Culinary maestros battled for burger supremacy at the Food Network and Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival's Amstel Light Burger Bash.
For the third year in a row,Red Robin Gourmet Burgers (Red Robin) presented its Best of the Bash Award. Chef Michell Sanchez of Latin House Grill located in Miami wowed the judges with his Madlove Champ burger, which features a craveable combination of brisket, chuck and sirloin, topped with three-cheeses, Applewood maple-glazed bacon, butter lettuce, plum tomatoes, avocados, and candied jalapenos.
As the winner of the Red Robin’s Best of the Bash Award, Chef Mitchell Sanchez will receive $10,000 and the chance for his burger to appear on the premium burger menu as a limited-time offering later this year.
All chefs who participated in the Amstel Light Burger Bash had the opportunity to submit their burger recipe for Red Robin’s Best of the Bash Award. Chef Marc Murphy, host of Food Network’s Chopped and owner of New York City restaurants Landmarc and Ditch Plains, along with Dana Benfield, Red Robin’s vice president of engagement marketing, and Karen Kaehler, the brand’s culinary manager, tasted, judged and selected Chef Michell Sanchez as the winner based on creativity, taste, and presentation.
“Red Robin’s Finest line continues to be a great platform to showcase award-winning culinary creativity,” says Dana Benfield, Red Robin’s vice president of engagement marketing.
In addition to presenting the Best of the Bash Award, Red Robin also served the winning burger from its Golden Robin Contest. Red Robin invited students from the Florida International University’s (FIU) Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, the beneficiary of all proceeds from the Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival, to submit their original burger recipes.
Alex Bello was selected as the winner for his Buffalo Mac ‘N Cheesy Burger, a delicious take on a tavern style cheeseburger with two fire-grilled beef patties topped with Red Robin’s Mac ‘N Cheesy, melted Muenster cheese, Heinz Buffalo Wing Sauce, and Ranch dressing on a toasted sesame seed bun.
In addition to serving samples of his winning burger to Amstel Light Burger Bash attendees, Bello won a $10,000 scholarship and a chance to have his burger featured on the Red Robin menu.
