Join me at Wine Country Big Q, Rohnert Park CA, July 12, 2014


 
Good Times at Wine Country Big Q

If you read my trip report from the Silicon Valley BBQ Championship, you know that I had a cold and couldn't taste barbecue that day. I'm happy to inform you that my taster and sniffer were in great shape on Saturday, July 12 and I tasted lots of barbecue as a judge at the Wine Country Big Q in Rohnert Park, CA.

This is the fourth year for this event in Sonoma County, and the first year at this particular venue in Rohnert Park. The event was held at Sonoma Mountain Village, an old Hewlett-Packard site turned Agilent Technologies site turned into a mixed-use business/residential community. It's just a stone's throw from where my parents live, so it was a great opportunity to judge and visit family in a single trip.

This contest had 44 teams cooking the standard KCBS meats, plus 19 teams cooking optional entries of boneless leg of lamb and something called a velvet steak, which is a muscle cut from the round. I think it's one of those new steaks like the Vegas Strip Steak and the Flat Iron Steak where ingenious meat cutters figure out how to carve out a new steak from a beef primal like the chuck or the round.

You can't say much about what goes on during judging, but I can say we had some amazing entries and some not-so-amazing ones. As a new judge, it's interesting to hear the comments around the table after each round of judging. It's absolutely clear to everyone which entry was the best and which was the worst. For a new guy like me, it's reassuring to hear that you're in sync with the other five judges at the table.

I will say that judging six meats is kind of overwhelming...but I powered through it and enjoyed the entire experience. The lamb and steak entries were interesting because they were not confined to the standard 9"x9" Styrofoam box and garnish rules. Looking around the room I saw lamb burgers and sliders, steak tacos, entries served in bowls, on platters...all sorts of creative approaches!

Saw some of the usual suspects after the judging was over...Ric's Righteous Ribs, Slap Yo Daddy, Too Ashamed To Name just to name a few. It was a glorious day, great weather for a competition, and the beer and wine and 'que were flowing freely throughout the afternoon.

Here are some photos I took of the venue. I didn't stick around for the awards, I left to visit my parents later in the afternoon, so I missed getting photos of that.

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Event card side 1.

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Event card side 2.

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Signage at the venue. Wrong date and wrong venue listed...sign is from a previous year's event!

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Venue around 8:45am. Contestants are working hard, vendors are getting set up.

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Another view across the venue.

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Not yet setup for the public visitors coming later in the morning.

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Overcast skies will give way to blue in a few hours.

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Umbrellas are up, tasting booths for beer and wine and other tasty treats are up and running.

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Big crowds gathered at this vendor's booth getting People's Choice barbecue samples.

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Got me a souvenir. Anyone recognize the pig?
 
Here are the results, if you're interested.

Tex Wasabi's All-Stars is affiliated with Guy Fieri, a Sonoma County local, although he's not actually competing. They won GC in 2011 with Ray Lampe as part of the team. In 2012, they finished 7th overall. This year, they finished 15th overall with 9th in pork and 8th in brisket.

