King Street Sizzle

The King Street Sizzle is located on the ground floor of the Four Points Sheraton at King & Clarence. I had assumed it was a steak-house type outfit, which it mostly is, but it puts a spanish/portuguese twist on its menu. As it is a fancier place, the burger is only offered on the lunch menu. Which is unfortunate, cause it was really good.


The Sizzle Burger is an 8oz beef patty, topped with a slice of smoked chourico salami and pepper jack cheese, on a swiss chiabatta bun (I have no idea what makes it swiss) for $11. The patty was huge, actually larger than the square bun, almost negating the superfluous bread corner issue. The patty was very well seasoned and charbroiled without being burnt. The salami and cheese added a subtle heat and some extra flavour that married well with each other and the rest of the burger. The onions were red and slightly pickled - again, another layer of flavour, and pickles were somewhere between dill and bread & butter. All in all, a delicious and pleasing combination.

However, the bun, for reasons passing understanding, appeared to be buttered. On top of the juicy patty and all the vegetables, the melted butter pushed the sogginess too far. The bun was a thick-but-not-too-tough ciabatta, toasted and tasty, but by the end it was sopping. This is really my only criticism.

The fries, either yukon gold potato or sweet potato, were great. The potato fries were thick, crispy and tossed in seasoned salt. The sweet potato fries are also salted which balanced out the sweetness quite nicely.

4.5 out of 5 Pickles

Brass Pub

The Brass is another 'Hub' establishment and caters to the student crowd that is too old and too lazy for either of its sibling establishments, Ale House and Stages. The Brass is first and foremost a bar and isn't particularly known for its food, except maybe Tuesday wings and weekend breakfast. However, as luck would have it, Wednesday night was burger night, and so we went.


This was a surprisingly good little burger. Clocking in at 4 oz (a quarter pound), the homemade patty was perfectly grilled, compact, and not at all greasy. The bun was a rather plain sesame seed bun that held up well, through there wasn't any cheese or tomato to get it soggy. The fries were properly cooked dark-style fries.

The best part of all this was the price: $1.75 for the burger, $2.50 with fries. Ya.

The rest of the week the Brass offers burgers off its regular menu which I imagine to be of similar quality, though slightly bigger. Selections include a Western Burger with bbq sauce, onion rings, bacon and cheese, and a Bacon Mushroom Swiss Burger. Prices range from $7.75-8.95 and include fries.

And then there is the O-line Burger. The Brass has a habit of hiring the Queen's football team as bouncers which is probably where the idea, and the name, came from. The O-line Burger, a double patty burger with bacon, substitutes two grilled cheese sandwiches for the bun.


And yes, we ate it. It took four of us. No regrets.

3 out of 5 Pickles

Established in 1839, the Queen's Inn is one of the oldest continuously operating Inns in Canada. It had to take a break a few years ago when it caught fire, but its up and running again. Technically speaking, there are two restaurants on the ground floor, Copper's Pub and The Sport's Tap and Grill, but since they share a menu and a kitchen, they get a single review.

And what a menu it is. There are 18 burgers available, ranging from the Bison Bacon Burger, to the Pancho Villa (cheeseburger with salsa & jalepenos), to the British Burger (fried onions, smoked bacon, & cheddar). There are also a few ground turkey and ground chicken burgers, and a Veggie Burger, with mozzarella and basil mayo. All the burgers are made in house, one at a time on order. I went for the Fat City Burger, apparently one of their most popular, topped with back bacon and cheddar, for $10.99.

This was a huge burger but certainly not impossible to eat. The patty was enormous but relatively thin, savoury and nicely grilled. There was a lot of cheese and even more back bacon, which really didn't taste of too much, but was a nice soft and chewy alternative to crispy strips of bacon. The bun was soft and compressed well but didn't get soggy while eating. This isn't a flashy burger, but it is very good.

I also got to try the Sweet Hot Bacon burger, with a homemade sweet chili sauce, bacon and cheddar. While the one bite I had was delicious, I was a little wary that the sweet chili sauce would get old after a while. My husband, who inhaled the rest of the burger, assured me this was not the case.

The fries were enormous yukon gold potato fries - fluffy, crispy, buttery, awesome.

4 out of 5 Pickles.

