Where's the Beef?!

Vegans and Chick-fil-a cows beware. The following post is dedicated to beef.

Burgers.

It doesn't get much more American than that. From diners to drive-ins, "hole in the wall" to national chains - burgers have become more than just a cheap, greasy feast. Restaurants across the country have stepped up their game when it comes to the classic meal using gourmet preparation and insane toppings. 

If you've been paying attention, with both your eyes and taste buds, then you've noticed the burger scene here in Charlotte is on the rise. Earlier this year, rantlifestyle.com posted a list of the top 10 burgers/places to get a burger in Charlotte. (You can see the list here.)  I didn't exactly agree with the entire list, but I felt this summer was the perfect opportunity to check out a few spots mentioned and do a quick Burger Tour! 

Ok, time for you to get comfortable. I ate a lot of burgers this summer and I've got a lot to say about them. Below are the top 6 from the summer (in no particular order... because they were all delicious!) Also, I highly recommend you giving these places a visit if you've never been.

1. "Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger": BT's Burger Joint
This place was a hidden gem for quite some time. For a while, the only location was in the Rivergate Shopping Center over in the Steele Creek area. The first time Asha and I tried it, we realized this place knew how to cook up a good burger. Well, only by the wonderful grace of God, there's now a location in south Charlotte AND in Indian Trail. And we just happen to live right in between them.
The menu is full of tasty options including burgers, hot dogs, salads and really, really good milkshakes. My spotlight burger there is the Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger. Pretzel buns have had a rise in popularity recently, and when you add cheddar cheese, honey mustard, bacon (which makes everything better), and a perfectly grilled beef pattie... you've got yourself a delicious burger. I usually judge a restaurant's burger quality on their bacon cheeseburger. It's pretty standard and BT's makes a great one.

2. "Thundering Herd Bison Burger": CowFish Sushi Burger Bar
One of the more unique restaurants in Charlotte, CowFish boasts an awesome "surf 'n turf" menu jam-packed with sushi and burger options.
Now when it comes to burgers, I'm usually pretty simple. I don't need a ton of extra stuff on my burger. So needless to say, once I read the toppings on this one, I got a little nervous. This half-pound chipotle bison burger is topped with sharp white cheddar cheese, avocado salsa, lettuce, chipotle aioli, and red onion. My tastebuds danced in delight once I finally took my first bite. This was probably the most flavorful burger I ate all summer. That chipotle aioli and avocado salsa… perfection. This burger was well worth the price!

3. "Boogan's Bacon Burger": Cowbell Burger & Whiskey Bar
I vote that this place needs more exposure. Tucked away in uptown Charlotte, this cozy bar is decorated with tons of music related portraits and keeps music videos and sports on the TVs. So when a place has a great staff and a fun atmosphere, of COURSE there's an awesome menu to match. Items like "The Sinatra", "Lisa Marie", "Kitchen Sink" and "Atomic Punk", this menu will leave you very indecisive and wanting to try everything! But alas, I was there for the burgers, and my choice - the Boogan's Bacon Burger. A delicious beef patty topped with bacon strips, bacon marmalade, and roasted garlic aioli all hugged by a tasty onion kaiser roll. But what could make this delicious burger even better? A top notch side! I'm just gonna throw this out there - Cowbell has the best sweet potato tots ever. I'm not even a big fan of sweet potato fries and I murdered these suckers. So if anything, get to Cowbell just for the tots!

4. "The Pig Burger": The Liberty
I'm excited to talk about this burger. The "Thundering Herd Bison Burger" from CowFish may have been the most flavorful burger I had, but the "Pig Burger" from The Liberty was definitely the most unique. But first, let's talk about this place. Located in the heart of South End, The Liberty has a local feel... until you check out everything offered. With menu items like "Carolina Crab Cake Salad", "Organic House-made Veggie Burger", and "Niman Ranch Colorado Lamb Burger", you can tell there are some professional chefs in the kitchen. Plus, the Liberty boasts a nationally renowned beer selection and 30 wines by the glass. Ok, back to the burger. So I continue to have a personal debate - beef vs pork. Which do my taste buds prefer? As soon as I begin leaning toward beef, I eat a magically delicious slice of maple bacon and I'm right back over to pork. Insert the Pig Burger. A beef and pork mixed patty that seriously tasted like... wait for it... it tasted like I was eating beef and pork at the same time! The burger became more and more interesting with each bite. I really liked this burger and wish I could go back and try it again, however, it seems to no longer be on the menu. So, sorry you missed out if you wanted to taste the Pig Burger after reading this. You should still check out The Liberty if you haven't been though!

