By Lisa Green When Joanna Virello moved to Hillsdale, New York from the city, the food publicist knew she wanted to do a food event. “This is God’s country,” she says. “I wanted to shine a spotlight on the town.” That spotlight will shed a glow on not just the town but the bounty coming out of the Route 22 corridor in a new event, Grillsdale 2016 at the Hilltop Barn at Roeliff Jansen Park on Saturday, Aug. 27 from 6-10:30 p.m., rain or shine. Grillsdale will be more than a farm-to-table food fest. It will be a grill competition among some of the most renowned chefs in the area, special big name guests from New York and beyond, celebrity judges, local beverage purveyors, three alt-country bands, and a raffle for a Raleigh Port Townsend bike (complete with beer rack). Of course, all of the meat and produce will be coming from local farms, but the offerings may be a little different from what you’ve seen at other outdoor get-togethers.
The entry fee includes tastings of nine different dishes, including Mexican sliders from Dafna Mizrahi of Monte’s Local Kitchen and Tap Room (she was a Chopped champion); pork belly tacos from Charlie Norman of 52 Main in Millerton and an Argentine dish by special guest Rolo Scarpetti who runs a restaurant in southern Brazil. Jack Peele from JACüTERIE at Herondale Farm will be serving Thai/Vietnamese bahn mi with Thai sausage. David Wurth of Crossroads Café in Hillsdale will supply dessert. And don’t cross this event off your list if you’re a vegetarian. Justin Panzer from The Oakhurst Diner will be grilling veggies on a six-foot grill, and there’ll be an auxiliary grill offering Mexican street corn. Judges include John Markus of BBQ Pitmasters fame (and a Craryville resident) and Steven Abrams, CEO and owner of Magnolia Bakery and the newly spawned downtown NYC branch of JG Mellon, which is considered by some to be the best burger joint in the city (he’s also an Ancram resident). Attendees will get to vote, too.
Virello says once she and her cohorts at the Hillsdale-based events team Shire 935 Productions (Barbara Olsen Pascale and Meghan McCann) had the concept in place, they received an incredible amount of cooperation from local restaurants, farms, businesses and town officials. And because Virello is both a food and bicycling fanatic, she wanted the event to have a bike-related component. “It was a no-brainer to involve the Harlem Valley Rail Trail,” she says. A portion of the event proceeds will be contributed to the trail. Chefs competing on grills in the hills, showcasing not only their grill skills but the quality and range of meat and produce at our local and regional farms. What could be better? Tickets are moving fast; reserve yours now. Grillsdale 2016Saturday, Aug. 27, 6-10:30 p.m. Hilltop Barn at Roeliff Jansen Park 9140 Rt. 22, Hillsdale, NY Tickets, $65
