YYC Burger Week

Here on the penultimate day of YYC Burger week I’d like to share some of the delicious burgers experiences I’ve had across the city. I haven’t had the opportunity to try all 30 of the participating burgers, but with the time I had I was able to sample a decent amount. Since burger week is still going on for one more day you do have time to plan out a route and catch up!

Burger week is not only delicious and beneficial to your well being but it is also is a chance to support some local charities. Ten percent of each burger sold is donated to one of three charities:

1) Made by Momma  A 100% volunteer run group providing wholesome nourishment and nurturing care to mothers and young children facing situations of adversity and crisis.

2) Canadian Mental Health Association Calgary Region’s mandate is to create awareness, provide promotion and education, and support and advocate for individuals and families living with mental illness and addictions.

3) Autism Aspergers Friendship Society of Calgary  AAFS Provides Respite Care in a Recreational Environment for children, youth and adults on the Autism Spectrum; including but not limited to Autism, Aspergers, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Non Verbal Learning Disorder. AAFS is constructed and implemented by the youth; we envision and facilitate programming where youth can choose their own activities and every intricate detail of each activity regardless of how difficult it is to conceptualize or organize.

So, grab as many burgers as you can and support these wonderful charities YYC!

Surf n Turf Burger at The Fine Diner, Inglewood

You never forget your first…burger of burger week that is! Once you’ve had this unbelievable delicious burger you will never forget the experience. As if those amazing duck fries weren’t enough in that cute little fryer basket, there was three large chunks of lobster claw meat on top of a juicy seasoned beef patty. It will be a tough contender for the $20 burger category.

Hemp & Sprouts Burger at Burger 320, Bridgeland

One other personal benefit to taking part in burger week is that I found Burger 320. I’m not often in Bridgeland but if I am ever anywhere nearby you can be sure that I will be stopping into this tiny little food mecca. Chef Mario Spina (formerly Pimento’s Pizzeria) grinds the burger meat in house from brisket. Each bun is also baked in house and you can get some amazing burger combinations and accompaniments. For burger week, Chef Mario created the Hemp & Sprouts burger…the 420! House ground brisket, roasted garden relish, bocconcini, hemp aioli, and pea sprouts. This $10 burger packs a huge punch. My favourite part was the hemp aioli. I had a great time chatting with Chef Mario while he made my burger, bouncing burger ideas off of him and just talking business. He has a great character.

The Mighty Bridgeland at Blue Star Diner, Bridgeland

This place has a cool, carefree vibe…strike that and make it a careless vibe. I was all for trying their succulent Mighty Bridgeland offering with double smoked bacon, blue cheese, and fried egg on a pretzel bun (my fave!) but after ordering and paying for take away I waited forever for my order to show up. I saw a pick up order being brought out and placed by the till and I was even asked what my order was (apparently by a server who didn’t know what was in the bag) but about ten minutes later turns out that order was mine. They gave it to me anyway even though I mentioned it had been sitting there. I was so disgusted by the cold burger I couldn’t eat it. I brought it home and my teenager warmed it up in the microwave and ate it.

The Greek Bison Burger at The Main Dish, Bridgeland

I wasn’t originally going to try this burger because I have a whole freezer full of ground bison meat. This was my last stop on the Bridgeland Burger Gauntlet and I hadn’t even eaten anything yet…it was 3 pm! So, I decided to eat the Bison Burger in house instead of bringing it home. I thought the seasoning in the patty was appropriate and went with the more wild taste of bison. The tomato chutney, arugula, and feta went perfectly with the patty. I was surprised to hear this was a $20 burger but then I remembered that bison meat is quite expensive and not everyone is as lucky as me to have family in ‘the business’.

Busan Bao at Eats of Asia, Kingsland Farmer’s Market

How’s this for a different burger? Fridays are my days that I go to the farmer’s market. How convenient that there were two choices for burger week there?! I chose the Busan Bao at Eats of Asia owned by Jay Del Corro (the aimless cook) which is in the $10 category. I loved the little perfectly steamed bao, morsels of bulgogi beef and the sauce was delicious! One thing is for sure…if flavour is what you want, Eats of Asia always delivers! If you are at the market stop by and definitely check one out!

Heritage Voyageur Burger at Selkirk Grill, Heritage Park

We’ve just returned from dinner at Selkirk Grille located at our family favourite, Heritage Park. Their $20 burger was a hit with the guys at the table. I immediately regretted not ordering the minute my fish plate came out. I looked so forlorn that hubby let me have a couple of bites. This burger had a lot of flavour from the heirloom tomatoes, Oka cheese, fried onions, tomato jam, brassica mustard, bread & butter pickles and….wait for it….fois gras torchon! Hubby countered his decadence with a side salad while kid number one went all out with a side of Kennebec fries.

So, which of these burgers have caught your eye and had you drooling? Find these and plenty more at YYC Burger Week but remember, tomorrow’s the last day so hurry before they are gone forever!