If you’ve lived in The Villages for very long, there’s a chance you’ve joined at least one or two of the many clubs available to residents. Want to learn more about your computer? There’s a club for that. Are you interested in speaking Italian? They got that one covered. How about meeting up with other Corvette owners, swapping stories about the Big Green Egg, or learning how to meditate? Yes, yes and yes. There are clubs for those interests too.

Wait a minute. Did you read that right?  The Big Green Egg—what kind of club is that? Simply stated, the Big Green Egg (often just called “The Egg”) is a grill modeled after ancient dome-shaped earthen cookers that go back as far back as the Chinese Qin Dynasty. These days, there’s a large following of Big Green Egg grilling virtuosos.

Greg Simmons leads the Big Green Egg Club. “The grill has that name because it’s big, it’s green, and it’s shaped like an egg,” the 63-year-old explained. “I’m a griller from way back and have owned a lot of grills, but I really like what I can do with the Egg—from grilling to barbecuing to baking to smoking—anything you want.”

The Egg uses charcoal or a variety of wood chunks for more flavor. Two vents, on top and bottom of the grill, control the cooking process—a process that takes some time and patience to perfect.

When Greg discovered there was a Villages Big Green Egg Club, he joined. “It’s just a group of guys and gals that get together to talk about grilling,” Greg said. “We talk about how to start the grill, how to get the temperature right. We also talk about our failures.”

Greg understands grilling can become a passion. “When people say they’ve enjoyed something you’ve prepared—well, there’s nothing better for a cook to hear,” he said. “I do it for myself and I do it for my family. I like it when friends come over and they go crazy and say, ‘This is really good; I love it.’ That makes me feel good and that’s what it’s all about.”