#GreenportBurgerCrawl 12/10/2020

Let’s be real here. 2020 made everyone feel some type of way. While we all sat at home avoiding biological land mines and contemplating our own mortal vulnerabilities, we missed a lot of things; a lot of people; and a lot of food. Or perhaps not so much the food (with COVID-19 thus began the advent of take out on the North Fork. Finally!), but definitely the conversation, the friends, the possibilities of connection, the conviviality; all the things that surround eating that make eating so great… aside from the actual eating. ‘Cause let’s be honest: eating is probably what has gotten most of us through this pandemic. But as much as we missed these things, the over arching issue was still at large: how do you compete with a pandemic?

Getting creative at Andy’s. The Happiest Burger in Town.

You nut up; mask up; sanitize like a mother (literally), take care of each other, and be deliberate as well as vigilant. Develop those super stealthy ninja skills you talked about so much in Junior High and pivot, pivot, pivot. Last year we invited anyone who wanted to tag along the crawl to follow along. This year dining was limited to the judges who were chosen not only by their wherewithal, but by their experience with the pandemic. Most of the judges have worked within and around an industry who has had to experience the most risk and restrictions during this time. They knew what was up, and what was at stake.

Another thing we did was add a COVID Experience category alongside the original categories as a means for each place to gain extra points along the way. We wanted to recognize everyone’s efforts and achievements this year in pushing through boundaries and pivoting their businesses in order to survive the insanity of this year. The COVID experience was to the personal discretion of each judge; the wild card.

Judging was as follows; much like last year: medium rare, across the board, was the way to go. Add ons were appreciated, but counted towards each burger’s Price Point, if applicable, or its Presentation. And without a doubt, each burger should have cheese. This was, after all, for science! Presentation was straightforward; Price Point meant that you got every bang for your buck. But whereas Flavor meant the overall flavor of the burger as a dish, the Beef category had everything to do with its savory taste to the burger temperature itself. The Stack & Hold, however, has everything to do with the architecture of the burger. Did the tomato hold up; did the beef stay in place; how much support did the bun lend? As the old adage goes: it’s hard work, but someone’s got to do it. [We pretty much copied and pasted that. Time is of the essence. Again, don’t @ us.]

The crawl went counter clockwise in the village starting at Front Street Station through to Ellen’s on Front, Andy’s, American Beech, and finally to the new kid on the block: Pearl. Sobriety was encouraged during the crawl for obvious reasons. We were all straighter than the bar at the Whiskey Wind, which has probably seen hazier days, or evenings rather. And while we were judging burgers, at times it seemed like we were judging fries. But they’re just flashing lights – distractions! Focus on the burger! Just ‘cause the marquee is bright doesn’t mean the club is poppin’. (Sorry, we don’t know who had the best fries. That’s probably a whole other competition).

It’s a tough job. Someone’s got to do it.

Anyways; you probably would like to know who the winner. Then why did you read this? You could have watched the video! Hahahaha; jay kay -- this is important.

The winner of the Greenport Burger Crawl with the most points for the best burger in Greenport is Pearl Restaurant & Bar! Not only is it that new new; the chef, Jessica O’Brien, is highly acclaimed with a background at both The Spotted Pig in NYC as well as the Jedediah Hawkins Inn in Jamesport. It was the most expensive burger from the lot at $23.00, but clearly price was no object here. She came in the ring both strong and swift, and held nothing back. Go taste it for yourselves. 409 Main Street.

With regards to the COVID Experience: American Beech won with the most individual points in that category! Congratulations guys!

Happy New Year everyone! We hope you are able to ring in the New Year healthy and peacefully leaving 2020 behind where it belongs: in hindsight.