"The Elephant in the Room" - PEI Burger Love 2017 - Part 6

Stop #6 of the 2017 Burger Love tour. 

So after spending the past week in Cuba it only made sense that my first meal back on PEI was a Burger Love entry.

Not wanting to have to go too far after being away all week we decided to try out the burger at Local 311 here in Summerside. The Elephant in the Room is 8 oz Island Beef Patty infused with Calabrese and Cheddar, house-made BBQ Sauce, Mayo, Candied Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Deep Fried Pickles, Deep Fried Onion Crisps, Monterey Jack Cheese Crisp on a grilled Kaiser Bun topped with a Deep Fried Pineapple Ring.

It's a pretty neat looking burger. Since we were splitting the burger we decided to add sweet potato fries, the cajun flavoured mayo with the fries was great. Unfortunately, as I found out watching a recent episode of MasterChef, when you infuse a burger with cheese the odds of the burger being burnt dramatically increase and that was the case with the bottom of our burger. I'm not sure if they forgot to put the BBQ sauce on the burger or if they just used very little of it but I couldn't taste it so that was disappointing. The candied bacon was the champ of this entry, pretty tasty. Just couldn't get past the burnt burger taste in every bite.

Rating 6.5/10
 

 

"Rizzo Burger" - PEI Burger Love 2017 - Part 2

Stop #2 of the 2017 PEI Burger Love tour.

PEI Burger Love is one of the reasons I run and go to the gym all year. Thankfully, my wife and I normally split the burgers but as you can see from the pictures these aren't your typical hamburgers.

I love trying out the different creations that the chefs come up with and it's nice to see so much hype and buzz across PEI because of it. Restaurants are packed and, in most locations, a reservation is recommended during the month of April.

The Rizzo is comprised of two 4 oz Island Beef Patties, Rib Sauce-flavoured Bacon, Aged Cheddar, Chipotle Mayo, Onion Rings, Lettuce, Tomato on a toasted Garlic-Buttered Brizzolio Bun.

I'm a sucker for bacon and rib sauce, this bad boy had oodles of both and they didn't disappoint. The chipotle mayo added a tiny bit of heat, but not too much. Overall a pretty tasty burger and one I'd recommend people try.

On the negative side, the price of $15 + tax for just the burger was a little steep in my opinion and takes the overall rating down a bit.

Rating 7.5/10

Going to need to run extra kms tomorrow. Stop #2 @PEIBurgerLove, "The Rizzo" at Pizza Delight. Bacon + BBQ = good eatin'. #PEIBurgerLove pic.twitter.com/6gGgHEabsq

— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) March 31, 2017

"Big Red" - PEI Burger Love 2017 - Part 1

Stop #1 of the 2017 tour.

So it begins, this year for PEI Burger Love there are a record 84 beefy creations to try across our great Island.

A group of us from work normally go out to lunch at the West End Grill every Friday so we figured it would be a good place to start this year.

The "Big Red" consists of 6 oz Island Beef Patty, Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli, Smoked Bacon, Aged White Cheddar, Tomato Peach Chutney, White Balsamic Vinaigrette, tossed Arugula on a toasted Brioche Bun.

The burger was cooked well, slightly juicy and thick. There weren't any overpowering flavours, but also none that stood out. It was a good burger but not one that I would need to try again. I tend to feel a bit bad for the 1st one I try each year as I tend to stand it up against the best one from the year before. In this case it's a couple of notches below.

On the plus side, the price point of under $14 including a side will help bring people in to try it out.

Rating 7/10

1st @PEIBurgerLove stop, "Big Red" from West End Bar & Grill. Burger and bacon were tasty. #peiburgerlove pic.twitter.com/EeLwfcKlwP

— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) March 31, 2017

"B2 Bun-Sai" - PEI Burger Love 2016 - Part 18

* Stop #18 of my 2016 Burger Love adventure.

Down to the home stretch of 2016 Burger Love, only a handful of days left. But still time to hopefully try a few more. A group of us that worked (or still work) with the local Jr A hockey team, Summerside Capitals, get together a few times a year to catch up. We thought Burger Love was a good excuse for our next "meeting".

