Burger Bash Returns for a Third South Beach Edition

Burger Bash returned to the South Beach Wine & Food Festival on February 19, with Rachael Ray hosting the third edition on the beach at the Ritz-Carlton. The event opened a festival weekend running through February 22 and put a competitive tasting format back in front of its audience.

The published chef roster included Miami names Michelle Bernstein and Michael Schwartz alongside visiting figures such as Bobby Flay and Rick Bayless. That combination is useful for a destination festival: local restaurants can be encountered in the same context as chefs familiar to visitors from elsewhere.

A burger competition gives those differences an immediate focus. Guests can compare approaches to one recognizable dish instead of moving through an unrelated sequence of samples. The format also leaves room for personal preference rather than requiring agreement on a single definition of fine dining. In its third year, Burger Bash has become a distinct appointment within the larger food weekend, with its own host, setting and practical reason to attend.