Halifax Burger Week 2013!

When The Coast announced “Burger Week” in conjunction with 21 participating restaurants, I couldn’t have been more excited. I love the Halifax burger hype and the idea that we could be a burger destination. Burger Week gave us eight $5 burger selections, as well as 13 burger creations with some proceeds going to FEED Nova Scotia. Participating restaurants varied from burger legend, Darrell’s, to the head scratcher, Jungle Jim’s.

I kicked off Burger Week with a full blown burger crawl. I visited 4 restaurants and split the burger at each place with a hungry pastry chef. (Pastry chefs can EAT!)

The Armview – Classic Burger

Our first stop was The Armview, the coolest little west end diner that doubles as the neighbourhood bar.  Their $5 burger promotion was their Classic Burger: A grilled, house-made 6oz patty with sauteed onions, mustard and ketchup on a sesame seed bun. As far as classic burgers go, this one is quite sizeable. The burger is not revolutionary in any way, but is an excellent rendition of a simple diner burger. We left the Armview satisfied, though we were pumped for something a little more mind-blowing.

Ace Burger – Deluxe

My partner in gluttony had never been to Ace Burger, so that was the obvious choice for blowing our minds and palates. Ace’s Deluxe Burger (Getaway Farms grass fed beef, Brothers’ back bacon, PEI cheddar, frizzled onions and dijonnaise on a Kaiser) is usually $7 but was a $5 special for Burger Week. We were told we would have to wait 45 minutes, since everyone else in town obviously had the same idea. Gus’ was so packed that people had to eat their burgers in the VLT room, and some people were sitting on the stage. Halifax loves Ace Burger, and it is clear that Ace Burger loves Halifax!

Bearly’s – Texas Burger

Next up was Bearly’s House of Blues and Ribs (and now Burgers). Our server told us that he had never sold so many hamburgers in his career. I looked around the bar and everyone was eating burgers and analysing their Burger Week Passports. It was clear that Halifax was hyped! The Texas Burger (home-made, locally produced Canadian steer beef, jalapenos, cheddar cheese, onion rings, and salsa) was served with fries and coleslaw for a measly $5. We really enjoyed this burger! The meat was a finer grind and we could taste the grill marks and a touch of heat from the jalapenos.

Harbour City – Dragon’s Breath Blue (Lamb)

I wanted to check out Harbour City Bar & Grill in the Delta Halifax because I totally loved their offerings at Savour Food & Wine. There was a confusing description on the Burger Passport of what turned out to be several choices. Tandoori Chicken, Cashew Peanut Veggie, and Crabby Patty were a few, but we decided to go for the Dragon’s Breath Blue (a lamb burger infused with local blue cheese). The burger came with a 16oz Barking Squirrel Lager for $17. I have to admit, I have never met a lamb burger I have loved and this was no exception. Being blue cheese lovers, we lamented that there was no additional cheese on top of the burger, which was just kind of plain. We were disappointed, which was too bad because the service and ambiance were great. We reluctantly conceded that we were sleepy and bloated, and thus halted the burger crawl.

Cheese Curds – Spinach & Mushroom Burger

Oh, but I’m not done yet! After a weekend spent in the forest doing my Wilderness First Aid certification, I was hungry for more burgers! I went with some classmates to Cheese Curds to check out their Burger Week selection. For $8.75 I got a local home-made 6oz patty topped with sauteed portobello, crimini and button mushrooms, wilted spinach, and Swiss cheese. I wish there was more seating at Cheese Curds and less pressure to choose from an overwhelming list of toppings, but we found a table and I kept my burger simple. The result was a solid burger with big fabulous chunks of perfectly cooked mushrooms. My modest burger allowed the bun to hold its integrity, instead of falling apart (as it has been known to do on the gargantuous CC Porker).

Willy’s Fresh Cut Fries and Burgers

Willy’s is known for its pizza corner poutines, but for Burger Week they had a $10 8oz Oulton’s beef patty with bacon, cheese, beer battered jalapenos and onion rings. This burger definitely brought the beef! However, as a fellow burger quester pointed out: “It’s pretty good, but the lettuce on it is a joke!” True enough. What is the point of a bland flappy iceburg lettuce leaf crowning a deep-fried meat orgy? The deep fried jalapenos were a nice touch on this burger, lending a bit of heat and crunch. Unfortunately, the bacon was undercooked and I ended up pulling a lot of it out. This burger was a bit too monstrous for me, but it had potential. I’ll make a return trip to Willy’s in the future for something a little more manageable.

Rock Bottom Brewery – a standard hamburger.

On the last day of burger week, I hit up Rock Bottom for lunch. I have already praised Rock Bottom for their amazing peanut butter burger, yet I have been less impressed with the rest of their burger menu. For Burger Week, $5 got me a regular hamburger with fries, rice, or roasted potatoes. Rock Bottom uses Nova Scotia beef, flame grilled and topped with lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle and served on a sourdough Kaiser bun. The simplicity of this sandwich enabled the beef and bun to truly shine. Rock Bottom’s choice of quality beef and bread elevates its hamburgers to gourmet status. Plus, the beer is some of the best in the city.