Grand Champion: CECIL'S SMOK'N BBQ
Reserve Champion: BIG B'S DOWN-N-DIRTY BBQ

Overall
1 CECIL'S SMOK'N BBQ 695.9656
2 BIG B'S DOWN-N-DIRTY BBQ 685.0744
3 HOUND DOG BARBECUE 684.0344
4 TOO ASHAMED TO NAME 682.2284
5 ZZYZX BAR.B.Q 681.7372
6 RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ 681.7144
7 SMOKEY LUV BBQ 680.6060
8 WOODHOUSE BARBECUE 675.8740
9 THE PIT CREW BBQ OF SOCAL 671.9656
10 PORKTERA BBQ 669.1088
11 RIC'S RIGHTEOUS RIBS 661.6572
12 Slap Yo Daddy 658.8344
13 PORK DADDY'S BBQ 656.4228
14 GET SOME SALTWORKS BBQ 655.8284
15 Tex Wasabi's All Stars 655.4176
16 Rolling Bones Traveling BBQ Circus 654.2628
17 SMOKESHOW 650.1256
18 PLASTERED PIG BBQ 648.4796
19 SMITTY'S SMOKE PATROL 647.4740
20 PIRATES OF THE PIG 642.1716
21 JUICY O'S BBQ TEAM 639.9660
22 Eads Downhome 635.4172
23 BIG JIM'S BBQ 634.1484
24 BIG O'S BBQ 2 HOT 4 U 631.8972
25 THESMOKERING.COM 630.7544
26 Beaver Creek Smokehouse 624.4572
27 M.A.C. BBQ SHACK 618.7312
28 BOURBON BROS BBQ 618.7200
29 BENT SMOKE 615.9772
30 FLYIN HIGH BBQ 611.4284
31 Awful-Q 610.6284
32 BBQ BOB & THE SMOKIN' BANDITOS 609.6572
33 Half Fast Smokin 606.2400
34 Bad to the Bone BBQ 605.4168
35 PIGNUT SMOKE 604.9712
36 IRON BULL BBQ 599.8168
37 Beans & Bones BBQ 589.5772
38 The Flaming Moe's 583.4400
39 D&D Whole Hog BBQ 576.0916
40 THE MURPHY-GOODE GRILLERS 574.6056
41 SONOMA COUNTY BBQ 571.9200
42 River Rock - Q 562.2400
43 Just Que 554.7776
44 Boneyard BBQ 535.8740

Chicken
1 CECIL'S SMOK'N BBQ 175.4172
2 Slap Yo Daddy 174.8572
3 ZZYZX BAR.B.Q 174.3200
4 WOODHOUSE BARBECUE 174.2856
5 SMOKEY LUV BBQ 173.1544
6 THE PIT CREW BBQ OF SOCAL 173.1428
7 HOUND DOG BARBECUE 172.6400
8 RIC'S RIGHTEOUS RIBS 172.5828
9 TOO ASHAMED TO NAME 171.9656
10 PORKTERA BBQ 170.8684
11 PLASTERED PIG BBQ 170.3200
12 THESMOKERING.COM 169.1200
13 Tex Wasabi's All Stars 167.4400
14 BIG B'S DOWN-N-DIRTY BBQ 166.8228
15 PIRATES OF THE PIG 166.8228
16 RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ 166.2972
17 GET SOME SALTWORKS BBQ 166.2628
18 Rolling Bones Traveling BBQ Circus 166.2628
19 Beaver Creek Smokehouse 165.6800
20 THE MURPHY-GOODE GRILLERS 165.1084
21 BOURBON BROS BBQ 164.5600
22 Half Fast Smokin 162.9372
23 PORK DADDY'S BBQ 161.6800
24 SMOKESHOW 161.6684
25 Bad to the Bone BBQ 158.8112
26 Eads Downhome 156.5712
27 Beans & Bones BBQ 155.3944
28 SMITTY'S SMOKE PATROL 154.8340
29 Just Que 153.1200
30 BBQ BOB & THE SMOKIN' BANDITOS 152.5372
31 JUICY O'S BBQ TEAM 152.5256
32 IRON BULL BBQ 152.5256
33 BIG JIM'S BBQ 151.9544
34 BENT SMOKE 151.4628
35 D&D Whole Hog BBQ 147.4284
36 FLYIN HIGH BBQ 147.4172
37 The Flaming Moe's 146.9372
38 BIG O'S BBQ 2 HOT 4 U 146.8344
39 Awful-Q 146.8000
40 M.A.C. BBQ SHACK 146.7772
41 River Rock - Q 145.1428
42 PIGNUT SMOKE 144.4912
43 Boneyard BBQ 138.8800
44 SONOMA COUNTY BBQ 138.8344

