He Won the People. Now He’s Coming for the Judges

Executive Chef Jared Schulz returns to the Geneva Lakes Burger Throwdown with a smashburger and a score to settle.

THE EVENT

The 15th Annual Geneva Lakes Burger Throwdown is exactly what it sounds like: over ten area chefs, one afternoon, and hundreds of hungry voters deciding who makes the best burger in the Lake Geneva area. This year’s event is Sunday, May 3, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lodge at Geneva National (W4240 WI-50, Lake Geneva). Proceeds benefit the Badger High School Culinary ProStart program, so every bite you take is doing some good in the community.

Come hungry. Come ready to vote. Come prepared to get a little messy.

OUR CHEF

Chef Jared Schulz has been cooking professionally for years, but street food, he’ll tell you, is where his heart lives. “Going out to markets and any new cities for new food, I always love a good burger,” he says. “Street tacos, loaded hot dogs with different toppings, anything on a stick at the fair. I just love street food.”

Last year was Chef Jared’s first Burger Throwdown. He took first place in the People’s Choice category, but he finished third with the judges. Both of those facts are very much on his mind this year.

He also has a personal motivation when it comes to the judges’ panel: Craig Culver (yes, that Craig Culver) is among this year’s judges. “He’s the king of smash burgers,” Chef Jared says, with genuine admiration and a competitive streak.

THE PHILOSOPHY

THE PHILOSOPHY

Chef Jared builds competition burgers the way Wisconsin builds cheeseburgers: honest ingredients, serious heat, no apologies. “When you eat a burger, you should get messy,” he says. “You should have a few napkins. People are there for the grease, the cheese, the onions, the bacon. They’re there to have really great flavor.”

His weapon of choice is the smashburger: an 80/20 beef blend, pressed once (and only once) against a searing-hot griddle to build crispy, caramelized edges without sacrificing the interior. “The whole concept is getting the edges nice and crispy with the gristle of the beef,” he explains. Last year, Chef Jared was the only competitor smashing beef on-site; this year, he expects company. He’s ready for it.

What’s he making? He’s keeping the specifics close. Expect more than one cheese. Expect it to be melty. Expect something with, in his words, “a sweet heat, but savory, with a little bit of umami going on.” Beyond that, you’ll have to show up and find out.

HOW IT WORKS

Arrive at the Lodge at Geneva National anytime between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 3. Ten to fifteen restaurants will each have their own booth and grill running. You walk the floor, you try the burgers (Chef Jared’s advice: start with one bite at each station before committing), and you score everything through the event app. Two awards are on the table: Judges’ Choice and People’s Choice. The latter, as Chef Jared sees it, is the one that really matters. “It’s five people compared to 300 voters,” he says. “You gotta be a man of the people.”

GET ON THE WAITLIST!

Tickets are available through the event page. General admission is $25, VIP (which gets you in an hour earlier) is $50. This event is known to sell out; the waitlist fills too. Don’t wait.

Every stay at Lake Lawn Resort has a story. This one starts with a burger.