The burger at Tempo

My final Burger Week indulgence was Tempo, which offered their regular menu burger with a 16oz Barking Squirrel Lager for $15. This burger features Oulton’s beef, aged cheddar, iceburg lettuce, smoked tomato ketchup, fried onions, candied bacon, soft bun, tempura pickle, and fries. I’m glad it’s on the regular menu, because it was fantastic (if not difficult to fit in one’s mouth). The tempura pickle was a nice touch, but the beefy goodness and symphony of flavours is what made me love this burger.

I wanted to pick some winners, but I don’t think I can. Ace Burger was exceptional as always, Bearly’s was a surprising winner, Armview is a perfect classic, Rock Bottom elevates the standard pub burger, Willy’s has burger potential, Cheese Curds makes a solid sandwich, and Tempo is a class act! Harbour City was disappointing, but perhaps the cashew peanut veggie was the star? I guess I’ll never know, since the Burger Week specials are not on the regular menu. Either way, it was really nice to see all the hungry Haligonians supporting this promotion and so many restaurants getting involved. So much burger love for a city of 400,000!

Halifax Burger Quest: Crispy Cristy

Crispy Cristy moved into the old Extreme Pita location on Barrington Street last month, officially sending Halifax to its burger saturation point. This restaurant offers gourmet burgers, poutine, chicken, fish, pitas and salads. By “chicken” they mean strips and wings, by “fish” they mean fish and chips, and by “pitas” they mean just about anything, but with a Mediterranean emphasis. Basically this is like your typical Halifax pizza shop, which offers a wide variety of standard gut-busting fare, only instead of pizza they serve hamburgers. I think they even deliver.

Which leads my to the inevitable question:

The Ringer at Crispy Cristy – Is this gourmet?

What makes a burger “gourmet”? There. I just said what you’ve all been thinking. Everyone wants a piece of the gourmet burger trend, and without the solemnity of burger law, there are no regulations which dictate when you can call a burger “gourmet”. At Crispy Cristy, my burger was served on a fancy square plate: +1 gourmet burger point. My burger patty consisted of quality Angus Brand Beef : +1 gourmet burger point. The patty was actually quite nice, if not a little thin for my liking. However the taste and texture reminded me more of a really good diner-style burger, rather than a gourmet burger.

What else makes a burger gourmet? Fancy toppings! Crispy Cristy offers its own takes on nacho and Greek burgers, as well as burgers featuring intriguing ingredients like “grill fried pepperoni”, ancho chipotle sauce and caramelized onions. But what did I do? I ordered The Ringer ($8.49), fully equipped with onion rings and mozza sticks. Yes, mozza sticks. I couldn’t help myself. I’ve never had a mozza stick burger.

The Ringer at Crispy Cristy

This burger was like a fusion of classic greasy diner burger and some atrocity of Epic Meal Time. The fat-faced-hedonist in me was delighted by the presence of mozza sticks on my burger, while my increasingly health-wary conscience grimaced in shame. There were chunks of the dreaded iceburg lettuce, the generic flavours of ketchup and mustard, and of course the whole thing fell apart while I was eating it.

So what makes a burger “gourmet”? We could make a complicated gourmet burger criterion, with check boxes for quality of beef, presentation, and luxury of toppings – but chances are we would keep finding exceptions and contradictions. So I will provide my own definition: A gourmet burger must be sexy, whether elegantly chic or ruggedly handsome.

The Ringer at Crispy Cristy was not really sexy. It was more like a staggering fratboy who thinks he’s crisp and cool, but is actually just drunk on mediocrity and ready to eat a donair and pass out in his dorm room. I’m not saying the burger was bad! If this burger was introduced before the gourmet burger boom, it would have been a leading Halifax hamburger. Maybe the “Chicago Jack” (smoked bacon, caramelized onion, honey mustard and monterey jack – $7.49) is a classier burger bro, but I won’t be rushing back to find out.

The price scale is for stand alone burgers, with fries being an additional $2.50. As you can plainly see, the fries are the packaged frozen variety which I thought Halifax had outgrown, but several online reviewers have strangely applauded.  Also, the atmosphere at Crispy Crispy is that of Extreme Pita with a paint job, and the service I received was squarely average, if not a bit timid. I’m curious about the poutines which come in 8 varieties, and the Greek/Lebanese style wraps.

Perhaps there is room for Crispy Cristy at the greasier end of the Halifax burger scene. The common Haligonian may not care about grass-fed beef, hand-cut fries, or house-made sauces. The common Haligonian grew up on roast beef and potatoes and may not desire “peppery arugula” or “creamy chevre” on their burger. This is still the Maritimes after all, and the category of “gourmet” may apply differently to us. I say bring on the grease! I just need a break for a while…. speaking of which:

Halifax Burger Week is happening March 21-27, with participating restaurants offering specials and proceeds to FEED Nova Scotia. Check it out!

