Published: August 13, 2008 05:10 pm            

FOOD: BBQ showdown comes to Wheatfield

It’s only the first year for the Smokin’ Eagles BBQ Championship at The Summit mall in Wheatfield, but organizer Roy Gregory already has lofty aspirations for the new food festival.

“I want to make this bigger than the Taste of Buffalo,” Gregory said. “I want 300,000 people here.”

Gregory’s dreaming big, but with 15 teams confirmed to compete in this weekend’s event, it’s easy to get carried away.

The teams, including a few Canadian teams and an Ohio squad, will square off in direct competition, as cooks compete in the categories of chicken, brisket, pork shoulder and pork ribs.

Local barbecue mavens will be involved, of course, including a few restaurants. Formal BBQ and Event Catering from Niagara Falls and East Coast BBQ Company from Ransomville will be involved, Gregory said.

Teams will arrive Friday to meet and begin cooking. That same night, a barbecue judging class will be held at the Wheatfield Senior Center for those wishing to judge the event. The cost of that class is $20.

But it won’t just be amateur judges at this event. According to Gregory, experienced barbecue judges are flying in from all over.

“We have judges from Kansas City,” Gregory said, “judges from Florida, New York City, Rochester.”

The grand champion of the event will be invited to the National BBQ Festival’s Best of the Best Invitational BBQ Cook-Off in late October or early November in Georgia.

For those hungry for all this barbecue, the best time to show up at the event would be late morning or early afternoon Saturday, Gregory said. He wants all competitors to have food available until 5 p.m., but he can’t guarantee it.

There will be a slight charge to get in (no more than $5), and the teams will charge reasonable prices for their food, Gregory said.

Gregory believes local barbecue is “good,” but holding such an event can only increase the presence of the delicacy.

“It’s like people are coming out of the woodwork,” he said. “This is going to help build a network between the barbecue people.”

And though Gregory is most definitely a barbecue person, he won’t compete in the event due to the time it takes to organize everything. But he assures hungry visitors not to worry.

“I’ll be honest with you,” he said. “They’re going to be better cooks than me.”



IF YOU GO

* WHAT: Smokin’ Eagles BBQ Championship

* WHEN: Friday (for judging class) and Saturday (for the event)

* WHERE: The Summit, 6929 Williams Road, Wheatfield

* MORE INFORMATION: Visit 1411foe.com

        

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