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22

Jul

Two Burgers In Two Days = A Lot of Burgers

No shit eh?

The first burger came from the Alberta based chain Moxies. It was my friends last night in town visiting and we decided to head out to grab a bite. I have another great friend who is a server at Moxies and therefore our choice on where to go was made.

I was deciding between the Mediterranean Salad and the Mediterranean Burger and my good friend, the Moxies server, suggested I try the burger. I was not disappointed but I am starting to get lost in what I am truly looking for in a burger. It was good but maybe my path is being crossed with what I like and think is good combination. It was in no way the best burger I’ve ever had but I really enjoyed the basil pesto and feta for toppings.

I am going to have to give it a 5 for presentation, 7.5 for originality and a 7.5 for taste.

The next day, I went to Lounge Burger with my Calgary burger search acquaintance. For some reason I was on a greek kick and I opted for the Lamb. This included, a lamb pattie, feta, tzatziki, and roasted red peppers on a foccacia bun. I liked the idea of the foccacia bun since foccacia is delicious as well as the tzatziki. Mmmmmmmmm, mouthwatering right? Yes, but…………I wasn’t amazed. I am not going to give up on Lounge Burger though, if you check out there website: www.loungeburger.com, you can see they have an almost infinite amount of possibilities for burger and topping combinations.

Here’s my break down: 5 for presentation (I have yet to really see a spectacular presentation), 8.5 for originality (just look at their menu) and 7.5 for taste (tzatziki on a burger….sooooo tasty).

Now, who has a suggestion on where I can go next?

Yours Truly,

Burger Searcher #1 ( I say #1 because I’ve probably have eaten the most…stupid Diane)

2 years ago Short URL 3 notes

05

Jul

Zephyr’s Drive Inn

On our way back from a backcountry camping trip in Waterton, Alberta we stopped in Nanton, Alberta for a bite to eat. We noticed the little burger shack on the way to Waterton so we decided it was a perfect place to try. Why not eh? We were famished. And you know what, we were not disappointed. It was a quality burger for a tiny little roadside shack, there wasn’t much to expect but some good grease

I opted for the burger to be topped with cheese, ketchup, mustard and pickles (although they forgot the pickles) and a side of fries. And it was all good. The fries were topped with a sort of cajun salt which I ultimately love.

Since there wasn’t much about the presentation or orginality to judge I won’t worry about scoring. But for taste the burger definitely gets a 7.5/10. I thoroughly recommend it for a place to stop to eat if you travel down to the south of Alberta.

Until next time mes amies :)

Jessica Stretch MacDonald

2 years ago Short URL 3 notes

30

Jun

I am still the worse at writing up my reviews

I am finally in Calgary. I don’t know if I have mentioned this or not but since I have arrived, I have experienced 6 different restaurants’ burgers. These include in order: Joyce on 4th, Hudsons, Buchanan’s, Bruno’s (which is actually in Banff) and The District.

For the most part I am going to make these reviews short and sweet. Mostly because I am terrible and don’t exactly remember what I had but I do remember which one I liked best. I’ll start in order of favorite.

1. Bruno’s

2. Buchanan’s

3. The District

4. Hudsons

5. Joyce on 4th

Joyce on 4th was my least favorite because the burger was dry. Booooooo.

Hudsons I am only really giving a shout out too because I just had the mini sliders but those mini sliders were good.

The District, was a good juicy burger but it doesn’t compare to the top 2.

Buchanan’s claims to be the best burger in Calgary, so far they do take the cake in town but Bruno’s, oh!! Bruno’s, I literally debated having a second because it was soo delish. They had such a wide assortment of kinds too. I obviously opted for the hottest one on the menu and I still dream about it at night. Did that go too far? What’s wrong with dreaming about a mouth watering burger?

mmmmmmmmmmmm deeeeelicious

Thus, on my quest through the west, Bruno’s in Banff is winning but there’s still plenty of time to experience more and find that perfect, mouth watering burger. But anyways, there you have it, short and sweet, just like I said.

Until next time my friends (hopefully sooner than later),

Jessica Stretch MacDonald

2 years ago Short URL 3 notes

11

Jun

(514):
you finished all 5 burgers, started crying tears of joy, and then claimed the tears were actually just ‘meat sweats’ from your eyes
textsfromlastnight.com