*** Currently Crispy Cristy has no online presence: -10 gourmet burger points!!***

Halifax Burger Quest: The Works

Opening night at The Works was crazy! From 5pm-7pm The Works was peddling free food by donation to FEED Nova Scotia. My jaw dropped when I saw people lining up all the way down the block. Many of these folks had tasted the deliciousness of The Works on trips to Ottawa, and others had heard tell of its reputation. Still others had caught a social media whiff of the promise of free food, and lined up in droves. Owner Alan Garner entertained the hungry line-up with “true stories”, free milkshake coupons, and his own brand of sarcasm. Two hours later, my toes were frozen solid and the door was finally opened to us!

Totally worth it.

The Beaverbank: caramelized onions, chipotle ketchup, havarti, and 4 double smoked bacon slices $14.66

I first encountered The Works in Ottawa on my way across Canada in 2009, and again in London on my way back across Canada in 2012. I was ecstatic to find out that Halifax would soon boast of the first Works franchise to exist outside of Ontario, lovingly opened by owners Alan and Jody Garner.

The Love Goat: peppercorn crusted burger with goats cheese and bacon $14.67

Somebody on Yelp stated that the burgers are under seasoned. Personally, I like my burgers to taste like beef. If I want my beef to taste like spices, I’ll eat a donair, or meatloaf, or kafta. However, I realize there are those of you who like spicy burp invoking burgers, and I’ll re-direct you to Cheese Curds. OR – you can try one of the peppercorn crusted burgers from The Works, which has a slight crispiness and a full on peppercorn attack. Slap on some goats cheese or gouda and bacon, and we’re good to go!

Tidball Baker: die cut chips, sour cream, green onions, bacon $12.35

Yes, there are potatoes on that burger. Don’t be surprised. There are 70 burgers on the menu, with toppings ranging from eggplant to kraft dinner. You want a peanut butter burger? The Works has 3 varieties. Boo-yah! Aside from the overwhelming variety, the best part about The Works is the beef. It is the perfect thickness, nice and beefy, and it is perfectly cooked.

Not Yo’ Burger: fried tortilla, avocado, fire roasted cheese dip, a blend of diced ripe tomatoes & minced garlic. $13.34

If beef is not your thing, The Works also has ground turkey, chicken breast, veggie patties, portobello mushroom cap, and domestic elk (+$3.67). If you don’t like gluten, there is a gluten free bun. For sides you can get several varieties of potato or vegetable (I like the coleslaw), or upgrade to onion rings, poutine, deep fried dill pickles, Kraft Dinner, or chilli. I can say that I was very impressed with the onion rings and dills (the latter being a hard item to find in Halifax). There is also an impressive milkshake menu, some smoothies, floats, and most importantly, there is beer.

Kamikaze – jalapeno, chipotle & banana peppers, cheddar cheese & hotter than hell sauce $12.94

Those of you familiar with my preliminary Halifax Burger Quest are probably wondering how The Works shapes up. I have to say, I love the beef here. I love that there is a tremendous variety of gourmet toppings which are pre-composed into burger identities. I love that I can sit down in the industrial-themed dining room and enjoy an (over-priced) beer. I have never had a Works burger fall apart on me. The staff is super friendly. The side dishes can vary in quality.

I would have to say The Works falls somewhere in the top 3 for best burger in Halifax, but rather than eliminating the competition, The Works offers a different hamburger experience and compliments the now legendary trilogy of Relish, Ace, and Cheese Curds of the Halifax burger explosion. #burgerlove!

The Works (Halifax)
5431 Doyle Street
(902) 405-9333
Web Site

Halifax Burger Quest: Rock Bottom Brew Pub

I’m going to take a break from smoked meat sandwiches for a bit and return to burger questing! I have had some inquiries and recommendations concerning various hamburgers in Halifax, which I haven’t yet gotten to because I was focusing on “gourmet-style” burgers. Now I am going to shift my focus to pub-style burgers, and I’m also accepting recommendations if you would like to e-mail me (shipwrekkt@gmail.com) or leave a comment below.

When I left Halifax in 2009, Rock Bottom Brewery had just opened. I sampled all the beers, which tasted strikingly mediocre and homogeneous. When I came back in 2012 I kept hearing buzz about this place and quickly figured out that the legendary Maritime brewmaster, Greg Nash, had taken over production for Rock Bottom, which now boasts of some of the best beer in the city! For this reason, I will continue to haunt Rock Bottom Brew Pub… but now I have another reason.

Peanut Butter Burger at Rock Bottom Brew Pub ($11.95)

A couple of months ago, I tried the peanut butter burger at Rock Bottom. Yes, Halifax, there is now competition in the peanut butter burger market! What Rock Bottom does differently is mix the peanut butter with cream cheese. The effect is drastic, perfect, and wonderful. Rock Bottom uses 100% Nova Scotia beef. Rock Bottom has good French fries. Rock Bottom has Greg Nash. Rock Bottom.

