Backyard Bar

For Easter this year, I decided to go a different route. Going out for Brunch instead of cooking. Trying a new place even: The Backyard Bar, the quaint little outside dining area at the Hibiscus B&B in downtown West Palm Beach.

{Plate #1, I forgot to take pictures after this!}

While there was nothing BAD about my experience, I can't say there was anything GOOD either. It all seemed, well, amateur. Late service, not enough food, 3 calls to get a reservation... Not to mention the menu lacked all of the Easter favorites I was craving: not one ham, lamb or egg in sight! I would not recommend this as a brunch spot, but I'd definitely try their happy hour and tapas menu. How can that go wrong?

Charmed I'm sure!

Remember last week, when I told you about my trip to the Burger Battle? And how it got shut down by the Fire Marshall? Well, I took note of some of the burger joints I did not get to sample, and was lucky enough to try one on Friday: Charm City Burger Company. This quaint little Deerfield burger joint has everything you want: delicious food, good prices, friendly staff,  and fast service.

It was tough deciding which burger to try, as all of them sounded so good! In the end we went with The Emperor:

{Kobe beef patty melt, sauteed mushrooms, aged Gruyere, truffles aioli}

More burger than even I can eat! Juicy, savory and delicious. I ordered it to be cooked "Right On" and it was! As my friend Caroline says: "You had me at Texas Toast." I dreamt about this burger that night, and continued to taste it on my tongue the whole next day!

 

We also tried The Cowboy Style with a Fried Egg:

{Thick cut bacon, aged cheddar, sauteed shrooms, grilled onions}

Make sure to have plenty of napkins on hand for this one! A few dribbles down the chin are a small price to pay for this juicy piece of comfort though. With a side of sweet potato fries and a cold brew, you'd think you died and went to Burger Heaven!

I thoroughly enjoyed every bit (and bite) of Charm City Burger. I can't wait to go back and try more of the menu, including those shakes! Highly recommend you try this place out yourself. It is, dare I say, Charming!

Burger Battle

Having missed out on the Rachael Ray Burger Bash at SBWFF just last month, I was thrilled to learn that a less-popular local version was coming to town. Sample 30 burgers by local burger joints? Sponsored by Blue Moon? Yes please!

Of course, testing 30 burgers is no small feat, even for this girl's appetite! I didn't even get the chance to test the limits of my stomach, because the fire Marshall shut the event down at about 8:45. Just 15 burgers in! eek! Well, although not fair, I had to cast my vote for the best burger of the night. I was torn between the Palm Beacher from Chuck Burger Joint:

{Chuck burger, Tilamook cheddar, mustardy iceberg slaw, Walt's farmhouse tomatoes and pickles on a toasted potato bun}

or the Chuck Norris Frita from Fritaman:

{Chorizo, ground beef  with steak seasoning and julienne fries topped with groundhouse kick zesty sauce}

In the end I went with Chuck burger just for proximity's sake, but it was a close race!

Too bad I didn't get to test the rest of the burgers, some of them looked fantastic!

I guess there's always next year. Hopefully, they will have it in better facility, as to keep those pesky Fire Marshalls away!

Until then....