Albuquerque rookie competitors receive awards at Green Chile Cheeseburger Cookoff

Sep. 9—For a couple hours Monday afternoon, the wafting scent of beef and green chile dominated the main thoroughfare and was complemented by the haze from 10 grills at the New Mexico State Fair.

For the fair's Green Chile Cheeseburger Cookoff , restaurants from across the state seasoned their grills and let them fire at noon, cooking first for an all-male panel of eight judges and then for a select group of roughly 100 fair-goers lucky enough to receive a green wristband from New Mexico State Police.

Albuquerque restaurants dominated the competition with Isleta Grill winning the blind judge's choice and Craft Republic taking home the people's choice award. It was the first time competing for both.

"We just said we're shutting the restaurant down and we're going to try our best and work hard and come out and do our best. And that's exactly what we did. We kicked a—," Leticia Romero, owner of Isleta Grill, said. "The staff was great. We were great. That's why we won."

Romero said the decision to compete came a couple months ago, and she admitted she didn't expect to win.

"We wanted to win ... but we didn't know what was going to happen. We were hoping. We were praying. We knew if we came in and did what we always do at the restaurant, which is consistency, love, care, we were going to be OK," Romero said.

Romero did say she hopes to see more female representation on the judges' panel and at the cookoff next year.

"This is a male-dominant world, and it's so hard to come out with all these men and just show and prove that you can do it. And we can do it. Anyone can do it," Romero said.

Fernando Ramirez, culinary director for people's choice winner Craft Republic, was also pleased with the result of the competition.

"This is the people's choice. This is really what to me, what matters." Ramirez said.

One of the notable ballot-casters for the people's choice award was Mayor Tim Keller.

"This is a great tradition. I actually remember when it started. I was the state senator, and the fair continues to do better each year," Keller said. "This one is really nice and accessible for everyone. You do have to pay a little bit to do it, but in this one's very well advertised and attended, so it's a celebration in Albuquerque of our favorite burgers."

Keller made rounds along Main Street where the 10 vendors were, posing for photos and making small talk with grill operators.

Keller said he cast a ballot, admitting it was before he got to try all of the competitors' offerings. He also sidestepped a question on what his favorite burger was.

"The Albuquerque burgers; the burgers from Albuquerque. That's the answer there." Keller said.