Rock & Roll with the Best of Cleveland's Barbecue

Get down and get sauced with the city's finest foodies and barbecue aficionados when Cleveland Food Rocks serves up its first ever Rock 'n Roll BBQ Throwdown Sunday, June 26 from 1 - 5PM in the tented parking lot at Beachland Ballroom. The purpose of the "throwdown" is simple: Eat some great BBQ, dig some great local bands and raise operational costs for Cleveland Food Rocks -- the non-profit, grassroots organization exclusively tasked with promoting the city's good eats.

"We're going to have an unbelievable list of restaurants and chefs doing some form of barbecue," Steve Schimoler, chef/owner of Crop Bistro and Cleveland Food Rocks organizer said [pictured, center]. "The rule is no chef's coats allowed. It's going to be strictly t-shirts and flip-flops. This event is really for us."

Cleveland Food Rocks is a free marketing tool for Cleveland chefs and restaurants. “Our first fund raiser is going to be a fun event to raise money for web site maintenance. That’s really our only cost, so far,” Schimoler explained.

A drummer in a band for many years, Schimoler said he has always cultivated music at Crop. “I compare my menu to a set list,” he said. “Every item on the menu is like a song, with the ingredients being the notes. When there are five of us cooking in the kitchen on a Saturday night, we jam. If the kitchen doesn’t have rhythm, we’re screwed.”

One night, after a performance by house band Cream of the Crop, Schimoler said they were standing around saying, “You know Cleveland rocks. Cleveland chefs rock. Cleveland food rocks.” The idea for Cleveland Food Rocks was born.

When it was announced that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies were going to be in Cleveland last April, Schimoler and fellow area chefs decided it was time to promote two of the city’s best assets. There were 20 restaurants involved in the first Cleveland Food Rocks event, a week-long promotion of culinary arts and music coinciding with the induction ceremonies.

There are now 60 restaurants listed on the web site, according to Schimoler.

“The connection between food and music is pretty meaningful. Our message is that Cleveland serves up kick-ass rock and roll food and the music to go with it,” he said.

Schimoler said that many of the city’s restaurants, like Crop Bistro, have house bands. “Over the years, we have found that a lot of musicians end up in the restaurant business. That’s probably because it’s tough to make a living as a musician alone, " he observed.

This Throwdown will feature live music all day long, performed by several of these bands. Schimoler said Sarava will be there with their Brazilian drum line, and the Happy Dog, Gusto and Lago will be jamming with their in-house bands. Gibson guitars is an event sponsor and will have the Gibson team bus at the site. Gibson has also donated a brand new Gibson SG Custom guitar that will be raffled off at the event.

Schimoler predicts that the diversity of restaurants at the throwdown will yield an amazing array of barbecue dishes. “We’ll have Korean ribs, grilled lamb racks, Caribbean shrimp, house-made pickles and a variety of potato salads,” he promised.

Schimoler said he is still undecided as to the dish Crop Bistro will be serving. However, he said his regular customers are lobbying for grilled lamb sliders, a signature dish featured once a week at Crop. “It will be a culinary fun day, as well as a fun day for the chefs,” he said. “If there is one thing we know how to do well, it’s throw a party. What a deal to walk around and mingle with the best chefs in Cleveland and sample some groovy barbecue.”

Bonnie Flinner, owner of Prosperity Social Club and a throwdown participant, will be bringing honey-chipotle skewered shrimp to the event. “Our goal is to keep it simple,” she said.

Flinner said she got involved because, “Steve (Schimoler) always has good, inventive community-based ideas. This is an opportunity for all of us to work together for a greater good.”

“This is also an opportunity for me to spend a day with people who are really cool and who I really respect,” she added. “I don’t get to see them often, because we work the same hours.”

“There are two ways to learn about a culture. One is through its food, and the other is through its music,” Flinner said. “Cleveland is a great food source. Tourists don’t realize how great the food is here. This event is a vehicle to showcase that.”

Advance tickets to the Throwdown can be purchased online at http://www.ClevelandFoodRocks.com. Some participating restaurants will also have tickets. Admission is priced slightly higher at the door, available by cash or check.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Cynthia Schuster Eakin case915ATaol.com
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