Green Chile Cheeseburger Smackdown Finalists Announced

August 18, 2015: The votes have been cast at ediblesmackdown.com for the Green Chile Cheeseburger Smackdown, an annual competition to find the best green chile cheeseburger in Santa Fe, New Mexico. After a two week voting period, August 1 – 15, the finalists have been picked and will move on to compete in the September 10, 2015 Smackdown.

The battling chefs bring some serious culinary chops to the competition, proving that truly great burgers go beyond American cheese, lettuce, and tomato.

Of the eleven restaurants competing, the eight finalists determined by online vote are:

Agave at the Eldorado Hotel & Spa Santa Fe – Chef Anthony Smith
Anasazi Restaurant, Bar and Lounge – Chef Juan Bochenski
Bang Bite Filling Station – Chef Enrique Guerrero
Caffe Greco – Chef Cindy Barreras
Living Room at Inn and Spa Loretto – Chef Marc Quiñones
Red Sage at Buffalo Thunder – Chef Thomas Hartwell
Second Street Brewery – Chef Milton Villarrubia
Terra at Four Seasons Rancho Encantado – Chef Andrew Cooper

You can view all the contenders here: http://ediblesmackdown.com/the-contenders/

The eight finalists will battle it out at the Smackdown on September 10 at the Santa Fe Railyards in front of a panel of local and national celebrity judges. The esteemed judges are:

Tracey Ryder, co-founder of Edible Communities, Inc., the nation’s largest publishing company dedicated to the local foods movement
Cheryl Jamison, James Beard Award winner, well-known cookbook author and one of the country’s foremost authorities on barbecue, grilling and smoke cooking
Kelly Urig, a.k.a. ChileChica, literally wrote the book on chile. Author of New Mexico Chiles; History, Legend & Lore and filmmaker of The Chile Film
Dave DeWitt, a food historian and one of the foremost authorities in the world on chile peppers, spices, and spicy foods
Surprise guest of national celebrity fame
Master of Ceremonies, Rocky Durham, executive chef and co-founder of the Santa Fe Culinary Academy

In addition to an Overall Winner as chosen by the judges’ panel, a blind tasting by the first 100 attendees will determine the PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD. The cook-off will take place at the Santa Fe Farmers Market Pavilion in the Railyards on September 10 starting at 4:00pm.

Tickets to sample and vote for the People’s Choice Award burgers are $35* and tasting-only tickets can be purchased for $25. Visit www.ediblesmackdown.com for details and to purchase tickets.

Date: September 10, 2015
Early Entry Tickets at 4pm * General Public 5:30-8:30pm

Location: Santa Fe Farmers Market Pavilion at the Santa Fe Railyards

Information: www.ediblesmackdown.com

LIBATIONS will be provided by Black Mesa Winery, Duel Brewing, Santa Fe Brewing Company, Santa Sidra, and Second Street Brewery.

Additional Vendors will round out the offerings with samplings that compliment the Smack down. Vendors include Bario Brinery, The Old Windmill Dairy, Ohori’s Coffee Roasters, Savory Spice Shop, Shihan Fine Knives, Cooking with Kids, and more to be announced.

Music performance by Todd & The Fox, www.toddandthefox.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT EDIBLESMACKDOWN.COM TO INTERVIEW SMACKDOWN DIRECTOR STEPHANIE CAMERON, PLEASE EMAIL: stephanie@ediblesantafe.com OR CALL: 505.818.9582

*People’s Choice Award tickets are limited to 100. You will be seated and presented each competition burger in a blind tasting-only PCA ticket holders will be allowed at the event during the tasting so you won’t have to wait!

ABOUT EDIBLE SANTA FE

edible Santa Fe is a bi-monthly publication that celebrates the abundance of local foods, season by season, from Albuquerque to Taos and all over New Mexico. We focus on the people-farmers, chefs, vintners, brewers, and food artisans who live and work the land. We give voice to local food inspirations, trends, controversies, and challenges. We offer a rare access to the most influential and interested food and drink enthusiasts, all the while creating an authentic vivid, enticing, and enriching culinary experience.