Susan Mello

2003 Grand Prize Winner

Classical soprano from Jackson Heights, New York

Inspiration for My Big Fat Greco-Inspired Burgers

"For 12 years, I lived in Astoria, Queens, which has the largest Greek population outside of Athens. I would eat Greek food all the time when I lived there, and thought it would be a neat idea to combine all of my favorite Greek cuisine in a burger. After all the 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' movie hype, I thought the name was perfect."

Memories of BBB:

"I absolutely loved participating in BBB for two consecutive years. Every aspect of the competition was not only professional, but the staff was a joy to be around. From the beginning, Michele Moline (the event coordinator) was very warm and welcoming. The fact that all the proceeds went to breast-cancer research both years made me very proud to be a part of this event. BBB was my first win and the only competition I had entered. I am now 'hooked' and regularly enter contests with new recipes I create."

Other Notable Wins:

Grand Prize, Gallo of Sonoma Spring Recipe Contest, 2004