Grizzly Grill

For those of you who may not be aware, The Grizzly Grill is part of the 'Hub' group, which includes The Brass, Ale House, Stages, Gustos/Legendz/Elysium, the Pizza Pizza building, and the building that used to house Jumbo video. The Hub used to be a family business, but after the unfortunate events at Ale House (then AJs) a few years back, the parts were sold off to the various managers, though there continues to be much cooperation between them.

I somehow manage to forget how big the Grizzly Grill is and marvel at its size every time I go in there (admittedly, not very often). I am also suitably impressed with their menu, which is both large and diverse, though they only one burger, the creatively named "Grizzly Burger". Unfortunately, this is a beef burger, and not bear meat. I would pay good money for a bear burger.

The patty was clearly homemade, evidenced by its 'abstract' shape, but was very juicy and had a pleasant crispy exterior. The veg were fine, and the bun, though a tad dry, was unremarkable. This burger seemed very much like something you'd find at a back yard bbq - a solid, beefy burger; tasty, and yet you eat it without paying much attention.

The fries were, once again, the dark style chip-truck fries. I don't know who is hawking these things to all the Kingston restaurants, but they're having quite a lot of success. The fries at the Griz, however, were properly cooked and didn't have the burnt flavour I found at other places.

3 out of 5 pickles

Merchant Tap House

Formerly The Merchant McLiam, and probably several other names before that, the Merchant Tap House has been around, in one form or another, for quite a long time. The Merchant is located at the very bottom of Princess Street and is the quintessential tavern - poorly lit, poorly laid out, and well equipped with beer taps.

The Merchant is best known for its live music acts and extensive selection of beer, but not so much for its food offerings, which are your typical restau-pub fair. They offer one burger - The Gourmet Burger - which is the standard 8 oz patty with the vegetables, chipotle mayo, and a side of fries, for $9. I added cheddar cheese for good measure.


The burger seemed so promising on the plate. The patty was huge and clearly homemade. The veggies were fresh and thick-cut. The bun was soft, lightly toasted, and matched the patty size. And the first bite was good. But, that was about it.

The burger seemed to get progressively blander the more I ate. I think most of the blame for this falls on the bun which was very dry, and turned out to be not as soft and squishy as I originally though, leaving a lot of bun in every mouthful. The measly amount of barely-flavoured chipotle mayo didn't help with this either. The patty too, once you got past the tasty char-broiled edges, was unimpressive and still a tad pink in the middle.

The fries were excellent. They were the 'dark style' chip-truck type, but were perfectly cooked, nicely salty and crispy.

1 out of 5 Pickles

Pan Chancho

Pan Chancho, and its other half Chez Piggy, are Kingston institutions. They've been around forever, they're in all the tourist guides, and they do a whole lotta business. I am slightly wary that this is leading to inflated prices and sloppy work. In any case, I was not impressed with their burger.

Pan Chancho offers two burgers on their lunch menu, the Meaty Meat Burger - a plain 7 ouncer for $13.25 - and the Mo' Better Meaty Meat Burger - the same thing but with stilton pate and crispy pancetta, or $14.75. Both come with frites and aoili.


I doubt it was on purpose, but the chefs at Pan Chancho seem to have gone out of their way to make this burger hard to eat. First of all, the patty was extremely thick, nearly spherical, making it a challenge to fit in your mouth. On top of that, the square (ugh) ciabatta bun was so crusty and tough, that it was impossibly to bite though with the front teeth, I actually had to rip pieces off in a very ungraceful way. I am sure that somewhere in all the bakery offerings there is a softer and easier to eat bun. This one was just annoying.

The patty itself was very herby and nice tasting, but besides some leaves and tomato and pickle slices, this was a very naked burger and was really not worth the price.

The fries were excellent, crispy and salty, although the aioli was too garlicky (something I don't think I've ever complained about before).

2 out of 5 Pickles.

Olivea

Olivea is the new kid on the market square block, but its owners are hardly rookie restaurateurs. Olivea is the slightly fancier little sister of Bella Bistro, the long-loved establishment out in Collin's Bay - if you haven't been, I recommend it, and don't let the slightly shabby exterior put you off.

Olivea is housed at the now-fabulous King & Brock location, overlooking market square. I say 'now fabulous' because the building went through several renovations over the years that never made any improvement. In fact, construction photos made their way into my 3rd year structural analysis class as examples of things to never, ever do to a building. These were 'before' photos however, and the place looks much better - and safer - now.

