Can Anyone Improve Upon the Classic Burger?

The cheeseburger is a gastronomic end point. Nevertheless, at the Rachael Ray Burger Bash, held at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival in Miami, chefs like Masaharu Morimoto and Daniel Boulud competed to reinvent the classic food

Jackie Sayet

The prize-winning bacon cheeseburger from Michael's Genuine in Miami.

There is no greater spectacle in the hamburger universe than the annual Rachael Ray Burger Bash, held at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival in Miami. At this year's gastronomic gathering, which took place on Feb. 25, I tried all the burgers and talked to all the chefs, and one thing is clear: the hamburger is at a creative crossroads.

What was most striking about this iteration of the event (as opposed to other ones I've gone to, either as a judge or an observer) was how...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!