On Thursday, September 10, I’ll be at the Railyard in Santa Fe from 5:30 to 8:30 pm as one of the judges of the Green Chile Cheeseburger Smackdown, produced by Edible Santa Fe magazine. Above, you will see a typical native New Mexican green chile cheeseburger, which is rapidly becoming as iconic for this state as green chile itself. There are numerous contests for this delicacy, and I judged one at the New Mexico State Fair last year that was statewide. This one is for upscale Santa Fe restaurants. I’m presenting, in advance, photographs of all 8 finalists. At the end of this display, I will reveal my preliminary vote for Best Presentation. In a future post, I will show you the winner.

Juan Bochensky, Anasazi Restaurant Bar and Lounge

Anthony Smith, Agave Lounge, Eldorado Hotel & Spa

Enrique Guerrero, Bang Bite Filling Station

Cindy Barreras, Caffe Greco

Mark Quinones, Living Room at Inn and Spa Loretto

Thomas Hartwell, Red Sage at Buffalo Thunder Casino

Milton Villarrubia, Second Street Brewery

Andrew Cooper, Terra Restaurant, Four Seasons Rancho Encantado
My vote for the Best Presentation is Cindy Barreras, Caffe Greco. I like the simplicity of this shot that shows you precisely what a basic green chile cheeseburger should look like, with the toppings on the side.