An Introductory Meat-ing

I’m not a big burger guy, at least not compared to when I was a growing teen or drunken 20-year-old and would regularly have two burger meals in one day, often from the same (usually chain) restaurant. Nowadays, I have to be in the burger mood. And while it doesn’t have to be gourmet, it has to be better than something that’s been sitting in a grease tray before being served.

So I was pleasantly surprised, on a recent in-the-burger-mood Friday, when a friend posted about their excellent experience at Meat the Bun, which boasts “locally raised… handcrafted patties” on its site. Overall, the establishment presents as your friendly neighbourhood burger joint, but the menu betrays a higher-end bent: gouda cheese, braised brisket and like five types of aioli sauces — it even has truffle-infused mushrooms and poutine.

But I went with the Uptown Downtown, mainly because of the mac ‘n’ cheese patty, (in my opinion, more things should be infused with mac ‘n’ cheese). For a side, I went with curly fries and the first milkshake (strawberry) I’ve had in years. The burger had the right amount of sauce, and altogether the meal was portioned perfectly — not too heavy, leaving just enough room for a sweet strawberry treat after finishing the fries. Why do potatoes taste better when they’re curled? We may never know, but hopefully food scientists are working on it (and the mac ‘n’ cheese thing).