Albuquerque rookie competitors receive awards at Green Chile Cheeseburger Cookoff
For a couple hours Monday afternoon, the wafting scent of beef and green chile dominated the main thoroughfare and was complemented by the haze from 10 grills at the
For the fair鈥檚 Green Chile Cheeseburger Cookoff , restaurants from across the state seasoned their grills and let them fire at noon, cooking first for an all-male panel of eight judges and then for a select group of roughly 100 fair-goers lucky enough to receive a green wristband from New Mexico State Police.
Albuquerque restaurants dominated the competition with winning the blind judge鈥檚 choice and taking home the people鈥檚 choice award. It was the first time competing for both.
鈥淲e just said we鈥檙e shutting the restaurant down and we鈥檙e going to try our best and work hard and come out and do our best. And that鈥檚 exactly what we did. We kicked a--,鈥 Leticia Romero, owner of Isleta Grill, said. 鈥淭he staff was great. We were great. That鈥檚 why we won.鈥
Romero said the decision to compete came a couple months ago, and she admitted she didn鈥檛 expect to win.
鈥淲e wanted to win ... but we didn鈥檛 know what was going to happen. We were hoping. We were praying. We knew if we came in and did what we always do at the restaurant, which is consistency, love, care, we were going to be OK,鈥 Romero said.
Romero did say she hopes to see more female representation on the judges鈥 panel and at the cookoff next year.
鈥淭his is a male-dominant world, and it鈥檚 so hard to come out with all these men and just show and prove that you can do it. And we can do it. Anyone can do it,鈥 Romero said.
Fernando Ramirez, culinary director for people鈥檚 choice winner Craft Republic, was also pleased with the result of the competition.
鈥淭his is the people鈥檚 choice. This is really what to me, what matters.鈥 Ramirez said.
One of the notable ballot-casters for the people鈥檚 choice award was .
鈥淭his is a great tradition. I actually remember when it started. I was the state senator, and the fair continues to do better each year,鈥 Keller said. 鈥淭his one is really nice and accessible for everyone. You do have to pay a little bit to do it, but in this one鈥檚 very well advertised and attended, so it鈥檚 a celebration in Albuquerque of our favorite burgers.鈥
Keller made rounds along Main Street where the 10 vendors were, posing for photos and making small talk with grill operators.
Keller said he cast a ballot, admitting it was before he got to try all of the competitors鈥 offerings. He also sidestepped a question on what his favorite burger was.
鈥淭he Albuquerque burgers; the burgers from Albuquerque. That鈥檚 the answer there.鈥 Keller said.