Michael Symon to Host Backyard Barbecue at Solé East in Montauk

The Backyard Restaurant at Solé East in Montauk has announced the next event in their Montauk Summer Series with a barbecue featuring celebrated Iron Chef, restaurateur and former Dan’s Taste of Two Forks host Michael Symon on Sunday, August 5. Guests will enjoy a prix fixe menu as well as wine and beer pairings as Symon shares recipes from his newly opened Cleveland restaurant, Mabel’s BBQ, and favorites from his newest cookbook Playing with Fire.

Items on the menu include spicy grilled shrimp toast with avocado, Mabel’s pork ribs, Mabel’s brisket, grilled skirt steak tacos with pickled red onions, beer can chicken, grilled corn and tomato salad, J. W. potatoes (a tribute to NYC chef Jonathan Waxman) and broccoli salad. Post-barbecue donuts will also be provided by Symon’s son Kyle Shanahan, owner of Grindstone Donuts in Sag Harbor. Guests will also receive a complimentary copy of Playing with Fire.

As a chef, Symon is passionate about live-fire cooking and barbecuing, whether it’s grilling ribeyes, smoking lamb ribs, baking pizza in a wood-fired oven, or just cooking hot dogs on a stick over a campfire. His restaurant, Mabel’s BBQ opened in April.

By incorporating Bertman’s Ballpark Mustard into the barbecue sauce, using Eastern European spices and smoking meat over local fruitwood, Symon has created a barbecue style that Clevelanders can call their own. The space’s arched ceilings, industrial lighting and exposed brick are reminiscent of Cleveland landmark West Side Market, evoking the feeling of a rustic smokehouse with a laid-back vibe.

This is Solé East’s second Summer Series event of the season, the first being a dinner featuring New York Times bestselling author of Sweetbitter (now a series on Starz), Stephanie Danler, on July 27. Upcoming events in the series include a savory brunch with Alison Roman on August 12 and a Roman cuisine tasting with Katie Parla on August 17.

Michael Symon’s Playing with Fire Barbecue will take place at The Backyard Restaurant at Solé East, located at 90 Second House Road, Montauk on August 5 from 3–6 p.m. Tickets are $75. To purchase, visit mtkss.wineawesomeness.com or call 631-668-2105.