The Dishelin Guide has been out of the game for a while, but I’m happy to bring it back with a review of my favorite food festival of the year: The Big Apple Barbecue Block Party. If you’re not familiar with the concept, I feel sorry for you. But basically in early June of every year, some of the country’s top pitmasters (wizards of making barbecue) bring their smokers and crews to Madison Square Park to gorge you on pulled pork, ribs, brisket and sausage. No tickets are required to enter, which means lines get long for the good stuff. I recommend you either come with a group of friends to divide-and-conquer or pre-purchase a $125 Fast Pass (which includes $100 to purchase food and drink) to access the significantly shorter VIP lines.
Unfortunately as it was this past weekend, you’ll have to wait another year for this guide to really be useful. Unless of course you find yourself roaming around the likes of Yazoo City, Mississippi.
Baby Back Ribs @ Pappy’s Smokehouse (St. Louis, MO) 
What make these the best ribs I’ve eaten? First of all, the meat is fall-off-the-bone perfect with loads of flavor. But if you like ribs, you’ve probably seen that trick before. No, this one comes down to the sauce. It’s not the really wet stuff your ribs sometimes come drenched in, nor is it an entirely dry rub. It also isn’t sweet, but smokey with an earthy blend of spices like nothing you’ve never experienced before.
Pulled Pork Shoulder @ Ubon’s Barbecue (Yazoo City, MS) Simply put, the best barbecue I’ve ever had. I first had it here in 2006, and I’ve come back every year if for no other reason than to grab a sandwich from these guys. The reason for the 4 stars is not just that the meat is amazingly moist and the slaw somehow perfectly crisp despite sitting in mayo all day, it’s because these guys make the best BBQ sauce period. It combines the tart vinegariness of NC style with the richer, thicker sweeter stuff you typically find in the Deep South. Incredible. And it’s available at Fairway Markets in NYC, as is their outstanding BBQ Bloody Mary Mix.
Pulled Pork Shoulder @ Big Bob Gibson BBQ (Decatur, AL) 
Why this line is consistently eight times longer than Ubon’s left me befuddled for the seventh year in a row. I get that Chris Lilly is a bigtime BBQ personality and I don’t disagree that he makes a mean pulled pork sandwich. In fact, it’s one of the best I’ve ever had and if I’m ever around Decatur I’d be sure to make a pitstop. The meat is moist and smokey, but my problem comes from the sauces which are more overwhelming than flavor enhancing. But hey festival-goers, please continue spending an hour in this line so I can get my Ubon’s and Pappy’s faster.
Whole Hog @ Scott’s Bar-B-Que (Hemingway, SC) 
I picked this one from a Robert Siestema recommendation and ignored the fact that it was probably the only station with no line whatsoever. The concept seemed intriguing – a vinegar based sauce (which I hadn’t had that day) and pork rinds on the side (never seen that before). But I should have had more faith in the masses. The meat was dry and not particularly smokey and they were stingy on the sauce (whereas nearly everyone else lets you apply to your heart’s content). I’m giving it one star since I ate it last following some impossible competition and I didn’t hate it. But that said, I can’t recommend you try it at this festival, even if there is no wait.
Smoked Sausage @ Jim N’ Nick’s Bar-B-Q (Birmingham, AL) Since the rating is for food only, this doesn’t even include the operational issues like the fact 5 people behind me in line got their exact same order first and that they were no forks to eat a greasy sausage and lump of pimento cheese with. No, the problem was that the sausage – despite being smoked and stuffed with pork – somehow managed not to have almost no flavor at all. The excellent pimento cheese is the only reason Jim and Nick escape the goose egg.
Big Apple Barbecue Block Party
First or Second Weekend in June
Madison Square Park
New York, NY
