"burger bash" news and stories

There's a lot on offer at the annual SoBe Food and Wine Festival, but Food Network's South Beach Burger Bash is always the must-see event. Food writers, bloggers and burger enthusiasts travel from around the globe to be among the thousands of spectators who get to watch their favorite chefs vie for the title of Best Burger. (And sample the burgers, of course.)

However, not many people understand what it takes to pull off an event of this size. After flying into town from New York City on Thursday afternoon, I headed over to the Burger Bash's 35,000-square-foot tent to meet with Jackie Sayet, Chef Michael Schwartz's (Michael's Genuine Food & Drink) brand manager. One the way inside, I was stopped by several people asking me if I had a ticket for sale. Others were scalping tickets -- the bash really is the Super Bowl of food events.

At last year's Burger Bash, Michael took home the Judge's Award. This year, he was determined to capture the People's Choice Award with his Bacon, Quail Egg and Cheeseburger with Fried Cheese Grits. Before arriving in Miami, I asked Jackie if I could follow Michael's journey through the night as he prepped and served 2,600 burgers to a very hungry crowd.

Diet Pepsi "Skinny" -- is the marketing around the new product smart or just plain old annoying?

During Fashion Week, a time when New York City is surrounded by beautiful and slender women, Pepsi debuted its pint-size can dubbed the "Skinny Can." Everyone had something to say about it. In fact, it might have been more controversial than J. Woww walking down the runway is almost nothing.

Fine, we get it Pepsi, go big or go home.

However, as I walked inside the Burger Bash tent yesterday afternoon, I found myself face-to-face with these cans once again. Are you serious? Out of all places to show up during Food Network's Wine and Food Festival, they chose the Burger Bash?

The Burger Bash tent is lined up with more than 25 different burger creations. Lets be real here -- drinking Diet Pepsi from their Skinny can isn't going to help you in the calorie department.

Read more: Burger Bash 2011 Winner: Michael Symon

So who won the Food Network's 5th Annual SoBe Burger Bash 2011? Well, that depends on the category:

The People's Choice Award: Michael Symon (B Spot)
Burger with fried salami, provolone, shasha sauce and pickled onion.

Judges Favorite: Marc Murphy (Landmarc Restaurants)
All beef hamburger on a homemade black pepper and cheddar bun with spike ketchup and house made pickles.

Heinz Best Dressed Burger Award: Michael Symon
Burger with fried salami, provolone, shasha sauce and pickled onion.

Best Side Dish: Burger & Beer Joint
Beer tempura battered fried pickles served with homemade buttermilk ranch & truffle baked potato salad.

The lines were huge at Friday Night's Blue Moon Burger Bash (part of the annual NYC Wine & Food Festival), held in DUMBO's Tobacco Warehouse, but none as long as the one twisting around and bunching up in front of Bobby Flay's Burger Palace. Flay himself manned the table, passing out hundreds of Santa Fe burgers and hamming it up for the crowds. The hand shaking, photo ops and his Santa Fe burger (topped with poblano chiles, queso and blue-corn tortilla chips) added up to a winning combination for fans -- Flay took home the People's Choice award.

Shake Shack was this year's winner (no big surprise there). Sure, their burgers are incredible, but can we give a shout-out to the shakes and those crinkle fries? The stars of every Burger Bash are the burgers, of course, but sometimes the supporting cast deserves attention too.

Check out our favorite sides of the evening.