Claret, a participant (Photo: QueensPost)
June 10, 2013 By Bill Parry
More than 250 people participated in a BBQ pub crawl on Saturday that was organized by nine bars and restaurants located on Skillman Avenue.
The event, officially called the Skillman Avenue BBQ Crawl, offered attendees $3 beers and BBQ specials at all of the participating establishments—that ranged from chicken pizza at Murphy’s Bar to chicken panini at Cafe Marlene.
Pub goers were required to pay a $5 entrance fee (for a wristband) to take advantage of the deals, with those funds going toward beautifying Skillman Avenue.
The event was put on by the Skillman Project, a group of bars and restaurants located on Skillman Ave. between 46th and 50th Streets. While the crawl was popular, it fell short of the group’s Oktoberfest event, which drew a crowd of 350.
Quaint Bistro, one of the participants, served baby back ribs with cornbread and grilled asparagus, while Claret Wine Bar offered a selection of ribs, pulled pork sandwiches and hot dogs. The Dog and Duck had a special on BBQ ribs and sweet red cabbage, normally priced at $11.50, for $5 for attendees.
Brian Moran, a sanitation worker from Maspeth who was born and raised in Sunnyside, was tipped off to the event by a text message from a neighborhood buddy. “I had to come back and see so many old faces from the hood,” he said at The Brogue.
Greg Edeburn, a Broadway stagehand just back from 8 months on the road with a traveling production, said, “It’s my first [Skillman Avenue] crawl and I love it.”
Mike Murphy, the owner of Murphy’s Bar, said the funds raised—from the $5 fee—are going to help local officials replace some of the trees that were lost during Sandy. He said some would also go toward the Christmas/Holiday lights that go up every December.
