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Fall Flavor Fest at Smokin’ Deal BBQ features tastes, demos, industry pros

Posted September 10, 2025 11:34 am

Submitted by Cynthia Wolf, Wolf Wordsmithing

Smokin' Deal BBQ owner Jeff Silvers shares the advantages of cooking in a BSTRD Kamado Grill. BSTRD will be among the product lines featured at Silvers' Oct. 4 Fall Flavor Fest at his Vernon Hills store. Courtesy of Cynthia Wolf, Wolf Wordsmithing

A Barbecue Hall of Famer who is also a bestselling author. A grilling enthusiast with more than 3.5 million social media followers and his own line of rubs and seasonings. A certified pizzaiolo who is the corporate chef for Lakeview Appliance Distributing.

Visitors will find all three at the Fall Flavor Fest from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, at Smokin’ Deal BBQ in Vernon Hills, where they also can find everything from top-of-the-line grilling, smoking and outdoor pizza-making equipment to top-quality meats, spices, sauces and more.

Jeff Silvers points out the “Grillin With Dad” seasonings and rubs available at Smokin' Deal BBQ, where the influencer behind “Grillin With Dad” — Maciek Zurawski — will be a featured industry pro during the Fall Flavor Fest on Oct. 4. Courtesy of Cynthia Wolf, Wolf Wordsmithing

The Fall Flavor Fest is an event store owner Jeff “The Smoker Guy” Silvers has been planning for months. It’s a chance to meet a veritable industry who’s who, including author and hall-of famer Meathead; Maciek Zurawski, the industry influencer behind grillinwithdad.com; and Freddy Jennings, whose @woodovenboston Instagram page launched a second career as a pizzaiolo and corporate chef.

Smokin' Deal BBQ owner Jeff “The Smoker Guy” Silvers stands behind the demo kitchen at his Vernon Hills store, where the Oct. 4 Fall Flavor Fest will offer opportunities to meet industry pros, see demos and sample delicious grilled meats. Courtesy of Cynthia Wolf, Wolf Wordsmithing

“We want to show our clients and future customers something very special while introducing them to some exceptionally talented industry juggernauts,” Silvers said. “These are some of the best in our business, and I’m grateful that they’re all willing to support us.”

The cover of the new book by Meathead, a bestselling cookbook author who will provide a presentation Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Fall Flavor Fest at Smokin' Deal BBQ, Vernon Hills. Courtesy of Meathead

Meathead, who goes only by that name, offers a host of free recipes and equipment reviews as well as a subscription-based barbecuing community at amazingribs.com. He has now written two books: “Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling” and “The Meathead Method: A BBQ Hall of Famer’s Secrets and Science on BBQ, Grilling, and Outdoor Cooking with 114 Recipes.”

He’ll be first up, from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Oct. 4, with a presentation he promises will not disappoint, after which he’ll be available for questions and book signings.

“I love teaching,” the Brookfield resident said. “That’s why I’m so looking forward to this. The website and the books are how we make a living. But, at heart, I’m a teacher. I think anybody who comes to the event will walk away with knowledge they didn’t have when they came in the door.”

Zurawski, of Libertyville, and Jennings, of Boston, will also offer demos as well as tastes that folks won’t want to miss.

Maciek Zurawski, whose “Grillin With Dad” social media channels boast millions of followers, will be one of the industry pros featured at the Fall Flavor Fest at Smokin' Deal BBQ. Courtesy of "Grillin With Dad"

“We’ll be grilling up samples outside, showing people how to use the grill, but also giving people a chance to taste our seasonings on grilled meats,” said grillinwithdad.com’s Zurawski, a former financier who has amassed such a following in his eight years on social media offering simple grilling techniques that he is now sponsored and has made it his livelihood.

“We’ll be showing off the different grills at Smokin’ Deal BBQ, how to use them, answering questions and sampling our seasonings.”

Freddy Jennings, a certified pizzaiolo and corporate chef for Lakeview Appliance Distributing, will travel from Boston to demonstrate Alfa Outdoor Ovens, OFYR and BSTRD products at the Fall Flavor Fest. Courtesy of @woodovenboston

Jennings, who also has an impressive Instagram following, started posting pizza-making videos with his daughter more than a decade ago. The videos caught the attention of Alfa Pizza Ovens, which now employs him to promote their products at events like the Fall Flavor Fest. As corporate chef for Lakeview Appliance Distributing, he’ll be talking not only about Alfa Ovens, but also showing off the OFYR and BSTRD products available at Smokin’ Deal BBQ.

Pizza, though, is clearly a passion for the pizzaiolo, certified by the North American Pizza and Culinary Academy in Lisle.

“This is the perfect opportunity for people to explore their interest in making pizza, to learn how easy it is for anyone to make,” he said. “In these open ovens, you can watch the whole process. You can watch the cheese melt, bubble and brown up as the crust caramelizes. It’s an immersive experience.”

Silvers said he hopes his Oct. 4 guests come away sated, and with a renewed appreciation for both the communal and the flavorful aspects of a fall favorite activity: outdoor cooking with family and friends.

Smokin’ Deal BBQ is open 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Featured partners include Alfa Outdoor Ovens, BSTRD Grills and OFYR Cooking Units and accessories. For more information, visit smokindealbbq.com or call (847) 393-7065.

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