How We Celebrated Our BBQ Wedding
Sean and Stephanie got married at Pig Beach NYC three weeks ago. (Photo by Thomas Hedges)
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Three weeks ago, NYC BBQ founder Sean Ludwig got married to Stephanie Tackach at Pig Beach NYC in Brooklyn. It was an incredible “BBQ wedding” that transformed Pig Beach’s backyard into an intimate venue with out-of-this-world food.
Below is a guest post written by Sean’s new wife Stephanie, who wrote about the wedding experience. It will finally be a chance to leave her mark on the newsletter after 127 issues. Sean will also write more about the wedding in a future issue of his national newsletter The Smoke Sheet.
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Sean and I met a few short months before he started the NYC BBQ Weekly and The Smoke Sheet newsletters. I don’t eat nearly as much meat as Sean, so throughout our relationship, you can imagine how many BBQ places and events I’ve tagged along with him to. While I’ve been a stickler for making sure we have at least one veggie side and pushing for a healthier lifestyle, watching Sean and his appreciation for food and the pitmaster’s craft has been something I admire about him.
Over the past two and a half years of watching Sean interact with many people in the BBQ food industry, the one thing that stands out is how much of a community there really is among these people. Some of these restaurants didn’t make it through COVID, and many others have experienced hardships like fires, and it’s genuinely amazing how supportive people are within the community. The community really looks after its own, and we’ve been blessed to meet so many of these fantastic folks.
Brisket ravioli, a staple at former restaurant Pig Bleecker, was a hit at the wedding. (Photo by Thomas Hedges)
Early on in our relationship, Sean took me to the restaurant Pig Bleecker, which was formerly in the West Village. It was the first time I sat across from him at a table and had to wait for him to take photos of each item with his fancy light before I could take a bite — all while others around the restaurant looked in our direction. I now have a new appreciation for any partner of a photo or video-based influencer, especially a food one.
I remember this dinner very clearly because we had terrific grilled oysters and brisket ravioli. Sean informed me that Pig Bleecker executive chef Matt Abdoo had spent some of his time training and working in Italy, meaning he had a deep appreciation of Italian food and barbecue. I love all things Italy and have traveled there three times. I could eat fresh Italian pasta for dinner every night and be happy. We also eventually got engaged in Florence, Italy, in February 2020.
As many of you know, Matt is now the chef and pitmaster at Pig Beach NYC in Brooklyn, and it’s the spot where I met many of Sean’s friends for the first time. It is the closest BBQ joint to my apartment building (where Sean now lives as well), so we visit pretty often. It’s also the restaurant where we ordered our last Christmas Eve dinner from, our first Christmas dinner together since we both weren’t traveling due to the pandemic, and we wanted to support one of our favorite places.
Sean and Stephanie got married at Pig Beach NYC in Gowanus, Brooklyn. (Photo by Thomas Hedges)
At the beginning of 2021, we started to think about where and how to have a wedding. The only detail we knew for sure was that we wanted Matt to make those unforgettable brisket ravioli, which would be a way to combine my love of Italian food and Sean’s love of barbecue. We also wanted to find ways to support local businesses based in New York.
I never imagined myself getting married at a BBQ restaurant, but I can tell you that it was a fitting place we could tie the knot and have at the center of our special day. We wanted a wedding that felt like “us,” where we knew the food and drinks would be top-notch, and everyone could be comfortable and have a great time. Pig Beach delivered for us.
If you haven’t been to Pig Beach, it has an enormous outdoor space in the back. Back in March, when we finalized the contract with them, we knew we’d be able to space people out if New York State still required it. And we knew Pig Beach’s beautiful string lights would provide a more intimate feel.
Smoked tri-tip steak with chimichurri sauce was one of the main dishes served at the wedding. (Photo by Thomas Hedges)
We kicked off the evening with our ceremony a little after 6 p.m., and 30 minutes later, our guests had drinks in hand. They also enjoyed a fantastic country ham and cheese board, and three passed appetizers: stuffed mushrooms, smoked salmon on everything bagel chips, and wood-fired roasted red pepper crostinis with goat cheese. After an hour, we moved to dinner, where the first course served was brisket ravioli and ricotta ravioli, both topped with black truffle butter and red wine jelly. We probably could have stopped there because they were all the rage and just as good as Sean and I remembered from back at Pig Bleecker.
During that time, my mother and Sean’s father both gave touching speeches. We also popped out on the dancefloor (grass turf we brought to the venue) to have our first dance, and Sean had a Mother-Son dance. Then we sat down just as the main courses came out and were starting to be served.
The main course items were served family-style. They included a garden salad, smoked turkey with black pepper and herbs, tri-tip steak with chimichurri sauce, roasted rosemary potatoes, and BBQ buttery green beans. We heard rave reviews about everything, especially the salad dressing and both types of meat. Both the turkey and tri-tip can be found regularly on the Pig Beach menu, and you should try them if you haven’t already.
