"Greek Lightning" - PEI Burger Love 2018 - Part 8

The final day of April is always a sad one on PEI, it means Burger Love is over. So when a co-worker asked our lunch group if anyone wanted a burger for lunch today the answer was a quick yes. Since Pizza Delight is just around the corner and they could be ready in 10-15 minutes we decide to get them to go and torture the guys that said no to the offer with having to watch us eat them.

The burger was: Two 4 oz Island Beef Patties, Cheddar, Greek Feta Dressing, Spinach, Red Pepper, Red Onion, Maple BBQ-infused Bacon on Toasted Focaccia Bread, topped with a Whole Black Olive. 

The bacon alone was worth the price, possibly the best I've ever had, and the burger was no slouch either. I've never given Greek salad the time of day but I think it might be time to change that. Great group of flavours and although the burger will be gone tomorrow I'm hoping that the bacon will be here to stay!!

Rating 9.5/10

"Greek Lightning" from Pizza Delight in Summerside. If they had the bacon as a side dish I would order it all day long. So good. @PEIBurgerLove #PEIBurgerLove pic.twitter.com/1CDOYse1kH

— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) April 30, 2018

"The Bourbon Barrel" - PEI Burger Love 2018 - Part 7

So deciding to try 3 burgers in a 6 hr time frame might have been a bit too much. But after a break at Red Shores Casino and leaving with my wallet a little thicker we decided to try one more before calling it a night.

We settled on the "Bourbon Barrel" from Montana's since it was on the way out of town, plus it was on the list of ones we wanted to try. Their burger last year, "Ol Smokey", was right at the top of our list so the bar was set pretty high going in. 

This years entry consisted of a 6 oz Whiskey-infused Island Beef Patty, Leaf Lettuce, Sriracha Maple Bacon, Apple Butter Sauce, In-house Braised Beef, Chipotle Dip, Cheddar, Cajun Onions on a Toasted Pretzel Bun, topped with an In-house Smoked Pork Rib.

The burger was similar to last years with a few changes but it maintained the BBQ theme. When I order ribs at Montana's I get the apple butter sauce so was glad it was included. It was a pretty busy creation and was tough to eat without parts falling out so I attacked it with a fork and knife.

The burger was ok, a bit too messy and wasn't really very warm. I also would have liked to see a bit more of the braised beef and a little more sauce. Maybe being our 3rd burger of the day, and the longish wait affected my taste buds but didn't enjoy it as much as last years burger.

Rating - 7.5/10 
 

Final stop of today's @PEIBurgerLove tour, Montana's for the "Bourbon Barrel", sweet and tangy. Not bad, somewhere in the middle of the pack. #PEIBurgerLove pic.twitter.com/sMuFR3eEJF

— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) April 29, 2018

"One-Eyed Jack" - PEI Burger Love - 2018 - Part 6

The Pilot House is one of our favourite restaurants in Charlottetown. The food and atmosphere are great, it's 3 restaurants in one; formal restaurant, pub/bar and the "Queue" which normally houses private functions.

Normally we'd make a reservation but since it was a last minute decision to head to Charlottetown we decided to just sit on the bar side since there was a wait for a table in the restaurant.

The "One-Eyed Jack" is made up of a 6 oz Island Beef Patty, Tomato, Spring Mix, House-made BBQ Braised Beef, Housemade Panko-crusted Deep Fried Monterey Jack Cheese Slice, Garlic Aioli, Housemade Candied Banana Pepper Jam on a Warmed Steak Spiced Bun.

Many of the burgers go over the top with different ingredients and toppings, but this one wasn't super complicated. I was a little hesitant because of the potential "heat" in the banana pepper jam, but it was more sweet, similar to a sweet chili sauce, versus hot. The deep fried cheese slice was delicious and paired well with the BBQ's beef and burger patty.

Suspect that this one may end up taking home the title this year, one of the best I had this year.

