Below are some of the Equipment and food manufacturers and vendors we use in throwing the biggest and best tailgate party for the NY Jets and one of the best game day fan clubs in the NFL. These guys represent the best at what they make or sell.
Equipment
Crown Verity Grills: Crown Verity is the official propane/gas bbq grill of TailgateJoe. CV makes the finest professional grade grills on the market. My relationship with Crown Verity started as a regualr customer. I had been working my way up in grills as the parties at TailgateJoe got bigger, and it got to the point that I needed something with the size and BTUs to cook for a huge crowd regardless of the weather. After purchasing the MCB-72 and seeing how much easier it made our experience cooking, I was lucky to form a relationship with the CV gang, and I am proud to be a sort of brand ambassador for them.
Some of the features that sets Crown Verity apart are full stainless steel construction using the best grade #304 stainless, high heat reaching over 800 degrees in under 8 minutes, a large number of burners providing even and precise heat, lighter tube ignition system, split gas system on grills 48in and longer from 2 propane tanks, easy cleaning with a powerwasher safe layout. If you are serious about outdoor grilling, there is no better brand than Crown Verity. Feel free to ask Joe for an up close look and demo of our Crown Verity grills at the next party.
Fast Eddy’s By Cookshack Smokers: I have a collection of smokers in various sizes, but when it came time to get serious with BBQ and I wanted something I could use for BBQ Competitions as well as catering and TailgateJoe parties, Cookshack was a no-brainer. I don’t know what I would do without my dual FEC120 smokers. Cookshack is an American made small business that supplies smokers to some of the top restaurants, caterers, and competition teams in the country, and their line of Fast Eddy’s wood pellet smokers were revolutionary and still at the top of the field today. Eddy is a legend in competition BBQ and Cookshack’s CEO Stuart is a great guy with a wealth of knowledge. The company also runs great commercial and competition seminars at or near their Oklahoma office and manufacturing facility, providing both the hardware and knowledge to raise your BBQ skills to another level.
Yeti Coolers: It gets tiring and expensive replacing coolers year after year. Cheap hinges, and even cheaper handles and latches, and thin walls of most of today’s coolers just don’t hold up to regular high capacity use. We finally got serious about storing and transporting our supplies and called the guys over at Yeti Coolers. Yeti’s are pro grade equipment, with pro outdoorsmen and guides in mind and the abuse they dish out on equipment. Some of the features setting Yeti apart from the pack include their NeverFail hinge system, T-Rex latches, DoubleHaul and LipGrip handles, and Vortex drain system. Yeti’s are built so strong with roto-mold construction that they are even bear proof.
I Brought The Bar: We have been working with these guys for a few years now after they replaced a similar but inferior product. They have a great story as a small business using American labor. We love the premium look of the wood which really separates them from anything else on the market. These bars are right at home at our tailgates, private events, and our mancave at home. They have shown us great support in working on custom stuff for us and showing up at our parties to offer prize raffles to our guests. Check them out at Ibroughtthebar.com and tell them TailgateJoe sent ya!
The WindBlocker: One of the hardest things about running huge tailgate parties in the northeast is keeping the food warm once we get into November and December. With the frigid temps, rain, snow, and the notorious winds of the Meadowlands, you will see tailgators all over the lot constructing foil blankets for their wire chafing racks. I know first hand it is a futile attempt, the wind still gets in, the foil hits the flames, the food is still cold. I eventually found a different product for this problem, and while it worked, they were extremely heavy and extremely expensive. One day while walking the food show at Javits Convention Center, I came across the Windblocker. After talking with the owners and then suggesting to my man Sal to buy some for his own use, I saw how they were a simpler, lighter, and more economical alternative to what I was using. We now use WindBlockers exclusively and we couldn’t be happier. These are lightweight and perfect for tailgating or any other outdoor entertaining.
Food
Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyor: We LOVE LaFrieda! As anyone who has been to a TailgateJoe party knows, it all centers around the food. Some of the larger tailgate parties out there are into the too loud music, or whacky characters and their schtick, we are about a great atmosphere with the best food you will find in the lot. Pat LaFrieda and his awesome burger blend and meat make that easy for us to accomplish. Our custom sized chuck/shortrib/brisket blend burgers fresh ground on Friday are out of this world. Google LaFrieda and you will see that when it comes to burgers and meat, there is nobody better.
Kelso of Brooklyn Beer: Kelso is a true local microbrewer. Kelly and the gang at Kelso are located in the heart of Brooklyn, and you will only find Kelso on tap at the better restaurants and bars in the Brooklyn/NYC area. Kelso has teamed up with TGJ to be our “Pour of Choice” on game day at our parties. In addition to serving there Pilsner, Nut Brown and other Kelso favorites, we also have brews made exclusively for us from time to time.
Ubons BBQ Bloody Mary Mix: Like so many of the relationships I have formed with products for TailgateJoe, this started out with me shopping and finding something I really liked and felt brought great value to my guests. I then contacted them and met David, a great guy and someone with a shared interest in the BBQ world. This mix is a great product, with a handful of natural ingredients and gluten free. Just as everything else we use, it sits at the premium end of the market. Look for it at your grocer or get in touch with David at Ubons Bloody Mary Mix for locations or to buy online.
Esposito and Sons Pork Store: To put it quite simply, Esposito’s is the #1 pork store in NYC. Their sausage is what make’s our Italian sausage and peppers the best you will ever have.
Royal Crown Bakery: Royal Crown is a name familiar to anyone from Staten Island or Brooklyn. They are known for their incredible bread. After working with the artisan bakers at Royal Crown in coming up with the perfect hot dog bun for our 2012 first place entrant in the Great Hot Dog Cookoff, we decided have them make us our hamburger buns for our tailgate parties. These buns are picked up fresh out of the oven the night before game day at 10pm to ensure freshness.