2 years ago Short URL 3 notes

07

Jun

The next burger stop: Burger Bar, Kensington Market, Toronto, On. It was the last day my friend was in town visiting. It was also one of my last in Toronto before the move back to Calgary. And so we went on an adventure through Chinatown and Kensington Market and making our way to Queen St West for some vintage shopping. While venturing through Kensington we both suddenly got extremely hungry. To the point we needed food immediately. We stumbled upon Burger Bar and thought we would give it a shot. Nothing was spectacular about the restaurant. Relatively small and had a sort of indie, rural appeal. I decided upon the cheeseburger, which you got to choose between 6 types of cheese. I settled upon the Brie. My companion went with the veggie burger since she doesn’t eat meat and we both got sweet potato fries. The burger included: lettuce, pickles, onions, mustard, ketchup & mayo. Their burgers are hand-made & cooked to order, which takes about 10 min. Fresh Tomatoes are only available when they find them properly ripened & delicious. And they have Whole Wheat buns & Gluten/Wheat Free bread also available. The break down: Presentation: 4. It was a burger on a plate and the fries in a dish on the side. Taste: 4. It was questionable. I love Brie. So why did it not taste good on the burger? It had a weird tangy taste I did not enjoy. But that could have been my own feelings. The sweet potato fries were also soggy. Not a fan. In regards to the veggie burger, I was told it was too much falafel, a huge fail in her books. Originality: 7. I liked that you had a choice on the type of cheese to put on the burger and they weren’t all the typical kinds. The also had a section of burgers that they called “All Dressed Up” which already had a pre-select number of ingredients which I may one day be back to try. All in all it wasn’t all Burger Bar’s fault on my dissatisfaction. I could have made better choices and I will in the future. You bet my bottom dollar. Yours Truly, Jessica Stretch MacDonald

The next burger stop: Burger Bar, Kensington Market, Toronto, On.

It was the last day my friend was in town visiting. It was also one of my last in Toronto before the move back to Calgary. And so we went on an adventure through Chinatown and Kensington Market and making our way to Queen St West for some vintage shopping.

While venturing through Kensington we both suddenly got extremely hungry. To the point we needed food immediately. We stumbled upon Burger Bar and thought we would give it a shot.

Nothing was spectacular about the restaurant. Relatively small and had a sort of indie, rural appeal.

I decided upon the cheeseburger, which you got to choose between 6 types of cheese. I settled upon the Brie. My companion went with the veggie burger since she doesn’t eat meat and we both got sweet potato fries.

The burger included: lettuce, pickles, onions, mustard, ketchup & mayo.

Their burgers are hand-made & cooked to order, which takes about 10 min.

Fresh Tomatoes are only available when they find them properly ripened & delicious.

And they have Whole Wheat buns & Gluten/Wheat Free bread also available.

The break down:

Presentation: 4. It was a burger on a plate and the fries in a dish on the side.

Taste: 4. It was questionable. I love Brie. So why did it not taste good on the burger? It had a weird tangy taste I did not enjoy. But that could have been my own feelings. The sweet potato fries were also soggy. Not a fan. In regards to the veggie burger, I was told it was too much falafel, a huge fail in her books.

Originality: 7. I liked that you had a choice on the type of cheese to put on the burger and they weren’t all the typical kinds. The also had a section of burgers that they called “All Dressed Up” which already had a pre-select number of ingredients which I may one day be back to try.

All in all it wasn’t all Burger Bar’s fault on my dissatisfaction. I could have made better choices and I will in the future. You bet my bottom dollar.

Yours Truly,

Jessica Stretch MacDonald

2 years ago Short URL 3 notes

26

May

WOW It has been a long time. I have to apologize. First it started that I didn’t have internet access and then I moved to Calgary and started my job so quickly that I completely forgot how to manage my time between all things good, the burger blog. SORRY. Now. I am 6 posts behind so I will begin with the one on the top of the list. Wayne Gretzky’s Restaurant. Located at 99 Blue Jays Way in Toronto it is a keep sake in the heart of Toronto hockey fans. I started my evening at this fine establishment with two great friends. We met up, ordered some drinks, watched some hockey, then ordered food and more drinks, and then chowed down. And being the fine burger searcher I am, I opted for the Gretzky “Great One” burger. The Details: A half pound sirloin burger grilled medium well, topped off with double smoked bacon and Canadian cheddar cheese. Served on our famous “99” branded onion bun. Although it was the ‘Great One’s’ burger, really, all it gets is a meh. It cured my hunger but it was just a typical burger. More than likely placed on the menu to make patrons happy. The break down: Presentation: 7. Obviously the 99 burned into the bun is unique for the restaurant but I also got a delicious side of mac ‘n cheese. Few places give such an option Taste: 5. Like I said, MEH. Originality: 5. I suppose the mac ‘n cheese could fit under this too but really, it was a basic bacon cheeseburger. Anyone can do that. Also, I won’t lie, the nachos my two companions got as well were pretty bunk. I say go there if you are a tourist in town but don’t expect a spectacular meal. Gretzky, step up on the menu. GEZ.

WOW

It has been a long time. I have to apologize. First it started that I didn’t have internet access and then I moved to Calgary and started my job so quickly that I completely forgot how to manage my time between all things good, the burger blog. SORRY.

