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Mills honored with Jack Daniel’s Judges’ Choice Award
LYNCHBURG, TN – When deciding upon this year’s recipient of the Jack Daniel’s Judges’ Choice Award, presented October 24, 2009 at the Jack Daniel’s World Invitational Barbecue Cooking Contest, the nine past winners of the award considered men and women who exemplify a deep dedication to the world of barbecue.
This year the group chose Mike Mills, owner of 17th Street Bar & Grill in Southern Illinois and Memphis Championship Barbecue in Las Vegas.
“Mike Mills puts a tremendous amount of effort into promoting the barbecue community and industry as a whole,” said Rocky Danner, a competitor, writer, and barbecue evangelist who is deeply committed to promoting the culture of barbecue. “An elite group of his peers overwhelmingly voted to recognize his contribution and legacy.
Mike is known in the barbecue community world-wide. If you simply say “The Legend,” everyone knows you’re talking about Mike. He is known for his warm, giving personality. When people reach Mike’s status, some of’em, it goes to their head. It seems like the more famous he gets, the more giving he gets. I’ve never heard anyone say a negative word about Mike. Except from people he beat in a contest that day.”
Danner conceived the Judges’ Award 10 years ago. “Over the years, I’ve noticed that there are a few people out there who go out of their way to give to others, especially new cookers, while not asking for anything in return,” Danner explained. “I wanted to recognize those people. This group is at the very top of barbecue.”
“I feel like I got the best award out of the whole contest. It was like being named Grand Champion. Very unexpected,” said Mills. “I’m overwhelmed, honored, and humbled.”
About Mike Mills
In the world of barbecue, champion pitmaster Mike MIlls is affectionately known as “The Legend.” He presides over the pits at his seven nationally acclaimed barbecue restaurants—four 17th Street Bar & Grill restaurants in Southern Illinois and three Memphis Championship Barbecue restaurants in Las Vegas. In the early 1990s he was co-captain of the Apple City Barbecue team, one of the most celebrated teams ever on the circuit. He is a four-time World Champion and three-time Grand World Champion at Memphis in May, otherwise known as the Super Bowl of Swine. He is also the 1992 Grand Champion of the Jack Daniel’s World Invitational Barbecue Cooking Contest and he won the Jack Daniel’s Sauce Contest that year as well. Mike is the barbecue guru at and a partner in Blue Smoke restaurant in New York City. His book, Peace, Love, and Barbecue was nominated for a 2006 James Beard Foundation award and received the 2006 National Barbecue Association Award of Excellence. In October 2008 he was honored with the Pioneer of Barbecue award at the Jack Daniel’s World Invitational Barbecue Cooking Contest and in 2009 he was presented with the Judges’ Choice Award at The Jack.
© Mark Dolan/bbqpilgrim.com/October 24, 2009
Radio personality Chip Chapman and barbecue evangelist Rocky Danner present the Judges’ Choice Award to Mike Mills of 17th Street Bar & Grill/Memphis Championship Barbecue. The award being is inscribed with these words: Judges’ Choice Award, Mike Mills, a.k.a. The Legend, is recognized as a goodwill ambassador of barbeque whose unselfish, dedicated service has helped to preserve and advance the excellence of barbeque into this new century.
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