New York parks for New York barbecues

May 19, 10:27 AMNY Barbecue ExaminerChris Black

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With a little planning and an outdoorsy spirit, chicken like this can be yours (Photo by TheBittenWord).

It's not easy to throw a quality barbecue in the city. Patios are rare, backyards rarer, and you can't use a fire escape because the fire might escape. Nothing kills a party like hot morsels of meat raining onto awnings and pedestrians below.

Fortunately, there are a handful of city parks that welcome amateur barbecuers with warm, smoking arms. The NY Daily News has a nice roundup of public grilling spots across the five boroughs. Small gatherings don't even need to register ahead of time -- just show up early, BYO-meat.

Mind you, most of these spots are better suited for "grilling" than "barbecue." The majority of park grills don't have lids, so it might be hard to get a low, smoky fire going. You can always get creative, though. An aluminum pan and some make-shift foil tents have served me well in the past. The grill ended up looking like a metal shantytown, but the shrimp were delicious.

Get info on all the city's outdoor grilling spots at nycgovparks.org.