Robert Chirico

1991 Grand Prize Winner

Robert Chirico

Artist, later also a public relations creative director and now a writer, from Greenfield, Massachusetts

Inspiration for Lamburgers la Grecque with Cilantro-Mint Chutney:

"I like to mix lamb with beef for flavor, and generally add what I would call a moistening agent; my recipe used feta cheese and Kalamata olives to this end. I served it with a cilantro-mint chutney on a special, thick pita made by Father Sam's Bakery of Buffalo, New York, that I brought with me to Napa Valley."

Memories of BBB:

"The Grand Prize winner's name was read aloud, but nobody moved. Well, let's face it- it wasn't the first time someone mangled my name. I was handed the oversized check, just like the ones I had so often seen on quiz shows in my youth, and asked to say a few words. A Frank Loesser song immediately sprang to mind. I said, 'I'm the most happy fella in the whole Napa Valley.' I don't know if anyone knew what I was referring to, but what I said could not have described better how I felt at that moment."

Other notable wins:

Rob has entered no other recipe contests.