Think you make a great burger? Send us the recipe

We’ve created a once-in-a-lifetime contest opportunity for you to compete against some of the best burger maestros in the country at the second annual Burger Bash this fall in DUMBO. To enter, tell us your best burger recipe. We’ll pick three finalists who will cook up their burger for our judging panel. The best burger wins — and its creator will compete against the chefs at DuMont in Williamsburg; Mullane’s Pub in Fort Greene; City Hall, Fatty Crab, the Old Homestead, Shake Shack and the Spotted Pig in Manhattan; and Al Roker, who is back, despite a poor showing last year. All the rules are below, but a few guidelines need some emphasis:

1. We have no prejudices about what constitutes a great burger, but make sure your recipe sounds like something we’d like to eat.

2. If you’re one of the three finalists, be prepared to cook it at a mutually agreed-upon time and place.

3. The eventual winner of the contest must be prepared to represent him or herself at the Burger Bash, which is on Friday, Oct. 9 in DUMBO. All materials, including food and cooking equipment, will be provided by the New York City Wine and Food Festival, but the chef must provide his own labor and staff.

Most of all, have fun.

BURGER BASH CONTEST
OFFICIAL RULES

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN

1. ELIGIBILITY: The Burger Bash Contest” (“Contest”) is open only to legal residents of NY, NJ, CT, and PA, 21 years or older on the date of entry. Proof of residency and age may be required. Employees, officers, directors and representatives of The Brooklyn Paper, News Community Newspapers Holdings, Inc. (“NCNH”), and the Food Network/New York CITY WINE AND FOOD Festival (collectively, “Sponsors”) and each of their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, divisions, licensors and advertising/promotion agencies (collectively, “Related Entities”) and immediate family members (spouse and parents, siblings and children and their spouses) and persons living in the same households of each of the above (whether related or not) are ineligible to enter or win a prize. Any person who has been selected as a prize winner and agreed to accept such prize in any Sweepstakes or Contest sponsored by Sponsors during the six (6) month period immediately preceding the start date of this Contest is ineligible to win a prize in this Contest. Void outside NY, NJ, PA, and CT and where prohibited by law. All federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations apply.

2. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: No purchase necessary to enter or win. A purchase will not improve your chance of winning. The Contest entry period begins on June 10, 2009 and ends at 11:59:59 PM E.T. on July 12, 2009. Sponsor’s clock shall be the official timekeeper for this Contest.

3. HOW TO ENTER: Visit www.brooklynpaper.com/burgerbash, click on the appropriate link, and fully complete and submit the online entry form presented, including a recipe for your best hamburger (hereinafter, “Entry”). Entries must be received by 11:59:59 PM E.T. on July 12, 2009. Limit one (1) Entry per person, per e-mail address. In the event of a dispute as to the identity of the prize winner, such winner will be deemed to be the person in whose name the e-mail account associated with the provided e-mail address is opened at the time of entry. In the event the same entry is submitted by more than one (1) entrant, the first Entry received will be eligible and all subsequent same entries will be disqualified. Each Entry must be submitted separately. Photocopies, mechanically reproduced or computer generated Entries are ineligible and will be disqualified. Neither Sponsors nor Related Entities are responsible for (i) lost, late, misdirected, illegible, incomplete, damaged, destroyed, forged, tampered with, mutilated, or stolen entries;(ii) any other unsuccessful attempts at entering; or (iii) printing errors appearing on the online entry form, within these Official Rules, or in any Contest related advertisements or other materials, or other errors of any kind whether mechanical, human, electronic or otherwise. Your Entry constitutes your consent to participate in this Contest and your consent for Sponsors to obtain and deliver your name, address, and E-mail address and other information for the purpose of administering this Contest and for other uses by Sponsors as permitted by applicable law. All entries become the property of Sponsors and will not be returned. Entries must comply with the following contest requirements in order to be eligible for this Contest:

All requested information on the entry form must be provided in English to enter and be eligible;

Entries may not contain any lewd, or sexually explicit suggestive content or contain any content that depicts the Sponsors or Related Entities in an unfavorable or disparaging manner.

Entries may not contain content that is obscene, offensive, libelous, slanderous, defamatory of any group or individual and/or promotes racism, bigotry or hatred;

Entries may not contain names or any copyrighted materials owned by others or any other material that infringes upon the intellectual property rights or other rights of any person or entity;

Sponsors reserve the right, at any time during the Contest to disqualify any Entry that it believes in its sole and unfettered discretion does not meet the foregoing requirements or any other provision of these Official Rules.