Rating - 9.5/10 

The "One-Eyed Jack" from The Pilot House. Heard great things about it all month, didn't disappoint. Taking @PEIBurgerLove right down to the wire. #PEIBURGERLOVE pic.twitter.com/XdkzwouLwj

— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) April 28, 2018

"Grape D-Vine" - PEI Burger Love - 2018 - Part 5

Final weekend of PEI Burger Love, after being away for two weeks of the month I was feeling a little guilty that we hadn't gotten to try as many burgers as we normally do.The plan was to remedy this injustice over the next couple of days.

We set out Saturday to try a few that we had been hearing good things about during the month. Thankfully we split them and don't order a side. Even so, eating several half burgers over the course of 6 hrs is a task on itself.

We decided to make the trek to Charlottetown to try a couple but on route we stopped at Family & Friends restaurant in Kensington to try the "Grape D-Vine", the reviews were really good so we wanted to try it too.

The burger consists of: 6 oz Balsamic-glazed Island Beef Patty, Feta Cheese, Smoked Gouda, Bacon, Roasted Garlic Aioli, Caramelized Onion, Candied Walnut, Housemade Quick Dilly Pickles, Crispy Pita Strips, Red Grape Slices on a Toasted Potato Scallion Bun, topped with a Crispy Pita Chip, Cucumber and a Red Grape.

I'll admit seeing cut up grapes on the burger kinda freaked me out a bit at first but after that first bite I was sold. Burger was seasoned well and juicy, the smokey flavour of the gouda and roaster aioli offset the sweetness of the grapes. The candies walnuts were a nice touch.

Definitely near the top of the list for this years burger love.  

Rating - 9/10

If someone says putting fruit on a burger is crazy they might be right but still tastes pretty good. Family & Friends in Kensington @PEIBurgerLove entry "Grape D-Vine" is great. #PEIburgerlove pic.twitter.com/bnZPQqGUjn

— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) April 28, 2018

"The Golden Knight" - PEI Burger Love - 2018 - Part 4

Our Burger Love journey always includes a trip to 511 West in Summerside, located right at our Arena. Since I spend so much time at the rink we are usually there a few times over the course of the winter, not a difficult decision since chef Emily makes great food and her burger love entries are always very good.

This year's entry "Golden Knight" is appropriately named in honour of Summerside's own Gerard "Turk" Gallant coach of the Vegas NHL squad. 

6.5 oz Island Beef Patty, Golden Beet & Pickle Slaw, Bacon and Onion Jam, Goat Cheese, Tumeric Lemon Garlic Mayonnaise, Banana Peppers, Arugula on a Grilled Black and White Sesame Seed Bun.

I'm not usually a fan of pickled anything but Chef Emily always seems to have a way to combine a group of unique ingredients or flavours, whether it be different types of slaws or jams, to deliver a delicious burger love entry each year.

Rating 8.5/10   

The @PEIBurgerLove journey continues with the "Golden Knight" from @511west in Summerside. Great burger that I suspect Turk of the @GoldenKnights is hoping stays on the menu so he can try it this summer. #PEIBurgerLove pic.twitter.com/yRk6cGR0rP

— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) April 24, 2018

"Hickory Dickory Broc" - PEI Burger Love - 2018 - Part 3

The one and only downfall about going on vacation in April is that you end up missing part of PEI Burger Love. Being away for 2 weeks meant having to play catch-up to try and get in several burgers over the home stretch before months end.

So after arriving home late Friday afternoon we knew our supper plans would include a burger. Since we had to go back to Charlottetown in the evening for the PEI Roadrunners banquet we decided to stop in at O'Shea's Pub in Kinkora to try out the "Hickory Dickory Broc". We've been a fan of this pub for several years and the burgers that Richie and his crew put together each year always end up near the top of our list.

This years creation is no exception. The burger consisted of: 6 oz Island Beef Patty, Shredded Blend Cheese, Maple Bacon, O'Shea's Signature Sauce, Onion Tanglers, Hickory Sticks, Lettuce, Tomato on a Grilled Brioche Classic Bun, topped with a Broccoli, Cheese, and Bacon Wedge.

