History Cross Country Cookout at North Avenue Beach, Chicago

By Jorge G. Zavala | Creative Director, Ogilvie Zavala | Arts Editor

On July 20th, 2013, the History Cross Country Cookout Tour came to Chicago's North Avenue Beach to give beachgoers, bikers, meat-enthusiasts, and media insiders the opportunity to savor Trace "Rib Whisperer" Arnold's succulent BBQ ribs, pulled pork, and assorted finger-lickin'-good delights.

A beautiful Saturday full of food, sun, and plenty of good ol' smiles hailing from the East Coast, Midwest, and Texas make the Cross Country Cookout Tour a highly-anticipated sight. From 11am-6pm, Chicagoans had the chance to savor Texas sausage in all it's juicy, cheese-infused glory while having the opportunity to witness the massive 80-foot BBQ smoker and grill unique to the Rib Whisperer and this event.

PdM had the opportunity to take a tour of the massive grill while having a first-hand opportunity to speak with Trace and his team. "BBQ is what I do," Trace told PdM with a huge grin on his face. "They don't call me the rib-whisperer for nothing."

When asked about his inspiration behind his cooking, Trace explained in a typically-Texan fashion a bit of his background regarding his interest in meat, BBQ, and providing high-quality, tasty delights. "I've been doing this for years and I've always enjoyed grilling," The Rib-Whisper stated while whipping up some vegetarian pizzas topped with bell-peppers, fresh cheese, and brisket. "Back in Texas I have a dude-ranch...(BBQ and grilling) is who I am, and we've been very successful on (Cross Country Cookout Tour) the last 2 years."

The truck. able to smoke over 2,000 pounds of meat and grill nearly 1,000 hotdogs, 500 hamburgers, or 200 16-oz. steaks at a time, is quite the sight and attracted many beachgoers early on. Carl, a college student at UIC, was perplexed at the sight he was witnessing. "I'm not quite sure what it is, but it's pretty massive," he stated. "All I know is that they're giving away some hot sauce nearby and there's some really tasty sausage: I'm starved, man."

PdM's team had the opportunity to taste the diverse-offerings this amazing truck and it's talented chefs had to offer, which included some of the most delicious pizza, sausage, burgers, ribs, and iced-tea we've encountered in the Chicagoland area. When asked about his thought-process behind cooking on such a massive-scale, Trace simply chuckled, brought over some fresh ribs for the team, and looked around the truck. "Cooking is who I am, grilling is a part of where I'm from, and this truck...it really is what this project is about: good food and some good people."

The 80-foot long Ultimate Smoker and Grill, designed and operated by Trace, is the size of a tanker and is hauled by a semi. It has enough for a few folks to move about at a time while cooking, grilling, and smoking over 2,000 pounds of meat. While the majority of the offerings consisted of succulent meat, there were vegetarian-friendly options, such as the fresh-cilantro, peppers, and grated cheese pizza, which was divine.

The experience of being a part of the History Cross Country Cookout Tour was, in essence, a historical moment in time. As the friendly faces encountered discussed their fascination and generous experience with food, the process of cooking and grilling, and the art of presentation, PdM's team received a strong sense of camaraderie between both media players, grill maestros, and food-enthusiasts who came together to celebrate summer, good company, and a whole lot of sausage! Kudos to Trace "Rib Whisperer" Arnold and his Ultimate Smoker and Grill for adding an extra spice of life to North Avenue Beach in Chicago.

We look forward to the next time around, ya hear?