All Entries and all intellectual property rights therein, including patents, trademarks, copyrights become the property of the Sponsors and will not be acknowledged or returned. By submitting an Entry, Entrants assign and agree to assign all such intellectual property rights in such Entry, including but not limited to, contained in and described by such Entry. No previously published recipes, confidential information or copyrighted or trademarked intellectual property of any person or entity may be submitted nor will such a submission qualify as an Entry. By submitting an Entry, Entrant warrants and represents that use of the recipe as described herein will not violate any law or infringe upon the rights of any third party and that the Entry contains no confidential information. By entering the Contest, Entrants agree that Sponsors, and Related Entities and assigns shall have the right to edit, modify, publish, use, reuse, not use or otherwise exploit the essay and any material based thereon or derived there from, in any manner, for any lawful purposes whatsoever, including, without limitation, for advertising and promotional purposes in any medium (whether now or hereafter known) throughout the world in perpetuity without further permission, consideration or payment to the Entrant, except where specifically prohibited by applicable law.

4. JUDGING CRITERIA/SELECTION OF WINNER: Assuming that a sufficient number of entries are received, three (3) finalists will be selected by Sponsors from among all eligible entries received based on the following judging criteria: Creativity/Originality (0–100 points). Finalists will prepare their recipes for burgers for a panel of judges to be determined by Sponsors on a date and at a location in Brooklyn that is mutually convenient to the finalists and the judges. The judges will select one (1) prize winner based on the following judging criteria: Creativity/Originality (0–25 points) and Taste (0–75 points). Odds of winning depend on the nature, quality and number of eligible entries received. Decisions of judges are final and binding and cannot be appealed. In the event of a tie, the tied entries will be judged by an additional judge selected by the Sponsors who will serve as the tie-breaker using the same criteria as outlined herein. In the event an insufficient number of entries are received, the prize may not be awarded. In Sponsors’ sole discretion, the selected prize winner may be disqualified and required to forfeit his/her prize and an alternate winner may be selected in accordance with these Official Rules from among the remaining eligible entrants from that corresponding day if selected winner (i) is unreachable or winner notification is returned as undeliverable, (ii) declines or cannot accept, receive or use the prize for any reason, or (iii) does not comply with these Official Rules. Sponsors are not obligated to leave voice mail, answering machine, or other message. Selected prize winner will be sent (via facsimile and/or other method determined in Sponsors’ sole discretion) an affidavit of eligibility together with liability/publicity release for such selected winner (collectively, “Affidavit and Release”). Selected prize winner must complete, notarize and return (as directed by Sponsor) the Affidavit and Release to be received by Sponsors no later than 11:00 AM E.T. on September 15, 2009 (or other date and time determined solely by Sponsors) or, in Sponsors’ sole discretion, such prize winner’s prize may be forfeited and an alternate winner may be selected (in Sponsors’ sole discretion) in accordance with these Official Rules from among the remaining eligible entries if sufficient time exists to confirm and verify an alternate potential winner. Forfeited prize may not be awarded. Sponsors reserve the right to modify the notification and Affidavit and Release procedures in connection with the selection of alternate winner, if any. Sponsors shall not be liable for any winner notification that is lost, intercepted or not received by the potential winner for any reason. Sponsor is not responsible for fraudulent calls or e-mails made to entrants not by the Sponsors.

5. ONE (1) GRAND PRIZE: An opportunity to prepare your recipe at the 2009 Food Network/New York CITY WINE AND FOOD Festival’s Burger Bash, which will be held on October 10, 2009 at the Tobacco Warehouse in DUMBO, Brooklyn. The Food Network/New York CITY WINE AND FOOD Festival will supply all necessary ingredients. The prize winner is responsible for preparing and serving his/her hamburgers to attendees at the Burger Bash. Winner will coordinate the logistics of his/her participation at the Burger Bash with the Sponsor. All expenses and travel costs, including but not limited to lodging, ground transportation, parking, gasoline, tolls, meals, beverages, incidentals, upgrades, gratuities, souvenirs, or any other expenses associated with the acceptance and use of the prize are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. In the event the Burger Bash is cancelled for any reason, the prize will not be awarded and no substitution or compensation will be provided. Any and all expenses associated with the acceptance and use of the prize will be the sole responsibility of the prize winner. Prize winner may not choose the cash value in lieu of the prize. No substitution, assignment, or transfer of prize is permitted. In the event prize is unavailable for any reason, Sponsors reserve the right, at its sole discretion, to substitute a prize of equal or greater value. Unclaimed prize will not be awarded. Prize winner is solely responsible for the payment of any and all applicable federal, state and local taxes on prize. The approximate retail value of the prize set forth above represents Sponsors’ good faith determination of the approximate retail value thereof, and the actual fair market values, as ultimately determined by Sponsors, are final and binding and cannot be challenged or appealed. In the event the stated approximate retail value of a prize is more than the actual fair market value of that prize, the difference will not be awarded in cash or otherwise.

