Burgers Down South

No, I don't mean burgers where the toppings are on the bottom (more on that later). I mean burgers in the Lower 48, or "Down South". In this case, Minnesota--L'Étoile du Nord.

Minnesota may be the "Star of the North", but the star of my heart is Culver's. I love Culver's. I love Culver's so much, I have watched this entire video (and you should too). They serve butterburgers, and fried cheese curds, and their own brand of root beer. They're very friendly and they even come by when you're eating and ask you how you're doing. They are a paragon of Midwestern-ness. If you've never been to a Culver's, then what are you doing stop reading this and go! (And if you're reading this while in a Culver's--kudos!)

I got the Double Deluxe Basket with cheese curds. Here's a picture:

A beautiful sight.  The burger has cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, red onion, and mayo.

The burger has two patties, with a slice of cheddar cheese on both. Toppings are lettuce, red onion, tomatoes, pickles and mayo, all of which are located on the bottom (again, more on that later). A fairly traditional combination, but the crisp toppings really help to balance out the indulgent bordering on intense patties. The kaiser bun is topped with a pickle, as we all know how important presentation is. Culver's says that butterburgers are so named not because the patties are infused with butter, but because they "lightly butter the crown of the bun for an extra touch of goodness." I am skeptical of the veracity of this claim--since Culver's is based in Wisconsin, most likely everything in the burger has been buttered. Perhaps that is why it is so delicious.

Here's a picture of me eating the burger:

Feelin' good

I was about 80% of the way through the burger when this picture was taken. I was feeling pretty good at this point but starting to get over-saturated with everything that was going on. The internet tells me this burger was 810 calories but there's no way that's true. Regardless of the damage I may have permanently done to my body, it was well worth it. All in all a good time, and a great time with friends! Thanks Anne and Paul.

Hey Paul!

Paul had chicken--not a chicken burger, just a chicken sandwich.

Dad's burgers

I also went to the Chicago-land area to visit my parents. There I was lucky enough to have a burger grilled by my dad. Actually, the truth is that it had been grilled in the past and frozen--and was still incredible. My dad has a very precise reheating method, and the burger lost none of its juiciness and charcoal flavor. ("Remember son, a gas grill is just an oven sitting outdoors.")

Ketchup, mustard, and a brioche bun are all that this burger needs. The patty is perfect--juicy and firm, and the flavor of the meat is cleverly simple and delicate (only three ingredients, which I will not share with you). Saying this burger is the best burger is almost unfair, as it defines what a good burger is and is what any other burger must be compared to. It's like The Beatles of burgers.

With a tall glass of gingerale and some leftover salad their friends had brought over a couple days before.

It's always nice to make a trip down south, but the next post will begin our journey through the burgers of Sitka.

 Coda

If they're on the bottom then you really shouldn't even call them toppings.