Now. I am 6 posts behind so I will begin with the one on the top of the list. Wayne Gretzky’s Restaurant. Located at 99 Blue Jays Way in Toronto it is a keep sake in the heart of Toronto hockey fans.

I started my evening at this fine establishment with two great friends. We met up, ordered some drinks, watched some hockey, then ordered food and more drinks, and then chowed down. And being the fine burger searcher I am, I opted for the Gretzky “Great One” burger.

The Details: A half pound sirloin burger grilled medium well, topped off with double smoked bacon and Canadian cheddar cheese. Served on our famous “99” branded onion bun.

Although it was the ‘Great One’s’ burger, really, all it gets is a meh. It cured my hunger but it was just a typical burger. More than likely placed on the menu to make patrons happy.

The break down:

Presentation: 7. Obviously the 99 burned into the bun is unique for the restaurant but I also got a delicious side of mac ‘n cheese. Few places give such an option

Taste: 5. Like I said, MEH.

Originality: 5. I suppose the mac ‘n cheese could fit under this too but really, it was a basic bacon cheeseburger. Anyone can do that.

Also, I won’t lie, the nachos my two companions got as well were pretty bunk. I say go there if you are a tourist in town but don’t expect a spectacular meal.

Gretzky, step up on the menu. GEZ.

3 years ago Short URL 3 notes

50 Heart Stopping Burgers- A photo adventure!

3 years ago Short URL 3 notes

25

May

Once upon a time, when I used to update this burger blog (a few weeks ago), a co worker’s suggestion prompted me to make a “Burger Bucket List” of all the burgs I had yet to try in the HRM. Being the busy broke from school person that I am, I’ve only been able to cross one of those burgers off the list but boy, did I make it count. Henry house is the home of some of my favorite things in the world, Cornish pasties, oatmeal stout, apricot wheat ale and last but certainly not least, hamburgers. The ultimate burger to be exact. You might be thinking to yourself ‘now that’s a pretty bold statement, to call your burger ultimate’ and you know what friends? I thought that too. That is until I was presented with the monstrosity of a hamburger that is Henry house’s Ultimate Burger. Think melted cheddar cheese atop a juicy, garlic seasoned patty…fresh red onions, tomato, jalapeños and lettuce on a delicious, warm kaiser….now imagine topping that off with pineapple and smoked meat. Yes that’s right. Pineapple, smoked meat and jalapeños. Three things I thought I would never eat all in one bite. However, the results were magical. Here is the breakdown. Taste: I give it 8.9 burgers. Mouth watering. Presentation: 6 burgers…nothing too special but I give them points for the fries, they were also delicious Originality: 9 burgers. Sometimes I wonder how people think these things up, then I wonder how I can get a job like that. I’ll go back. Time and time again. (1222 Barrington St, Halifax, NS: Price range $10-$25) Diane

Once upon a time, when I used to update this burger blog (a few weeks ago), a co worker’s suggestion prompted me to make a “Burger Bucket List” of all the burgs I had yet to try in the HRM. Being the busy broke from school person that I am, I’ve only been able to cross one of those burgers off the list but boy, did I make it count.

Henry house is the home of some of my favorite things in the world, Cornish pasties, oatmeal stout, apricot wheat ale and last but certainly not least, hamburgers.

The ultimate burger to be exact. You might be thinking to yourself ‘now that’s a pretty bold statement, to call your burger ultimate’ and you know what friends? I thought that too.

That is until I was presented with the monstrosity of a hamburger that is Henry house’s Ultimate Burger. Think melted cheddar cheese atop a juicy, garlic seasoned patty…fresh red onions, tomato, jalapeños and lettuce on a delicious, warm kaiser….now imagine topping that off with pineapple and smoked meat.

Yes that’s right.

Pineapple, smoked meat and jalapeños. Three things I thought I would never eat all in one bite. However, the results were magical. Here is the breakdown.

Taste: I give it 8.9 burgers. Mouth watering.

Presentation: 6 burgers…nothing too special but I give them points for the fries, they were also delicious

Originality: 9 burgers. Sometimes I wonder how people think these things up, then I wonder how I can get a job like that.

I’ll go back. Time and time again.

(1222 Barrington St, Halifax, NS: Price range $10-$25)

  • Diane

3 years ago Short URL 3 notes

02

May

Diane’s Burger Bucket List (Because I’m not going to be around forever…)

Lately, some of my friends, acquaintances, well wishers and people who don’t like me and want to see me have a heart attack have been getting on board with the burger search. Co-workers of mine have seen articles in local newspapers about burgers and have clipped them out and given them to me in hopes that I would Blog about their burger of choice.

Although I’m honored that people have begun thinking of me when they see something hamburger related, I also don’t have very much time on my hands, nor do I have the bone structure to support an extra 200 pounds.

