November is officially half-way through. For some, that might mean the start of Christmas decorations, the end of Pumpkin Spice everything + the beginning of Gingerbread Spice everything, cooler weather and warmer clothes. What’s it mean for me? Only 15 days left to try Novemburgers. (32 of them to be exact.)
For those of you that haven’t heard of Novemburger yet…..where have you been? Have you been living under a rock? Kidding. But not really.
Novemburger is a seriously awesome campaign put on by the people at Urbanicity. The basics of the campaign are: restaurants all over the Hamilton area come out with a special burger for the month of November. For each Novemburger sold, $1 goes to raising funds for United Way. As you hit the Novemburger trail, you can visit their website and rate each burger you try. At the end, two winners get chosen; one for most burgers sold and one for best burger.
I wasn’t a huge fan of how the website worked for burger info – especially on mobile (sorry guys!), so I put together this checklist below, which shows all the Novemburgers available this year. *As a side note, all of these are listed in the printed copy of Urbanicity along with photos*
Get out there and get rating! (By the way they have photos of all these burgs on their website as well if you want to see some #FoodPorn before you decide what to eat!)
Hambrgr – #HamOnt Brgr– $13; Double patty (3.5oz each), grilled onions, American cheese, mustard glazed bacon, brgr sauce, iceberg lettuce on a classic grill bun.
Thirsty Cactus Cantina and Grill – The Big Jerk – $14; Beef patty, jerk rub, pulled jerk chicken, jalapenos, Monterey Jack and house smoked chipotle mayo, mango.
Snooty Fox – The Big Reub – $13; All beef burger patty, carved corned beef, white wine sauerkraut, melted swiss cheese, thousand islands dressing served on a pretzel bun with a pickle.
Coach and Lantern – The Sweet Burger – $16; 6oz Wild Boar patty on a Rustic kaiser with Spinach, Apple Berry Compote and Goat Cheese.
Acclamation Bar & Grill – Surf ‘N Turf – $16; Juicy AAA ground beef with house seasonings, lobster butter, creamy gouda, and a citrus caper aioli on grilled brioche.
Fisher’s Eatery and Sports Lounge – Aloha Burger – $15; Beef patty, smoked ham, melted Swiss, grilled pineapple, lettuce, tomato, red onion, honey mustard.
One Duke – Duke Ukranian Burger – $14; Two fresh ground sirloin patties, potato cheese stuffed perogie, applewood smoked bacon, sauteed onions, sour cream, sharp cheddar cheese, sauerkraut, sliced kielbasa, arugula, field fresh tomato, diced green onion on a potato scallion bun.
Jet Cafe – Eggs Benny Burger – $10.99; 8oz all-beef patty, Canadian cheddar, a fried egg, peameal bacon, bacon strips, hollandaise sauce on a kaiser roll.
Jack & Lois – Easy Rider – $16; A 7oz lean ground chicken & lean ground turkey patty mixed with a house-blend of secret spices, double cream brie, house-made apple bacon chutney on a bed of Crunch.
Fool and Flagon – The Firestation – $13.25; Fresh ground chuck burger dredged in dehydrated chili peppers, topped with dusted and lightly fried jalapeno peppers, bacon and crispy fried onion straws, jalapeno havarti cheese on an Ace Bakery roll.
Ceili House – Spicy Pear Truffle Hunter – $14; 1/2lb beef patty, melted aged brie, bacon-chilli candied pear, crisp arugula, candied bacon chilli aioli, served on a warm sesame bun.
The Mule – The Big Macasada – $12; 4oz beef patty stacked between fried and grilled tortillas, queso fundido, spicy mayo, mules special sauce, pickles, lettuce, onion and sesame seeds.
The Works – The Big Popper – $14.81; 8oz 100% Canadian Hormone Free Beef Patty, deep fried jalapenos, cream cheese, deep fried onion strings, 2 slices bacon, sour cream, green onion slivers.
