Burgerthon Restaurant Numero Siete: Alley Burger

Ok Burgerthoners. This is the big one. The elusive, wildly popular, ALLEY BURGER. For those of you that know me well, or even if you have just been following me on Twitter, Alley Burger has been tops on my must-try burger list for ages. The buzz around town drove me bonkers with all of those tweets and updates about the fabulousness of this sandwich. I lamented not being able to connect my schedule with the Alley Burger's. 

The Alley Burger Food Truck 

If you don't know, the Alley Burger is an off-shoot of a late night craze started by one of Calgary's best restaurants, Charcut. They lauded fresh, simple ingredients compiled in a burger that they handed out for $5 at their back door, in the alley. They advertised the day and time on their social media pages, and once they were gone, too bad for you. Then the crowds grew to overwhelming proportions, and folks would wait for hours to get one of these burgers. 


In response to their followers, and to get on board with another foodie trend, Charcut launched a food truck in Calgary, bearing their signature handle. Now Alley Burger is available several days a week, in various locations across the city. And last week, I was able to get my mitts on one!

The Alley Burger??

Maybe it was the excitement of it all. Maybe it was the countless tweets, reviews, blog entries, and dreams that I had, building this up to be the greatest burger experience of my lifetime...and sadly, maybe inevitably, the burger was lousy. They only serve two burgers from the truck, the Alley and the Whole Truck. Mine was a dry, flavourless, seemingly machine-formed sausage patty, on a pre-purchased bun, with one or two cheese curds and sauce. I was expecting a signature, Charcut worthy Alley Burger of freshly ground, Spragg's Pork, on a house made bun, bountiful with cheese curd. Additionally, and much to my chagrin, the poutine was mediocre at best, with very little flavour, or gravy. The remainder of my group had the Whole Truck Burger (an all beef burger with your choice of toppings) and they said it was just ok. Woe are we. 

Poutine

After our lunch encounter, I promptly tweeted my disappointment. Our friends at Alley Burger were quick with a message for me to provide feedback to let them know what I thought, and how they could improve. Grateful for the opportunity, I wrote them back. 


I am hopeful for a day that I can go back for a rich, juicy, well-made Alley Burger. Unfortunately, that burger eludes me still. 


For an optimistic future, I give the Alley Burger 1 out of 5. 

Burgerthon Restaurant Numero Seis: The Bottlehouse

Burgerthon-ers unite! A new post! I have regrettably and apologetically strayed from finding burgery goodness in the city of Calgary. I have since been set right, and am now questing to complete the Burgerthon Mission set out several months ago. 

Our latest visit was to The Bottlehouse in Kensington. Located on the corner of 10th Street and Memorial Drive, this now pub has been several other incarnations of food fare. Hopefully, this one sticks! This brewhouse and all round public gathering spot was one of the first to point me in their burger direction; naming the Street Fighter Burger as one of their best. I have happily obliged. 

The Street Fighter

The menu description really doesn't give the Street Fighter Burger credit; "This 6 oz Peruvian street burger is packed with back bacon, a fried egg, Havarti cheese, tortilla strips and a Kalamata mayo." It all sounds tasty enough, but when it comes together, the burger is a flavourful combination of smooth, salty, crisp and meaty. Citing 100% beef, this burger most certainly has the drip factor, and leaves you needing not even one of your well-seasoned french fries. The addition of the fried egg is an unexpected component, and adds texture and fantastic mouth feel. 

Smoke B-House Burger

We also tried the Smoke B-House Burger that is a smoky arrangement of cheeses, onion rings, bacon and barbecue sauce. A very classic burger, but tasty and enjoyable nonetheless. 

Something that was interesting about the burgers was the use of an onion roll as the bun of choice. The bun for a burger is key, since it has to simultaneously hold all the ingredients together and not be the star of the show. It shouldn't smoosh into nothingness, nor crunch and crackle its way to your mouth. Kudos to the Bottlehouse on a very good bun. 

Get out of the way!

The atmosphere of the place was a bit understated. It seemed like the kind of place you could watch a great game, and drink a beer without compromising on food. They had a decent selection of local beer on hand, and the music was fun, if a little loud. We sat out on the patio on a Friday night, and it was a great spot to people watch. 

For great burgers in a good room, the Bottlehouse gets a solid 4 burgers out of 5. 

Burgerthon Restaurant Numero Cinco: Five Guys Burgers & Fries

Two Patties!

Our next stop on our Burgerthon adventure took us all the way out to Airdrie. Five Guys Burger & Fries just recently opened there and has been getting a lot of buzz. We tried to visit their Deerfoot Meadows location another week, but found the line up to be a little too long! Must be a good sign!