So I’ve decided to make some long term hamburger-related goals. I’m going to call this my Burger Bucket List; a compilation of hamburgers in the Halifax area that I intend on trying before the summer is over. If one of these appeals to you, invite me out for a burger if you plan on going (I’ll even take pictures of you eating hamburgers and put them in my blog if you want!!)

  1. Fid Resto- (1569 Dresden Row, Halifax, Nova Scotia ) http://www.fidresto.ca/

    A co-worker of mine saw this in a local paper and cut it out to bring to me, which I though was lovely. This burger is described in the article as “100 percent Nova Scotia beef, a combination of hanger steak, brisket and eye of round in percentages I’m unable to disclose” -Chef Dennis Johnston. The articles goes on to mention homemade pickles but they had me at brisket.

  2. The Henry House- (1222 Barrington St, Halifax, NS) http://www.henryhouse.ca

    Another co-worker mentioned that she was almost certain Halifax’s best burger could be found at Henry House on Barrington. I’ve been to Henry House before and have had my heart warmed by their delightful old English pub atmosphere, delicious Cornish pastie and good, strong oatmeal stout, so I’m more than looking forward to trying their burger. Which I’ve been told has pineapple on it.

  3. CUT Steakhouse and Urban Grill (5120 Salter St, Halifax, NS) http://www.cutsteakhouse.ca/

    There’s nothing about this place that doesn’t seem magical to me. Every time I walk by I’m overwhelmed by how good this place smells and how much I want to go in. This is an upscale steakhouse which means they butcher and grind their own beef…kobe beef burgers and sliders are also available. I know when I try this place, it won’t be fair to the other burgers, I might give it it’s own category.

  4. Armview Restaurant (7156 Chebucto Road, Halifax, NS) http://www.thearmview.com/

    My friend Isaac suggested I try this place a while back and I sadly haven’t gotten around to it yet. I think I might make it the first one I try from this list. I’m really looking forward to trying their Lamburger, it seems different and is described as “Garlic marinated free-range lamb on tzatziki coated ciabatta”…so…I’m on board.

That’s it for now, if you have any other suggestions, feel free to let me know on here or on the facebook group.

Also, Jessica will soon be heading out to the wild west for the summer (Calgary) so this summer we will have new posts about Calg burgers to look forward to!

-Diane

3 years ago Short URL 3 notes

28

Apr

This post comes completely unexpected. I was out of my apartment running errands when I stopped in at the Eaton Centre to remind my good friend about my school’s Year End Show tomorrow. As I was leaving I asked him what was a good place to eat because I was starving and it happened to be his break at that time so we ventured to Sandwich Box for a good hearty sandwich. Upon arrival and taking a gander at the menu the #5 sirloin burger sandwich appealed to me the most. It consisted of a sirloin patty, with garlic mayo, avocado, cheese, tomato and lettuce. And it was GOOD. I obviously was shocked when a they had a burger on the menu but as I said I was not disappointed. I’m not sure if this exactly warrants the full rating of the other burger posts because the restaurant is not catering to make a good burger but rather a good sandwich. I give Sandwich Box props because as Iskander and I concluded, a burger is technically a sandwich, and they nailed it. Overall, as a good sandwich burger, I give it 8 for taste, 7.5 for presentation (it’s actually served in a box, super cool) and 6.5 for originality (a half point for the fact it is a burger at all). Sandwich Box has several locations all over Toronto. Check out the website for the one nearest you and I tell you, you will not be disappointed. Oh and it’s reasonably priced, $9 for the burger, side salad and a pop, SUPER BONUS! http://www.sandwichbox.ca/

This post comes completely unexpected.

I was out of my apartment running errands when I stopped in at the Eaton Centre to remind my good friend about my school’s Year End Show tomorrow. As I was leaving I asked him what was a good place to eat because I was starving and it happened to be his break at that time so we ventured to Sandwich Box for a good hearty sandwich.

Upon arrival and taking a gander at the menu the #5 sirloin burger sandwich appealed to me the most. It consisted of a sirloin patty, with garlic mayo, avocado, cheese, tomato and lettuce. And it was GOOD. I obviously was shocked when a they had a burger on the menu but as I said I was not disappointed.

I’m not sure if this exactly warrants the full rating of the other burger posts because the restaurant is not catering to make a good burger but rather a good sandwich. I give Sandwich Box props because as Iskander and I concluded, a burger is technically a sandwich, and they nailed it.

Overall, as a good sandwich burger, I give it 8 for taste, 7.5 for presentation (it’s actually served in a box, super cool) and 6.5 for originality (a half point for the fact it is a burger at all).

Sandwich Box has several locations all over Toronto. Check out the website for the one nearest you and I tell you, you will not be disappointed. Oh and it’s reasonably priced, $9 for the burger, side salad and a pop, SUPER BONUS!

http://www.sandwichbox.ca/

3 years ago Short URL 3 notes