Pork Ribs
1 HOUND DOG BARBECUE 177.1544
2 PORK DADDY'S BBQ 174.2972
3 CECIL'S SMOK'N BBQ 174.2628
4 RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ 173.7372
5 PORKTERA BBQ 173.1316
6 TOO ASHAMED TO NAME 172.0228
7 GET SOME SALTWORKS BBQ 171.4172
8 PIRATES OF THE PIG 169.7488
9 BIG B'S DOWN-N-DIRTY BBQ 169.6800
10 SMOKEY LUV BBQ 168.0000
11 ZZYZX BAR.B.Q 167.4516
12 THE PIT CREW BBQ OF SOCAL 166.3200
13 Rolling Bones Traveling BBQ Circus 166.3088
14 WOODHOUSE BARBECUE 165.6800
15 M.A.C. BBQ SHACK 165.1656
16 THESMOKERING.COM 164.5372
17 JUICY O'S BBQ TEAM 164.0116
18 SMOKESHOW 163.4172
19 RIC'S RIGHTEOUS RIBS 161.7372
20 PIGNUT SMOKE 161.7028
21 Awful-Q 161.6800
22 PLASTERED PIG BBQ 161.6684
23 Beaver Creek Smokehouse 160.5944
24 BIG O'S BBQ 2 HOT 4 U 158.8572
25 SMITTY'S SMOKE PATROL 158.8228
26 SONOMA COUNTY BBQ 158.2400
27 BIG JIM'S BBQ 158.2284
28 BENT SMOKE 157.7144
29 BOURBON BROS BBQ 156.5600
30 Eads Downhome 154.8572
31 Slap Yo Daddy 153.7144
32 Tex Wasabi's All Stars 152.0116
33 FLYIN HIGH BBQ 151.9656
34 Bad to the Bone BBQ 151.3484
35 IRON BULL BBQ 150.7884
36 BBQ BOB & THE SMOKIN' BANDITOS 147.9772
37 Just Que 145.7372
38 Half Fast Smokin 145.7028
39 Beans & Bones BBQ 144.5372
40 River Rock - Q 144.0116
41 D&D Whole Hog BBQ 143.4744
42 The Flaming Moe's 142.8228
43 THE MURPHY-GOODE GRILLERS 139.3828
44 Boneyard BBQ 123.3712

Pork
1 TOO ASHAMED TO NAME 174.2744
2 SMOKEY LUV BBQ 174.2744
3 CECIL'S SMOK'N BBQ 172.5828
4 Rolling Bones Traveling BBQ Circus 172.0000
5 HOUND DOG BARBECUE 169.1200
6 SMITTY'S SMOKE PATROL 168.5828
7 BIG B'S DOWN-N-DIRTY BBQ 168.5716
8 ZZYZX BAR.B.Q 168.5484
9 Tex Wasabi's All Stars 167.9772
10 RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ 166.2400
11 WOODHOUSE BARBECUE 165.0856
12 BBQ BOB & THE SMOKIN' BANDITOS 164.5828
13 PORKTERA BBQ 164.5716
14 M.A.C. BBQ SHACK 163.9656
15 THE PIT CREW BBQ OF SOCAL 163.3828
16 Slap Yo Daddy 162.2972
17 RIC'S RIGHTEOUS RIBS 161.0972
18 GET SOME SALTWORKS BBQ 160.4912
19 Bad to the Bone BBQ 159.9428
20 BIG O'S BBQ 2 HOT 4 U 158.2284
21 Awful-Q 158.2284
22 Beaver Creek Smokehouse 157.6800
23 SMOKESHOW 157.6572
24 Eads Downhome 157.1316
25 JUICY O'S BBQ TEAM 156.0000
26 THESMOKERING.COM 155.9772
27 PLASTERED PIG BBQ 155.9656
28 Half Fast Smokin 154.8228
29 BIG JIM'S BBQ 154.8000
30 PORK DADDY'S BBQ 153.0628
31 PIRATES OF THE PIG 153.0628
32 D&D Whole Hog BBQ 152.0344
33 PIGNUT SMOKE 151.9544
34 Beans & Bones BBQ 149.6800
35 Boneyard BBQ 149.1200
36 The Flaming Moe's 148.5484
37 THE MURPHY-GOODE GRILLERS 148.5028
38 FLYIN HIGH BBQ 147.9656
39 BENT SMOKE 146.2628
40 BOURBON BROS BBQ 141.6800
41 SONOMA COUNTY BBQ 141.1428
42 River Rock - Q 138.8456
43 Just Que 132.5488
44 IRON BULL BBQ 132.5484

