Dan’s GrillHampton 2023: A Rocking Night of BBQ & Fun at The Clubhouse

Chef Peter Ambrose won the people’s choice award and Chef Marc Bynum won the judge’s choice award during the annual Dan’s GrillHampton barbecue competition in which leading grillmasters vied for the coveted prize on Saturday, August 5 at The Clubhouse Hamptons.

Hundreds of hungry foodies converged on the venue’s sprawling great lawn to sample savory eats from the region’s top pitmasters as East End reggae, rock and ska band The Realm served up fresh grooves on the dance floor. The event was hosted by Celebrity Chef Alex Guarnaschelli, whose forthcoming cookbook Cook It Up was given to 150 VIP ticket holders.

“I look forward to it every year,” said Ambrose. “These are fun events and people look forward to them every year, it gets the community out, we’re raising money for the food pantry this year. Winning means a lot, of course it does. I love this stuff. That’s what we love doing.”

GrillHampton is the biggest and most popular event of the Dan’s Taste Summer Series, which culminates August 20 with the inaugural Dan’s X Gurneys in Montauk.

“It’s great to be appreciated,” said Bynum. “My team came down to have some fun and we won. We don’t come to a competition to lose. A lot of nice people, nice contacts to make, we’re a caterer so we get to spread it out.”

GrillHampton enjoyed tastes from more than a dozen award-winning chefs including grillmasters and sweets as well as a large selection of cocktails, beers and wine. They include Au Jus Roasted Meats & Oklahoma BBQ, Backyard BBQ, Big Guns BBQ, Endless Summer by Chef Peter Ambrose, Grace & Grit, GreenHill Kitchen & Que, Hudson Smokehouse, Insatiable Eats, Marc Bynum Concepts, Meats Meat Traditional BBQ, Morgan’s Brooklyn Barbecue, Prime Time Butcher and The Clubhouse Hamptons. Other food vendors included North Fork Doughnut Co., Buddahberry Frozen Yogurt, Backyard Brine and Artisanal Pickles.

“I’m always astonished by how hard the chefs work,” said Guarnaschelli. “I thought the food was exceptional this year. I got really big home-cooked comfort food, and backyard vibes, and right off the grill food, and some great sweets and I thought it was just beautiful. I loved the cooking.”

A portion of the proceeds benefited Meals on Wheels of East Hampton.

“Dan’s Taste Events are a staple of the Hamptons summer and we are thrilled to bring together the best in food, drink and entertainment while doing good for the community. Dan’s Papers is the Hamptons and Dan’s Taste events are a celebration of what makes the Hamptons great!” said Elizabeth Aloni, SVP Dan’s Events.

“It was a great event,” said Cannobio, the executive chef at Morgan’s Barbecue. “People love it. Brisket burgers with pickles and Morgan sauce, which has 18 different ingredients. This is actually my third year. Everyone remembers the food, it was a lot of fun.”

The event was in partnership with MRR Experiences with the after party hosted by MurMrr, which featured music by Gimme Gimme Disco, a nationally touring Disco Dance Party inspired by 1970s Swedish supergroup ABBA.

“It’s a great event, we’ve been a sponsor for several years now,” said Marc Provost, brand ambassador Mohegan Sun. “It’s a wonderful event and we love the set-up and the outdoor atmosphere. We’re proud to be a sponsor of it.’

Sponsors of the event include Adamas Reserve, Aperol Spritz, Barbados, Blacklane, BMW of Southampton, CBD Kratom, Chinola, Country Carpet, Don Julio Rosado, Great Jones, 400 Conejos, Hampton Ice, LaCroix Sparkling Water, Mohegan Sun, National Event Connection, Preferred Events, Piccinini Bros, Q Mixers, Simply Spiked Lemonade, Skyy Vodka, Suburban Propane, and Ultimate Provence.

“We’re here offering samples of our CBD products,” said Rachel Roth-Smith, area manager of CBD Kratom. “We’re meeting the people, we’re enjoying the atmosphere, we’re making some connections, the event is fabulous and we’re all having a good time. This is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I’m having a ball. It’s amazing. Everybody here has been so curious and they want all the information, and they have all of these health and wellness concerns, and we’re really able to help them and direct them to what they need, and to get them feeling good tonight.”

The final event of the 2023 Dan’s Taste series is Dan’s Taste X Gurney’s on Thursday, August 17. For more information on the event visit DansTaste.com or follow us @DansTasteLI.