I picked out 3 burgers I'd like to try while I was standing in line. Alexis and Riz also were partaking as Nina and Jess were there to offer eating encouragement! My first burger was prepared by Jacs Dining & Tap House which I've never heard of. The Brewbarb burger was a grilled beef burger topped with bacon, pickled rhubarb, caramelized onions and creamy havarti served on focaccia with a Picnic Ants beer from O'So brewery on the side. It looks a little something like this (not I am still dry, it started to pour right after this!)
It was an excellent burger. Well-made for sure. The pickled rhubarb was scary but they didn't put all that much on there so instead of being overwhelmed it was complimentary of everything else. Interesting for sure. I'd order this burger. The Picnic Ants beer is not for everyone and while I liked it at first it got a bit overwhelming by the end (which is usually the opposite.)
Alexis went for The Local Legend burger at Lombardinos. It was a lamb burger patty with a gently fried quail egg, smoked bacon aioli with lettuce and onion. It was her favorite burger as well, but I didn't try it.
The Riz optioned for the Willy Street Co-Op Bellaburger. The blend of beef and italian sausage had Riz declaring this one of the best burgers he had on this afternoon. It was rounded out with sun-dried tomatoes, green olives, red onion and roasted garlic, topped with frest mozarella and tomato relish. My bite was decent as well.
Riz upped the pace (it started to rain and he wasn't willing to let the rain clear like the rest of us, although it never cleared that afternoon) and went for burger #2. It was Fresco's Bad to the Bone Burger and it left us all confused. The description was a beef burger topped with bone marrow caramelized onions, a black truffle aioli and local radish. Bone marrow caramelized onions, what the heck does that mean? Riz things it means delicious as he also thought this was among the best. "The awesome truffle aioli came through really well." My bite was excellent as well!
I finally went and braved the rain for the burger I've been waiting for. L'Etoile's Seasonal Spud burger was on tap for me. Grilled beef with Petit Frere cheese, Walla Walla onions, bacon, hashed brown potatoes and rhubarb mayo. Weird. This burger did not disappoint in the least in fact it was far and away the best burger I've had in the two years at this festival. The rhubarb mayo didn't add much but the patty/cheese combination was among the best I've ever had. The hashed brown potatoes added a great flavor as well and you can't go wrong with bacon even though the bacon took a back seat to the patty and cheese.
Worthy of a second shot to show how wet I was but how delicious the burger is!
Riz got right back on the horse to try the Jalepeno Blend burger at Tornado Steakhouse. Jalepenos were blended into the beef/pork mixture when grinding it and then it was cooked and topped with whipped feta cheese. A couple of us were questioning Riz on if he liked Feta or not and clearly he mixed it up with something else because he hated the feta. Not sure what his thoughts on the patty were but I got to eat half of this burger and I thought the meat grind was outstanding. I would've prefered a bleu cheese to the whipped feta but overall I really liked this burger. 
Here's a closeup of the whipped feta. 
I finally went and braved the rain for the burger I've been waiting for. L'Etoile's Seasonal Spud burger was on tap for me. Grilled beef with Petit Frere cheese, Walla Walla onions, bacon, hashed brown potatoes and rhubarb mayo. Weird. This burger did not disappoint in the least in fact it was far and away the best burger I've had in the two years at this festival. The rhubarb mayo didn't add much but the patty/cheese combination was among the best I've ever had. The hashed brown potatoes added a great flavor as well and you can't go wrong with bacon even though the bacon took a back seat to the patty and cheese.Worthy of a second shot to show how wet I was but how delicious the burger is!Riz got right back on the horse to try the Jalepeno Blend burger at Tornado Steakhouse. Jalepenos were blended into the beef/pork mixture when grinding it and then it was cooked and topped with whipped feta cheese. A couple of us were questioning Riz on if he liked Feta or not and clearly he mixed it up with something else because he hated the feta. Not sure what his thoughts on the patty were but I got to eat half of this burger and I thought the meat grind was outstanding. I would've prefered a bleu cheese to the whipped feta but overall I really liked this burger. Here's a closeup of the whipped feta. My last burger was supposed to be Sardine's Big Ed's Summer Marmalade Burger. You can tell Dane County is famous for rhubarb as this one has a sweet onion and rhubarb marmalade on it along with bacon, arugula, cheese, mustard and aioli. I opted away from the IPA that was served with this. This was my least favorite burger of the bunch. Not to say it was bad, it was actually good, which means the 2010 event was a success! Three burgers all with rhubarb makes me laugh a little. This one had a strong mustard flavor which kind of took away from everything else this burger could offer. The Rye Bob beer from Grumpy Troll was decent but pretty typical.