We opted for Brothers 2 since none of us had tried their burger yet, plus it's close to the office. I'd heard good things about it and now can say I saved (one of) the best for last. If you are looking for a burger to try in Summerside, this one should be near the top of your list. 

The "B2 Bun-Sai" consisted of a 6oz Island Beef Patty seasoned with B2 Spices, Teriyaki-Infused Bacon, Ginger & Sesame Slaw, Sriracha Lemon Mayo, Swiss Cheese, and Crisp Onion Tanglers on a Homemade Toasted Sweet Asian Sesame Bun, garnished with a Veggie Pot Sticker.

Really great flavour in the burger and the teriyaki infused bacon was delicious, not overpowering like the Shanghai Dragon in Montague. The other ingredients complemented each other and made for a great burger experience. The pot sticker on the top was a excellent addition and was delicious, easily the best burger topper I had this month. I'm hoping that they add the pot stickers to the menu as an appetizer, at least I told them they should.

Even thought there are only a few days left I'll be trying to get back to try it again, yes it was that good.

Rating 9/10

Really enjoyed B2 Bun-Sai Burger @b2restaurant. Great taste and the potsticker topper is delicious. @PEIBurgerLove pic.twitter.com/UTM2U3XVPr

— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) April 27, 2016

I had some good banter with the restaurant afterward too, which is always fun.

@Rod_Gallant thanks... glad you enjoyed and ummm... the potsticker brought it to a 9/10 rating right?! #insidejoke #jk

— Brothers 2 (@b2restaurant) April 27, 2016

@Rod_Gallant we've had lots of requests for them... you'll have to wait and see... #makingyouwaitforit :)

— Brothers 2 (@b2restaurant) April 27, 2016

@b2restaurant pic.twitter.com/XPmk2gpcqF

— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) April 27, 2016

@Rod_Gallant well played Rod. Well played.

— Brothers 2 (@b2restaurant) April 27, 2016

Charlottetown Tour - PEI Burger Love 2016 - Parts 15 - 17

* Stop #15 - 17 of my 2016 Burger Love adventure. 

During PEI Burger Love month my wife and I normally try to take a Saturday and go to Charlottetown and sample several burgers. It's a bit of a challenge but we order just the burger and split it plus we space them out over the course of the day.

The popularity of the burger love phenomenon makes getting into some spots difficult, many spots are completely booked each weekend during the month, it's been a great initiative and has bumped millions of dollars into the PEI economy.

Stop #1 - Rising Star - Outriders. We hadn't had the burger there in previous years but had heard really good reviews and liked how it looked so figured we'd give it a try. We were glad we did. The grilled cheese bun is easily the most flavourful bun I had so far and the garlic aioli was delicious. The onion rings had a great smokey taste and just added to the already delicious burger.

Rating - 8.5/10

Solid start to @PEIBurgerLove day. "Rising Star" at Outriders. Great flavours and one of the best tasting bun yet. pic.twitter.com/jo5BlGRyP8

— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) April 23, 2016

Stop #2 - The Southern Belle - Old Triangle. I've been to this bar many times and there are franchises all over the Maritimes, great spot to enjoy a beverage with friends and usually there is live music on the weekends.

This bad boy was full of flavour, three in particular made this burger for me. 1) Peach and Honey-Rubbed Hickory Smoked Bacon, 2) Chipotle Honey Mayo, and 3) Bourbon BBQ Sauce. If it had the bun from the burger at Outriders, man oh man, it would be battling for the title. Regardless it was a fantastic tasting burger and worth giving it a try if you are in downtown Charlottetown.

Rating - 9/10

Stop #2 of @PEIBurgerLove day, "Southern Belle" @OldTrianglePEI. Great bar, excellent burger. #peiburgerlove pic.twitter.com/uXrGzMeHxP

— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) April 23, 2016

Thanks @Rod_Gallant! So glad you enjoyed your visit. Have great weekend. @PEIBurgerLove

— Old Triangle PEI (@OldTrianglePEI) April 23, 2016

Stop #3 - The Poutinere - Hunter's Ale House. The burger here was our last stop on our Charlottetown tour last year, so seemed fitting that it be the last stop this year too.

