Kensington Pit Stop - PEI Burger Love 2016 - Part 19 and 20

* Stop #19 and #20 of my 2016 Burger Love adventure.

The final week of Burger Love is always bitter sweet, so many great burgers and not near enough time.  Unless you are Dale Park, known as the "Queen of Burgers", she tries them all every year. That's 73 burgers this year.

It's a fun month to tour around with my wife and friends sampling the variety of burgers out there.

We decided to take a ride out to Kensington and check two off our list, The Home Place and Island Stone Pub.

First stop was the Home Place for the "Apple Orchid" consisting of a 6oz Island Beef Patty, Horseradish Roasted Garlic Aioli, Maple Bacon Apple Chutney, Frizzled Onions, Applewood Cheddar Sauce, and Fresh Spinach on a Toasted Brioche Bun, garnished with a Caramel Apple Slice. We were expecting good things as their burger last year, "Cabbage Patch", was one of our favourites and won the 2015 Burger Love title.

Overall a pretty good burger, but I think we were spoiled by just how much we liked the burger last year and this one wasn't quite as good.

Rating 7.5/10 

Thankfully eating only 1/2 a burger with no sides allows us to try a couple of burgers if we desire so we decided to move on to the Island Stone Pub for the "Sunday Roast". Their burger was made of 2 - 4oz Seasoned Island Beef Patties, Homemade Whipped Horseradish Cheese Sauce, Homemade Cabbage Slaw, and Homemade Carrot Ketchup on a Toasted and Buttered Potato Scallion Roll, topped with a Sticky Date Pudding Bite.

The pub in the old train station and is a great little spot, especially in the summer when they have a full patio outside right next to the Confederation Trail.

We'd heard good things about this one but I was a little apprehensive since most of the ingredients didn't resonate with me but boy was I wrong. It was a very tasty burger and the combination of flavours went very well together, plus the atmosphere there is great.

Rating 8.5/10

Run done, now time for @PEIBurgerLove, only a few days left. Home Place and Island Stone Pub. #peiburgerlove pic.twitter.com/UE62dSsoeH

— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) April 28, 2016

"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. 

"Spud's McWhiskey" - PEI Burger Love 2016 - Part 14

* Stop #14 of my 2016 Burger Love adventure. 

O'Shea's in Kinkora is a spot where we attend trivia on a regular basis. Last year Richie had created one of our favourite burgers overall so it was one we definitely wanted to try. It's a great pub about 15 minutes east of Summerside, PEI. The staff are great and we always enjoy spending an evening hanging out there.

"Spud's McWhiskey" was composed of a 7oz Island Beef Patty and Parmesan Potato Gratin with Jameson Irish Whiskey Glaze, Maple Bacon, Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded Blend Cheese, Onion Tanglers, Romaine Lettuce, and Tomato on a Brioche Bun grilled with Butter, garnished with a Breaded Pickle Spear.

It didn't disappoint, this year burger garners a spot near the top of the leaderboard yet again. The burger was seasoned and cooked very well and had a great taste on it's own. I really liked the flavour of the potato patty whiskey glaze and maple bacon.

If your looking to try a burger in the Summerside area I'd highly recommend taking the short drive to O'Shea's to try Spud's McWhiskey.

We stayed for trivia and took home 2nd place, always nice to win free beer!!  

Rating 9/10

Richie's got a dandy for @PEIBurgerLove, get out to @OsheasRichard in Kinkora to try it out. #peiburgerlove pic.twitter.com/R9HPqSDsl8

— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) April 22, 2016

"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. 

"Triple S" - PEI Burger Love 2016 - Part 6

* Stop #6 of my 2016 Burger Love adventure. 

What would a Sunday afternoon in April be without some PEI Burger Love? Today's stop was the Family and Friends Restaurant in Kensington.

Their burger, "Triple S" (sweet, smokey, spicy), consisted of a 6oz Island Beef Patty, Smoky Blueberry Root Beer BBQ Sauce, Chipotle Crunchy Mustard, Frisee & Arugula Lettuce, Smoked Bacon, Onion & Red Pepper Gouda, Strawberry Slices, Dill Pickle, Tomato, and Caramelized Onion on a Pretzel Bun, garnished with Strawberry and Pickle Slice. 

We had circled this one as one we wanted to try as soon as the list came out as we both love strawberries and wanted to see how the combination would play out. At first bite we were certainly glad we did.

The Triple S flavours went very well together and the pretzel bun (my favourite) was an added bonus. Really liked the smokey BBQ sauce combined with the sweetness of the strawberries. The burger was seasoned well and cooked to perfection.

This one was definitely one of our favourites so far.

Rating - 8.5/10

Another @PEIBurgerLove in the books, "Triple S" from Family & Friends in Kensington. Really tasty 🍔. #peiburgerlove pic.twitter.com/SkCjylXY7n

— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) April 17, 2016

"Seoul Mate" - PEI Burger Love 2016 - Part 5

* Stop #5 of my 2016 Burger Love adventure.

