Burger Bash

Bobby Flay has a shining new accomplishment to put under his belt: winner of the Burger Bash people's choice award. The owner of Bobby's Burger Palace shared his elation with the crowd at a South Beach Wine and Food Festival demo yesterday, mostly about dethroning best friend and long-standing winner Michael Symon. "I've endured 36 straight months of razzing from Michael. The next 12 will be bliss . . . I'm going to give it back." Chef Flay also shared tips and his controversial opinions on what does — and does not — belong between two buns.

• Don't even bother with chicken burgers. When asked by an audience member why her chicken burgers never turn out quite right, Flay had a simple, definitive answer: "Don't make them!" Ground chicken breast doesn't work: it's too rubbery and dry. Instead, he offers customers a chicken breast sandwich and turkey burgers to satisfy those in need of a poultry fix.

Keep reading for a deeper glimpse into his burger philosophy.

Andrew Zimmern's got a show on the Travel Channel, a food truck, a wife and kids, a new book, nearly a dozen partnerships, and a place on Anthony Bourdain's new book tour. But for a culinary personality juggling so many projects, he's got a surprisingly laid-back attitude about it all. Case in point: at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, hours before competing in a volleyball tournament, appearing living on Sirius Radio, and judging the festival's Burger Bash, he was sunning shirtless by the pool at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel with friend and fellow chef Michael White. Before burgers but after volleyball, we had a chance to catch up with the TV host when he was at a kickoff event for his new partnership with travel company Traterra.

PopSugar: What have you been up to in South Beach thus far?
Andrew Zimmern: Last night I went to the Q; I had my son with me, and kids weren't allowed in, so we played tag on the beach and smelled barbecue. It was just as good. Today I did a volleyball tournament: my team — the old, fat men — won the tournament, which was just unbelievable. I have this event with Traterra. I believe strongly in what they're trying to do: to bring real travel, not tourism, to everyone. I'm judging Burger Bash tonight. We have a system so you don't have to eat all 34 [burgers]. You divide them, and everybody takes [a flight], and you rate your top two or three, and then everybody tastes them again. The aggregate is you're only eating 16 burgers, or something like that. It's a good system: I judged it [in previous years] when you had to eat all 22. It was terrible. Talk about the meat sweats! We'll go to some fun afterparties tonight. Tomorrow, I'm doing my kids event out in Jungle Island, which is wonderful: it's cooking healthy food with kids. I make them laugh, and we have a good time. I get more out of it than my kid, I'm sure. I've got my event on Sunday, Trucks in the City. We've taken over a corner of the [Miami] Design District, and we're putting 24 of the best trucks from town in one place, and we having a great truck meet-up. And my truck is there, AZ Canteen.

Keep reading for more on what's next for Zimmern.

At highly anticipated food events, like this weekend's South Beach Wine and Food Festival, we can't decide what's better: trying all manner of great food, or running into our favorite chefs. In between bites at Burger Bash, we stopped by the judges' corner to chat with restaurateur, Food Network judge, and Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian, where he talked to us about grading the beef, and what's on the horizon for him next.

On judging Burger Bash: As a judge who's trying to remain unbiased, Zakarian doesn't believe in favorites or front-runner bias. When judging burgers, he pulls the patty out of the burger to taste the beef unadorned. "I want to taste the beef first — I don't care what they put on it," he says.

On advice for those new to an event like Burger Bash: The Iron Chef suggests trying first-timers new to the competition first over legendary names; sometimes they provide a new, unexpected perspective.

See what's in the pipeline for him when you keep reading.

From The Q to the Grand Tasting, the South Beach Wine and Food Festival has many flagship events, but none is more sought-after than the Burger Bash hosted by Rachael Ray. Every star chef from Masaharu Morimoto to Guy Fieri has vied for top prize at the twice-yearly event (which is also held every Fall at the New York City Wine and Food Festival).

We sat down with Rachael Ray just before she took the stage to announce the coveted People's Choice Award. She shared her thoughts on South Beach versus Miami, patty purists, and how she manages to taste all those burgers.

PopSugar: So how many Burger Bashes has this been for you?
Rachael Ray: Seven.

PS: What's different and what's new this year?
RR: Nothing's new about our event, except it gets bigger every year. What I love about our event is that I think it really embodies what I love about food: everybody's welcome, and it's for everyone. Whatever your skill level, whether you're rich or poor, young or old, good food should be for everybody. That's why you see the world's greatest chefs coming out and putting their souls between the buns.

PS: How many burgers are in the running at this year's event?
RR: 34.

PS: Is that the most you've ever had?
RR: It's the largest number of entries, yeah. It's the biggest we've ever had — it grows every year.

Find out if she's really eating 34 burgers when you keep reading.

It was just a week ago that we were chomping down on burgers at Rachael Ray's Burger Bash in South Beach, where we tried just about every topping imaginable on a burger, from Morimoto's braised pork and wagyu beef to Guy Fieri's secret donkey sauce. Seven days later, we're still dreaming of those patties, and hoping to re-create some of them at home. Here are several things we're hoping to try on our own burgers at home.

Brick cheese spread
Give the burger a further nod to nostalgic Americana by adding creamy, dreamy brick cheese spread. Keep it honest and go for one made by one of Wisconsin's cheese artisans, like Abe & Arthur's did.

Bacon mixed into the beef patty
Tons of restaurants were doing this, from Shake Shack to Chicago's NoMI Kitchen (served with a spiked watermelon slice, no less!). We were most fond of applewood-smoked bacon coarsely chopped into the beef patty, then served with cherry pepper relish, as seen in Danny Meyer's SmokeShack burger.

See the rest.