Slater’s 50/50 held a block party on Feb. 8 to celebrate its 15th anniversary in Liberty Station. This event also marked the return of the “Design It” menu and the debut of Slater’s new 50/50 smashburger blends: 50/50 beef/bacon, beef/chorizo, and beef/Italian sausage. Local culinary icons, influencers, media stars, and food lovers came together for an epic burger battle, live entertainment, games, and prizes.
The battle for burger brilliance, hosted by Troy Johnson, food critic and publisher of San Diego Magazine, highlighted the “Design It” concept, which allows guests to build their ultimate burger creations.
Local favorites like Blaze 619, Le Parfait Paris, Not Your Nonna’s Sauce Co., Randy’s Donuts, Stone Brewing, and Prince St. Pizza showcased their burger building to a panel of celebrity judges – Sam the Cooking Guy, Scott Slater (founder, Slater’s 50/50), Ariana Cohen (CBS 8), and Johnson – who evaluated each entry based on creativity, flavor, and presentation.
After all the bites and brews, Adrianna Zizzo of Not Your Nonna’s claimed the best burger title with her entry that included crispy prosciutto, burrata cheese, arugula, and pesto sauce topped with a sweet marinara jam (which delighted the judges). Her burger creation will now go into rotation on Slater’s menu for a year.
“I’m just happy to beat all the boys out here,” said an exuberant Zizzo, who sells fresh and authentic Italian-style sauces at local farmers markets and online at notyournonnassauce.com.
