No wonder he’s an Iron Chef. Michael Symon‘s Cleveland burger joint B Spot is barely four months old but he was judged winner of the People’s Choice Award Thursday at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival Burger Bash. Symon’s “Fat Doug” burger was topped with pastrami, Swiss cheese and slaw. Runner up was Bobby Flay of Bobby’s Burger Palace and Food Network. Another Iron Chef, Masaharu Morimoto, took Best Dressed Burger honors. Michael Schwartz of Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink in Miami won the Golden Grill Award.
Bash hostess Rachael Ray (r.) crowned Symon as the successor to last year’s winner, Spike Mendelsohn of Washington, D.C.’s Good Stuff Eatery and “Top Chef” notoriety. Mendelsohn was back to defend his crown this year. The 2007 “Top Chef” winner, Stephanie Izard, was there, too, representing her new The Girl and the Goat restaurant.
Other chef and restaurant competitors were: 8 Oz. Burger Bar; Jake Linzinmeir of X Cafe; Bill’s Bar & Burger; Bistro One LR at The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach; Blackberry Farm; Laurent Tourondel of BLT Burger; Gabriel Fenton of Bourbon Steak; David Burke of Primehouse; DB Bistro Moderne; Johnny Iuzzini of Jean Georges; Jeffrey and Zach Chodorow; Jeni’s Ice Cream; Levain Bakery; Tim Love of Love Shack; Marcus Samuelsson of Marc Burger; Sean Brasel of Meat Market; Michael Schwartz of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink; Jonathan Bennett of Moxie, the Restaurant; Michael Lomonaco of Porter House New York; Rocco DiSpirito; Shake Shake; Mark Zeitouni of Standard Miami; and Ken Oringer of Toro.
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The June Burger of the Month at Grub Burger Bar in College Station, Texas, is the Jerk Pork Burger. That's a jerk-seasoned pork patty topped with mango pico de gallo, house-made guacamole and fried plantains. To see the full list of June's best Burgers of the Month around the country, click
There must not have been any other “new Burger joints” — service was abrupt, the only choice you get is how you want your burger cooked (surprised me when they asked since you have no other choices). As much as I dislike the fast food burger, at least I can get it my way!!!!!!!!!!
Nancy should have read Symon Says on the B-Spot website. You broke the first rule; NO WHINING!
Hey Nancy this place is not for you. Too bad because they have the best burgers in Cleveland!!!!! The reason they do that by the way is even when its crowded a table of four gets their food in ten minutes or less!!! No body listen to Nancy, GO TRY THIS PLACE FOR YOURSELF!!! Nancy stick to a fatty McDonald’s burger that will satisfy your your basic palet!!
Oh Nancy, if you want a burger your way go to Burger King.
B Spot has the best burgers in town. Also, Try the Vanilla Bean Apple Pie Bacon shake!!
Seriously Nancy there are some places for uptight people like you and this is obviously not one of them go Mcd’s
How can anyone say a bad thing about this place??? The B-Spot’s burgers are heaven. One of the first places I made sure I went to after moving to Cleveland. There always has to be a nay-sayer.