Carnivorous food writer Josh "Mr. Cutlets" Ozersky is once again inviting the entire city to his birthday party, the appropriately-named Meatopia. The date has been set for July 23rd, but what's more interesting is that he's switching the venue this year, from Governor's Island to a brand-new section of Brooklyn Bridge Park. Why the move?
Last year's event was widely believed to be a complete and utter shitshow, with ticketholders complaining about long lines, a lack of food, and poor ferry service to and from the Island. There was also some beef within the food world about Ozersky's sources for the meat, which were advertised as "local and sustainable," but some of which turned out to come from questionable origins. Those who pay attention to food events may recall a similar Governor's Island-set cluster last summer at the Parked Food Truck Festival, which leads us to believe that large-scale food events should maybe not be held there.
While few details have been announced about this year's party, the presale ticket info on Gilt City says that participating chefs will include April Bloomfield, Sean Brock, Floyd Cardoz and Naomi Pomeroy, and that Ozersky wants to move "beyond barbecue, beyond burgers, beyond even whole hogs. I want all kinds of animals, and every part of those animals, and I want the farmers to be there right next to the chefs." Well...one can hope. Check the official Meatopia site for more details in coming days; tickets to the general public go on sale next Wednesday.
