MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - The South Beach Wine & Food Festival opened its doors to the public on Thursday for their four-day event featuring various events and tasty foods.
One of the first events is a crowd favorite. Mike’s Amazing Burger Bash, hosted by Rachael Ray, showcased an epic burger showdown and when the smoke cleared, a local burger joint emerged victorious.
Burger Bash is one of South Beach Wine & Food’s signature events. The event featured over 8,000 pounds of meat for thousands of hungry people, resulting in patties that aimed to melt in attendees’ mouths.
One of the chefs competing for the top prize, Daniel Ganem, gave 7News a preview of his delicious burger.
“This is our Daniel’s Smash Burger. So what we are doing is two Wagyu patties, double cut bacon, a little bit of maple syrup molasses and a little bit of black pepper and some Florida cheese made from Hawthorne Creek Creamery. A little bit of a crispy tempura onions and our salsa verde mayonnaise,” he said.
And that wasn’t all. The sides provided were just as impressive.
“It’s so nice and cheesy, beautifully crispy. Then, of course, we have some Idaho potatoes that you have the peppery flavor. And, of course, that beautiful sauce, that cacio e pepe sauce on top of the potato tots,” said Ganem.
The chef that won the Side Dish Award will receive a $2,500 prize.
7News captured other cooks making their famous burgers and setting up for the big crowds ahead of the event.
“This one is what you want with Iberian pulled pork. We cook it for 24 hours, and then we caramelize on the grill with the Wagyu patties. We make homemade pickles, homemade sauce,” said a chef.
This chef and Ganem were among the 25 competitors this year hoping to win over the judges with their burgers.
“The golden chimichurri smash burger, and we have two beef patties with American cheese, fresh red onions,” said Renzo Coccia of La Birra Bar.
Winning Burger Bash is an honor that local chain Motek has achieved twice.
“In 2024, we tried to make a smash burger with the bacon pastrami, and then this year we go to the classic again with a twist of our hummus tahina,” said Gianluca Massano with Motek.
But when the moment of truth came at the end of the night, another local chain, Skinny Louie, was declared the winner of Burger Bash and took home the coveted Schweid & Sons The Very Best Burger Award.
Guests were also able to enjoy some treats from Night Owl Cookies.
“I’m a huge Chaperone fan, so I thought, ‘What better way to tie this all together by having some Pink Pony Club cookies?’ It is my favorite signature dough, stuffed with a Krispy Kreme donut, topped with a pink glaze and rainbow sprinkles and some glitter for added touch,” said Night Owl Cookies CEO Andrew Gonzalez.
The event took place on Lincoln Road from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.
This year’s Side Dish Award went to La Birra Bar.
South Beach Wine & Food Festival runs until Sunday. For more information, click here.
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