Tavern on George – The Tavernac – $16; Hand-formed beef patty, peameal bacon, cheese curd, maple ketchup, mayonnaise, and fried egg on a daily-baked brioche bun.
Gown and Gavel – Misteak’n Burger – $14; 8oz local beef patty, sauteed onions and mushrooms, swiss cheese, steak sauce, a sunny-side up egg, and mustard on a challah bun.
Stonewalls – Hamilton’s “Best” Dirty South Chicken Burger – $13.99; Free range chicken breast soaked in butter milk, coated in a secret seasoned breading and deep fried, bacon, cheddar, house made dirty southern heat sauce, lettuce, and tomato on a split kaiser.
Papa Leo’s – The Morning Thai Burger – $16; All beef patty, back bacon, fried egg, pickled carrots, onion, cilantro, house peanut sauce on a sesame challah bun.
Mezcal TNT – aPORKalypse NOW – $12; Pork patty, bacon aioli, smoked cheddar chipotle ketchup, double smoked bacon.
John St Diner – Popeye Burger – $10.99; 8oz all-beef patty, spinach, feta cheese, mushrooms and onions.
Serve PingPong – Good Morning Burger – $12; 6oz Angus ground beef patty, aged white cheddar, whiskey candied bacon, confit cherry tomatoes, a fried egg, house-made dill Hollandaise sauce, on a fried brioche bun.
Nellie James Too – The Duck Burger (Open Face) – $16; Handmade uck burger, savoury bread “bun” with bacon Hollandaise and pickled kale salad. *Vegetarian version also available!*
Union Burger – Sriracha Smash – $8.99; Sriracha cheese balls, sriracha sauce and ranch smashed between two beef patties, lettuce and tomatoes.
Pub Fiction – Jack Daniels BBQ Burger – $12; 8oz Ground Chuck patty, provolone, sauteed mushrooms, bacon, Panko onion rings and house made Jack Daniels BBQ sauce.
Bean Bar – Marauder Burger – $14; 8oz Beef Patty, BBQ pulled pork, aged white cheddar, sweet pickled onions, lettuce, tomato, pickle and red onion.
State and Main – Grilled Cheese Burger – $13; Burger on grilled french bread, american, swiss and provolone cheese, peppered bacon, shredded lettuce, tomato, and a stack of crisp fried onions.
Augusta House – The Conquistador – $15; 5oz certified Angus patty, chorizo sausage, crisp chicharrones, spicy Piri Piri sauce between a soft potato scallion bun.
Pheasant Plucker – The Plucker – $20; Bison burger, 40 Creek BBQ sauce, beer braised onions, mushrooms, house-cured peameal bacon, smoked cheddar.
Collins Brewhouse – Wild Boar Gets Wild! – $17.99; 7oz home made wild boar patty on a bed of Mac N Cheese, pulled pork, pineapple mustard, split between a potato and chive bun.
Naroma – NaRoma Burger (Novemburger-inspired Pizza) – $20 (serves 2 to 3); Lean ground beef, home made bbq peperoncino spread, cherry tomatoes, red onion, pickles, romaine hearts and aged cheddar.
Jonny Blonde – Blonde Boca Burger – $12; 100% handcut beef blade burger, local Mountain oak Gouda, caramelized onions, baby spinach, grape tomato, crisp proscuitto, chopped sage, roasted garlic aioli, beef demi glaze, topped with hickory sticks.
Radius – Smoked Surf Burger – $24; AAA beef patty topped with braised smoked beef short rib, onion ring, shrimp and arugula on a brioche bun.
Downtown Bistro – Triple Play – $13; Hand-formed 8oz ground sirloin grilled with maple smoked bacon, bourbon pulled pork, aged Jensen cheddar, on a toasted brioche bun.
So far I have only tried four. In foodie terms, that would mean I get a fail. But I promise I’ll be eating more Novemburgers (and writing about them!). Follow along with the #Novemburger hashtag or my twitter feed!
Have you tried any #Novemburgers yet? What was your favourite? Let me know in the comments below!