happening July 13 (11-8 pm) + 14 (11-6 pm) in the brand new Mill River Park in Stamford.  You can think of Pork in the Park as a similar kind of experience to Blues, Views & BBQ, but Bob shared with us that this festival will have a stronger focus on food.  And, a portion of money made from the event is going directly to help the Mayor’s Youth Employment Program and the Mill River Collaborative.  Here are the details that Bob shared with us:

Official KCBS Cook-off

First off, Bob’s been dying to do an official Kansas City Barbeque Society contest for a while.  The event at Blues, Views & BBQ isn’t official (though it started that way) and is more of a backyard BBQ kind of contest, but the contest this year in Stamford is totally legit in the eyes of KCBS.  That means this contest is actually considered a state championship.  The winners will qualify for American Royal and have a chance to get into the Jack Daniels Championship. BBQ chefs (want to take part?) will be cooking chicken, ribs, pork butt, and brisket then turning them in for judging.  The judges are certified by KCBS and know their stuff and judge pitmasters based on the following criteria: appearance, taste, and tenderness.  Trust us, after helping judge two summers of Blues, Views & BBQ contests with official KCBS certified judges, they are hardcore.  You take an oath before your judging duties, you try the BBQ without knowing who cooked it, and you can’t talk during the tasting at all.  This is the major leagues of BBQ, son.

Food Options

There will be tons of BBQ, burgers and dogs from Bobby Q’s Pit Stop, lobster rolls, cheese steaks and more from Hot off the Grille, killer Belgian fries from Fyrborg, roasted corn, Volta gelato and crepes, nuggets galore from Garden Catering, and even more food and food trucks!   And…there will be OmNomCT Chef demos:

12:15-1         Nick Type and Seth Leifer (co-owners) of Station Eats in Stamford
1-1:45           Gary Brown of Bistro 7 in Wilton
1:45-2:30   Nikki Glekas with mother-in-law Dina Glekas Loukrezis of EOS in Stamford
2:30-3:15   Kris Yeager, hardcore BBQ competitor.  His team, I.Q. BBQ won first place in ribs and desserts last year at Blues, Views, & BBQ and were named Grand Champion, coming in first overall.  This year they are competing at the KCBS event under a new name:  That’s Our Que.

Sunday, 7/14 (We’ll be around, so say hi)

11:30-12:15 Carlo Fuda, Final 10 Competitor from American Baking Competition on CBS, Official 100% paisano, Chef, Baker, Blogger.
12:15-1          Jason Maur Power Foodie, Competitor from Master Chef on FOX, Chef, Blogger
1-3:15            Break
3:15-4           Ryan Das Goob of Savory Smoke Catering
4-4:45          Steve Costanzo of Olio in Stamford

Entertainment

Like Blues, Views & BBQ, there will be tons to do, especially with your family.  But, things will be a bit different from Blues, Views & BBQ because Bob’s getting some very talented musicians from around the area to create an eclectic mix of bands.  You’ll want to stay at Pork in the Park all day, no doubt.

So, make sure to keep up with us and check back on the Pork in the Park site for the latest info.

Pork in the Park

7/13 (11-8 pm) + 7/14 (11-6 pm)

Cost:  $15 for adults, $5 for kids

Mill River Park

Stamford, CT