If you put pulled pork on my burger there is a really good chance I'm going to like it.This one was pretty good but I didn't really like the gravy that they used, it tasted a little bland. I was left wishing that the gravy either had more flavour or that they'd used the pulled pork sauce instead.

Rating - 7/10

Last burger of the day @HuntersPEI "The Poutinere". Liked the pulled pork on the burger. @PEIBurgerLove pic.twitter.com/3KjKk8QxBb

— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) April 23, 2016

All in all a pretty successful day and splitting 3 burgers over the course of 6 or 7 hours was a great way to experience several burgers in a short time. If you are a fan of burger love I'd encourage you and a group of friends to do the same. 

"Around the World" - PEI Burger Love 2016 - Part 13

* Stop #13 of my 2016 Burger Love adventure. 

Our regular Friday lunch group has been sampling the various burger creations around Summerside so this week we stopped at the Silver Fox Yacht club. Their burger was a 6oz Island Beef Patty, Montreal Smoked Meat, Swiss Cheese, Dijon Mustard, Sauerkraut, Portobello Mushroom, and Hot Banana Peppers on a Buttered and Grilled Ciabatta Bun.

Well, I knew I likely wasn't going to like this one since I normally don't eat sauerkraut or hot peppers, plus I don't eat smoked meat too often. So all that being said this burger didn't really stand much of a chance.

With 73 different burgers out there I knew there would be a handful that I wouldn't like. Unfortunately this was one of them, the flavours weren't something I would normally ever eat. 

Rating - 4/10
 

Around The World - Summerside Yacht Club

 

PEI Burger Love - The Trek East - Part 7 to 12

 * Stop #7 to 12 of my 2016 Burger Love adventure.

So today I did something that many will think is totally crazy and others might think is awesome, I think it might be a little of both.

If you've been following along, you know that April on PEI is Burger Love month and I've been sampling several from around the Island. For those that aren't aware, every April restaurants across the Island create a special burger and compete for votes for the best. This year there are 73 different burgers across PEI.

A group of friends decided that we would take a road trip to the eastern end of the Island and sample the 8 different Burger Love creations. It was an ambitious plan but we felt ready and up to task. The plan was to split each burger 2, 3, or 4 ways depending on how we were feeling.  

So it begins, @PEIBurgerLove trek to the eastern end of the Island starts now. #peiburgerlove pic.twitter.com/IzqWLMM38c

— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) April 20, 2016

Stop #1 - "The Holy Grill" at the Holy Cow in Morell. Fan of bacon and cheese? This one is for you. The combo of bacon wrapped mozza sticks combined with the hickory BBQ sauce and a perfectly cooked burger kicked off the tour in a perfect way.

Rating - 9/10

First stop of today's @PEIBurgerLove tour, "Holy Cow" in Morell. Great burger. #peiburgerlove pic.twitter.com/LlyLSXI2t3

— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) April 20, 2016

Stop #2 - "Absolute Breakwater" from 21 Breakwater Restaurant in Souris. Set in a old historic home right on the waterfront, the view and atmosphere are amazing.

Although only a 5 oz burger it oozed with flavour, smokey bacon, homemade BBQ sauce and a little bit of guacamole put this one over the top. This one has set the bar for my 2016 Burger Love experience thus far.

If you're looking for a spot to eat in Eastern PEI I'd highly recommend this spot.  

Rating - 9.5/10

The burger @21Breakwater ranks near the top. Amazing flavours, will be back for sure. @PEIBurgerLove pic.twitter.com/V2QVw7cVtC

— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) April 20, 2016

Stop #3 - "Diggers Classic" from the Clamdigger in Georgetown. Another waterfront vista, although cool today I'm sure it would be amazing to enjoy a meal on their deck and enjoy the water view. The restaurant itself is designed as a replica of the old train station and it is a great looking building, inside and out.

For the burger, it was pretty good. We split this one 4 ways and all wished we'd had a full amount of the candied bacon which was the star of the burger. The flavours were good, but nothing really jumped out, other than the bacon.

Rating - 7.5/10

Third @PEIBurgerLove stop today, @ClamdiggersPEI in Georgetown. Not a bad burger. pic.twitter.com/mtQuOaTaOF

— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) April 20, 2016

For burgers 4 through 6 we made our way into Montague. I'm not going to write much about these ones as, in all honesty, we were disappointed in them. The biggest disappointment was the "Wrap Around" from the Tailgate Bar and Grill.  The burger didn't have much taste and the toppings were basically a bunch of different processed meat slices.

