Michael Symon Wins Big at the SoBe Burger Bash 2011

Grid View

• Michael Symon wins the People's Choice Award
• Marc Murphy wins Judges' Favorite
• Judges table
• Danny Meyer and Shake Shack CEO David Swinghamer holding court
• Shake Shack sunglasses!
• the crowd, before entering
• Marc Murphy
• Morimoto
• Tim Love
• Tim Love's burger
• Spike Mendelsohn as the Hamburglar
• Spike Mendelsohn
• Spike Mendelsohn's police brigade
• Michael Schlow
• Umami Burger's cooking gear
• Models working the Pepsi Skinny can booth were, in fact, skinny
• Jose Garces
• Groupon advertising on the bathroom door
• SoBe mastermind Lee Schrager and Rachael Ray
• Rachael Ray gets a poster
• Michael Symon wins the Heinz Best Dressed Burger Award

Last night at the SoBe Burger Bash in Miami Beach — or officially the Amstel Light Burger Bash presented by Allen Brothers hosted by Rachael Ray at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival — Iron Chef star Michael Symon (B Spot, Ohio) won big. He defeated 26 competitors — including Michael White, Bobby Flay, Masaharu Morimoto, Laurent Tourondel, Spike Mendelsohn, and Jose Garces — and took home the coveted People's Choice Award for an unprecedented second year in a row.

Symon also won the Heinz Best Dressed Burger award with his Yo! Burger made with fried salami, provolone, shasha sauce, and pickled onion. Said Symon after receiving the trophy, "Last year it was pastrami. This year it was the salami. It's meat-on-meat, baby!"

Marc Murphy (Landmarc, NYC) won the Judges' Favorite with his "Big Marc" burger, an all-beef hamburger on a homemade black pepper and cheddar bun with spiked ketchup and house made pickles. The Best Side Dish award went to Carlos Barillas from Burger & Beer Joint of Miami Beach for their truffled baked potato salad.

Hangover observations:

2009 winner Spike Mendelsohn dressed up as a rather convincing the Hamburglar — his sexy cheerleaders were dressed as sexy policewomen.

Restaurateur Danny Meyer held court at the Shake Shack stand—his first time doing the Bash in SoBe—handing out what can only be highly-coveted Shake Shack sunglasses.

Tim Love (Lonesome Dove, Fort Worth, Texas) with the bold decision to go with an elk burger.

Celebrity chefs including Masaharu Morimoto and Michael Symon (of course) had the longest lines. Morimoto had the messiest burger — topped with a sunnyside-up egg — but he was also overly generous with paper towels.

Los Angeles' upstart chain Umami Burger — with their custom flattops — also had enormous lines.

Iron Chef's Marc Forgione was also on the scene—pimping Havaianas sandals. So it was a win for both of New York's Marcs.

More Coverage:

· Slashfood
· Miami New Times
· HuffPo
· Burger Beast

· The Burger Bash Lineup at the SoBe Wine & Food Festival [-E-]
· All SoBe Coverage on Eater [-E-]
· All Burger Bash Coverage on Eater [-E-]