Who's got the best burger in Westchester? Restaurant earns title at annual event

Southern Table Kitchen + Bar has the best burger in Westchester. So said the voters at Westchester Magazine's 13th annual Wine & Food Festival held June 6 at Kensico Dam in Valhalla.

The Pleasantville restaurant won the hearts of both the judges, who voted on the 20 eateries who used Pat LaFrieda meats, and the participants who used slots to pick their favorite for the "People's Choice."

Their entry? A Bulleit burger that contained a custom beef blend, aged cheddar, Bulleit bourbon glaze, caramelized onion, bacon and chipotle aioli.

Best Thing I Ate This Week:Seafood platter in Briarcliff Manor is Jeanne Muchnick's Best Thing

Winning second and third place by those in attendance: Rye Roadhouse in Rye with its "Cafe du Monde" burger: a coffee-crusted creation topped with crumbled candied bacon and chipotle infused maple syrup served on a fresh beignet that was garnished with powdered sugar; and Avellino Family Barbecue in Stamford, Conn. with its brisket queso smashburger topped with pit-smoked brisket queso.

Twenty-three restaurants serving everything from classic cheeseburgers to elevated creations were among the participants, with 20 using Pat La Frieda Meat Purveyors.

This was the the third first-place win for Southern Table, which also won last year and the year before. The judge's pick, however, was new this year. On the panel: Melanie Landano, a Food Network personality and owner of Mel's Butcher Box in Tenafly, NJ; Jason Eksterowicz, senior executive chef of the New York Mets at Citifield; Chef Anthony Goncalves of Kanopi Restaurant in White Plains and Westchester Magazine Editor John Turiano.

Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @jeannemuchnick or via the lohudfood newsletter.