Leftover Cajun Fries

On the Friday night that we visited, the Five Guys in Airdrie was super busy too. A long line and full dining room showed promise. We ordered a Little Cheeseburger, a Cheeseburger and large Cajun fries. A couple of notes; All burgers are two patties but a "little" burger equals one patty. It is not a kids burger, or smaller than the regular burgers. No where on the menu board is this noted, so consider yourself informed! Also, their large fries are gigantic. Seriously. One order would easily serve 4 people. Five guys serves fresh beef in their hand formed patties, and you can top the burger any way you like with no additional charge. This is a nice touch! The burgers themselves were well seasoned, and have an authentic flame broiled flavour. The white sesame bun held up well to the toppings. There was even, dare I say, pretty substantially satisfying Drip Factor with these burgers! 


All of that being said, Five Guys gives you your order not on a tray, but in a greasy brown paper bag. I think they want you to leave! The atmosphere of the rooms is fairly downscale, with plain white walls, self-important signage, uncomfortable furniture and loud music. I have been in fast food restaurants that have nicer space. All of that being said, it was busy. I wonder if it will stay that way after its initial novelty wears off? 


One other note that may deter you or your family from heading to Five Guys is their use of peanut oil for fries, and service of in-shell peanuts in the restaurant (in a box for the taking, on top of the garbage can???). I found it fairly odd that there is a potentially serious allergen present in a place where you might not expect it to be. 


Husband and I do not suffer from peanut allergies, and we understand that this concept of "fast casual" is popular. For the burger, we would return, but we would take it out to a picnic spot and enjoy far from the restaurant. Burgerthon rating, 3 out of 5. 

Burgerthon Restaurant Numero Cuatro: Fatburger

Good day Burger lovers! Today's creation comes to you from the sunny south of Calgary, as the Burgerthon's visit our next restaurant, Fatburger. 


Fatburger has been in Calgary for a few years, and can be found in the Deerfoot Meadows or 32nd Avenue. Fatburger offers up a diner style atmosphere, in a chain honoured by Californians and celebrities alike. It claims to be 'the last great hamburger stand' so we decided to check them out. 

The California Burger

The first thing that we noticed while waiting for our Backyard BBQ and California burgers was all the yelling. From one corner of the busy grill, a team member yells something (things that sounded like "Cheesy Fatburger!" "Thank you!" and "Strawberry Shake!"), and then in unison, the other team members yell it back. The enthusiasm contributes to an animated and entertaining atmosphere. Our burgers arrived piping hot, on a very soft, white bun. Husband's Backyard BBQ included bacon, pepper jack cheese, BBQ sauce and an onion ring, with lettuce, tomato & mayo. My California burger was simple, with bacon, pepper jack, guacamole, lettuce, tomato and mayo. The first thing we noticed when our baskets arrived at our table was the overall expanse of the burgers awaiting us; these burgers are large. One of Fatburger's claims is that they use fresh, not frozen, patties- a very nice claim to make. In spite of that, for me, the courser grind of the meat left me feeling a little bit underwhelmed. I felt that the patty itself lacked flavour, and would have benefitted from additional seasoning. I also had to remove some of my bacon, because it was not crisp enough (Ok fine, here is a truth about me: I am not a fan of bacon fat. My apologies to all you Baconists out there). Husband found his overall burger to be flavourful, but agreed that it was probably from the addition of the sauce and the onion ring. 


Fatburger is a busy, buzzing, burger joint, and I think it speaks to a level of burgers just beneath gourmet, that doesn't leave you feeling broke or dissatisfied. I would have liked a higher quality of meat with more flavour. However, they serve a variety of burgers, including chicken, turkey and veggie, and have a vast array of available toppings. You can even get a pretty good milkshake, so, for all of these reasons, Fatburger earns a score of 3 out of 5.

Burgerthon Restaurant Numero Tres: Notable

The smell of braising meat, baking bread, bubbling cheese... these are what greeted us as we entered Notable on a snowy Saturday afternoon. The kinds of smells that made our hungry bellies growl and our mouthes water! Notable invited me (via twitter) to come and try their new Burger of the Month, so naturally, we showed up!

Notable is the kind of restaurant that is so talkable, its ridiculous. It is in Bowness, kind of dodgey, but trying. It is all well thought out food, by renowned chef Michael Noble. And it is busy. Really busy. Make a reservation if you go!

Alberta Pork Burger with Calabrese Salami & Fontina

Now for the burger; This month's was Alberta raised pork, with Calabrese spices, Calabrese salami and melted fontina cheese, all on a house-made potato bun. This burger was truly a thing of beauty. In fact, we came up with a new Burgerthon measuring yardstick in it's honour- the Drip Factor. If a burger is so juicy, and filled with fresh ingredients, that your hands get a little sloppy eating it, it has sufficient drip factor. This burger had it.  The pork was cooked to perfection showing a little bit of pink. The salami and spices were well conceived, with some heat and some smoke, and all of this was brought together by the melted fontina. Their potato bun was almost like brioche; it stood up to the burger, and contributed nicely to the overall flavour. I must also mention the tomato. Here in Calgary, during the Winter (October to July) its hard to find a ripe, flavourful, not-dismally-coloured tomato. If anyone from Notable wants to let me know how they found such a great burger tomato, I would love to know! All of this goodness is served with Notable's house-cut french fries. If you can get there for the month of April, go. Actually, go now. 

