Eureka burger goes 'Live! with Regis and Kelly'

James Monroe thought that the ribs he makes at The Cutting Board in Eureka were what made his restaurant locally famous.

As it turns out, it's his Bubba Burger that has put him on the national map.

Monroe's slapdash creation - a mesquite-fired patty topped with spicy Cajun sausage, jumbo shrimp, chipotle sauce and cheddar cheese - won honors as best burger in the Ultimate Hometown Grill Off on ABC's "Live! with Regis and Kelly."

On Wednesday, Monroe and his wife, Marsha, will fly to New York City where Monroe will prepare his burger on Friday's show.

The burger has simple origins and almost didn't make it on the menu at The Cutting Board, the restaurant the Monroes own.

"I had some leftover food one night and I hadn't eaten all day," Monroe said. "I just put it together to chow it down real quick. I said, 'That's pretty good' and tried it again another day. My coworkers couldn't believe I was eating this. Their looks on their faces was, 'Oh, that's gross.'"

The lunch menu at Monroe's restaurant changes daily, so Monroe decided to put the burger on it one day. Friends told friends about the creation, and before long, the burger became a local favorite - so much that it was nominated for the Ultimate Hometown Grill Off.

"It catches you off guard," Monroe said. "And of course it's messy. [People] remember it."

"We loved his recipe," Michael Gelman, executive producer of "Live! with Regis and Kelly," said. "When the nominator described this burger, it sounded fantastic."

Gelman and his staff receive nominations from viewers every week for each category of The Ultimate Grill Off. The categories that preceded burgers were barbecue chicken, pulled pork, brisket and grilled fish. The show flies the weekly winners to New York.

At the end of the summer, viewers can vote for the overall winner, and the top two vote-winners will return to New York for a grill-off. The winning chef and recipe will be featured in Better Homes and Gardens. Full details and contest rules are available online at liveregisandkelly.com.

Gelman said he enjoys meeting the chefs from around the country.

"They have real personalities," Gelman said. "The chefs have had a great time and they're getting national exposure. Almost everyone loves barbecue. Grilling is an American pastime."

Previous winners have hailed from Arizona, New York, Texas and Mississippi.

"[This' is a way we can feature people from all over the country, from places you've never heard of," Gelman said. "We haven't had a winner from Montana before."

Monroe began working in the restaurant business in high school, working as a dishwasher at the Ramada Inn at Spokane International Airport so he could pay for a high school trip to Mexico.

The Cutting Board opened in October 2008. The store, located at 307 Dewey Ave., gets its name from the cutting boards the Monroes make. Monroe learned the craft from his father, a wood worker. The two would make wood crafts together and sell them at the Whitefish farmers market. The cutting boards are made from maple, walnut, cherry and a number of more exotic woods.

"It's easier on knives than plastic," Monroe said of the hardwood boards. "It adds a touch of class to the kitchen. Leave it out and it looks nice."

The store also sells salt, spices and barbecue supplies in addition to serving lunch and dinner. The Monroes moved to Eureka so they could raise their children - Isabella and Madison - in a small community near family.

And community they found. Monroe said Eureka residents printed flyers to encourage people to vote for Monroe's burger.

"I wouldn't be able to do this without my wife and family support … without community support," Monroe said.

Gary DeLorenzo, an Eureka resident and friend of Monroe, said that his parents called him from New Jersey on Monday morning to celebrate Monroe's success.

"It's such a big deal," DeLorenzo said. "We're tickled to death."

DeLorenzo said Monroe worked as the director of dietary services at the Mountain View Manor, a nursing home, but he wanted to start his own restaurant where he could exercise his creativity. DeLorenzo's wife works at the manor and lauded Monroe's skill.

"My wife told me, 'This guy is doing wonders in the kitchen,'" DeLorenzo said. The Bubba Burger "is excellent. It's unique. It's everything a burger should be: It has a lot of flavor. It's juicy. You need a couple of napkins to eat it."

The burgers were so popular that Monroe completely ran out of the fixings over the weekend - but he will get more in today.

Reporter K.J. Hascall may be reached at 758-4439 or by e-mail at kjhascall@dailyinterlake.com