Carolina Blue and Bomb Bomb BBQ were the winners in the restaurant division and Blind Pig BBQ was the big winner in the Grill Master’s category at Saturday’s Garry Maddox BBQ Challenge.

Stephen Starr’s four restaurants were shut out as was Matt Levin’s forthcoming Rubb.

Update: Buddakan took 3rd for ribs and Jones was 2nd in chicken. [Starr Restaurants on Twitter]

The Gary Maddox BBQ Challenge is this Saturday from 4 to 7pm at Citizens Bank Park. The event is open to the public (you don’t need tickets to the Phillies game to attend) and food tickets make money for the Youth Golf & Academics Program, an academic enrichment program founded by Garry Maddox to support children who reside in troubled city neighborhoods.

This year Stephen Starr has been brought on board and four of his restaurants, Barclay Prime, Jones, El Vez and Buddakan will be competing.

Check out the complete list after the jump, sorry Illadelph, no Bebe’s.

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Stephen Starr’s Buddakan turns 10 this month and Eater has the email Starr sent friends and staff.

“Ten years ago I opened Buddakan in Philadelphia I was 700 thousand dollars over budget and had not a single dollar left”— and ends in triumph: “Buddakan is recognized throughout the world. We plan to expand this brand to Las Vegas Miami London and Dubai. I am blessed to have had incredibly talented and committed people working for me…”

EaterWire: Whole Piglet Roast at Solace, Buddakan’s Anniversary, and Psilakis Goes Shopping [Eater]

Don’t ever feel bad for Stephen Starr, he has two of the highest-grossing independent restaurants in America: Buddakan and Morimoto (the New York branches, of course) at numbers 12 and 84 respectively. Buddakan pulled in $20 million in ‘07 while Morimoto trailed at $11.7 mil. Think about that the next time you’re sucking down an overpriced SRO cocktail. No Philly restaurants on the list at all. [Restaurants & Institutions Mag]

The Delightful Dan Gross notes that Obama has not yet tried a cheesesteak. We think this is because he’s taking our advice and believing in the Audacity of Roast Pork. [PhillyGossip]

Why aren’t food writers dealing with rising food prices? Are we in denial? Do we not care? At Foobooz, we talk about them all the time and even provide some handy guides for dealing with the problem without having to revert to cooking. [Slate]

Straight from the publicists, shilled for your pleasure:

Buddakan is offering a $14 bento box lunch and will be opening at 4p.m. on Sundays, so your 90-year-old grandmother can also enjoy the Starr experience. Snore.

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Usually when we check out the top ten booked restaurants in Philadelphia via OpenTable it’s almost all steakhouses. But not here in the middle of the summer.

1. Buddakan
2. Amada
3. Tinto
4. El Vez
5. Morimoto
6. Circular Dining Room (Hershey, PA)
7. Capital Grille
8. Moshulu
9. Cuba Libre
10. Tomatoes (Margate, NJ)

Last Week’s Top 10 Booked Restaurants [OpenTable]

We here at Foobooz love to show off our knowledge, quickly replying to queries for where to spend happy hour or a wedding anniversary but sometimes we get stumped. That’s when we turn to our readers for help.

A reader writes in to say his girlfriend must maintain a strict gluten free diet. He’s looking for a place to take her that has a full gluten free menu.

He says he knows that Buddakan has a menu but is looking for more suggestions.

Craig LaBan gives a run down of dining at the shore for the summer. It already sounds like the Buddakan at the Pier Shops at Caesars is hitting on all cylinders.

Casino buffet or Buddakan? [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Can you guess which restaurant Joy Manning is referencing in this Joy of Dining post?

There has been so much buzz around this restaurant for so long that a full-fledged backlash has taken root among foodies. And I must admit, up until last week, there was no way I would have believed that it would become a place I enthusiastically recommend.

The Joy Of Dining [Philadelphia STYLE]

Stephen Starr talks with Steve Fishman of New York Magazine regarding megadining, celebrity chefs and enjoying dining.

Mr. Big Box [New York Magazine]