The Burger Thread!

[red sky]

I am excited to try the Alley Burger food truck when it finally starts up. Should be this month I hear.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Regulator75

^^^ people eat beef tartar all the time.
You're not gonna die from a little rare or even raw beef.

No, but you definitely expect a restaurant serving steak tartar to serve it properly and safely. I think other places might be iffy if the Calgary Health Region website of violations if any indication.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by fundmark19

warren buffet burger at laurier lounge is very good. Hudsons also has a surprisingly delicious bison burger

What did you think of the W.B. burger? I am not a fan of gorgonzola, so I don't know if that would take away from the experience or not. On the other hand, I noticed they serve poutine galvaud there, which is a favourite of mine.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Steak tartare is delicious....if you're afraid of the bacteria though, try tuna tartare first.

That is different. Steak cuts are not going to be contaminated, unlike ground hamburger where more of the meat is from the outside.

EDIT - what Mass Nerder said

[opendoor]

Originally Posted by Shin Pad

What is a high end burger??? There is nothing high end about burgers. I love them, but I wouldn't consider them high end.

They're no different than any other food. You can have anything from a frozen preformed patty with a Kraft single on a Wonder Bread bun all the way up to I don't know, say a Kobe beef burger on an artisan type bun topped with exotic cheeses, for instance.

There's no reason a burger can't use good quality ingredients and when they do they're usually excellent.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by troutman

That is different. Steak cuts are not going to be contaminated, unlike ground hamburger where more of the meat is from the outside.

You still have to grind the steak, so there's still a chance of contamination from the outside of the meat (or perhaps from the grinder itself depending on what it was used for beforehand). Also keep in mind steak tartare also has raw egg....which has it's own risks to.

I think the risk, however small or big it may be, is part of the fun of eating tartare.

[tvp2003]

Thanks to those who responded re: undercooked meat (and sorry for the partial thread de-rail).

Originally Posted by Mass_nerder

The bacteria that is dangerous is found on the outside of the beef.
You can have a blue rare steak, because the outside of the meat is cooked, even when the inside is almost raw.
Because ground beef mixes the external parts of the beef (which may contain danergous bacteria), with the rest of the meat, it should reach an internal temperature of 160 F to ensure it's safe. It's possible to consume ground beef at lower internal temperatures, but you increase your chances of getting a food-borne illness.

So basicallly, there is a risk with ground beef, and Canadians food safety regs err on the side of caution (i.e. there's nothing special about the way Americans prep their burgers to make it "safer" to eat if cooked medium or medium rare).

[drewboy12]

This just makes me think

"I am from Calgary, I only eat the high end expensive burgers"

[opendoor]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

Thanks to those who responded re: undercooked meat (and sorry for the partial thread de-rail).



So basicallly, there is a risk with ground beef, and Canadians food safety regs err on the side of caution (i.e. there's nothing special about the way Americans prep their burgers to make it "safer" to eat if cooked medium or medium rare).

Correct. It's simply a matter of surface area. If a meat packing plant doesn't take proper safety precautions and infects beef with E. coli (either from the cow itself or from workers who don't take proper precautions for cleanliness), then the effect it'll have on a steak is fairly minimal because any exposed surface will be heated beyond a temperature that bacteria survives. With ground beef though, what is on the outside at the meat packing plant will almost surely not be on the outside at the store or on your burger so there's a much, much bigger chance of bacteria surviving if the internal temperature is low.

[llama64]

5-Guys is certainly the best "fast food" burger in the city.

The burger at the Garrison Pub in Altadore is probably the best pub burger I've ever had.

And Buchanan's is the best "high end" burger I've eaten.

A burger MUST be hand formed in the kitchen it is cooked in before I'll consider it a true burger. If it's been pre-formed and frozen, it's not worth the money they are asking for (unless it's a crappy fast food burger for under 4$.

As for medium done burgers/tar tar - I will not order any of these unless I have a sense that 1) the meat will be ground just before cooking 2) the kitchen actually knows what they are doing.

[DownInFlames]

The Iron Goat Pub in Canmore has amazing burgers made with Bison and Elk. The one I ate had blueberries in it, and you can even get foie gras. Very decadent.

The Rose & Crown out there has a really good banquet burger, and the view on the patio can't be beat (except maybe by the Ship).

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by Regulator75

Oh, I understand that point. I just hate ordering something new and getting 3 scallops and a tablespoon of turnip puree and 3 grilled asparagus for $25.00. (It's like ordering from a child's menu).

This is not a meal.

What kind of kid eats that?



Haven't had anything high-end down here, but when talking about bang for the buck, it's hard to beat In 'n Out. Must try this Five Guys thing.

[Deegee]

Originally Posted by Ruttiger

So a few of us from work go every few months to sample burgers around the city. Not just any burgers mind you - forget the Wendy's and the A & W's of the world. Think Buchanan's.....think Murietta's.....think Redwater Grille... - a higher end burger experience

Yeah, I've been to Redwater.

We had come to Calgary from the country because my mother in law had a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital. Foothills I think?

So we went to Redwater under the recommendation of someone we were with who lives in Calgary. They took one look at us and because we weren't in dress clothes they said there was nothing immediately available.

However they quickly setup a table behind the building for us, out of site so us country bumpkins didn't ruin their experience.

As if the treatment wasn't poor enough, they couldn't get my burger done right as I had customized it because I do not like relish.

I can't think of a reason why I would ever go back to that place ever again!

[InSutterWeTrust]

Originally Posted by CaramonLS

The name is on the tip of my tongue - it's the new restaurant where the Flightdeck used to be just off beddington and country hills.

Originally Posted by Bean

The place is now called "Stonehill". Thanks for the heads up, will try a burger instead of the steak which isnt too bad either.

After reading this thread I was craving a good burger, so I went to Stonehill tonight. Sat down looked at the menu and no burgers on the menu. They had a chicken burger, but no beef! So I guess since they changed over they no longer make a burger.

[CMPunk]

I had the 20 Napkin burger at Craft on Friday night and it was pretty damn good. If that's any indication, then the normal burgers should be just as good

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by Bunk

Diner Deluxe has a nice burger. A great menu overall.

I really like Rocky's Burger Bus - my only complaint is the the patty isn't quite seasoned enough. It's actually a little bit on the bland side.

Agreed. I had one there a couple weeks ago, and the beef was super moist and well cooked, but I thought it was bland as hell, and I'm the type of person who doesn't put salt on anything. Hell, if you come to my place for dinner and ask for salt all you're gonna get is a blank stare, cause I don't own any.

[DownInFlames]

Originally Posted by InSutterWeTrust

After reading this thread I was craving a good burger, so I went to Stonehill tonight. Sat down looked at the menu and no burgers on the menu. They had a chicken burger, but no beef! So I guess since they changed over they no longer make a burger.

I just checked their website and they serve burgers in the tavern, but not the restaurant. I'm guessing you were on the wrong level.

[InSutterWeTrust]

Originally Posted by DownInFlames

I just checked their website and they serve burgers in the tavern, but not the restaurant. I'm guessing you were on the wrong level.

Well now I feel like an idiot. I had assumed that it was the same menu. I was down in the restaurant! Thanks for the info, I will have to go back.

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by DownInFlames

I just checked their website and they serve burgers in the tavern, but not the restaurant. I'm guessing you were on the wrong level.

I got it 2 weeks ago for lunch - might be on their lunch menu only?

[Redliner]

No love for Burger Inn? I haven't eaten there in a long time but it used to be pretty good.

Not truly a burger, but I have to put a shout out to Holy Smoke BBQ & Smoke Pit. Go there and get a Manwich - it will change your life.