The event of the hour – Burger Bash (Feb 23rd, 2012)was going on in full swing. Live amazing band that covered songs that my mum and dad probably listened to (baby-making music), trickling down to current hits (sans Justin Bieber – thank the heavens!). All the greats were in attendance; Bobby Flay, Morimoto, Rachel Ray – always jovial host, Daniel Holzman to name a few. Dial an hour after the party started, drink in hand, pounding the sandy South beach location and eating burger after burger – a glorious meaty night.
Over 26 participating Chefs and restaurants churned out their version of the burger. A walk around ensued from station to station, in hopes of being able to eat ALL 26 burgers, a feat worthy of a medal. Needless to say, the two listed below were my favourite. Meat overload was evident at this event but it was quite a turn out. Founder of the festival, Lee Schrager and host Rachel Ray announced the winners at the end of the night.
1. Meatball shop
- Chilli Cheese Burger : Chilli flavoured meat patty smothered in Grafton cheddar sauce topped with caramelised onions on a tasted sesame bun. Very flavourful, popular among festival goers due to its endless line of people waiting to have a taste. The Grafton cheddar cheese and pressed toasted sesame bun; gave it a nice, smoky, Â crunchy taste and flavour.
Chilli Cheese Burger
2. The Dutch
- The Dutch Burger: Cheddar, Brioche bun and a secret sauce with a refreshing ginger float. Perfectly cheesy and succulent, that bun was the bees knees y’all. The ginger float pieced it all together like a puzzle. Ginger flavour combined with the burger was an explosion of yummy goodness.
The Dutch Burger
The top burgers in my opinion were the two listed above, granted I didn’t get a chance to taste all 26 burgers. My 5 foot frame can only handle so much.
Morimoto’s “Wagyu & Pork Kakuni burger with pickled onions and japanese cucumbers” had potential but it looked messy and the cucumbers were ordinary.
Here is the link to the Burger Bash Menu, as you can see, it was grand. I know my limit and “death by beef” would not look good on my obituary. The side dishes were definitely worthy of the long lines, however, I think most people had their fill after 6 to 10 burgers.
A Godiva bar and Serendipity station were the go-to dessert stops. The truffles from Godiva were to die for and the ‘Frrrrrrozen Chocolate’ from Serendipity was a hit.
Godiva Bar
The coveted People’s Choice Award for the night went to Food Network star and chef Michael Symon for the third year in a row. I didn’t get a chance to sample his ‘pork and bacon burger topped with pulled pork and slaw’, but I heard it was phenomenal.
Burger Bash was a hit and has always been since it’s inception over a decade ago. New York dates are yet to be announced, I would keep a look out for tickets later this year. They sell out pretty fast and are worth every penny. You never know who of your favourite TV chefs will be there, a good chance to release your inner carnivore.