5. "Bacon Cheese Burger on Steroids": Bad Daddy's Burger Bar
If you live in Charlotte, NC, and specifically the Ballantyne area, then there's a good chance you've already made a visit to Bad Daddy's. If you haven't been by yet,  what are you waiting for? Be sure to go hungry! One of my favorites on the menu - the "heart attack" burger aka the "Bacon Cheeseburger on Steroids." The name alone lets you know you're in for quite a burger. So of course you have a perfectly cooked, all beef patty with Monterey Jack cheese, lettuce, tomato all on a tasty bun. But the "steroid" part of this burger…

• bacon salt
• housemade bacon mayo
• 3 strips of applewood smoked bacon
• 3 pieces of jalapeño bacon

As you can see, no shortage of bacon on this one. 6 strips is the perfect amount! A very meat-tastic burger with a nice kick of heat from the jalapeño bacon. Deeeeeeeeeelicious!

6. "Bacon Cheesy Sliders": Burger 21
Burger 21 was one of the spots visited this summer that wasn't on the original list of restaurants, however, I can tell you from plenty of experience, you NEED to check this place out! The Ballantyne location has been open for maybe a year or two and it's popularity is growing with each passing month. Not only are they serving great burgers, but they also deliver top notch seafood burgers, turkey burgers, chicken tenders, gourmet hot dogs, and hand-spun milkshakes and floats. One of the best features of this place is the numerous amount of sauces to choose from! With standard condiments like ketchup and mustard, to some really tasty treats like marshmallow, chipotle mayo, and my favorite, ragin' cajun! Another great thing about this place are the weekly meal deals. On Thursdays, you can get a 2-pack of sliders and fries for $4.99. It's perfect, and that's why it's my highlighted burger. Little mini burger patties with slices of applewood smoked bacon, lettuce and tomato all on a sweet Hawaiian roll. Mini perfection.

Sorry, no pic of a burger here...just one of my lovely wife!

So there you have it. My 2014 Burger Tour was fun, fattening, and very delicious. I know there are PLENTY of other great burger spots in the area, so if you have any suggestions, please send 'em my way! And if you try any of these places, let me know what you think! 

Summer Nights

Outdoor concerts, gardening, handmade popsicles and a new pair of chucks are just a few great things that have happened this summer. If I blogged about each individual thing, I'd never catch up on the blogging I've fallen behind on. So how do we fix it? Combine it all into one! The summer of 2014 has been quite the ride. Here's a glimpse of what went down.

MONUMENTOUR.
I don't know what it is, but my college roommate/best friend, Chelsea, always brings out the punk rock in me. We surrounded ourselves by young kids and rocked out to Fall Out Boy on a humid July night. We've been obsessed with their last album, Save Rock and Roll, for the past year or so taking the plunge and joining teens swooning over Patrick Stump and Pete Wentz. Paramore started off the show and we ended the night singing old and new songs from the band we fell in love with in college.

Where's the beef?
Jeremy and I came across a list of the best burgers in Charlotte and we've been happily eating our way around the Queen City ever since. Stay tuned for a blog from Jeremy coming your way. Here's a sneak peak of the goodness that has entered our bellies.

Keep Pounding.
It's not summer without the Panther's Fan Fest. We enjoyed seeing the new additions to the stadium and the start of training camp for our beloved Panthers. Can you believe it's been 20 years since we've joined the NFL?! We ended the night with the best fireworks and light show around. Not kidding...it was pretty amazing.

Life in Chucks.
I don't know what it was about this summer but I was a chucks fanatic. I was happy to add a new pair of fresh, white kicks to my collection.

