Burger
Week 2016 is still six months away, but San Francisco’s appetite for burgers
cannot be confined to a small parcel of days. With beef under pressure from
water conservationists, the new “it” burgers in town defy the drought by
skipping the beef entirely. Let’s call them alterna-burgers (veggie burgers are
so 1989) for they are as varied and
modern as they are delicious.
The
Beet Burger from Seed & Salt
Neighborhood: The Marina
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| Seed + Salt's beet burger, photo credit Aubrie Pick |
A hearty mix of roasted beets, Puy lentils
and mushrooms is layered with pimentón and smoked sea salt, this burger packs
in the nutrients and the flavor. Add strips of eggplant “bacon” and layers of
umami flavor come thundering across your palate. Even better, choose a whole grain bun, gluten-free bread or collard
greens, then attempt to eat this big boy with one hand. It is a feat worth undertaking.
Grits and Egg Sandwich from 4505 Meats
Neighborhood: Alamo Square
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| Grits & egg sandwich from 4505 Meats |
A barbecue joint is not the place most
vegheads would pick as most likely to offer a killer burger, but the egg and
grits sandwich from 4505 Meats Divisadero outpost redefines the simple power of
these two breakfast staples. Coarse-ground grits and an over-easy egg act as
the foundation for a mess of flavorful additions. Scallions, melted Pecorino
and a dab of melted foie gras torchon (definitely not veg), all perched atop a sesame seed bun, push this burger into
a new realm of savory goodness. This burger redefines barbecue for the 21st
century.
Escargot Slider from Bisou Bistronomy
Neighborhood: Castro
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| Eascargot slider at Bisou Bistronomy |
Everyday French meets every day American in
this cross-continental hybrid. Chef Nick Ronan stays true to the original
Burgundian escargot dish he serves – lots of parsley and garlic-laced aioli -
then took it to a new place with Guindilla chiles and a sherry vinegar
reduction. At first bite, the flavor is
at once intimately familiar and richly satisfying with just a soupçon of
thrilling unfamiliarity. Who knew (besides the French) that escargot could be
this good?
Labels: gluten-free burgers, meatless burgers, san francisco burgers, vegan burgers, vegetarian burgers, veggie burgers
