2011 Blue Moon Burger Bash: Whoopi Goldberg and a Bunch of Killer Burgers
The New York City Wine & Food Festival is in full swing this weekend, and last night marked its best-known event, the LaFrieda-sponsored Blue Moon Burger Bash. Whoopi Goldberg took Rachael Ray’s spot as host this year (check out our slideshow for a photo of the actress really digging in), prompting a wit among our acquaintance to inquire why nobody had made a Whoopi Gold-burger. Some of the biggest names in food roamed Dumbo’s Tobacco Warehouse, including Bobby Flay, whose Paramus-based Bobby’s Burger Palace competed with a coleslaw-topped burger, Daniel Boulud, who showed up later to keep tabs on DBGB’s pulled-pork-topped specimen, and Man v. Food’s Adam Richman, who took a seat at the judges’ table along with David Burke, Bizarre Foods’ Andrew Zimmern, and Food Network star Anne Burrell.
We were partial to the classic double-patty cheeseburger at Dram Shop, as well as the pressed-bun variation from Quality Meats, accompanied by some explosively delicious molten broccoli-cheese bites. Also among our favorites were Heinz Best Dressed Burger award winner Chris Santos of Beauty & Essex and People’s Choice winner (repeating his 2009 victory) Burger & Barrel’s Josh Capon. Ultimately (drumroll…) the big-gun prizes went to Capon, who was also ranked third by the judges, Marc Forgione, in second place with his everything-bagel bun “Hangover Burger,” and the bacon-and-cheddar “Wisconsin burger” from Franklin Becker of Abe & Arthur’s, in first place. Kudos to all. Take a jaunt through our slideshow to see the fun for yourself.