This is one of those rare burgers that I continued to reminisce about well after eating it. I began to wonder about the other burgers at Rock Bottom…

Beef, Pork & Bacon Burger at Rock Bottom

The Beef, Pork & Bacon Burger ($12.45) is a “beef & pork patty grilled & topped with smoked applewood cheddar, bacon & onion rings, roasted red pepper mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion & pickle.” It sounds amazing, but I actually wasn’t that impressed. The pork did nothing to elevate the patty, in my opinion. This was a very standard, but decent, pub burger.

HotBottom Burger at Rock Bottom

The HotBottom Burger ($12.75) is a peppercorn crusted burger topped with swiss cheese, banana peppers and hot sauce, plus the usual veggies. I had a peppercorn crusted burger at The Works in Ottawa and fell in love with the concept. However, this element of the burger at Rock Bottom didn’t jump out at me. Perhaps it was overridden by the banana peppers and hot sauce. The beef patty was also not as meaty and luscious as I had once remembered it… once upon a time when I had an intimate moment with a certain peanut butter burger.

I began to think that my first date with Rock Bottom had been a fluke. Had the cook that made my peanut butter burger vanished in the night? Had the restaurant implemented cost-reducing burger-shrinking strategies? Had I experienced an isolated moment of a non-replicable nature?

I returned to find out the truth about the peanut butter burger.

It’s a miracle! This burger was just as good as the first time I had it! I don’t know what it is, but the peanut butter and cream cheese concoction really brings out the beefy goodness. The swiss cheese, smoked bacon, and veggies play along just fine and the sourdough kaiser holds it all together. I confess my love for this burger, and encourage all you Darrell’s fans to check it out.

Rock Bottom also has a Canadian Bison Burger ($15.50), Turkey Avocado Burger ($13.45), Lamb Burger ($13.45), Pesto Rubbed Chicken (breast) Burger ($10.75), and a regular burger at $9.95. AVOID the frozen soy hockey puck ($8.95) unless you’re into that sort of thing. All burgers come with your choice of fries, roasted potatoes or rice. Upgrade to sweet potato fries, salad or cup of soup for $2.25.

Check out the web site for weekly events and specials.

Halifax Burger Quest: Gourmet Burger Finals!

It’s time to announce the winners of my Halifax Gourmet Burger Quest! Just to review: I ordered signature beef burgers and French fries at each place. Veggie burgers were also reviewed. I don’t believe in numerical ratings passing as science when it comes to food analysis, but I do like categories. My bias is towards big, juicy, beefy Nova Scotia grass-fed burgers and the spirit of Haligonia! However, I tried to incorporate the perceptions and experiences of others. Hamburgers are highly subjective, so always venture forth and form your own opinions.

Ready?

Best Customer Service
Relish

Yes, the service at Relish is annoying on first encounter. “Welcome to Relish!” However, on my two trips to Relish I found the staff to be friendly, helpful, and hospitable. They were eager to answer questions, give recommendations, and seek feedback.

Cabo Diablo – Relish

Best Atmosphere
Ace Burger

Nothing is better than hanging out in this Hali-favourite destination dive on Agricola Street. There are absolutely no airs of pretension. There are no gimmicky designs or signage. This is not modelled on American gourmet burger powerhouses like 5 Guys or Shake Shack. Ace Burger, instead, captures the spirit of Halifax. No frills, quality local food in a cozy non-pretentious atmosphere. FTW.

Best Bun
Ace Burger

Serving up challah and focaccia buns, Ace wins for most tasty and interesting bun. The poppyseed bun at Relish could be a runner-up.

Lamb Burger with focaccia bun – Ace Burger

Best Toppings
Relish

Both burgers I’ve had at Relish have really excelled by virtue of their toppings. Home-made mayo, sauces, and of course, their signature beet relish. The toppings are so good, they almost make up for the lackluster beef. Some of you are probably shocked I didn’t choose Cheese Curds, which also has some spectacular toppings. Thing is, Cheese Curds makes you choose your own toppings, which doesn’t always make for a good burger. I wasn’t impressed with any of my toppings at Cheese Curds, and I don’t enjoy the pressure of having to mix and match my own flavours. I want a burger pre-designed with the perfect balances of flavours, and this is the experience I’ve had at Relish.

Best Beef
Ace Burger

Grass-fed Nova Scotia beef, consistent with the guidelines of the slow food movement. I found this neither dry, nor too thin. For me, it was just about perfect. One of my hamburger correspondents felt that the beef was not seasoned well enough. Therefore, I will suggest Cheese Curds as the best in beef for those who prefer a well seasoned patty. The beef at Relish was thin and dry. The beef at Flip Burger was thick and dry. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought the meat at Darrell’s was frozen.

Deluxe – Ace Burger

Best BIG Burger
Cheese Curds – The Legendary CC Porker

This burger is a MONSTER! Big burger eaters look no further! This one is Big Mac style (read: extra bread) with bacon, onion rings and cheese curds. Aside from lettuce, tomato and “CC sauce”, you will have to choose your own toppings. If you really insist on looking further, Flip Burger has their “Flip Burger Challenge” at $15 for a triple burger with bacon, pulled pork, sauteed onions & mushrooms, a fried egg… yeah, yeah… we get it… some people wanna eat a lot to impress their friends.