Brisket
1 BIG B'S DOWN-N-DIRTY BBQ 180.0000
2 RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ 175.4400
3 CECIL'S SMOK'N BBQ 173.7028
4 ZZYZX BAR.B.Q 171.4172
5 WOODHOUSE BARBECUE 170.8228
6 BIG JIM'S BBQ 169.1656
7 THE PIT CREW BBQ OF SOCAL 169.1200
8 Tex Wasabi's All Stars 167.9888
9 BIG O'S BBQ 2 HOT 4 U 167.9772
10 Slap Yo Daddy 167.9656
11 JUICY O'S BBQ TEAM 167.4288
12 PORK DADDY'S BBQ 167.3828
13 SMOKESHOW 167.3828
14 Eads Downhome 166.8572
15 RIC'S RIGHTEOUS RIBS 166.2400
16 SMITTY'S SMOKE PATROL 165.2344
17 SMOKEY LUV BBQ 165.1772
18 HOUND DOG BARBECUE 165.1200
19 FLYIN HIGH BBQ 164.0800
20 TOO ASHAMED TO NAME 163.9656
21 IRON BULL BBQ 163.9544
22 PORKTERA BBQ 160.5372
23 BENT SMOKE 160.5372
24 PLASTERED PIG BBQ 160.5256
25 GET SOME SALTWORKS BBQ 157.6572
26 BOURBON BROS BBQ 155.9200
27 PIRATES OF THE PIG 152.5372
28 Rolling Bones Traveling BBQ Circus 149.6912
29 PIGNUT SMOKE 146.8228
30 The Flaming Moe's 145.1316
31 BBQ BOB & THE SMOKIN' BANDITOS 144.5600
32 Awful-Q 143.9200
33 M.A.C. BBQ SHACK 142.8228
34 Half Fast Smokin 142.7772
35 THESMOKERING.COM 141.1200
36 Beaver Creek Smokehouse 140.5028
37 Beans & Bones BBQ 139.9656
38 Bad to the Bone BBQ 135.3144
39 River Rock - Q 134.2400
40 SONOMA COUNTY BBQ 133.7028
41 D&D Whole Hog BBQ 133.1544
42 Boneyard BBQ 124.5028
43 Just Que 123.3716
44 THE MURPHY-GOODE GRILLERS 121.6116

American Lamb Board Boneless Leg of Lamb
1 SMOKEY LUV BBQ 180.0000
2 BIG O'S BBQ 2 HOT 4 U 178.8572
3 GET SOME SALTWORKS BBQ 175.4056
4 THE MURPHY-GOODE GRILLERS 169.7372
5 BIG B'S DOWN-N-DIRTY BBQ 169.7028
6 Tex Wasabi's All Stars 167.3828
7 Awful-Q 165.7144
8 PORKTERA BBQ 164.5828
9 RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ 163.9772
10 Just Que 161.7144
11 FLYIN HIGH BBQ 160.5600
12 PLASTERED PIG BBQ 158.3200
13 BBQ BOB & THE SMOKIN' BANDITOS 156.5828
14 BIG JIM'S BBQ 154.2400
15 The Flaming Moe's 153.7600
16 BOURBON BROS BBQ 152.5372
17 BENT SMOKE 149.1200
18 Boneyard BBQ 142.7656
19 D&D Whole Hog BBQ 142.2512

Marin Sun Farms Velvet Steak
1 PORKTERA BBQ 174.2628
2 BIG O'S BBQ 2 HOT 4 U 173.7256
3 BIG B'S DOWN-N-DIRTY BBQ 166.2856
4 BOURBON BROS BBQ 165.7028
5 PLASTERED PIG BBQ 164.5600
6 Awful-Q 162.8344
7 FLYIN HIGH BBQ 162.3200
8 THE MURPHY-GOODE GRILLERS 161.6916
9 BBQ BOB & THE SMOKIN' BANDITOS 161.6800
10 SMOKEY LUV BBQ 160.5372
11 The Flaming Moe's 159.9772
12 GET SOME SALTWORKS BBQ 158.2284
13 BIG JIM'S BBQ 155.3716
14 RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ 154.2172
15 PIRATES OF THE PIG 153.7144
16 D&D Whole Hog BBQ 153.1544
17 Tex Wasabi's All Stars 153.1544
18 BENT SMOKE 141.0740
19 Just Que 138.8572
 

 

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