Being an Italian trattoria, I was surprised, but pleased, to find a burger on the lunch menu. The Olivea Burger is made with local Angus beef, Wilton cheddar, tomato relish and bacon on a homemade ciabatta roll and comes with a choice of soup, frites, or green salad for $13.

This burger, although straying from what might be considered 'traditional' for a burger, does everything right. The burger is thick and nicely grilled without tasting like burnt. The tomato relish is savoury and unusual, but highly addictive. The bacon is thick-cut and smokey. The bun is the ideal combination of crusty outside and soft interior, perfects fits the patty size, and never gets soggy. The frites and crispy and salty, and the saffron aoili is delicious and won't give you garlic breath.

During the Casa Domenico review I talked about fancy burgers that ended up being more like fancy sandwiches. This is definitely a burger. A really really awesome burger.

5 out of 5 Pickles.

Casa Domenico

Casa is the first of the 'Posh' restaurants on the list. The Posh designation is relatively arbitrary, but it's usually going to apply to places that only have burgers on their lunch menus, have cloth napkins, and you feel a bit self conscious wearing jeans to.

Casa Domenico may be the finest restaurant in Kingston and is certainly one of my favourite places to eat. I was therefore delighted to find they had a burger on their lunch menu, and got to try it one gorgeous sunny Saturday afternoon on their patio.


The burger can be found under the 'Panini' section on the menu, which raised some rather philosophical questions about the difference between a burger and a sandwich. This burger definitely blurs the line between the two, and, in my opinion, actually edges a little bit towards the sandwich side. Really, the only difference between this 'panini', and the other two on the menu, was that this was made with a ground beef patty, instead of a chicken breast or assorted italian cold cuts. (As an aside, all three paninis are delicious). There was nothing distinctly hamburger-y about this, but that doesn't take away from how good it was.

The Casa Burger is made from Angus beef, topped with caramelized onions, roasted tomatoes, aged cheddar, truffled chevril mayonnaise, and comes with pecorino fries. It was every bit as delicious and fancy-pants as its sounds. The patty was moist without being greasy, the tomatoes were incredibly flavourful, and the onions, cheese, and mayonnaise all melted together into a saucy deliciousness that got all over the place. The bun - grilled but not crunchy - was a square ciabatta which once again left superfluous bread corners outside of the patty. But, the aforementioned melty-sauce helped with that issue.

The fries were very skinny 'frites' style, well seasoned with herbs and cheese. Also delicious.

At $15, this may be the most expensive burger in town, but it totally earns the price tag. 4.5 out of 5 Pickles.

Iron Duke on Wellington

The Iron Duke, while it may seem like an old-style pub, is actually brand spanking new, at least by Kingston standards. Opened in 2008 by a former Toucan bartender, the Duke is named after Arthur Wellesley, 1s Duke of Wellington and hero of the Napoleonic Wars. The Duke may look like your typical english pub, but the menu goes way beyond fish & chips and club sandwiches, including items like Red Curry Mussels, Falafel Wrap, and arguably the best nachos in town.

But this is not about nachos (although maybe my next blog will be). This is about burgers. 'The Duke' is an 8 oz. burger with white cheddar and the usual vegetables on a sesame seed bun, with fries, for $12.29.
I would like to point out that the burger usually comes with more fries than this, but I really wanted the soup du jour. I kinda regret that decision, cause the fries were awesome.

The Duke burger was pretty good. The patty was huge, held together well, but didn't taste too much of anything (except char, because mine happened to be kinda burnt on this occasion). The mustard-mayo was very mild, but the cheese, which I suspect came from Cookes around the corner, was sharp and delicious. The bun was soft and pleasantly toasted, but was a bit too big for the patty.

The fries were truly excellent though.

I should also add that the Duke has recently added a Bison Burger to their menu with sweet pepper relish, crispy onions, and stilton aioli. If I still like burgers at the end of all this, I'll be heading back to give this one a try.

3 out of 5 Pickles

Raging Bull Chop House

The Raging Bull Chop House is a brand new establishment down on Ontario Street, located on half of the former Stoney's premises (the other half is now the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery bar). The Raging Bull, as you may have guessed, is a steak house, and will be going head to head with The Keg, although I don't have high hopes. Ontario street is a tough gig (as Johnny Macs, Juice, Mexicali Rosas, Cocamo, Joy Supper Club, Stoneys, and countless others will attest to) so the Raging Bull will need to pull up its socks in a hurry if it wants to be around next summer.

