Our office is located a couple of blocks from Madison Square Park — former home of Madison Square Garden, and current home to the Shake Shack. Once a year the park dons a big bib and gets its BBQ on. That is to say, this weekend is: the Big Apple BBQ Block Party!! Their website is down at the moment. Hopefully, it will be up by the time you’re reading this. In the meantime, here’s a quick summary:

“The Big Apple Barbecue Block Party, Danny Meyer’s annual, free mega-event in Madison Square Park, just announced the participants for June 7 and 8, and we are pleased to see familiar, delicious names. Ed Mitchell of North Carolina will do his legendary whole-hog BBQ, and Chris Lilly of Big Bob Gibson’s in Decatur, Alabama, will be on hand with his pulled pork. Jimmy Hagood of Black Jack BBQ in Charleston, South Carolina, is a notable newcomer, bringing his state’s distinctive mustard-based sauces to a city more familiar with the North Carolina tradition. The New York contingent consists of Blue Smoke, Hill Country, Dinosaur, and the rarely mentioned but worthwhile Rack and Soul.” (Quoted from NYMAG.)

A couple of us will be working this weekend. And more of us will be playing Fourth Edition. But, all of us will be enjoying BBQ.

(Apologies to our non-meat eating cohorts.)