The Overcast’s Temporary Burger Showdown

To get you out of your house, and pumped full of iron, and supporting local restaurants, we’ve got 1o chefs showing off their spin on the classic carnivore favourite, the burger. Their creations will only be available at their restaurants for the month of February — this cold, miserable month that begs for hearty comfort foods, like a burger.

Below are the ten tantalizing contenders in The Overcast’s city-wide Temporary Burger Showdown. Try them all, and tell us what you think, via the poll at theovercast.ca/burger-poll. You’ll notice they’re not all beef, so you can’t claim 1o burgers are too many burgers to try in a month – there’s ample variety here, from Chinched sticking to their guns with pork, and Bacalao using our province’s iconic meat (moose), to The Club and Tavola using lamb, and Mallard Cottage’s Todd Perrin daring to make a burger of seal meat, or The Sprout forgoing meat altogether, with a cashew-apple-smoked-cheddar creation.

Go, eat, and consider this month’s burger binging a gift to your body’s iron and protein stores, to keep you feeling peppy and energetic during the dreary mid-winter month of February. These burgers, and the challenge, would even make for good conversation pieces on your Valentine’s date, don’t you think?

CHINCHED BISTRO

Ginger & garlic loose sausage slider with crispy Korean BBQ pork belly, housemade kimchi, and hoisin mayo on a sesame bun. Served with sticky rice ‘tater tots’ and sweet & sour dipping sauce. (In bar only, limited quantities). $11

THE CLUB

A lamb Burger stuffed with feta, cranberry mint relish, roasted garlic rosemary aioli, and baby arugula on a pretzel bun. $23

BACALAO

Moose Burger with homemade blueberry-chipotle ketchup, made with local maple syrup, wild local blueberries, locally-smoked bacon, on a homemade roll with delicious sides. Bacalao states that they have an exclusive line on local maple syrup. Available only during lunch. $19.

MAGNUM & STEINS

Newfoundland Screech Burger, with thinly sliced pickled beets, shaved cabbage, molasses bacon, screech aioli, served on a Newfoundland style bun. $15

MALLARD COTTAGE

Southern-fried seal flipper on a buttermilk biscuit, with house made jalapeño cream cheese, screech and molasses mustard, and smoked pickled beets.

RELISH

Texas Twist: an upgrade on our most popular burger, the Big Texas. Pancetta, avocado, 40 creek BBQ, onion frites, and havarti. $10

RUMPLESTILTSKIN’S

The Rumpel’s BBB is made with fresh, never frozen Canadian ground beef - hand pressed and seasoned just right! This homemade burger is topped with our unique bruschetta blend, parmesan cheese, and crispy bacon. Served on a fresh toasted sourdough bun. (May we suggest a side order of Famous Ziggy Fries with that?) $13.99

THE SHIP

1892 Fire Burger, 6oz all beef patty served on a toasted Kaiser bun, with lettuce, tomato, and a dill pickle, topped with in-house-made spicy tomato and pepper jam, with 1892 beer reduction, a slice of havarti cheese, 1892 beer battered jalapenos and onions. $8.99 (with side $13.99)

THE SPROUT

Cashew, apple, and smoked cheddar burger on a molasses bun, served with basil garlic home fries or a house salad. (Gluten Free Burger Buns will be available upon request.). $15

TAVOLA

Herb & Spice Lamb Burger. “At Tavola we love the tastes of Northern Italy - olives, rosemary, garlic, thyme, and of course, beautiful and fresh spring lamb. Tender and juicy, served on our house made ciabatta buns, and topped with kalamata tapenade and chevre, it is a unique savory experience.” Served with fingerling potato fries. $16

Photos by Joel Upshall for The Overcast