But, sticking to the subject at hand, I present the Kitchen Sink Burger, touted as a prime sirloin burger, smothered in cheddar, bacon, grilled onions & mushrooms, for $12.95.


The Raging Bull seems to be having a tough time deciding whether its going to be classy or not - linen napkins, but little plastic packets of condiments. Expensive cuts of beef, crappy hamburger buns that disintegrate while eating. These may just be growing pains, or they may stem from lack of attention to detail.

The burger itself was flavourful and moist, but between the patty, the onions, and the soggy bacon, it was too much for the cheap flimsy bun to take and it all came apart before I finished. The cheese, however, was a lovely old sharp cheddar, and the bacon was nonetheless tasty.

The fries were the same 'dark style' that are offered at Fanatics and the Brew Pub, and once again, tasted faintly of burnt.

Overall, a rather underwhelming experience. 2 pickles out of 5

New Scoring System

After much consideration, and also burger eating, I have come to realize that my scoring system is a bit inadequate. Not so much that a numerical rating out of 5 is inadequate, but rather my own perception of the scores.

It turns out that there are a lot of medicore-to-pretty good burgers out there, and since any thing less than 50%, in this case 2.5 pickles out of 5, sounds like a failing grade to me, I was handing out a whole lotta 3's and 4's, and really not making any distinction between the burgers.

I have, therefore, decided on the following scoring system:

0 - terrible
1 - meh
2 - decent
3 - good
4 - excellent
5 - fan-freakin-tastic

Half points to be awarded as necessary.

Happy eating!
Anne

ps - I have retro-graded the existing posts, in case anyone was worried about unfair comparisons, a la the SAT scoring fiasco(s).

Copper Peny

For some reason, I had never been to the Copper Penny before this. It was pretty popular when I was a student, owing to its laid back atmosphere, decent food and low prices, but I just never got around to it. But it's downtown, and so I went this time.


According to the menu, this 6oz burger 'all but guarantees it's going to be the best-tasting burger you've ever had'. Sadly, it did not quite live up to the hype.

The burger - in my case, the Cheddar Bacon Burger - was kinda on the processed side. The patty was clearly not made in house, the cheese was processed, the veggies kinda wimpy, and the bun soft and flimsy. Also, the condiments came in little packets, which seemed weird for a sit-down restaurant. The bacon, however, was excellent. It's hard to screw up bacon.

The whole thing was soft, greasy, and yet tasty. This was a cheap burger made with cheap ingredients which often makes for the best kind of comfort food.

Oh, and the fries. Copper Penny serves the same fries as Stooley's so please see that post for a full description of how awesome these fries are.

Burgers start at $7.59 with 7 different variations listed on the menu, including the Mushroom Bacon Burger, the Penny Burger (egg & bacon), and the Mexi Burger (salsa, cheddar, & jalepenos).

2 out of 5 pickles.

Kingston Brewing Company

The Kingston Brewing Company is better known around town as The Brew Pub. Founded in 1986, the Brew Pub really does brew its own beer on premises and is, without question, the most interestingly decorated establishment in Kingston. Or possibly anywhere.

The menu at the Brew Pub is pretty standard for a pub-restaurant, but with little twists on many of their items, like the UN Chicken Sandwich with swiss cheese and alfalfa sprouts, or the High Roller Special - a pound of chicken wings, accompanied by a bottle of Dom Perignon. There are 3 burger options - beef, buffalo, or lamb.

I had the Buffalo Burger, which the entertaining menu told me came from Pykeview Farms on Wolfe Island. The burger was juicy and very meaty-flavoured. Apparently buffalo has to be cooked rare or medium rare or it gets too dry, so despite my concerns of food poisoning, I ordered mine rareish, and the pink interior was a bit chewy, but not too much.

The bun was whole wheat, which I am not a fan of (clearly, if I'm ordering a bacon cheeseburger, I'm not looking to score the extra healthy point with the whole wheat bun) but it was thin enough and didn't taste too much of cardboard. The homemade dijon mustard was excellent.

I also had a taste of the lamb burger, which in this case happened to be smothered in blue cheese which was all I could taste. I can report that the lamb is very tender, and that my husband liked it very much.

Overall, this was a pretty good burger, but wasn't anything spectacular. Prices $9.65-$10.90, with toppings $0.75 extra.

3 out of 5 pickles.