Another main dish item was Pig Beach's excellent smoked turkey with black pepper and herbs. (Photo by Thomas Hedges)
Following dinner, then it was time to dance it all off. The frosé and other drinks were flowing, the music was jamming, and everyone partied their hearts out. While people were dancing, we then offered up key lime pie bites, rice krispy treats, and brownies for dessert, in addition to our delicious wedding cupcakes from Molly’s Cupcakes.
If you’re wondering where items like ribs and mac and cheese were, I had made Sean agree to have non-traditional BBQ food for our wedding meal. Just like marriage is about meeting in the middle, we found the perfect middle ground with this menu. However, we were sure to pull out the “Chef Jeff” brisket sandwiches, mac and cheese, BBQ chips, and BBQ popcorn for the after party that we hosted in the back room at 11 p.m.
Friends of Sean and Stephanie celebrate the new couple. (Photo by Thomas Hedges)
At the end of it all, we couldn’t be more appreciative of the staff at Pig Beach, which was absolutely incredible. I don’t think it would have been so smooth if it wasn’t for this team, who helped execute during every part of the night.
We were so happy we could introduce many of our family and friends to this place that is so special to us, and we know our guests are still dreaming about those ravioli.
Stephanie Tackach
NYC BBQ Wife
EAT ALL ABOUT IT
Staten Island’s Juicy Lucy BBQ announced that this weekend it will close its drive-in movie theater.
Here are the top BBQ and related food news stories you need to know about this week:
Juicy Lucy BBQ of Staten Island announced it would close its drive-in movie theater this weekend after sales slowed down. The inventive drive-in theater was launched last year during the pandemic as a safe and fun activity for families looking for a fun night out. “We are so happy the world is getting back to normal, and as a result of that, the movie experience just has not been performing the way we anticipated. But what a great thing it was, and we were so proud to bring it to you Staten Island!” wrote owner Richie Holmes on Facebook. READ HERE.
The lamb belly at Hamilton Pork in Jersey City was spotlighted by Eater NY as one of its standout dishes of 2021 so far. READ HERE.
Mighty Quinn’s BBQ was one of several large NYC restaurants that received aid from the federal government’s Restaurant Revitalization Program, receiving a $5.8 million award to help the fast-casual chain get back on its feet following the pandemic. Additionally, Momofuku Restaurant Group received $6.8 million from the program and Peter Luger Steakhouse received $5 million. READ HERE.
The Food Network recently shouted out the Carolina Red BBQ sauce created by the Hudson Valley-based Handsome Devil BBQ. READ HERE.
Philadelphia-area chef Keith Taylor, known as “Chef Soul,” opened Zachary’s BBQ & Soul on July 6 inside the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center in PA. READ HERE.
Pitmaster John Stage of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que fame shared six tips for making your own BBQ sauce, which he worked on during lockdown. READ HERE.
Newsday profiled the “long, slow grand opening” for the Mighty Quinn’s BBQ location in Garden City on Long Island. The location opened in August 2020 and slowly has found its footing. READ HERE.
IRL BBQ EVENTS
Do not miss out on the next Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival in Brooklyn on July 31, which will feature lots of smoked meats and drinks.
Here are the top BBQ and related food events coming soon to the New York metro area:
July 31, 2021: The 11th Annual Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival will soon be back at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint. This event focuses on bourbon and beer tastings, along with multiple barbecue joints serving up lots of excellent smoked meats. It’s highly recommended to buy a VIP ticket and show up early so you can try more BBQ items. BUY TICKETS HERE.
August 19 & 20, 2021: At the Dan’s GrillHampton event at Nova’s ARK in the Hamptons, four pitmasters/chefs from the Hamptons will take on four pitmasters/chefs from NYC. This one-of-a-kind cooking competition and tasting event will offer great grilled fare, beer, and specialty cocktails, along with live music and dancing. Guests will become part of the action as they vote for the finest food. BUY TICKETS HERE.
September 11, 2021: At the end of the summer, Pig Island NYC will celebrate its 12th year on September 11, 2021, at Snug Harbor on Staten Island. The event will honor firefighters and help raise money for the Friends of Firefighters nonprofit. Join in for all-inclusive food and drink from all-star pitmasters and chefs who will be serving up delicious porky goodness, as well as local breweries, distilleries, and cideries. Top chefs will compete for the best dishes, and event-goers reap the benefits. BUY TICKETS HERE.
October 15-16, 2021: Tickets are available now for the Hartford Rib Off, an annual charity fundraiser in Riverside Park in Hartford, Conn. The proceeds from the two-day event will benefit The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, Journey Home of Hartford, and The Hartford Rib Off Scholarship Fund. Tickets can get you access to admission, parking, kids’ activities, an all-you-can-eat buffet, free barbecue samples, a tasting cup with continual pours, live music, unlimited soft drinks, and access to vendors. BUY TICKETS HERE.
October 16-17, 2021: The 8th Annual Hot Sauce Expo NYC will be back for two days in fall 2021. The event will be held at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint and will feature tons of hot sauce samples, barbecue, and beer to purchase, fun on-stage events, and more. BUY TICKETS HERE.
SAY HELLO
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