Be Ironic and Organize an Autumn Barbecue

by aliciak - October 08, 2008

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My friend and I have a biannual tradition: organizing barbecues in the park off-season, one in the spring and one in the fall. We weren't TRYING to be ironic or obnoxious, but in New York, everyone is running in a million different directions in the summer! (Well, always, but...) Including my friend, so Spring or Fall it was! Less competition for grills, less heat, fewer bugs and a little more creativity when it comes to the "menu" all make me conclude that I will quite possibly never have a run-of-the-mill summer bbq again.

The Planning Stages

Planning a barbecue not in your backyard takes a little more organization and thinking ahead. Plus, you’re going to be lugging a looooooot of stuff somewhere, and possibly without the aid of a car. The only thing at the park will be a grill and access to indoor plumbing (if you’re lucky…off-season usually means porta-potties). First up is the invitation process:

Ask, suggest, beg and then plead for your bbq invitees to bring something AND to indicate what that something is. No one wants 400 plastic cups and no forks, or 6 bags of chips without any dip.
Do not rely on anyone for the following, because when they come down with a headache last minute, you are SOL: garbage bags, serving utensils, napkins, plates, and coals.
Choose a starting and ending time, as most parks will close at dusk and the party can’t carry on under the stars.

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Send an Evite

I still prefer this invite-original, because it saves your contacts, you can re-use old invites and it has fun images and designs like personified condiment bottles and “Flamingo Lawn Party.”

It has space where you RSVP to write in a comment, i.e., what you’re bringing. Some people will still not follow directions, but it’s okay—you just don’t invite them next time. ;)

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I miss "real" invitations

Remember those? I still get them for weddings and showers, but gone are the days, at least in New York, where you got birthday, bbq and party invitations in the mail. Save the trees, more efficient to communicate digitally, I know! But how cool would it be to plan a bbq with the above as your invitation? It’s damask!

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Parkin' It in ALL 5 Boroughs!

Because this guide is specifically to help you plan a grillin’ partay in a public park, there are a few things to consider. Like, where to have said grillin’ partay. Not all parks allow you to grill. Central Park? No grilling ANYWHERE.

If it’s off-season, sometimes there is no access to bathrooms or running water peroid (how will you pee? how will you put out the fire at the end? how will you wash your hands?). These are the nitty-gritty logistics that actually matter, so do your homework ahead of time.

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Prospect Park

95 Prospect Park West Brooklyn, NY 11215

The site of ALL of our park bbqs to date, chiefly because we live nearby and it’s a fantastic park designed by the same folks who whipped up Central Park.

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Morningside Park

90 Morningside Drive New York, NY 10027

One of the city’s smaller parks at 30 acres, the sloping terrain in this part of Upper Manhattan is unique and “scenic.”

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Clove Lakes Park

1150 Clove Road Staten Island, NY 10301

There’s a 300-year-old tulip tree here. I don’t know about you, but that’s the kind of random tidbit that makes a trip somewhere a guarantee.

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Flushing Meadows-Corona Park

11101 Corona Avenue Flushing, NY 11368

Queens is quite the melting pot, and one of its most popular parks reflects this. Smell the various grillables alone and you can easily glean that, yes, New York IS diverse once you leave your gentrified nabe.

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Let's Eat!

Whoa there champ, this isn’t some pre-made onion dip and fritos kind of party. A fall barbecue still means BARBECUE, or more accurately, grilled food, but give it that autumn flavor. Because of the no-refrigerated and transportation issues, you must be savvy when it comes to planning the menu. I.e., this is not time for gargantuan pots of soup or 13X9 pans of lasagna. You’re going for ease, taste and efficiency.

Grillable food can be the usual: hot dogs, tofu pups, steaks, garden burgers. For the “sides,” think pasta salads, regular salads, dips and desserts. There will be a slight nip in the air…people will want comfort food-esque choices!

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Bring your own grill

I like to cover all bases and prepare for the worst: ALL grills are taken. It’s possible! Maybe less chance in the spring and fall, but it’s New York—there are so many people!!! In order to prep., I buy those small portable grills from Duane Reade that only knock you back $5 a piece. I think I’m smart for doing so, but my friend calls me paranoid.

Just you wait, I will SAVE a future bbq with my drug store purchase.

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Cold Peanut Noodle Salad

It makes a ton and is delicious!

Ingredients

½ pound spaghetti or angel hair

½ cup creamy peanut butter

¼ cup rice vinegar

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 ½ tsp chili-garlic sauce, or dash of hot pepper sauce

1 tsp sesame oil (optional)

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

½ tsp lime zest

½ tsp salt

2/3 cup canola oil

½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

¼ cup scallions, chopped (optional)

¼ cup salted peanuts, chopped (optional)

Directions

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Meanwhile, combine ingredients through salt in food processor. With motor running, slowly add canola oil in a steady stream. Return pasta to pot and toss with dressing. Garnish with optional ingredients (I recommend doing so!) and serve.

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Beverages

Some parks will forbid you to have alcohol, others will permit you, and still others will be totally ambiguous about the whole thing. If forbidden, it’s all about the opaque cup. If permitted, go wild. If ambiguous, well, go wild. I am partial to the idea that if I don’t see a HUGE sign telling me not to do something, I’m allowed to do it.

Even if I do see a sign? Well, someone in my family, I won’t mention any names, once taught me that if you don’t like what a sign tells you, you remove it, chop it into pieces and throw it into the garbage. (Um, no really, we did this).

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Transportation Time!

Throw everything in the car and book it to the park. And done. Oh wait, you may not have a car. Because you are an awesome New Yorker. Well shoot, that complicates things. Often we have a car to transport, but we have also carried everything via bicycles, which was…interesting. And slightly dangerous. But oh so green of us! Here are some tips for the transit logistics:

Pack things well! In tupperware that are well-sealed and can be stacked easily. And NOT in bags/backpacks that you actually like…there will be spillage.
Have an emergency contingency plan in the event that you forget something: choose a park near your apartment OR near a grocery store, deli, etc. Think about the amount of time it will take to race off to buy extra charcoal if need be.
Recruit nearby friends to help you! The incentive? Um, making the bbq possible in the first place. Having a bike brigade en route to the park carrying pasta salad and picnic blankets is actually quite enjoyable.

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Discussions

: by AlexandraF 10/27/2008 Reply

drool….shiver

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About The Author

aliciak

Tribeca, New York

I like to: crochet, eat, read, write, go to museums, watch old movies, cook, bake, observe children, visit the library, travel, cut my own hair, explore New York, mix gin drinks, bike ride, take photographs, keep in touch with people, be crafty, swim in the ocean, make bets, and read blogs and ca...

Be Ironic and Organize an Autumn Barbecue

The Planning Stages

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