Tango

Tango, located just around the corner from Market Square, is best known for its extensive tapas menu and even more extensive martini menu. I used to eat at Tango a lot, and not just because my roommate worked there and would hook me up with extra gummy worms in my martinis. Tango has some pretty great food, a funky atmosphere, and reasonable prices.

Pictured above are the Tango Burger, the Mango Burger, assorted condiments in tiny bowls, and yes, a big cup a gummy worms. The Tango Burger ($9) is a 6oz patty with all the usual toppings on a toasted square ciabatta bun. The Mango Burger ($10) is the same thing, plus some curry seasoning, provolone, and mango chutney. We went for the sweet potato fries, but you can have your choice of regular frie, greens, soup, caesar salad, or one of their menu salads for a bit extra.

Firstly, the patty. Made in house, these burgers are very well seasoned - salty, herby, and slightly spicy. I am of the opinion that the patty is the centerpiece of a burger and should be flavoured accordingly. This one fit the bill.

Secondly, the toppings: fresh veggies, nice cheese (your choice of cheddar, provolone, brie, gorgonzola, or manchego), and crispy bacon. The mango chutney on the Mango Burger is delicious but a bit on the sweet side. I only had a bite, but I felt like it would have got overwhelming after a while.

Thirdly, the bun - and here, the downfall. A round patty on a square bun leaves you with extra corners of plain bread. To what purpose? I have no idea. Maybe it's part of the funky atmosphere. Tasty bun though.

Finaly, the fries. The oh-so-addictive sweet potato fries come with curry ketchup, but ask your waitress for some aioli too, the garlic breath is totally worth it.

All in all an excellent and flavourful burger. My only complaint is the superfluous bread corner issue.

4 out of 5 pickles.

Tir Nan Og

Oh Tir Nan Og, I take back almost every bad thing I've said about you. Except maybe the kilts you make your waitresses wear. That's kinda ridiculous.

The Tir Nan Og is located on the ground floor of the very historic Prince George Hotel, which stopped being a hotel sometime after it caught fire. Remarkably, despite its building woes and repeated changes in ownership, the 'Nog has remained where it is and what it is, catering to the tourist crowd in the summer and students attempting to sing karaoke in the winter. (Yes, karaoke. Thursday nights. It's ....interesting...).

The Tir Nan Og is actually part of a chain of pubs, including Darcy McGees and Fionn MacCools, so their menu is dictated to them by higher-ups. Sometimes this leads to interesting and awesome menu items, sometimes it leads to lazy chefs. Here, it led to one fantastic burger.

This is an 8oz prime rib burger. It was well seasoned, well packed, and nicely grilled. The bun was also grilled, was soft, and held together well. The veggies were fresh. The cheese was real. The pickle slices were big and proper briney dill pickes. The onions were seasoned and lightly deep fried making them both sweet and crispy - easily picked off, but really, better left on. And yes, that is a tiny pickle on the top. The fries were big honking chips - crispy and salty outside, fluffy inside. Awesome. The whole thing was just awesome.

This adventure is not about finding the best burger in Kingston, it's about discovering what makes a great burger. This is a great burger. Take note.

$11.49, cheese, bacon, mushroon $1.25 extra. Sweet potato fries $2.99, chowder/caesar salad $1.99. They have a veggie burger too, but who cares.

5 out of 5 pickles.

Fanatics Sports Lounge

I was excited for Fanatics. My previous dining experiences there had been excellent. Their wings are great. Their Reuben Sandwich on the pretzel bread is fantastic. Their burger, however, left me a little disappointed.

Fanatics is the brain-child of Matt Day, who is the actual child of Clark Day, famed Kingston restaurateur and founder of Aquaterra Bistro at the Radisson. After Shoeless Joe's lost its liquor license one too many times, Day bought the place, gutted it, installed about 693 televisions (estimates vary), and offered up a classy version of your typical bar and pub food. And the food is - usually - very good.

The burgers are made of 8oz. of ground angus beef. In a newspaper article posted by the door, Day boasts the quality and purity of the beef, stating that there is no filler in the patties, not even salt. This, I think, is where the problem lies. Plain ground beef, especially beef as lean as this, is kinda bland. And 8oz is a whole lotta bland. The burger patties are very thick, so with every bite there is a noticeable void of flavour, which I did not care for. Also, plain lean ground beef has trouble sticking together on its own, and my burger fell apart a couple times. To be honest, it was a bit of a slog getting through the whole thing.


