Sag Harbor's LT Burger Wins "Best of the Bash"

Sag Harbor eatery LT Burger earned accolades for its “Smashed Smoke Burger” at the South Beach Food & Wine Festival last weekend, and it will now be served for a limited time at nearly 500 Red Robin restaurants around the U.S. and Canada.

LT Burger chefs Laurent Tourondel, Andrew Buffalino and Jedd Adair submitted their creation—which features “a craveable combination” of black peppered bacon, New York State cheddar, Spanish onion and sweet sauce—to Red Robin‘s first-ever “Best of the Bash” contest, hosted by Rachael Ray in Miami on February 22.

All chefs participating in the Amstel Light Burger Bash were invited to submit their burger recipe to Red Robin for the chance to win $10,000 and an appearance on the Gourmet Burger Expert’s menu.

Mo Rocca, host of Cooking Channel’s My Grandmother’s Ravioli and correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood, along with Denny Marie Post, chief menu & marketing officer for Red Robin, and Scott Weaver, the brand’s director of culinary, tasted, judged and selected the Smashed Smoke Burger as Red Robin’s Best of the Bash based on criteria such as creativity, taste and presentation.

“Tasting a dozen burgers in the running for Red Robin’s Best of the Bash Award was no easy task,” Rocca said. “I thought the chefs participating in the Amstel Light Burger Bash had the tough job, but I had my work cut out for me in having to help choose a winner!”

“The Smashed Smoke Burger had all of the notes of a perfectly prepared burger,” Weaver said.  “It was a savory combination of sweet and smoky flavors balanced with great texture from the cheese and peppery bacon.”

In addition to the $10,000 cash prize, the Smashed Smoke Burger will be served in more than 465 of Red Robin‘s North American restaurants as part of their premium burger line. The chef-crafted burgers will use premium proteins stacked on an artisan bun with high-quality toppings such as roasted tomatoes, artisan cheeses and premium sauces and aiolis prepared in-house. The high-end burgers will be priced in line with Red Robin’s entrée offerings and served with a choice of two sides.

“We see the burger as a great canvas for innovation, and the chefs who shared their original burgers with us at the event are further proof of that,” said Denny Marie Post, Red Robin’s senior vice president and chief menu & marketing officer.