Legendary CC Porker – Cheese Curds

Best Value
Tie: Ace Burger & Flip Burger

If you want the cheapest gourmet burger on the market, Ace Burger’s Classic is a mere $6. But if you want fries, that’ll be an additional $5, and you’re probably gonna drink some beer too. Whereas a signature combo at Flip Burger can cost you as little as $9.50! If you have to pay bus fare to get to Clayton Park, then Ace is the obvious choice. However, Darrell’s is a runner up, with all of their combos coming to about $12.

Best Veggie Burger
Ace Burger
Runner Up: Flip Burger

Every hamburger institution has their own unique version of the oft-neglected veggie burger. Ace’s version is a veggie loaf of roast mushrooms, shredded veg, lentils, oats, miso and tahini which is sliced thick and stacked on Ace’s herb focaccia bun, and topped with mint-chevre yogurt and pickled beets. Flip Burger gets credit for having a portobello mushroom burger AND a breaded, deep-fried quinoa and bean burger which I found to be addictive. Cheese Curds has an interesting rendition which resembles a spring roll as much as it does a burger, and Relish does a decent version as well, which is no doubt amplified by their delectable toppings. The only veggie-burger FAIL is to be found at Darrell’s. Frozen soy hockey pucks, anyone?

Veggie – Ace Buger

Best Variety
Tie: Ace Burger & Cheese Curds

What do I mean by this? Variety of toppings? (Cheese Curds) Variety of signature styles? (Relish) Variety of protein AND inspiration: Ace. The Clam Po’Boy combines fresh local clams with a Louisiana sandwich concept. The Pork Burger consists of thick sliced pork loaf dressed like a Vietnamese Banh Minh. Realistically, the menu is small and simple with 6 proteins. But it works. Tied with Ace is Cheese Curds, which has a vast selection of toppings, plus 6 types of protein, including pork schnitzel and salmon!

Veggie – Cheese Curds

Clam – Ace Burger

Best Fries
Relish

I admit, this is totally my personal opinion and most people will not agree with me. Yes, their fries are frozen. Then they are thawed. Then they are deep fried. The result is a perfectly crispy exterior and a luscious poofy interior with a buttery flavour. I think they are the perfect accompaniment to a Relish burger. There are times when I prefer a different sort of French fry, such as when eating fish ‘n’ chips. There are many among you who will only settle for hand-made fries, and you can satisfy this requirement at other establishments (NOT Darrell’s).

BEST GOURMET BURGER OVERALL:
1) Ace Burger
2) Cheese Curds
3) Relish
4) Flip Burger
5) Darrell’s

Ace is winning for overall atmosphere, value, and burger flavour and quality. Cheese Curds is a close runner up, particularly if you like seasoned patties, Woodside, and choosing your own toppings. Relish is the master of delicious toppings and friendly service, but needs to improve their beef patties. Flip Burger has got some big, local, grill-marked beef, and is a good option for Clayton Park residents. Darrell’s will always be a classic value joint, but now it’s got a run for its money in the quality department.

Cheese Curds

That concludes the burger quest! Questions/comments are welcome below or contact me at shipwrekkt@gmail.com or @shipwrekkt on Twitter.

Future burger questing is inevitable, as I have yet to cover pub-style and diner-style burgers. Stay tuned by subscribing by e-mail or your blog-feed.

Web Sites
Ace Burger
Cheese Curds
Relish
Flip Burger
Darrell’s

FlipBurger

Burger Quest
Category: Gourmet-Style

Today at school I gave a presentation on hamburgers with a couple of classmates (I love school)! To “prepare” for our hamburger presentation, Team Hamburger decided we should eat some hamburgers. Makes sense, right? I suggested we go to FlipBurger since it is the last contestant on my Gourmet Burger Quest.

FlipBurger (not to be confused with Flip Burger Gourmet in the American South), is located in Clayton Park. There it fills a niche unfulfilled by the chain restaurants speckled around the Lacewood terminal. Although I have heard business is good, it was not very busy when we went last Wednesday night.

FlipBurger sources all their beef and pork products from Oulton’s Farm (free-range) in Windsor, and unlike many of the other gourmet burger restaurants, they use a grill. They make their own gravy, batter their own buttermilk onion rings, and make their own French fries, which we saw were blanched and hanging out on metal trays waiting for the deep fryer. I didn’t get to try the rings or fries, since I was responsible for eating two burgers, nor did I get to try the peanut butter, banana and bacon milkshake. Next time, perhaps.

Pictured above is the cross-section of the Maui Wowie ($8.25) which is loaded with apple wood smoked cheddar, caramelized pineapple, Oulton’s double smoked bacon, fried onions, roasted red peppers and sweet chilli sauce. I heard rave reviews from my buddy Chris, who thought the flavours were really stellar. This inside view of the burger reveals the texture of the meat, which is slightly dense and perhaps a little dry. Sometimes I find grills can dry meat out, but the trade-off is tasty grill-marks and less grease – which is personal preference I suppose.