Fanatics offers on its menu a Naked Burger, three dressed up burgers (the Fanatic, the Mushroom Melt, and the Southwest), and their veggie option. I had the Fanatics Burger. Topped with jalepeno havarti, two strips of bacon, and an onion ring, this burger was huge. Even after I removed the onion ring (I don't like onion rings), it was still a challenge to bit into. The cheese and bacon, however, were very good and whatever the mayo-like sauce was underneath the patty, was both peculiar and delicious.

I also got to try the Southwast Burger with bacon, caramelized onions, jack & cheddar cheese, and Jack Daniels BBQ sauce. I've said it before - I'm not a fan of BBQ sauce. But, like before, I found the Jack Daniels sauce quite delicious. Maybe I should rethink my stance on BBQ sauce.

The fries were the 'dark style', as I have taken to calling it. Regular size and appearing to be over done, but they're actually rather soft, just a darker shade of brown an with an ever-so-slight taste of burnt. Sometimes, this style works. Today, not so much.

The burgers range from $7.99 to $9.99, with extra for salad or poutine substitutions. Extra toppings $1.49.

2.5 Pickles out of 5.

Stooley's Cafe

The first stop on this little adventure is Stooley's Cafe at Johnson & Division. Ever since the demise of JJ's a block to the west, Stooley's is the only off-campus eatery located within the student ghetto. While students are not the only ones who eat there, they are the target clientele and they keep the place busy.

Stooley's offers nine variations of the same beef burger, plus a salmon burger and veggie patty substitutes. All beef patties are 1/3 lb - or 5.333 oz for those of us imperial unit-challenged - which makes it kinda on the small size. Additionally, it comes on a bun that's too big and on an enormous plate that really dwarfs the whole meal. But, I waddled out of there so there must have been some optical trickery at work.


The burgers are quite good. Even the plain 'Cafe Burger' is seasoned with some kind of dry-rub marinade and everything was well cooked. The cheese was processed, which I didn't mind, and the kaiser-style bun was fluffy and held together well.

I had the Cheddar Burger, while my DH had the house favourite Western Burger, which it seems has little to do with the omelet and more to do with the geographical location. The Western Burger is topped with BBQ sauce, cheddar, bacon, and several onion rings. I'll admit, I am neither a fan of BBQ sauce nor onion rings, but this was a tasty burger.

But those of you who have been to Stooley's know that the real reason you go to Stooley's is for the fries. The thick, waffle-cut, crispy-fluffy fries, seasoned with what can best be described as chicken soup mix. Each burger is served with a small mountain of them, and if you can't finish them yourself (unlikely), the other people at your table will be happy to help.

Other burger offerings include the Italian Burger (tomato sauce and mozza), the T-U-Wanna Burger (salsa, cheddar & jalepenos), the Cajun Burger (a spicier dry-rub), the Bacon Mushroom, and the Double Western Wammy. Prices range from $7.99 to $10.99 with extra toppings for $1.25. Wednesday nights burgers are all $6.99 with the purchase of a pitcher of Steam Whistle.

3 out of 5 pickles.

And so it begins...

Finally, after much burger eating and procrastinating, I have got myself a little soapbox from which to recount my summer burger escapades. Thanks to the glorious internet, I will be able to write, muse, criticise, and extoll whatever I please to whomever happens to stumble across this little page of mine. I've never blogged before, so this will be a learning experience for me. I've also never attempted to eat quite so many hamburgers, so I'll probably learn something from that too.

For those of you who haven't heard, I'm attempting to eat all the hamburgers in downton Kingston over the course of the summer. Not every single burger, but at least one from every restaurant. As of my latest count, there are about 40. I'll comment on the burger, the fries and accompaniments, and try to give a bit of background on the establishement, but I won't comment on service, or ambiance, or choice of decor. I leave that for you to discover on your own.

I have classified the various establishments into 5 categories: Fast Food, Diners, Pubs, Restaurants, and Posh. These are somewhat arbitrary labels and are mostly for my own organizational purposes, but they do help set a level of expectation. For example, a burger from a fast food place (i.e. McDonalds) will be many things - cheap, easy to eat, pre-condimented, and greasy in that really good way. A burger from a pub (i.e. the Brew Pub) will be different things, as we would expect. Comparisons, while not necessarily fair, are unavoidable. Having some kind of classification system help level the playing field a little bit.

I'm also decided on a scoring system - Pickles. Out of 5. Feel free to voice your opinion in the comments below each post.

Happy eating.
-A