SOBE Wine & Food Festival hosts Burger Bash

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) -- Some of the county's biggest culinary talents went head to head at the Amstel Light Burger Bash, one of the most anticipated events at this year's South Beach Food and Wine Festival, Friday night.

Renowned celebrity chef Rachael Ray returned as the cook-off's host. Local restaurants, like Charm City Burger Company in Deerfield Beach, squared off against some very big names in the food industry.

"It doesn't get any better," said Ed Lavelle. "Fantastic people, the sun, South Florida, hello Miami," he continued. Some of the people sampling wines at the festival's Grand Tasting Village, a large tent set up directly behind the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in South Beach, were seen walking around with wine glasses tied around their necks.

Celebrity chef Bobby Flay said he wants to win the title this year. "We've been a runner up for three years in a roll against Michael Simon, he's my boy but he's going down this year," said Flay.

Food Channel Guy Fieri among others are trying to beat three time Burger Bash winner Michael Simon.

Ray said this year by far has been the hardest one to pick a winner. "I’m here to congratulate all the chefs," she said. "Michael Simon might be a contender for year four, but I’m telling you we are only six in and it’s a tough year...toughest yet.

Two streets over from the Village, chefs have been preparing all day for tonight's burger competition at the Meat Market. "We've got the brown sirloin and short rib combo, it's nice and fatty, but beefy," observed Jeff Nauro, the Food Network's "Sandwich Man." "There's going to be saliva all over the board here," he joked when asked how people will react to his dishes.

Nauro's got competition from all over the county. "It's a hamburger with American cheese, griddled country ham," Shake Shack chef Mark Rosati said as he described one of his entries. "We're trying something different, what we're doing is we're trying little flying saucers, almost like an empanada," indicated Arnold Reese, the chef at Guy's Burgers. "I want to win," he said.

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