Rating - 2/10
 
The "Shanghai Dragon" from Lady Slipper was a better burger but the sauce was a bit overpowering and made the bun pretty soggy. I liked the addition of the wonton strips, and although the sauce was tasty, there was just too much.

Rating - 6.5/10

The "Big Tex" from Main Street Pub was our last stop and, in all honesty, it was likely hurt in our eyes just because it was our 6th of the day. It was a pretty plain burger and the store bought bun didn't help it any. The flavour was ok but was pretty basic.

Rating - 6/10  

We'd originally set out to do 8 burgers but unfortunately one location wasn't opening until 4 pm and another is only open Thursday - Sunday. Both of which we would have known if we'd looked at the Burger Love site more closely.

All in all it was a great day and we had a lot of fun, I expect that we'll make this an annual Burger Love excursion but with the disappointment in Montague we may decide to only go as far as Charlottetown next year and try to do a variety of burgers there. It was a great way to experience a large number of burgers in a short period of time. By splitting most of them in 4 it wasn't overwhelming and the driving to the different locations broke things up as well.

I'd highly recommend getting a group together and hit the road to get your PEI Burger Love on. 

"Christmas Dinner" - PEI Burger Love 2016 - Part 4

* Stop #4 of my 2016 Burger Love adventure.

Based on how much I liked their burger last year it was a no brainer that I'd be stopping into Pizza Delight in Summerside to check out this years version, it didn't disappoint.

"Chistmas Dinner" was full of a variety of flavours and contained a 6oz Island Beef Patty, Pulled Rotisserie Chicken marinated with Scores Rib Sauce, House-made Stuffing with Gravy, Bacon, Iceburg Lettuce, Red Onion, and Tomato Slices on a Grilled Bun.

The burger was cooked perfectly and the combination of the BBQ rib sauce, gravy along with the sweetness of the cranberry in the stuffing made for a delicious burger. Well worth the stop and at $15.95 including a side it was priced slightly below others I've had this year.   

Rating - 8.5/10

 

Decided to have "Christmas Dinner" early this year. @PEIBurgerLove Pizza Delight. #peiburgerlove pic.twitter.com/eSoWpTCiso

— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) April 16, 2016

"Shea-Nanigan" - PEI Burger Love - Part 10

* Stop #10 of my Burger Love adventure.

A friend of mine does trivia at O'Shea's Pub in Kinkora (Senators coach Cameron's home town) and we try to attend when we can. He had raved about the burger so we decided to head out early before trivia started to give it a try. 

The make-up of the "Shea-Nanigan" was 7ozs. Island beef, mozza & cheddar cheese, grilled maple ham, onion rings, spicy lattice fry, signature Jack Daniel's™ sauce, fresh tomato, and romaine lettuce on a grilled and buttered cornmeal kaiser, garnished with a mac & cheese wedge.

Richie and the staff knocked it out of the park with this one, it was really, really good. The maple ham rivaled the candied bacon on the Sugar Daddy and the Jack Daniel's sauce added a little bit of sweetness. Topped off with a couple of onion rings and lattice fries for a little crunch.

Normally my wife and I split a burger between us but since it was trivia night she shared one with one of our team mates so this one was all mine. In all honesty, I would have been disappointed if I had to share this one.

After 10 burgers this one is near the top of the pack.

Rating - 9/10
 

"Shea-Nanagins" - O'Shea's

"B2 Beachcomber" - PEI Burger Love - Part 8

* Stop #8 of my Burger Love adventure.

Next up was a stop at Brother's Two restaurant in Summerside.

The B2 "Beachcomber" consisted of a 6oz. Island Beef patty with B2 Spices, breaded PEI clams dusted with cajun seasoning, homemade tartar sauce, homemade lemon aioli, fried brie cheese, caramelized onions, arugula, and grape tomatoes on a homemade B2 bun with garlic butter & sea salt, topped with fresh lemon.

