Epic Sandwich: Convention Grill

That's right. I'm eating meat again. What a great/rewarding experiment! I'l; have a full recap later, but City pages ran my post early this week. It's on Convention Grill in edina. If you love old-school burgers and throw-back joints then you need to check it out! Full review here.

Epic Sandwich: 112 Eatery's Ultimate Cheeseburger

The cheeseburger at 112 Eatery would currently land somewhere around the seventh course of my final meal. It's amazingly flavorful for its simplicity and the execution is just about perfect. Also, I think it's one of the best values in the city. Full review here.

Also, please note that I'm being a good boy and am not eating meat - this was part of my Fat Tuesday send off! One week without meat so far!

Happy Eating,

-Teddy

2009 Best of: Burgers

I know that writing about the best burger I've had this year is like skipping out onto thin ice. As illustrated by the famous "Best Jucy Lucy" debate, Minnesotans are crazy about burgers and although I won't be as bold as to say that this is the best burger in town (this segment is about the best dishes I've had this year, not the undisputed champs), I will say that it is definitely worth checking out.

Winner: The Kitchen's "Perfect" Burger

I didn't expect to find such a killer burger at such a new and distant restaurant (Stillwater is a bit of a hike from SW Minneapolis), but I loved the surprise. The Kitchen's bacon cheddar burger had all the attributes of a great burger: A nice fat-to-lean ratio for the beef, excellent sharp cheese, thick-cut hearty bacon, and house-made amenities such as pickles, mustard and an awesome fresh baked bun. The folks up in Stillwater know comfort food and this burger was a perfect summer patio pleasure. You can catch more info here.

Runner Up: Cafe Maude's Grilled Burger

Again, another place that doesn't necessarily have a ton of burger cred, but they sure can craft a mean sandwich. It's a bit on the expensive side for the American favorite, but the extravagant topping options make for a more up-scale performance. I like mine with grilled mushrooms and bacon, but if I really wanted to bust my gut I could add on some St. Andre and a fried egg, although the damage to my cholesterol level may far out live the satisfaction of the burger.

Lastly, since this whole blogging thing is about community and sharing, I'd love it if you let me know where/what your favorite burgers were this year!

Happy Eating,

-Teddy

Epic Sandwich: The Kitchen

I've been hearing about The Kitchen for quite some time and couldn't wait to try it out on a recent trip to Stillwater. What I didn't expect was to find a burger that quickly climbed into my favorites list. Full review here.

Epic Sandwich: W.A. Frost's Old-School Cheeseburger

No truffle oil, no foie gras and no Kobe beef anywhere to be found. Some of these ingredients can be found on W.A. Frost and Company's menu over the course of the year, but you won't find them on their classic cheeseburger - thank goodness. It seems that many restaurants and gastropubs are putting an emphasis on dressing up the American classic, but sometimes I need to kick inventiveness to the curb and just enjoy a good old-school cheeseburger, and that is exactly what you get when you order the cheeseburger off the bar menu on Frost's perfect Patio.

The burger equation at Frost is quite simple. Straight up Angus is grilled to order and topped with your favorite cheese. They stack a ripe tomato, crisp lettuce and a round of snappy red onion on top the the juicy burger and shove it all between an artfully toasted bun. The freshness of the vegetables and the purity of the beef brings back memories of the days when a burger was the picture of savory simplicity.

Sandwich Rating: Tasty. I'll admit I still love a nice creative burger, but on a hot night, there may be nothing better than the grilled classic, a cold beer and the perfect companion.

Need more to get your sandwich fix? Check out my full review of Frost's sirloin sandwich here.

Happy Eating,

-Teddy