Wilmington, De., chefs are getting ready to throw down at The Second Annual Wilmington Burger Battle, set to take place on Saturday, August 24! The event, presented by the Kenny Family Foundation, will take place from noon to 4 p.m. at Twin Lakes Brewing Company, located at 4210 Kennett Pike in Greenville, De.
The outdoor, rain-or-shine charity event will award Critic’s Choice and/or People’s Choice honors to restaurants who serve up the best burgers. Participating restaurants include 2 Fat Guys, BBC Tavern and Grill, Buckley’s Tavern, Cantwell’s Tavern, Catherine Rooney’s, Chelsea Tavern, Ernest & Scott Taproom, Home Grown Café, Jake’s Wayback Burgers, Kid Shelleen’s Charcoal House and Saloon, Nage Rehoboth, Pizza By Elizabeths, Redfire Grill Steakhouse, Ulysses Gastropub, World Café Live at the Queen and last year’s winners, Kildare’s Irish Pub (Critic’s Choice Burger) and Union City Grille (People’s Choice Burger).
As event co-founder Matthew Curtis, chef/owner of Union City Grille, who took home the People’s Choice trophy in 2012, noted, “Most of the chefs in the area know each other, so the competition is good natured. “On the other hand, restaurants really want to win, and chefs are approaching the competition in creative ways.”
This year, the critics’ panel expands from three to nine judges to accommodate more competing burgers. Burgers will be judged in two heats; the top burgers from both heats will advance to a final round, from which the winner will be crowned. Judges include JB Braun (Main Line Today), Chris Grundner (Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement), Rob Kalesse (Spark Magazine), Iris McCarthy (Philly area food writer and blogger at the Palate Princess), Bill Montgomery (Brandywine Zoo), Kita Roberts (blogger/creator of Girl Carnivore and Pass the Sushi), and Eric Ruth (Delaware Tourism Office).
$45 advance tickets are available online; tickets will be $50 at the door, pending availability. Child and teen ticket prices are also available. Tickets include food, beer tastings, soft drinks and music.
Event proceeds will support the Ministry of Caring’s Emmanuel Dining Room, which helps alleviate the immediate needs of Delaware’s hungry, serving over 180,000 nutritious meals a year at no cost, and with no questions asked.
The Kenny Family Foundation is the Wilmington Burger Battle’s first-ever naming sponsor. “We are really proud and excited to be part of the Wilmington Burger Battle supporting the Ministry of Caring,” said Heather Hook, Executive Director of the Kenny Family Foundation. “The Ministry of Caring has done so much for the people of Wilmington and we continue to support all of their efforts any way we can.” Battle co-founder JulieAnne Cross added, “Every day, we hear from new supporters—chefs, foodies, beer lovers. We believe we’re on track to double our 2012 donation to the Ministry of Caring, so that the Emmanuel Dining Room’s impact on Delaware’s hungry can be even greater.”
The Wilmington Burger Battle was founded in 2012 by Matthew Curtis, chef/owner of Union City Grille, and JulieAnne Cross, owner of PR agency CrossPro. The inaugural event raised over $4,200 for the Ministry of Caring’s Emmanuel Dining Room, attracting a sold-out crowd of over 400 people and 16 restaurants, which donated all food. Twin Lakes Brewing Company donated the use of their property and provided tastings as well as a portion of the charity contribution.
- Photography: Wilmington Burger Battle
