We’re at the halfway mark of our favourite comfort food festival and it’s already time to pull out the stretchy pants.
This year, over 130 restaurants across Manitoba participated in the short-yet-savoury event titled Le Cheeseburger Week from September 1-7, 2020.
While you can browse all burgers over at leburgerweek.com, we’ve rounded up a few of our foodie friends and taken on the challenge of trying as many as we can – it’s a hard job, but somebody has to do it.
The Velvet Glove’s “Crossroads – Toba Party”
Description: featuring House Smoked Wagyu + Black Angus beef grind, Caramelized Onion + NonSuch Beer Mustard, Almond Butter, Pickled Nectarine, Bothwell Muenster Cheese, Serrano Spiked “Palmer” Brisket Tips presented on a Gunns Caraway Sour Dough Bun. Served with our famous, house-made Berry Sweet Tea.
Clean, quality ingredients and surprisingly perfect flavour combinations (pickled nectarines and almond butter—who knew?) make the Toba Party one of the top burgers we’ve tried this week. Served on a perfectly flaky Gunn’s sourdough bun, this burger checks every box, including a balanced ratio of fresh ingredients to meat/bread, enough flavour thanks to Bothwell Muenster cheese and Nonsuch Beer mustard, and the most delicious smoked brisket to top it all off.
Miss Browns' (Hargrave St. Market location) “Steak n’ Fritz”
Description: 6oz all Manitoban beef pattie, bourbon mushroom sauce, smoked Gouda, deep fried onion, roast garlic aioli, shoestring fries and greens on a poppy & sesame seed Gunns brioche.
With French fries and crispy onions on this topping-heavy burger, it definitely brings the crunch. Oozing on to the fries below is the rich and creamy mushroom sauce which really gives the burger all the flavour.
Gusto North's “The Calabrese Burger”
Description: Spicy boar + beef patty, provolone, calabrese fig jam, walnuts, pepperoncini aioli, arugula, herbed brioche bun.
Simple, spicy and even a little sweet. This burger brought all the flavours and even surprised us with chunks of walnuts inside that paired perfectly with the fig jam. The bun is super thick, which helps to handle all the heat inside.
KYU Bistro's “Fire Ramen Cheeseburger”
Description: Garlic butter toasted brioche bun, grilled AAA Certified Angus beef patty, tender Kakuni braised-pork belly, spinach & caramelized onions. ULTRA cheesy ramen noodles & red bistro fire sauce. Vegetarian patty available
One of the most creative burgers we’ve seen this year, where the ramen pull seems to defy gravity. Taste-wise, the cheesy ramen brought the heat but didn’t overpower the burger and the texture was even better than we anticipated.
Amsterdam Tea Room and Bar's “Smoked Gouda Fondue Burger”
Description: Ground Chuck Patty, Smoked Gouda Cheese Sauce, Dijon Mustard, Spicy Dill Pickles, Onion Jam, Gunn’s Bun
This classic barbecued burger kept it simple with ingredients and put the focus on the oozing, tangy cheese fondue sauce. Bonus points for have the most photogenic burger bun we’ve seen this year.
St. James Burger & Chip Co.'s “The Southern Style Chicken & Waffle Burger”
Description: This Chicken & Waffle burger has amazing flavours with homemade apple and cabbage slaw, jalapeno infused maple syrup
If you’re a fan of fried chicken, be sure to try St. James Burger & Chip Co.’s chicken and waffle burger. Homemade apple and cabbage slaw and jalapeño infused maple syrup bring extra flavour to this fried chicken burger. Just be sure to arrive hungry—the already-huge sandwich is served with a hefty portion of the burger stand’s famous cinnamon fries.
Peasant Cookery's “Someone’s Got Your Goat”
Description: Goat/lamb/pork smash patty, with lamb porchetta, goat yogurt, lemon garlic sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion, Dijon, mayo, ketchup with bread and butter pickles, turnip and beer bbq sauce.
There is no kidding around with this burger! Perfect portions that led to an incredible taste experience. From the goat mozzarella, lemon garlic goat yogurt sauce, and the combined goat, lamb and pork 7 oz patty. This goat gets our vote!
King + Bannatyne's “The King + Bann Beef + Cheddar”
Description: House-Made Brisket + Chuck Patty topped with Braised Beef, Spicy Apple Dijon BBQ Cheddar Sauce, Caramelized Red Onion + Pickle Jalapeño Relish all on a warm Garlic Pretzel Bun from City Bread.
Even with endless amounts of beef, cheesy sauce and all the toppings we’d want on our ideal burger, we couldn’t stop talking about that garlic pretzel bun. Salty, savoury and easily one of the most superior burgers we’ve sampled.
Clementine's “Lucky Strike”
Description: Edie Creek Angus Grass Fed & Finished Beef. Sirloin, Brisket and Chuck Blend | Our Sesame Milk Bun Toasted with Smoked Beef Fat | Hickory Smoked Pork Collar, Mayo, Fermented Habanero Mustard, Caramelized Onion & Beef Glaze | Fried Walla Walla Onions, Pickled Japanese Cucumber, Jack Cheese, Shredded Iceberg
Toasty, smoky, sweet and oh so flavourful – this burger is our clear winner so far. From the bun smoked in beef fat, to the proper amount of caramelized onions and the tangy kick of the habanero mustard, which hits you three seconds after your first bite… this burger is a must-try!
