Wild man Dean Bach, owner of Dino's Lounge in Ferndale, is doing it again. This is his 5th annual Barbecue Rib Burn-Off. So this Saturday, Feb. 4, ya'll need to come on out to the big tent behind Dino's and chow some ribs and brew for the Michigan AIDS Coalition and Ferndale Youth Assistance Program.
This is a great deal for $10 -- you get to sample ribs from eight teams and get to vote for the People's Choice Award. There will be over 1,000 pounds of ribs being burned off between noon and 4:30 p.m. If you want to make sure a team that makes your favorite ribs wins, you can stuff the ballot box with some green.
Now the challengers... Will local State Farm rep Marty O'Neil and his team, The Hogs, make it a four-peat or will the rest of the band of char champs defeat them? Barbecue enthusiast Digger D'Angelo brings in his Pig Fat Rules crew. Serv Pro plans to do some Burnin' Down the House with its aptly-named team. Ribmaster Brian Crowe and Oinks Looking at You has their pig on for the trophy. Pro Home Improvement will show off its team spirit in its name: Smoke Em' if You Got Em'. M-1 Studios and Blumz will be hard to beat as Team Bone Er. There won't be any pork barrel politics with The Hungry Dudes' We Ain't Porkin' Around team. Divine won't be there, but the Grasshopper Underground team, Saucy and Divine Swine, will.
In addition to the People's Choice award, a real judge, Michigan Supreme Court Justice Mike Cavanagh along with Jack Aronson of Garden Fresh Salsa and former Detroit Red Wings Darren McCarty and Eddie Mio, will weigh in on the Grand Champion award. There will also be a sides bar with all those down-home goodies that always complement pork. Worried about the cold? No problem. The tent is heated and plenty of liquid anti-freeze will be available, plus there'll be great music from The Chris Brantley Blues Project.
This will be Dean's year to party like a rock star since I'll be taking over the emcee duties. All the more reason to come out to the tent in the Ferndale Public Library parking lot on E. Nine Mile Rd. just east of Woodward Ave.
See you there!