NJ Man Wins New York Bull Burger Battle, Trip to World Food Championships

With his win at this weekend's 2016 New York Bull Burger Battle, Montvale, NJ resident Dana Reed has secured a spot on Team Bull at this year's World Food Championships.

Reed brought his family along as he returned to the Best in Backyards superstore in Mahopac to compete at the Bull Burger Battle for the second consecutive year. His entry, the Mustang Burger, received a score of 96 points. It featured smoked cheddar, "fronions," jalapeño, an English cucumber relish and a pretzel bun.

"I went with a well-executed, simpler burger," said Reed, a Montvale, NJ resident who competes often on the BBQ circuit. The recipe earned him a new Bull Steer Grill Cart, in addition to the sponsored trip for two to the World Food Championships. All together, the prize package is valued at $3,350.

Reed works as a nurse practitioner, and he sits on the board of directors for Operation BBQ Relief, a non-profit dedicated to feeding those displaced by natural disasters.

"All of us at Best in Backyards were thrilled to see such a nice family win first place," said Rolf Zimmermann, the vice president of sales for Best in Backyards.

Lianna Brown, a Wyandanch, NY resident, took second place with a total of 93.1667 points. She worked with her father, Mark Williams, Sr., to create a burger that featured mushrooms, onions and a Marsala wine reduction, plus a provolone, bacon and sage stuffing.

Craig Bellow of Floral Park, NY and Steven White turned in the third-place winner. Their brisket burger sat on a toasted brioche bun, with homemade barbecue sauce. It received 91.667 points.

The remaining burgers incorporated a range of ingredients, from lobster and crabmeat to pork roll and fried egg. A panel of four judges - Chef Michael Schmutzer, president of the Chefs Association of Westchester and Lower Connecticut; John Bruno Turiano, an editor at Today Media's Westchester Magazine; Dave Prosser and Ben Ronne, both Kansas City Barbecue Society certified judges - gave each burger a total of three scores, one for appearance, one for execution and one for taste. The overall scores ranked as follows:

Dana Reed of Montvale, NJ
Lianna Brown of Wyandanch, NY
Craig Bellomo of Floral Park, NY
David Conti of Seymour, CT
Dan Herman of Bellmore, NY
Rocky Julianelle of East Haven, CT
Greg Friedman of Mount Kisco, NY
Joe Saccente of Shrub Oak, NY
Christopher Holihan of Mahopac, NY
Ray Sheehan of Neptune, NJ
Kelvin Dickens of Coram, NY
Robert Erickson of Sicklerville, NJ

More than 100 people attended the event to watch the competition unfold, enter the raffles (a BBQ grill cart and a pair of Yankees tickets were given away), enjoy the live radio entertainment from 100.7 WHUD, snack on steak, burgers and hot dogs, and see product demonstrations of the Bull BBQ grill carts. The little ones had plenty to do, too, thanks to face painting, balloon twisting and swing set displays.

The 2016 World Food Championships begin on Wednesday, Nov. 9 in Orange Beach, AL. For more details on the 2016 New York Bull Burger Battle, click here.