We decided to take the trek west on Friday night to try out the "Seoul Mate" at The Landing in Tyne Valley. 

It's a great little pub set in the heart of the tiny village, great spot for a meal or to hang out with friends over a pint and listen to some live music on the weekend. 

The Seoul Mate consisted of a 6oz Island Beef Patty, Bacon, Old White Cheddar, Grilled House-made Kimchi, Spicy Korean Aioli, Arugula, Korean BBQ Sauce, and Crunchy Asian Noodles on a Poppy & Sesame Seed Bun, garnished with Tomato and Carrot Stick.

Wasn't sure what to expect going in with the fusion of different flavours that I hadn't had before but with all the burgers I go in with an open mind. Plus when I see the word "spicy" I get a little nervous since I'm not a big fan of hot/spicy foods. This one did have a pretty good amount of heat, but it wasn't overwhelming.

If you like a burger with a little kick this one is likely for you.

Rating - 8/10

Took advantage of @PEIBurgerLove #Fryday and tried the Seoul Mate @TheLandingPEI. Great burger with a kick. #spicy pic.twitter.com/GsMf2DGGqb

— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) April 15, 2016

"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

"Blazing 7's" - PEI Burger Love 2016 - Part 3

* Stop #3 of my 2016 Burger Love adventure.

Next up in the rotation was the "Blazing 7's" from the West End Bar & Grill at the Red Shores Casino in Summerside.

6oz Island Beef Patty, Scottish Ale Infused BBQ Glaze, Southwest Sauce, Jalapeño Monterey Jack Cheese, Smoked Bacon, Cajun Tomato Salsa, Crisp Onion Rings, and Lettuce on a Craft Beer Bun, garnished with a Jalapeño Popper.

Quite often we'll go to trivia at Red Shores on Saturday night so we decided to try out the burger while there. I didn't enjoy this one as much as their entry last year, but not a bad burger. The patty itself was on the small side but cooked well. I'm a fan of BBQ and bacon so those combined in this one tasted pretty good. Was a little tentative due to the jalapeño cheese since I'm not a big fan of spicy, but it only added a little bit of bite to the flavours.   

Rating - 7/10

"5 O'Clock Somewhere" - PEI Burger Love 2016 - Part 2

* Stop #2 of my 2016 Burger Love adventure. 

My next stop was the "5 O'Clock Somewhere" at The Lobster House in Summerside.

7oz Island Beef Patty, Merlot Tomato Compote, Beer Battered Bacon, Goat Cheese, Port Caramelized Onions, Whiskey BBQ Sauce, Bourbon Apple Fennel Slaw, and Tequila Citrus Aioli on a Brioche Bun, garnished with Sweet Pickled Onion Gherkin Parasol.

This one set the bar pretty high, with deep fried beer battered bacon how could it not. Not usually a fan of goat cheese but there was only a little bit so wasn't overpowering.The whiskey BBQ sauce and the bourbon fennel slaw added a nice sweetness to the flavour.

My only (small) issue was that having the slaw under the burger made the bottom bun a little soggy, but overall a delicious burger and easily the clubhouse leader after 2 stops.

As we were leaving we suggested that after Burger Love that the Deep Fried Beer Battered Bacon should be an appetizer on its own, I'm sure we weren't the only ones suggesting it. So good, just on their own. Heard yesterday that this has already happened!! Will be back for an order of those for sure.

Rating 9/10

Who decides 2 put deep fried beer battered #bacon on a burger? A genius, that's who. @PEIBurgerLove #PEIBurgerLove pic.twitter.com/9P02tYKh9I

— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) April 2, 2016

"BBQ Beer Burger" - PEI Burger Love 2016 - Part 1

* Stop #1 of my 2016 Burger Love adventure. 

My first burger this year was the "BBQ Beer Burger" at The Loyalist Inn in Summerside.


6oz Island Beef Patty, BBQ Sauce, Boston Lettuce, Fresh Tomato, White Cheddar, Maple Crunch Bacon, Dill Pickle Slice, and Homemade Battered Fried Onion on a Homemade Potato and Onion Bun toasted with Butter.

It was a good burger but there was nothing that made it standout. I could see it as their regular menu burger, I didn't find anything that made it "special".  

Rating 7/10

So @PEIBurgerLove has begun! Started with the "BBQ Beer Burger" at the Loyalist Inn. Pretty tasty!! #PEIBurgerLove pic.twitter.com/Hg6tDhaxZH

— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) April 1, 2016

PEI Burger Love - 2016

Along with the melting snow, people on PEI have an extra special reason to celebrate the month of April.

Since 2011 we've enjoyed the phenomenon known as "PEI Burger Love". What started as a quest from a local marketing company to find PEI's best burger has evolved into a multi-million dollar influx to the Island economy.

In the first year 14 restaurants participated and 5500 burgers were sold. Last year 60 restaurants sold over 145 000 burgers. This year there are 73 different burgers to try.

Last year I wrote a little bit about the different burgers I tried and will be doing the same this year.

Feel free to follow my 2016 Burger Love quest here and on twitter or checkout #PEIBurgerLove.