King of Pops.
Another new obsession. You guys, these are the BEST popsicles around. All-natural handmade pops made from local produce and dairy have entered my life and there is no going back. Chocolate Sea Salt, raspberry lime and watermelon mojito are some of the flavors I've fallen head over heals for. I mean, COME ON. It just doesn't get better than that. You better believe I break into my happy dance when I see that their cart is near.

Tomato, Tamato.
After many failed attempts at growing my tomato plant, I finally succeeded! After drowning the poor thing twice, I finally got some buds, sprouts and a good old fashioned red tomato. I was a little worried when our first three had rotted on the bottom but have no fear, the fourth one that appeared was a beauty! Couldn't be happier! Next year, I'll at least know the Do's and Dont's of Gardening 101.

Summer of YES.
My favorite, Jason Mraz, has done it again. He has released another amazing album that is nothing but love to my ears. While watching his new music video, I noticed that we had the same shower curtain. Totally only a thing I would notice but I had to recreate the moment. I mean....who wouldn't?

Matt Nathanson & Gavin DeGraw Summer Tour.
Elyse, Rachel and I enjoyed a night of good music, food and pops under the stars. Matt Nathanson had us laughing throughout his entire set and Gavin DeGraw had us singing those familiar tunes from those One Tree Hill days. We also got to meet Matt after the show! Such a sweet guy!

Movie Reel.
Jeremy and I are suckers for a good movie. Let's Be Cops had us laughing for two hours straight, TMNT had us craving pizza afterwards and Guardians of the Galaxy was surprisingly awesome.

Oddball Comedy Fest.
A collection of comedians featuring Hannibal Buress and Aziz Ansari kept us laughing throughout the night. Aziz is now a new favorite in the Singleton household.

The Gospel Tour.
I relived those college days once again when Chelsea asked me to go to the Panic! at the Disco show. As we were waiting for Panic to start the show, we had the best time scrolling through old photos from the last time we saw them together back in 2006.

Throwback to 2006!

Native Summer Tour.
The last show of the summer season belonged to Jamie Scott, The Script and One Republic. I joined Elyse and Rachel once again as we brought the blankets out and sat below the stars listening to the upbeat sounds of Ryan Tedder. I'll miss these care free summer nights of pops and chucks but will happily welcome the cooler breeze and fall television shows once September rolls around. Summer 2014 has been a good one...a summer I won't forget.

Walking Back in Time

It's been quite some time since we've all been in History class but it was time for a pop quiz as we traveled back in time to Colonial Williamsburg. We walked the grounds with our fancy Citizen Passports which could get us into our own personal tours of the town.

We started our self-guided tour on the outskirts of town where most of the common people lived. Imagine how large your house would be if you had to build it yourself. We got a first hand look on how colonist constructed their homes using simple tools and their bare hands. Local produce was grown in the back yard, refrigerated food was kept beneath the ground and fresh meat was hung in the smokehouse for dinner that night. We decided we didn't want to be poor anymore and headed to be with the rich folk at the Governor's Palace.

We walked up to a commotion in the courtyard where the townspeople were gathered arguing the latest takeaway of gunpowder. It was hard not to chuckle at the actors who tried to talk to us, wondering how we felt about the situation and if we were in such the tizzy they were in. The crowd dispersed and we took a tour of the Governor's Palace & Gardens where we learned how the wealthy lived, dressed and ate during the 1700s.

We continued to walk the cobblestone streets that were filled with market square taverns, shoemakers, and little shops where we could purchase souvenirs.  Eventually, we came upon the Capital where we sat in the courtroom and toured the round table that our forefathers once sat. The tour ended just in time for us to hear the Declaration of Independence being read aloud to the townspeople (that was us). And when I say he read the Declaration of Independence....he read the ENTIRE thing. That was enough for us to realize we were hungry as we left the past and gained our technology back. Our appetites were satisfied as we ate at the College Delly, across the street from William & Mary college. We tiredly called it a day as we headed back home from a fun and adventurous weekend with close friends. It was certainly a trip we won't forget!