The Nutty Professor ($7.25) features peanut butter (this shouldn’t surprise anyone anymore), Oulton’s double smoked bacon, jalapeños and onion. The beef was meaty and satisfying, but in this case I think more flavours and sauces are needed to make up for the dryness of the meat. Most other peanut butter burgers I’ve eaten have involved ketchup, mayo or cream cheese to create a more complex flavour profile, or at least more lubrication. I really liked the spicy kick the jalapenos gave to this version, but the peanut butter needs more backup.

Flip Burger gets points for offering not one, but two veggie burgers on their menu. They are the only gourmet burger joint in town to serve a portobello mushroom burger, but I went for the newly released “Beaner”. Inside the perfectly crunchy breaded casing, there was a seasoned mixture of quinoa and beans. I was already full from my first burger but I couldn’t stop eating this for some reason. In this case I had to choose my own toppings, and I didn’t do a very good job. I went with garlic mayo, tomatoes and haystack onions. Considering there are 21 free toppings I could have chosen, my selections were a bit of a fail. Next time I would choose: onions, pickles, tomato, grilled green peppers, hot peppers, chipotle mayo and house-made peanut sauce.

I think Flip Burger is a great addition to Clayton Park, but I wouldn’t make a special trip to eat there. Well, maybe for a chocolate, banana and peanut butter milkshake and a veggie burger! Burger prices start at $5.50 for a single burger which you can dress with a host of toppings, or you can opt for a signature burger (starting at $7.25). My advice is to go heavy with the sauces, to assist the dryness of the sandwich. There is also double smoked bacon, pulled pork, and peameal bacon from Oulton’s Farm ($1.50 each) and an array of 75 cent toppings such as guacamole, caramelized pineapple, and tzatziki as well as a plethora of cheeses for ($1.50).

Next week I will announce the winners of my Halifax Burger Quest! Stay tuned!

Flip Burger
277 Lacewood Dr.
Halifax, NS
(902) 453-3547
Web Site and Menu

Ace Burger Co.

Halifax Burger Quest
Category: Gourmet-Style

This post was supposed to happen a week ago when I made the unfortunate assumption that Ace Burger would be open for both days of City Harvest. It was a very disappointing Sunday, when it seemed as though no restaurants were open in north end Halifax.

So heads up burger eaters! Sunday is not your day for grass-fed Nova Scotia beef burgers starting at $6. Ace Burger’s web site states: “Still closed Sundays – Except when we’re not!” Well, I’m not taking my chances any more.

The kitchen is open during the lovely punk, metal, and indie rock shows that infiltrate this venue on Thurs/Fri/Sat. Otherwise the kitchen is open til 9pm. Since Gus’ Pub is lovingly known as a dive bar, the atmosphere is better enjoyed by some than others. Personally, I love the atmosphere of this north end gem and advise any delicate souls to check it out early before the raunchy music and bottles of Olands start filling up the place. And remember, CASH ONLY.

Deluxe Burger @ Ace Burger

And here is what I came for, finally. The Deluxe Burger ($8) is the same as the Classic ($6) only with PEI cheddar and Brothers’ back bacon added to it. Otherwise it would be a Getaway Farms grass-fed beef patty with frisee lettuce, frizzled onions, pickle and Dijonnaise on challah. This combination is apparently the same burger that is served at the Brooklyn Warehouse (the restaurant that has taken over the kitchen in Gus’ Pub, thereby creating Ace Burgers, FYI).

Even though the patty is thin, it is lovely and complimented by the surprisingly tender local back bacon and gooey cheese. The frizzled onions are crispy but still have some onion-y goodness on the inside. The Dijonnaise  is the perfectly creamy condiment. This burger was made in heaven.

I brought a small crowd with me to Ace Burger, partly for the tail-end of my birthday celebrations, but mostly for the hamburgers. My friend Aaron wasn’t as impressed with the Deluxe as I was. He desired more seasoning in the meat. I blame his lack of enthusiasm on his hangover.

The pork burger @ Ace

Stu had the Pork Burger ($7) which, as you can see, features giants slabs of pork loaf in a bun! Upon closer inspection you would be able to see carrot, daikon and cilantro garnishes and a brown sugar sriracha glaze. Exciting! It’s like a banh mi burger! I took a sub-par photo and took a sub-par bite since Stu was hell-bent on devouring this impressive sandwich in record time. His only adjustment involved asking the kitchen for a bottle of sriracha to amplify the heat.

Clam Po’ Boy @ Ace Burger

Isn’t it gorgeous? Garnished simply with iceburg lettuce, smoked tartar sauce and pickled onions, this “burger” allows for an abundance of Nova Scotia clams. A “Po’Boy” is a type of sub originating in Louisiana often stuffed with deep fried oysters, shrimp or clams. Here the concept is fused into a burger. Unfortunately, we found the clams to be a little chewy, but I’ve heard enough rave reviews of this burger to consider maybe it was an off day for the Clam. Aesthetically, it is a thing of beauty, and I would give it another chance.

