To Burger Infinity and Beyond

Gabby's Burger 

One of the (if not the) biggest reasons I will never be a vegetarian/vegan or a 24/7 health nut or sad, is that I have a deep-seated love for burgers. When I think about what my last meal would be, it is a very close competition between burger + onion rings + chocolate milkshake and steak + potato casserole + roasted broccoli + an entire pie. Thankfully, I have a burger buddy here in Nashville - yes, we expressly include each other in sinful indulgences in burgers. As I am getting ready to leave Nashville, there was just one more burger I wanted to be sure to get in - Gabby's. To commiserate/celebrate my first and most exhausting exam being done, I grabbed my burger buddy and we headed to Gabby's. I spent an hour yesterday laying in my bed with my study materials laying next to me looking at pictures of Gabby's on Yelp and was really concerned I wouldn't be able to make up my mind about toppings. Thankfully it came to me at the moment of ordering - Bacon, Blue Cheeseburger with grilled onions and mushrooms, sweet potato fries and a chocolate milkshake. I made an excellent decision to ask for a to-go box at the same time and immediately split my meal in half before I started eating. If I hadn't, I cannot imagine how horribly and painfully more full I would be. Of course, I didn't go halfsies on the milkshake - it was necessary in its entirety after that exam. 

To memorialize my Nashville burger experience, I have ranked my 11 of my "local" Nashville burgers from best to worst. 

1. Firefly Grille - I may be biased because this is my favorite restaurant in Nashville, but if all our world leaders ate this burger together we could have world peace. It is burger perfection from the locally-sourced raw ingredients to the finished product. Perfectly topped with white cheddar and bacon, perfectly seasoned, perfect size, just pure perfection. 
2. Pharmacy - Pharmacy Burger wins on most creative and freshest toppings, while still using high quality beef. The only struggle at Pharmacy is it is so hard to make your mind up on what to order. I have had the Mission Burger, Cheese Burger and created my own from the list of toppings. My advice is to go more than once, instead of putting too much pressure on yourself to make the perfect choice. 
3. Burger Republic - Burger Republic may actually be number 2, but I don't trust myself to be ranking it on the burger itself rather than on the truffle tots and milkshakes, which are out of this world. In addition, while the Tennessee Burger is phenomenal, I can't distinguish between quality of the meat and sugar content in the toppings. 
4. Gabby's - the burger patty itself was really great, placing quality of meat in contention with #1 and #2, however the whole burger package, toppings and bun, bring it down to #4. I was also really excited to try the different sauces that were raved about on Yelp, but honestly didn't taste anything special in them. ALERT - get sweet potato fries not regular, they were the best part of my meal, including my chocolate milkshake. 
5. Rotiers- When you go to Rotiers you get the Cheeseburger on French Bread with hashbrown casserole and a chocolate milkshake or you don't deserve to be there. Yet, it hurts my soul to admit that Rotiers has seriously declined since the first time I ate there over three years ago. They cleaned it up, got fancy new menus and in doing so scrubbed away some of the deliciousness. It's still good, but not good enough to compete with the top contenders. I will say, Rotier's chocolate shake does defeat Gabby's. 
6. Paradise Park and Robert's are your "down with beer/enjoy after too many beers," bar burgers. Don't get me wrong, they are really really really good. They just probably aren't as good with a tea as they are after a few beers. Paradise Park squeezes ahead of Robert's because it is just a wee bit greasier, therefore better for what it is. 
7. Roberts - see above. 
8. Burger Up- Average burger at a "hip spot." It's good but way overrated, doesn't deserve much attention either way. 
9. Fido- See Below
10. Tavern - when I tell people I'm from Florida but don't like seafood I get a little sheepish because I feel like a fraud. I feel the same way saying I don't like the Tavern burger because people are so obsessed with it. It (ribeye & filet), like the burger at Fido (beef & lamb), contains a blend of ground meats and I think that's what I dislike about both - it tastes mushy rather than juicy to me. If I had to choose one, I'd take Fido, but just because the toppings are more delicious (fig aioli, crispy onions, caramelized fennel). 
11. Belmont Taps/Tapas - how does this sound to you "bacon, bourbon onions and cheddar stuffed burger topped with an over-easy egg and maple cream cheese on a pretzel bun?" Amazing right? Prepare to be disappointed is just a crap burger covered up with toppings that don't even do enough to convince you it's actually good.

From beef burgers to turkey burgers...

This may seem weird, but I don't make burgers at home very often. This is because I like my burgers to be indulgent - bacon, fried onions, caramelized onions, bbq sauce, fried egg, avocado, mushrooms, cheese, two cheeses - you name it I want it on there. When I make them at home, I inevitably get 93/7 lean ground beef, ditch the bun and go easy on the cheese - it may be tasty, but it is not the same. I do however, appreciate a good turkey burger and have been using the same turkey burger recipe for years. Usually I still skip the bun, but NOW everything has changed. Publix has started carrying Food For Life Ezekial 4:9 Burger Buns!!!!! With many more Turkey Burgers in my future and hopefully yours, here is the recipe I use from The New Best Recipe cookbook:

Quick Turkey Burger - 4 Burgers
Ingredients: 
1 1/4 lb 93% lean ground turkey
1/2 c whole-milk ricotta cheese (*I usually use part-skim)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp Dijon Mustard 

Instructions: combine all ingredients and form into 4 patties. Pan fry on stove!

Favorite toppings: Thin Sliced Green Apple, Red Onion, Dijon Mustard and Brie.

From turkey burgers to ground turkey...

Eggplant "Pizzas"

This weekend I had another one of those moments where I impressed myself. I've started to notice that these moments come usually not when following a recipe, but my instincts. I've been seeing "eggplant pizzas" on Pinterest and decided to give them try. My roommate doesn't understand meatless meals very well, so I knew I needed my sauce to be meaty. What I didn't know is that I would create a turkey bolognese for the ages. Seriously though - this sauce came out so amazing that I will be hard-pressed stray from the recipe ever again. While part of me wants to keep this as my secret sauce, I'm feeling generous and will share so that you and those you cook for may also know happiness. 



Ground Turkey Bolognese - makes 4-5 cups 
Ingredients:
1.33 lb(s), Ground Turkey Breast (this is the size of package from Publix)
4.00 clove(s), Garlic - Raw, minced
3.00 Tbsp, Chopped fine Fresh Italian Parsley
2.00 cup(s), Tomato Sauce 
1.00 large, Onions - Chopped
2 bay leaves
0.50 tsp(s), Spices - Pepper, black
1.00 tsp(s), Spices - Salt, table
1.00 tbsp(s), Oil - Olive
2.00 tbsp(s), Tomato Paste, 100% Natural

Instructions: heat olive oil over medium heat. Add ground turkey and cook until browned. Then add onions and saute for 2-3 minutes, then add garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes more. Add remaining ingredients and heat until sauce starts to boil, then reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for at least 15 minutes. Use it all, keep leftovers, freeze if it makes too much! So simple yet so tasty!