If barbeque gets you all fired up, think about marking your calendar for the weekend of Oct. 24 to 26, when the Sayville Fall Festival takes place at Gillette Park in Sayville. The event will be the scene of the Battle of the BBQ Brethren, a New York State BBQ championship sanctioned by the Kansas City BBQ Society. Concurrently, there will be other food competitions - chocolate and cheese, to name two.

Festivities include live music, bbq sold by vendors, bbq demonstrations and lectures. On Friday, there will be a chili cook-off, on Saturday, a grilling and kids’ event and, on Sunday, the big bbq contest.

The Brethren are still accepting applications for competitors as well as judges; you can apply at www.bbqbattleli.com/. An informant tells me that both Will Breakstone (of much-missed Willie B's in Bay Shore) and bbq enthusiast/restaurateur John Cantwell (of the former Taste in Garden City) will participate.

Can't you just smell the ribs and brisket smoking in the autumn air?

-- Joan Reminick

Logo courtesy of BBQ Brethren