Tuesday, September 28, 2010

The New Burger King of Chicago?!

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NoMI's award-winning "800 Burger" from the first-ever "Hamburger Hop" competition. (Photo: Joseph Storch)

The competition was pretty fierce Friday night at "Hamburger Hop," Chicago Gourmet's first-ever such event to kick off the two-day food fest.

There was Sola's Carol Wallack, who's pretty familiar with this type of event as she's participated in the South Beach Wine and Food Festival three years in a row. Also, The Gage executive chef Dirk Flanigan was in the house. His burgers are killers. Stephanie Izard (Girl & The Goat), Seasons' Kevin Hickey (who won the "People's Choice Award"), John Hogan (Keefer's) and Eddie Lakin of gourmet diner Edzo's Burger Shop are also known for bringing it.

With a high-profile judges' panel that included Jean-Luc Naret, the world director of the Michelin guide, Bon Appetit's Barbara Fairchild and world-famous chef Thomas Keller, this little hamburger contest was suddenly serious business. Who would've imagined an unknown chef would win it all?!

NoMI's Chef de Cuisine Ryan LaRoche upset all those boldface names with a burger that was simply delicious. If you were there, you know what I'm talking about.

And if you weren't, no worries. 312DD has exclusive deets that beginning today, it's on the menu as the 800 Burger, named for the restaurant's tony address on the seventh floor of the Park Hyatt.

For $25, you get that award-winning burger—ground Wagyu beef, Nueske bacon, pickled garlic, shallots, comte cheese, watercress, and smoked tomato aioli on a rosemary Ciabatta bun—served with pommes frites and a domestic beer (excluding large format).

But alas, it'll be there for a limited time only. So hop to it!

2 comments:

A Tuscan foodie in America said...

mmm, I am increasingly skeptical of these gourmet burgers that cost a lot of dough (25$ for a burger is A LOT of dough...)

312 Dining Diva said...

I actually don't have issue with this particular $25 burger because at least you get frites and a beer with it. And it's some good beer! ;)