Surprise. We are dropping off materials for commencement and lucked
into the burger battle in front of the John S. Knight Center. We’ve
never been treated anything less than stellar in the place (they
really hire hospitable folks) and they have been serving lunch (or
maybe having the burger challenge) for 17 years, we had no idea.
Keith, who has been facilitating Steph’s graduation ceremony for
years, was kind enough to lead us to the goods and was even willing
to sit with us in public. He’ll do just about anything to make us
happy and comfortable.
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It’s a nice day outside so the grills and goods are out on the
sidewalk with clouds of smoky promise blowing up the streets and
attracting people from their offices. You can enjoy the sun or the
air conditioning inside, your choice. The line stayed consistently
busy the entire time we were there. Before the burgers, lets chat
about the plus. There is a set price for said burgers…$8 (today at
least). Everything is 8 bucks actually. In addition to your sandwich
(burger, chicken, pulled pork, turkey/veggie burger) there are
grilled veggies, chips, a buffet style setup of toppings and sides,
beverage, and what I am just going to refer to as the goop
extravaganza. Shrooms are sautéed earthy and the onions sweet. The
pasta and fresh fruit salad were actually excellent. My only
disappointment was passing on much of the toppings and goop. Since
we had ordered both of the challenge burgers we were going to try
them as they were intended to be. Soon, I might return to create the
“Need a Bib Burger”. Maybe it'll even be next year’s contender. What
we did try was much better than I would have expected just walking
up to the place. |
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The burgers and chips. Chips are a brand I haven’t seen before (Metro Deli) which were thick, crisp and flavored with a mix of punch and restraint. The burgers were set into nice rolls, one sourdough. Both Black Angus patties were ground to offer some texture, were well-seasoned, and grilled to a juicy interior sheathed by a crispy and crunchy crust. Nice start. The champ returning from last year is The Cowboy: Cheddar, grilled onions, bacon, lettuce, spicy mayo and bbq sauce. They’re a familiar mix for a reason. What stood out for me were the sauces, either one of which or both delivered a mildly fiery bite against the richness of the whole package. That being said, if we had remembered to vote, I would have dropped a ballot for the challenger. Crap! I should have voted it would have been nice to make a relatively easy decision between two things I liked, compared to trying to decipher which November option is least despicable and likely to bring about the end of the world. Maybe I’ll write in a burger.
Anywho, the challenger I would write in is the confidently
designated Greatest of All Time. Same patty, but this one comes
topped with tangy goat cheese, lightly bitter arugula, and a tart
and sweet cranberry & onion balsamic vinegar marmalade. Maybe less
familiar combination in some places but hits the entire flavor
spectrum available to humans. Earthy umami, rich and fresh, tangy
and sweet and bitter and nutty (Oh yeah, this is the one on the
Multigrain roll) and green and so on. That’s my vote. I would also
like to vote for another reason to be at the JSK Café on a Friday
between June and September. How do I get Super-Delegate votes?
Almost forgot. We got cookies. Super crumbly, loaded with chocolate
chunks, cranberry and peanut butter. Hard to go wrong at the JSK,
especially when Keith is looking out for you.
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Last Years Winner, The Cowboy |
Q Sauce Has A Great Kick |
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Except For The Cheese (goat) With Loads Of Tangy Awesome |
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Sweet Summer Fruit Included |
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Rich & Summery Pasta Salad Included |
I Think The Cookie Was Extra |
Ratings | |||||||
Food |
Service |
Ambiance |
What's Best |
What's Worst |
Overall |
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B | B | B+ | B+ | N/A | B+ | ||
Much |