Although I normally don't eat much seafood I decided to give this one a try since we wanted to have all of the different burgers in Summerside. As I mentioned in my original Burger Love post, I'm a little fussy, tartar sauce isn't something I enjoy so I didn't have great expectations going in.

My favourite part of the burger was surprisingly the clams, I just wish there would have been more than a couple. The breading was light but very tasty. I think I would have really enjoyed having an order of them on their own, which I might have to do next time. Unfortunately, for the rest, I found the tartar sauce a bit overwhelming, likely because I'm not a big fan, and seemed to take away from any flavour the burger might have had.

Rating - 6/10

"Beachcomber" - Brother's Two

 

"The Cabbage Patch" - PEI Burger Love - Part 7

* Stop #7 of my Burger Love adventure.

Our next stop on the Burger Love tour took us to "The Home Place" in Kensington.

The "Cabbage Patch" consisted of 6oz. Island beef charbroiled, homemade barbonaise sauce, romaine lettuce, homemade cream cheese pesto, grilled pear slices, beer braised red cabbage with bacon and red onions, and kettle chips on a grilled onion bun, garnished with dill & cherry tomato.

All kinds of sensations for the taste buds with this one. An assortment of flavours that have you enjoying this burger right to the last bite. The slight tartness of the beer braised cabbage is offset nicely by the sweetness of the grilled pear and barbonaise sauce.

The burger was cooked to perfection and the addition of crisp bacon and kettle chips added a bit of crunch. I suspect the "Cabbage Patch" will be among the contenders for the title at the end of the month.


Rating - 9/10

"The Cabbage Patch" - Home Place

"Localvore" - PEI Burger Love - Part 6

* Stop #6 of my Burger Love adventure.

For this burger we travelled about 20 minutes west of Summerside to "The Landing" in Tyne Valley.

The "Localvore" consisted of 6oz. Island beef, caramelized bacon jam, fresh red onion, potato rapure cake, lightly grilled smoked ham slice, cheddar, and iceberg lettuce on a homemade french biscuit, garnished with a yellow cherry tomato.

The burger was well cooked and the homemade bun was fresh. I also liked the potato cake although it would have been nice if it was a little bigger.

I was disappointed that the cheese used appeared to be a Kraft single and there was very little bacon jam on the burger because no one I know ever said, "That was too much bacon".

Not a bad burger but nothing really jumped out as special.

Rating - 6/10

"Localvore" - The Landing

"Sugar Daddy" - PEI Burger Love - Part 5

* Stop #5 of my Burger Love adventure.

Burger goodness continued with the "Sugar Daddy" from 511 West.

7oz. Island Beef Chuck with peppercorn crust, housemade 1000 Islands dressing, leaf lettuce, jalapeno monterey jack cheese, maple chili candied thick cut bacon, housemade quick dill pickles, grilled red onion dressed with honey & balsamic, and sweet potato fries on a buttered and grilled brioche bun.

Right from the first bite I knew this one would climb to the top of my list. So many great flavours that went together perfectly. The thick juicy burger was cooked to perfection, the jalapeno cheese melted on top added just a little bit of heat but it was offset perfectly by the candied bacon which was delicious. The sweet potato fries were a nice touch and went well with the dressing.

Chef Emily knocked it out of the park with this one. It's worth the drive to Summerside to check this one out, you won't be disappointed.

Rating - 9/10

Sugar Daddy - 511 West

"The Picnic" - PEI Burger Love - Part 4

* Stop #4 of my Burger Love adventure.

The journey continued with "The Picnic" from Pizza Delight in Summerside. Not an overly large burger, just a 6 oz patty, but the flavour combination and variety of ingredients put this one in towards the lead. The burger was topped with shredded chicken breast soaked in BBQ sauce along with bacon, lettuce, tomato, donair sauce on a garlic bun and the only onions on this one were cooked just the way I like them, deep fried.

For me what put this one over the top was the addition of the chicken on the burger, it wasn't a lot but the combination of the burger, bacon and chicken made the burger very tasty. On the negative side the burger itself appeared to be a frozen pre-made patty, had it been "fuller" and made in-house this one could have potentially been in the top spot.

Overall a really good burger and was definitely surprised that a contender on my list came from a pizza joint. 

Rating - 8/10

"Crackerjack" - PEI Burger Love - Part 3

* Stop #3 of my Burger Love adventure.

