National Burger Day 2018

In the blink of an eye, National Burger Day 2018, has flashed past us. As the dust settles, the tears finally dry up, and the long wait for it’s return, begins again, it is time for me to hold on to the memories, and the joy that came with them.
Walking out of Canada Water station, I could already feel the buzz of the crowd. The nervous excitement. The impatient anticipation. Where should I try first? How many burgers am I going to manage? And most importantly, have I prepared the right tactics for the night?
The beer on arrival was welcomed with open arms. All that excitement had dried out the mouth, and it provided an opportunity, for a fleeting moment to gather the composure, before the routine scout of the room. Then it’s go time.
Black Bear burger got the nod for the first choice. They always hit the nail on the head, and this was certainly no exception. On the surface of it, this was a simple bacon cheeseburger, with onions and a blue cheese sauce, but it was delivered the the precision of a surgeon. Enough blue cheese to give that faithful creamy tang, without overpowering any other aspect of the burger. A dream start!

Momentum can be so important in situations like this, and so, wasting barely a second to wipe my brow, I made my way straight to Mac & Wild. Another seemingly simple burger, they rely on the quality of their beef, and the subtlety of their sauces. Not without just cause too, as this was exactly as good as you would expect. Balanced, juicy and delicious. It didn’t quite hit the wonder of Black Bear, but it certainly kept that steam train going.

Ever-present at National Burger Day, Mother Flipper are practically a veteran of the event, and for good reason. One of the forefathers of the shoestring fry in the burger, their ideas are regularly plagiarised. I was surprised not to see anything too off axis in their burger, but they got the vote for round three none the less. Unfortunately this was not their best effort. The combination of candy bacon, caramelised onion and BBQ sauce transitioned the burger into more of a desert item than a burger. There was some lovely flavour, but it was probably a bit too much, too soon.

However, by now, I was 3 burgers down in 25 minutes, and I was in no mood to let up. A swift trip to the bar for a glass of red (all part of the tactics), and it was back to business as usual. It was a case of “right place, right time” for Up In My Grill, as their queue parted just as I looked in their direction. Not one to argue with fate, I made a beeline for their counter. Barely 5 minutes later, I was wrapping my mouth around a burger so tender, that you were almost left wondering how they had cooked it. Rare, and wonderfully so. They, too, could not quite grasp that mantle from Black Bear, but we were back in the game with another belter.

4 down. 40 minutes gone. I began to realise that my targets might just be more stretchy than my shorts.
After a brief pause to catch my breath outside, another glass of red, and a quick reassessment of the tactics, it was time to get back in the game. Lucky Chip’s burger included Pork Belly, and this was exactly the type of positivity that I needed right now. Absolutely bursting with flavour and melt in the mouth. Great shout!

By now, we had reached that difficult fourth quarter. The moment in the match, where you discover whether you really did do enough in pre-season. Where the tank is running low, and you need the warm,
comforting boost of a tried and tested classic. Enter Dip & Flip in collaboration with Hotbox. With two of my absolute favourites collaborating, this was absolutely bound to blow me away. Alas, this did no such thing. The patty had seemingly been cooked in American mustard, and this cut through much of the flavour.

This was shocking enough for me, so I could scarcely believe it when Honest also failed to live up to my expectations. A burger including bacon, poutine, shoestring fries, and gravy was absolutely bound to be delicious. Although it did have some nice flavour, the gravy was scant, and the combination of cheddar and cheese curds was far too sharp.

Were these burgers genuinely disappointing, or was the fullness of my belly taking its toll? My Bovine gluttony of the previous two hours had left me feeling almost punch drunk, and so it was time for me to have another break and try to snap out of it.
Determined to end on a high, I reneged on the wine, and opted instead for a TequilaColada. A light, sweet, and utterly refreshing slushy. Just the palate cleanser I needed to give me my second wind. Time for Bleecker Street.
Debates on Pineapples place on a pizza, are vociferous, and so the decision to add pineapple to their bacon cheeseburger was potentially a controversial one. It need not be though, because it was inspired. A few minutes on the griddle, softened the pineapple, bringing out the juices. As a result, it’s subtle sweetness acted almost like a relish, lifting it up. Absolutely amazing. Surely this needs to become a permanent fixture on their menu.

After that? Goose was cooked. Home time. All over for one more year. There may have been a few slight disappointments, but there were also some soaring highs. Thanks for the memories National Burger Day. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