6. GENERAL CONDITIONS: By participating in this Contest, each entrant agrees to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsors, which are final and binding in all respects and cannot be appealed. By entering, each entrant agrees and acknowledges that Sponsors and Related Entities, are not responsible for and shall not be liable for: (i) telephone system, facsimile, technical or computer malfunctions, lost connections or transmissions, disconnections or other errors of any kind whether mechanical, human, electronic or otherwise relating to or in connection with the Contest, including, without limitation, errors which may occur in connection with the administration of the Contest or the processing of entries; (ii) data corruption, theft, destruction, unauthorized access to or alteration of Entry or other materials; (iii) any injuries (including death), losses, costs, expenses or damages to person or property of any kind caused, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, by the prize or resulting from redemption, acceptance, possession, loss, use (including, but not limited to, attendance at an event) or misuse of any prize or from participating in the Contest or any Contest-related activity (including, without limitation, any travel or activities related thereto); (v) inability to participate in the Contest; or (iv) any printing, typographical, administrative, human or technological errors in or involving any material associated with the Contest. In the event more winner notifications are issued, or more winning prize claims are received, than the number of prizes set forth in these Official Rules due to computer, printing, human or other error or problem, the winner will be selected based on the highest score from among all eligible prize claims for the prize at issue (or from among all persons so notified) to award the proper number of prizes as set forth in these Official Rules. The judging selection shall be each entrant’s sole and exclusive remedy under such circumstances. No more than the number of prizes stated in these Official Rules will be awarded. Sponsors and Related Entities have not made and/or are not responsible for any misrepresentation or guaranty, express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to any prize. By accepting the prize, winner agrees and acknowledges that Sponsors and Related Entities and any of their designees may, without any limitation or further compensation, notice, review or approval, use his/her name, voice, biographical data, picture, likeness, recipe, any audio and/or video recording of him/her, and his/her hometown/city name in any and all media now known or hereinafter devised, throughout the universe and in perpetuity, for the purpose of advertising and promoting the Contest, or any other promotion, Contest or Sweepstakes sponsored by Sponsors, or for any other promotional purpose, except where prohibited by law. Sponsors reserve the right, in its sole discretion, to modify, cancel or suspend this Contest (or any portion of the Contest) should an error or a virus, bug, computer problem or other cause or problem corrupt or inhibit the administration, security or proper operation of the Contest and, in such situation, to select the winner from among the remaining eligible, non-suspect entries received prior to and/or after the action taken or in such manner as deemed fair and appropriate by Sponsors in its sole discretion. In the event that the Contest is modified, cancelled or suspended, notification of such event will be posted at BrookynPaper.com/BurgerBash. Sponsors may prohibit an entrant from participating in the Contest or winning a prize if, in its sole discretion, it determines entrant is attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest by cheating, hacking, deception, or other unfair practices or intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other entrants or Sponsors’ representatives. Sponsors disclaim any liability for damage to any computer system related to or resulting from participating in, or accessing or downloading information in connection with the Contest. By entering the Contest, each entrant agrees that: (1) any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or connected with the Contest, or any prizes awarded, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action; (2) any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out‑of‑pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering the Contest, but in no event will attorneys’ fees be awarded or recoverable; and (3) under no circumstances will any entrant be permitted to obtain any award for, and each entrant hereby knowingly and expressly waives all rights to seek, punitive, incidental or consequential damages and/or any other damages, other than actual out‑of‑pocket expenses, and/or any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased. The interpretation of these Official Rules shall be governed by the laws of the United States and the State of New York exclusively and solely by and within the courts of that state without regard to choice of law principles. In the event the Sponsors or Related Entities are prevented from continuing with this Contest, or the integrity and/or feasibility of the Contest is undermined by any event including but not limited to fire, flood, epidemic, earthquake, explosion, labor dispute, or strike, act of God or public enemy, satellite or equipment failure, riot or civil disturbance, war (declared or undeclared), terrorist threat or activity, or any federal, state, provincial or local government law, order of regulation, order of any court or jurisdiction, or other cause not reasonably within the Sponsors’ or Related Entities’ control (each a “Force Majeure” event) the Sponsors and Related Entities shall have the right, in their sole discretion, to abbreviate, modify, suspend, cancel or terminate the Contest without notice or further obligation. If the Sponsors or Related Entities, in their discretion, elect to abbreviate, cancel or terminate the Contest as a result of a Force Majeure event, the Sponsors, and Related Entities reserve the right, but shall have no obligation, to award the prize from among all valid and eligible entries received up to the time of such Force Majeure event.

7. NAME OF WINNER/OFFICIAL RULES: For the name of the prize winner, available after 8/1/09, or a copy of these Official Rules, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: The Brooklyn Paper, Attn: Burger Bash Contest, 1 METROTECH CENTER NORTH, SUITE 1001, BROOKLYN, NY 11201. Please specify “Official Rules” or “Winners List.” Requests must be received by 12/31/09.

8. SPONSORS: The Brooklyn Paper, 1 Metrotech Center North, Suite 1001, Brooklyn, NY 11201, News Community Newspapers Holdings, Inc., 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10036, and Food Network/New York CITY WINE AND FOOD Festival, 1600 NW 163RD ST, MIAMI FL 33169.