The Veggie @ Ace Burger

The Veggie Burger ($7) is a sliced loaf, much in the style of the Pork, and consists of roasted mushrooms, shredded veggies, lentils, oats, miso & tahini. Well, that’s awfully luxurious compared to the dried up soy patty that wins ever year in The Coast Awards, now isn’t it? The patty has a nice crispy exterior and soft tasty insides, aided by mint-chevre yogurt, pickled beets and a satisfying herb focaccia bun.

Lamb @ Ace Burger

The Lamb Burger ($8) features ground lamb from Wood ‘N Hart Farm with lemon-sumac mayo, goat cheese and arugula on that delicious herb focaccia. The lamb meat is infused with spice and the goat cheese exploded into my mouth with every bite. My vegetarian correspondent had this to say: “It smells really good”.

The fries ($3.50) were decent, and poutine ($5) is available (though I was hoping they would make the Newfie poutine from City Harvest part of the regular menu). There is also “seasonal salad” ($5) and food and drink combos. I mention the prices because they are super cheap for such amazing quality! Mini glasses of draught are only $2.25 – take advantage of these.

I think the Deluxe Burger from Ace is the best burger I’ve had in Halifax so far. Tune in next week when I join some fellow Hali-foodies at Cheese Curds Gourmet Burgers!

Ace Burger Company

2605 Agricola St.
(Gus’ Pub on Agricola & North)
Halifax, NS
(902) 423-7786 (Gus’)
Web Site

Darrell’s Restaurant

Halifax Burger Quest
Category: Gourmet-Style

If you are just tuning in, please refer to my last post where I featured Relish for my first Halifax Burger Quest! Currently I am tackling “gourmet” burger restaurants, but this burger quest will eventually take me to pubs, diners, and drive-ins. I don’t use a numerical rating system. I do review veggie burgers. Now that you are briefed, let’s take a look at the Hali-favourite, Darrell’s.

Halifax is in love with Darrell’s. But I’ll let my bias be clear: I’ve always thought they had mediocre frozen patties, albeit excellent milkshakes. They win every year in the Coast Awards for best hamburger, and for years this was probably somewhat accurate. Halifax was a burger wasteland. Halifax is now becoming a burger-friendly city, yet in 2012, Coast readers still awarded the burger crown to Darrell’s. Reader’s digest has declared it the 7th best hamburger in Canada (though I don’t trust a list that puts Calgary’s Peter’s Drive-In on the same list as Ottawa’s The Works). Haligonians insist the peanut butter burger is the most drool-worthy creation since the donair. But with all the new gourmet burger joints popping up, I am fairly confident that next year Halifax will see a new champion.

The peanut butter burger.

I went into Darrell’s with an open mind and no expectations. I had it on good authority that Darrell’s does NOT use frozen patties, after all. They do, however, use that Certifed Angus Beef Brand which hails from America and uses Alberta beef. The “Darrell fries” are obviously frozen. Strangely enough, the menu brags up the use of an “Annapolis Valley fried egg” on another burger. Suddenly we’re fresh and local? Oh well.

I brought my vegetarian correspondent, as well as a kitchen insider who said we just HAD to try the newly coined “Nacho Typical Burger”.

Nacho-Typical-Burger

Well, this was yummy! It’s basically nachos on a burger… cheesy, crunchy, with a burst of salsa. I’ve been searching for a burger just like this. My only complaint is the one I suspected. I know the beef isn’t frozen, but its consistency tricks me into thinking it is. How does this happen? It is also thinner than I like.

Look – there are two types of burger advocates: thin burger eaters, and thick and juicy burger eaters. The former group prioritizes the toppings, with the meat being a team player. The other group wants a big, thick, juicy patty first and foremost, and that’s my bias. When it comes to Darrell’s, I just can’t get into the beef.

The peanut butter burger.

The peanut butter burger is the Halifax favourite. It is not a creation unique to Halifax, though I’ve seen Haligonians eagerly recommend it to tourists. It sounds strange to the uninitiated, but the rich creaminess of peanut butter is actually quite pleasing on a hamburger. There is also bacon, cheese, ketchup, mustard, relish, mayo, tomato, lettuce… the usual suspects, and they surprisingly don’t clash with the unlikely peanut butter.

Onto the veggie burger; the oft neglected member of the burger and pub food family. The menu claims this is another Coast Award winner. Best veggie burger, I’m guessing? (I couldn’t find it on the Coast’s web site). It’s a soy-based patty with standard hamburger toppings. Kinda boring, but how does it taste? Average. With my first bite I could swear I could taste the soy (yes, carnivores, this is a bad thing), but after my taste buds were introduced to my own burger, I found the veggie to be very bland.

I’m guessing that this burger won the Coast Award the same way many Coast Awards are won: Haligonians vote in categories they know nothing about and/or they are uninspired to explore other options. This is well understood if you consider the percentage of Coast readers who are students, and the location of Darrell’s.

