Bolyard's Burger Battle: III
Another Bolyard's Burger Battle has come to pass, and we've got another one just ahead of us. On Saturday, May 14th, Jeff Friesen (Sugarfire) will compete against Alex Cupp (upcoming restaurant The Stellar Hog). Here are five reasons you need to go, using last month's battle of Michael Petres (Porano Pasta) against Michael Miller (Kitchen Kulture).
1. Meet the Chefs
Chefs are cool. They're like rock stars—they stay up later than you, they're covered in tattoos, they do a job you think you'd love (but in truth you couldn't handle), and the men tend to have beards. Usually, they're tucked away in kitchens, working their asses off to make sure you have an enjoyable evening. Now's your chance to say hi and tell them you love their food. If you really want to get in good with them, bring some Busch beer.
2.Tallow Be Thy Name
Tallow makes everything taste better. But why wouldn't it? It is rendered beef fat, after all. Bolyard's doesn't let anything go to waste. A toasted, buttery bun is always delicious, but when it's crisped up in tallow, it goes beyond that. And don't forget about Chris Bolyard's tallow fries, which may be the greatest fries known to man. This is how McDonald's used to do it.
3.Cooking Becomes a Spectator Sport
Every burger battle ticket comes with beer—the option changes for each event—which means you can dive into a nice, cool brewski while watching your favorite chefs sweat, swear, and attempt to cook something like 80 burger patties each. It's more exciting than going to a Cardinal's game. 4. Celebrate the Cow
The obvious star of the battle is the burger. Each adorable patty is made using Bolyard's top-notch beef, then creatively topped by the dueling chefs. Petres topped his "Smoky Mountain Magic" burger with a scoop of pimento cheese, a golden chow chow, psychedelic mushrooms and hickory smoked bacon. Miller's "Gaucho" burger came with a smoked chili and onion remoulade, Mahon cheese, spicy greens, and a ramp & cucumber chimichurri. Bold flavors from both chefs.
By the end of the battle, you've had two burgers and enough tallow to keep you warm through winter. You feel all beefed out. There's only one solution to that: go to the Ices Plain & Fancy booth and get yourself some ice cream! Yes, friends, it truly is a culinary wonderland celebrating all things cow-related. 5. Pick a Winner
Once the dust has settled, fill out a card and vote. You get to decide who goes home with the Golden Pig Skull! I know, the power is invigorating. Treat it like a real election—you can vote with your heart, vote based on which chef's restaurant you like more, or even try to solicit a bribe. It's just like real life!
Chef Miller won by 11 votes at this last battle. Make sure to congratulate him at the next Tower Grove Farmers Market (and do NOT miss out on the Kitchen Kulture breakfast sandwich).
You can buy tickets to the Burger Battle on the Bolyard's site here, or you can get them at the door if you're too lazy to get your wallet. I'll be there, camera in hand. Come say hi!