If you've been following along since I started writing these reviews you know that I like the 3 B's, BBQ and bacon. OShea's signature Jack Daniels BBQ sauce and maple bacon certainly set this one apart and the crunch from the onion tanglers and hickory sticks make this one a bit unique. Plus even if you hate broccoli you'll love the topper since it's deep fried with cheese and bacon. If you are looking for a burger to try out in Prince county before the end of the month this one is certainly worth the trip. I might just head out to trivia Friday night and have it again. 

Rating 9/10

After being away for a bit one of our first stops was @OSheasPub for @PEIBurgerLove. Richie's "Hickory Dickory Broc" did not disappoint. Excellent burger. #PEIburgerlove pic.twitter.com/Y8Zu45ozrA

— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) April 20, 2018

"Mr. Irresisti-Bull" - PEI Burger Love - 2018 - Part 2

Being away with the Western Capitals this past weekend and vacation only a couple of days away I'm trying to fit in a few burgers before we leave. Today I walked off the bus at the rink, hopped in the car and headed to try out the "Mr. Irresisti-Bull" from Holy Cow. The restaurant is in Morell, PE, about an hour away, but they also have a food truck and decided to send the truck to the western end of the Island over the course of the month. So today it was set up only 10 minutes from home. 

I'm really glad they decided to do this. The burger consists of: 8 oz Sweet BBQ-glazed Island Beef Patty, Sweet Onion Marmalade, Housemade Potato Chips, Crispy Bacon, Gouda, Beefsteak Tomato, Greenleaf Lettuce, Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise, Pickle Slices on a Toasted Black and White Sesame Seed Bun, topped with a Bacon-wrapped, Cheese-stuffed Wonton and Cherry Tomato.

I've had their burgers the past couple of years and they always rank near the top of the heap and this one is no exception. The mix of sweet from the BBQ glaze and marmalade mixed well with the tang of the garlic mayo. The burger itself was cooked to perfection and the bacon wrapped cheese wonton was a nice topper.

If you are in the Morell area or have a chance to get to their food truck I would highly recommend trying out this burger. The Holy Cow knows how to cook a great burger and this years creation is worth a try.

Rating 9/10

Thankful that the crew from Holy Cow Restaurant in Morell decided to send their food truck west to spread @PEIBurgerLove goodness. Really enjoyed "Mr. Irresisti-bull" today for a late lunch. #PEIBurgerLove pic.twitter.com/hb9EK4p8eN

— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) April 2, 2018

It's back!! PEI Burger Love - 2018 Edition - "The Maverick" - Part 1

PEI Burger Love is back again with 85 delicious creations spread across the Island, from Tignish to Souris and all points in between. For Islanders this really is the most wonderful time of the year. Burger lovers eagerly awaiting the delivery of the "Buzz" magazine on Thursday morning hoping that someone didn't already scoop out the Burger Love insert.

Luckily we get a large number delivered to our office so snagging a copy wasn't an issue. With a short week in the cards our work lunch group decided to hit up our normal Friday spot, West End Bar & Grill, a day early. 

The Maverick consists of: 6 oz Island Beef Patty, Smoky Mozzarella, Smoked Bacon, Sweet Bacon Jam, Shredded Tangy Pickles, Lettuce, Tomato, Red Shores Signature Southwest Sauce on a Toasted Brioche Bun.

Overall a pretty good burger, nothing fancy but I like bacon so when you put two types on a burger I'm usually going to give it the thumbs up and this is no exception. A good start to the 2018 Burger Love adventure.

Rating - 7.5/10 

Forgot to post this one yesterday. First of many @PEIBurgerLove victims in the books. "The Maverick" from West End Bar and Grill was a good start. #PEIburgerlove pic.twitter.com/tQD6KOLqUT

— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) March 30, 2018