Nation's Giant Hamburgers

Seriously, I've waited about ten years for Nation's to make their way from the Bay Area to Sacramento and I must say that I'm bursting at the seams with excitement. Having the Nation's experience at home is nostalgic for me. As a young man, visiting family in the Bay Area allowed us to partake in the rare pleasure of dining at one of the best burger joints in Northern California.

Biting into the burger was just as fantastic as I remember it! Thick slices of bacon perfectly complemented the extraordinary amount of tomato, lettuce, cheese, and Miracle Whip (not mayonnaise). This was a giant burger with giant taste!

I love that Nations serves pie and breakfast. One day I'm going overboard and ordering pancakes and a burger! I know I have said that I have already had the best burger in my life but Nation's embodies everything I love about food. It's the total package!

Mini Burger Truck

As a general rule, I don't eat food that comes off of a vehicle. But there seems to be this gourmet food truck revolution going around and I want to get on the bandwagon. Then I heard there was a food truck that serves burgers. It's no secret that I love burgers so I was overcome with excitement when I received this news!

After obsessing over it for a number of weeks, I finally decided to feed my burger beast. The Mini Burger Truck did NOT disappoint! 

Allow me to explain: you get the choice of having two or three of your typical slider mini burgers. Of those two or three, you have the choice of five kinds of burgers which includes the monthly seasonal burger (think soup of the day). The money from seasonal burger purchases is donated to a different charity monthly. Sides include fries, chips, and sweet potato TOTS (get these)!

I ordered a three pack with sweet potato tots. Of the three burgers i chose "The Cowboy" (pepperjack, bacon, bbq sauce), "The OG" (an In-N-Out type) and "Da Philly" (mushrooms, provolone, grilled onions). Wow! The burgers were cooked to perfection! Size really doesn't matter! I was amazed at the quality of the food. The Mini Burger Truck has many great days ahead. Keep up with their daily locations by following them on Twitter!

Formoli's Bistro

I've come to harbor high expectations for restaurants with the word "bistro" in their name. Formoli's Bistro is no exception. The dining room is a very nice open area but I wasn't there for ambience. I was told the Whiskey Burger is among the best in Sacramento. Obviously, I had to find out for myself.

Formoli's Whiskey Burger is pepper encrusted with a whiskey demi-glace (rich brown sauce), cheddar cheese, habanero aioli, and mixed greens on a ciabatta bun. Sounds fancy, huh? My first impression of the burger was "where's the whiskey?" A hit of whiskey flavor or a whiskey aftertaste was what I was looking for but apparently a whiskey demi-glace doesn't lend itself to have a strong whiskey flavor.

Unfortunately, my mind set as I was eating the Whiskey Burger was "is this better than Tuli's Atom Burger?" It isn't. It is delicious but plain. The quality of the meat is amazing like the Atom Burger but the Whiskey Burger has just a different fusion of flavors.

Restaurant Thir13en

Another lovely Sacramento Downtown restaurant, Restaurant Thir13en is housed within The Sterling Hotel. This restaurant is under ownership of those who also manage the outstanding Tuli Bistro so naturally I would have to stifle my excitement. Needless to say, expectations were high.

It was a beautiful day so my family and I ate outside. The ambiance was wonderful. We were served water with cucumber. It is extremely refreshing!

Obviously, their Capitol Burger was in my crosshairs. I was curious about the taste of Misami Ranch beef (chuck) which was the meat used in the burger. The time it took for our orders to arrive was a bit extensive, but in their defense we showed up during the lunch rush. When the food arrived I ravenously took my first bite. The burger was okay. It was a little too juicy. By the time I was finished there was a grease/juice puddle on my plate (ew) and the tomato was cold so it skewed the temperature of the beef. Not as good as Tuli's Atom Burger. I only use this comparison because Tuli and Thir13en are under the same ownership.

Restaurants are not perfect because they are ran by we, imperfect people. That's why I do not get upset if my meal does not come with a ribbon tied to it. I will give Restaurant Thir13en more chances because ownership is outstanding.

BLT Burger Las Vegas

In my leisure time, I made my way to Las Vegas. There was no way I was leaving the city without trying a new burger! Housed in the Mirage Hotel, BLT Burger has two other locations in New York and Hong Kong so I was very excited to eat at such an exclusive restaurant. The menu has some delicious (and unorthodox) options. I almost want to take a trip back to Vegas solely to dine at BLT. They were once featured on Martha Stewart making a burger with ground salmon. The Salmon Burger has been on my radar for a long time. Obviously too much red meat is bad. Although I love beef burgers, I am also curious about beef alternatives.

Before tasting the burger, I had the pre-concieved notion that it would be fishy. I was glad that I was wrong. I think it's the fact that the salmon was grounded it could pass so well as a beef alternative. This burger is extremely impressive and delicious.

"MMM! This is a tasty burger!!"

Dad's Kitchen

One of the first things you see when you walk into Dad's Kitchen is "Welcome Home." Although I understand the premise behind a restaurant using this phrase, it doesn't really feel like home. But it's definitely a place I'd visit... A LOT!

"Dad's" is a small, down-home kind of place. Very casual. I had my meal outside in their patio, which is beautiful on a sunny spring or summer day! The service is great. Non-chain restaurants seem to care more. It is extremely refreshing.

Take a look at what "Dad's" has to offer. Of course I came for a burger but they also have soups, sandwiches, etc. The Dad's Burger had a little Food Network stamp next to it so it caught my attention from the get-go. The Five Dot Ranch beef is crusted with bacon and bleu cheese! WOW! How innovative and impressive! The cheese and bacon enhance the already high quality of the meat. Admittantly I underestimated the burger. But that begat such a positive reaction. I was thoroughly pleased.

"MMM! This IS a tasty burger!"

Web game: Cheeseburger Supreme

Here's a fun burger flipping game in an e-mail I got from Ian. Enjoy :)

CheeseBurger Supreme from Munchie Games