For the room, it is a mixture of east and west coast, taking influences right from nature. Nothing is too matchy-matchy, but it all works in cohesion. Great play list (we heard Van Morrison again!) and a friendly team. 

For their use of Alberta pork in a burger worthy of drip factor status AND serving it all in a beautiful room, Notable gets the highest Burgerthon rating to date, 4.5 out of 5.

Stilton Cheesecake

I also wanted to mention, even though it has nothing to do with the burger, the wonder of their Stilton Cheesecake. We ordered this for dessert, even though Husband was a little leery due to a disliking blue cheese disorder. The cake is creamy and smooth, with just a hint of blue cheese flavour on the very back of the palate. It has a bruléed top, and it served with a tart rhubarb compote. It was wonderfully refreshing, not too sweet, and quite a surprise at the end of our meal. I would like one right now. Thanks Notable!

Burgerthon Restaurant Numero Uno: South Street Burger Co.

I was pleasantly surprised at the positive feedback that the start of Burgerthon garnered! Clearly, a great burger is close to a lot of peoples hearts and mouths.


Our first restaurant and foray into Burgerthon was to South Street Burger Co. in Cross Iron Mills Mall, near Balzac. Their burgers were voted best burger by voters at the Fan 960 Radio. Friends of mine also recommended it, so my husband and I were excited to check them out. 

South Street Burger Co.

South Street is a sister brand to New York Fries, and they serve those delicious fries alongside your burger, should you choose order them. The Alberta South Street's other claim to fame is that their beef is from Spring Creek Ranch, raised without hormones or additional antibiotics. Always a positive in my books. AND South Street just won a sustainable design award for doing good and being environmentally conscious. 


All of that being said, and it is a lot, their burger was juicy, chargrilled and seasoned very well. The best part? Topping choices are diverse, and cater to a pure burger lover (aka, my husband; ketchup, mustard, relish) or a gourmet (dijon horseradish, goat cheese, garlic mayo, even guacamole). Their menu is simple; Plain burger, cheeseburger, veggie burger and chicken burger. Top 'em how you want 'em, choose side and a drink, or not. Simple, clean and pure. The space was a bit themey, with tongue-in-cheek photos adorning the walls. Good experience all around though, and the other patrons of the place seemed to agree. We went later on a Saturday afternoon, and the place buzzed with burgery goodness. 

I also really appreciate burger places, or any restaurant, for that matter, that don't forget that vegetarians can also be looking for a great burger experience. We didn't order one, but next time we will. Having a choice of veggie burger on the menu says to me that although South Street is extremely proud of their beef, they are proud of being inclusive too. And all of the other great things that being vegetarian can mean... I digress. 


Burgerthon Contestant Number One, South Street Burger Co. put up some great precedent for the others on the list. Burgerthon Rating: Four out of Five!

Feedback from some great people on Twitter pointed me to trying burgers from The Broken City as well as The Bottlehouse in Calgary, I will be adding these to our list for Burgerthon followers!

The Burgerthon

Is this the perfect burger?

My husband is a burger guy. Seriously. We can be at a world class restaurant, with mouth-watering selections tempting us, and he, undoubtedly, unceremoniously, and much to my chagrin, orders the burger. I used to be annoyed by it; Why could he not open his palate to new flavors, new experiences? I have since changed my tune, and decided to join him on his sandwich choosing adventure. Because a burger can be so many things, and offer countless amazing flavor nuances, I have challenged myself to a burger-o-rama. Or at least maybe just an adventure into Calgary's culinary offering on the subject. Here is my list of potential challengers, as gathered by friends, colleagues, tweets, and Google...

1. South Street Burger Co. (voted best burger by the Fan 960, and my first foray into the challenge. More on that later this week...).
2. Five Guys Burgers and Fries
3. Charcut (they have this really cool secret called "alley burger," check it out. AND Charcut's Chef Connie DeSousa will compete for top honors in Top Chef Canada on the Food Network. Deliciously awesome!).
4. NoTable
5. LoungeBurger
6. FatBurger
7. Open Range (I have been to this fantastic restaurant many times, so this won't be a new experience, only the burger).


I do not have any specific rules. Just a tasty offering that takes into account the big three indicators; Quality Canadian meat, excellent bun, variety of toppings. Plus a little on the room and accompaniments, of course. In the interest of not gaining 30lbs in this process, I will report back to you within the next few months. If you would like to join me on my quest for a perfect burger in Calgary, send me a note! Likewise if you have a burger secret that you want me to try!


Happy Burgerthon to all! 

P.S. Just after I posted this challenge, I found out about a contest to attend the eatwriteretreat food blogger conference in Washington, D.C. How perfectly things sometimes come together?!!