Number three on the tour was "Crackerjack" at Anson's restaurant in Slemon Park.   

A 6oz. Island Beef patty stuffed with extra aged cheddar & bacon, spring mix greens, deep fried spicy dill pickles, monterey jack cheese, fresh tomato, red onion, and horseradish garlic aioli on a grilled onion bun with garlic butter, garnished with a deep fried mushroom and spicy dill pickle.

Yes you read that right, the burger had bacon and cheese cooked inside. Coming off the Acadiana this one had a lot to live up to and it didn't disappoint.

The burger was cooked perfectly, oh and did I mention it had BACON inside of it! The horseradish garlic aioli wasn't overpowering and just added a little bit of tang to the taste.

Not a fan of pickles so was glad they were deep fried and I could pick them off and there wasn't any "pickle" taste leaked onto the burger.

Overall it was a really good burger and if you're in Summerside looking for a sammich to try check it out.
 
Rating - 7.5/10
 

Crackerjack - Anson's

Bacon & cheese inside the burger

 

"The Acadiana" - PEI Burger Love - Part 2

* Stop #2 of my Burger Love adventure. 

My 2nd burger this month was "The Acadiana" at the Loyalist Inn in Summerside.

A single 6 oz patty seasoned with Southern Louisiana seasoning packed full of flavour, plus it was char broiled which added to the taste. It was topped with cajun remoulade, molasses cured bacon, cheddar cheese, fire roasted red peppers, crisp arugula, and red onion jam on a housemade potato roll with black sesame, toasted with butter.

I was a little leery of this one as I'm not a fan of spicy foods but this one wasn't overpowering. It has a little bit of a kick to it but wasn't "hot" by any means. Great combination of flavours with none of them overpowering. The sweetness of the molasses cured bacon offset any heat from the remoulade and went very well together.

As it was only my 2nd burger I didn't want to go too high with the score but I did enjoy this one over the Bad Boy. For now this one has set the bar at a pretty good level and other burgers will have some work to do to beat this one.

Rating - 8/10

Acadiana - Loyalist Inn

"GJ's Bad Boy" - PEI Burger Love - Part 1

* Stop #1 of my Burger Love adventure.

The first burger I tried this year was the "GJ's Bad Boy" from Gentleman Jim's in Summerside.

The burger consisted of two 5oz. Island Beef patties with Michael's Special Seasoning, Mustard, Fresh Pineapple Ring, Onion Chips, Iceberg Lettuce, Two strips of Bacon, Tomato, Dill Pickle Slices, Jalapeno Cheese Sauce, and Mayo on a Grilled Bun topped with a Jalapeno Popper.

First off it's a big sandwich, the two patties make for a solid meal. As someone who doesn't normally eat spicy food I wasn't sure of this one going in but the jalapeno sauce wasn't very spicy, which was a good thing for me. The burgers were cooked well and the flavour of the burger, bacon, onion chips and cheese sauce went well together. 

As I mentioned in my original Burger Love post I am a little picky so I removed the pineapple, pickles, tomato and the jalapeno popper from this burger.

Overall the burger was good but nothing fancy. There was a bit too much sauce for my liking and quite a few ingredients that I picked off the burger but overall not a bad start to my burger love quest.

Rating - 6/10

GJ's Bad Boy

PEI Burger Love - My 2 cents

Anyone who follows me on Twitter may have seen a few burger pictures over the past couple of weeks.

Long before the Ottawa Senators had the "Hamburglar", PEI had Burger Love. For the past 5 years in an effort to promote PEI beef, chefs across the Island create a unique burger that is only sold during the month of April.

This year there are 60 restaurants participating and I decided to give some of them a try. Lots of friends and co-workers are doing the same and it's fun to hear others thoughts and opinions on each one they try. Burger Love has been great for local restaurants, many (including me) have been going to spots they normally wouldn't just for the burger. 

After trying a few and sharing notes with others who've tried some too I figured why not capture my experience here. I'm by no means a "foodie", I like to eat and can be a little fussy. But hey, everyone has an opinion, plus the pictures are pretty mouth watering.

I'll create a new post for each burger I try. I'd be interested to hear about others experiences.