Mon 5/27-Wed 7/31
For the 5th year, the James Beard Foundation is holding its competition, the Blended Burger Project, in conjunction with the Mushroom Council. Restaurants from across the country will be competing for the best burger that includes mushrooms, an effort to get chefs to create healthier and more sustainable burgers.
The foundation says, “It is estimated that Americans eat 10 billion burgers annually. If 30 percent of the beef in every burger was replaced with mushrooms, it would save as many emissions as taking 2.3 million cars off the road, conserve as much water as 2.6 million Americans use at home each year and reduce agricultural land demand by an area larger than Maryland.”
In the first round, 25 contestants are picked by public votes. A panel of professional culinary judges chooses a top five from those, who get to make their burger at the James Beard House in New York City, and possibly win $5,000.
Of course, having one of its own winning the contest would be a feather in Cleveland’s cap — and you can help. Eleven members of Cleveland Independents are competing: 111 Bistro, Astoria Market & Café, the Cabin of Willowick, Cowell & Hubbard, Der Braumeister, Jukebox, Mallorca, Provenance at the Cleveland Museum of Art, Table 45, Tartine Bistro and Tremont Taphouse.
You don’t have to visit each restaurant to vote, although they’d certainly love you to! Just go to: jamesbeard.org/blendedburgerproject/vote.