I vote Weber Genesis if you are strictly talking gas grill.
Check out HHGregg. I was able to get one on Clearance in the fall (model was changing). I even offered the manager less than they had it on clearance for and he took the offer. At some point they will roll them to the back so you may...
I have the Kamado Joe and love it. It is really similar to the BGE but I was able to save quite a bit of money by going with KJ. The quality is on par with BGE and the customer service has been great. I really don't think you can go wrong with KJ or BGE.
As far as lighting, I use the...
Nope, best way to get over this kind of loss is to get his meat on top of a new one.
Have you considered buying or building a table for your egg instead of using the nest? When I get my egg, it will be nestled safely in a table to prevent it from accidentally getting knocked over.