I will credit Darrell’s with having awesome milkshakes. They also sell 16 oz draught for $4.19 “8 days a week”, including Garrison products and their own Darrell’s lager (probably supplied by Garrison). Mondays are buy one burger platter, get the second one for half the price. There is free wi-fi and and cozy diner-style booth seating. Service was just okay, but I don’t like to dwell on service or include it in my burger evaluation. Basically I am looking for good beef, and I’m not finding it at Darrell’s. The Nacho-Typical-Burger and the Peanut Butter Burger are great sandwiches, but they are not amazing burgers.

Only 3 times in my life have I bitten into a burger and was compelled to pause in pleasure and awe. I hope to one day have this experience in Halifax.

Darrell’s Restaurant
5576 Fenwick St.
Halifax, NS
(902) 492-2344
Website

Relish Gourmet Burgers

Halifax Burger Quest
Category: Gourmet-Style

Welcome to the first entry of my Halifax Burger Quest! Here is how it’s gonna go down: I will be reviewing burgers from 3 different categories: Gourmet-Style, Pub Style, and Diner/Drive-In Style. I will also review the vegetarian burgers at each location. I don’t like numerical ratings, but I will eventually declare the winner and runners up.

Originally, my intention was to order the most basic burgers on the menu, in order to make fair comparisons. However, I have found that ordering standard burgers does not do a good job of showcasing their potential. So I will be ordering burgers that represent more of the signature style of the restaurants.

I am very excited to finally be starting this quest, so with no further ado, I present unto you, Relish Gourmet Burgers.

Relish is a gourmet burger chain originating in New Brunswick, and a recent addition to the previously non-existent Halifax burger scene. When we walked in, we immediately realized we had walked into a gimmick. We were greeted with a scripted “Welcome to Relish!”, which is kind of annoying, but I have to give the girl at the cash credit because her friendliness and helpfulness persisted beyond her script. The decor is also very “nice”; it’s clean, colourful, modern, and perhaps an indication of the ridiculous amount of money you’re about to spend on a hamburger.

I don’t think there is ever an occasion to spend $20 with tip and tax on a burger platter. But if there was such an occasion, I would expect the beef to be local, grass-fed, free-range … hell, I’d want to be able to shake the farmer’s hand. Relish proudly serves fresh Angus Beef, but unfortunately, it is from Alberta. Other options include a veggie or ground turkey patty.  The fries are produced by McCain and are enthusiastically marketed as “Atlantic Canada Fries”. Though frozen, they are thawed before getting dumped into the deep fryer, which gives them a crispy exterior and lush buttery interior.

I ordered a burger unique to the Halifax location: “The Halifax Explosion”.

Halifax Explosion from Relish

The Halifax Explosion features habanero pineapple, pancetta bacon, aged cheddar and curried onion frites. These toppings are in addition to the standard base toppings of shredded lettuce, tomato, roasted garlic mayo, and beet relish. The burger is impaled by a wooden spike and topped with a pickle slice. The bun is sturdy and graced with poppyseeds. The patty is a little thin for my liking, but the texture and flavour of the beef are agreeable. I didn’t find it to be too overwhelmed by the toppings, which were lovely. Don’t be intimidated by the habanero; it is powder gently sprinkled on the pineapple and just gives the burger a pleasant kick. The onion frites contribute a nice crunch, although I couldn’t taste the curry.

The fries were a huge surprise! They were perfectly crispy on the outside and the inside was something I could only describe as … poofy, like a buttery cloud of awesome! I’ve never come across French fries quite like these. Usually I would prefer that a restaurant make their own fries from scratch, but in this case I had to let the fries speak for themselves. And they did.

Another cool thing about Relish is that you can get fry dippers for $1.50. I got the creamy goat cheese, but I also had my eyes on the curry mayo.

I brought along my vegetarian associate, Brie (like-the-cheese), to help me rate the veggie burger.

Veggie Burger at Relish

The vegetarian patty is a “secret mixture of ground button mushrooms and chickpeas”. Brie ordered the “L.A. is My Lady”, which, aside from the base toppings, involves avocado, roasted peppers, basil pesto, and goats cheese. We both enjoyed the softness of the patty; it was not dry at all and was pretty tasty. I don’t know if there was enough goats cheese on it, because she kept stealing my creamy goat cheese fry-dip. Out of 5 she gives it a 3.5, with a 5 being my home-made veggie burgers ; )

Other vegetarian friendly burger styles are the “Harvest Jazz” (blue cheese, havarti, caramelized onion, walnut pesto), “The Greek Tycoon” (feta cheese, marinated peppers and onions, kalamata olives, tzatziki sauce), and the Cabo Diablo (tomato jalapeno salsa, guacamole, sour cream, hot sauce).

Overall, I was impressed with the service, ambiance, and food at Relish. I wasn’t particularly impressed with the price. Stay tuned, and see how Relish Gourmet Burgers compare to the other gourmet-style burgers in Halifax!

Relish Gourmet Burgers
6024 Quinpool Rd.
Halifax, NS
902-474-4152
Website