I can't remember which burger Alexis has 2nd (I believe it was the one from L'Etoile as well) but we both ended up having an Alchemy Cafe Tin Shack Smokehouse burger. I found a burger coupon on the ground so I got a bonus 4th burger and was pretty excited. I originally went to get an extra burger from L'Etoile (it was so awesome) but while I was getting poured on in the extra-long line I saw that Alchemy was serving bison burgers from North Star Bison. North Star Bison is from Rice Lake, WI, or where I grew up, so I figured that was sign for me to give it a shot. The grilled bison burger was pretty typically topped with caramelized onions, bacon, spinach, white cheddar and a herb aioli. I was also excited to get a Smokin' Hemp porter as advertised but they were serving an IPA with it, so I passed and used my last beer coupon on ice cream. Back to the burger, it was excellent! The lean bison was still plenty juicy and the cheddar was aged perfectly! Loved it, probably the second best burger of the day. Alexis liked hers as well!
I can't remember which burger Alexis has 2nd (I believe it was the one from L'Etoile as well) but we both ended up having an Alchemy Cafe Tin Shack Smokehouse burger. I found a burger coupon on the ground so I got a bonus 4th burger and was pretty excited. I originally went to get an extra burger from L'Etoile (it was so awesome) but while I was getting poured on in the extra-long line I saw that Alchemy was serving bison burgers from North Star Bison. North Star Bison is from Rice Lake, WI, or where I grew up, so I figured that was sign for me to give it a shot. The grilled bison burger was pretty typically topped with caramelized onions, bacon, spinach, white cheddar and a herb aioli. I was also excited to get a Smokin' Hemp porter as advertised but they were serving an IPA with it, so I passed and used my last beer coupon on ice cream. Back to the burger, it was excellent! The lean bison was still plenty juicy and the cheddar was aged perfectly! Loved it, probably the second best burger of the day. Alexis liked hers as well!Burgerwise this was the best yet and I'll certainly be back next year to compare! Although the weather could've been nicer, it created for some fun memories! We rushed back to the car, soaked and headed home to comfy clothes and some NetFlix! Not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon!
The other finalists include: 
2007 Winner, 
2007 Co-Winner, 
Now on to the rest.
5. Deluca’s, Pittsburgh, PA - Best traditional breakfast I've ever had. I am not a huge breakfast guy but I do enjoy a good one when I can!
6. Iron Barley, St Louis, MO - The prime rib was good (especially the burnt ends) but the pork was just ok. 
7. Al’s Italian Beef, Chicago, IL (some friends we are making Kyle stand-up to eat after he ran 16 miles and numerous obstacles, oh well!) Food was decent, pricey and selection was lame. 
Dotty's still is the best food in Madison, hands-down. Can't get any better than a melting pot burger and cheese curds.
The Great Dane Brew Pub had a BBQ Chipotle Meatloaf grinder for a limited time. I really wish they'd bring it back, it was one of the best food items in town. Meatloaf smothered in cheese and jalepeno mashed potoatoes with fried onion straws and chipotle BBQ sauce on a toasted roll? Awesome! 
The second best thing I had at a Brew Pub was at the Dillon Dam Brewery. The smothered chicken plate hit the spot on a trip filled with burritos, pizza, burgers and nachos. A little spinach for some Popeye power! It's even Kyle approved.
Declining restaurants: Subway, Checkers, Arbys, Tim Hortons 
Rising restaurants: McDonalds, Nitty Gritty, Taco Bell, BW3
Madison got ripped off. We got a Five Guys burgers. Very ordinary and you almost pay restaurant prices for counter service. Colorado has Smashburger. Imagine being able to drive thru and getting a burger better than anything in Madison that isn't Dotty's. Smashburger is the ticket!
We went on a cruise in February but I have no way of classifing cruise food into my best of 2009. That being said, I loved most of the cruise food, drinks and desserts and can't wait to go back again as soon as we are able! Here is a typical Carnival Cruise meal. 
Best food in Bedford: For 4 weeks of my 2009 I ate every meal in a restaurant in and around Bedford, PA. And many of those were eaten at the Green Harvest and Jean Bonnet. Which by the way are both awesome! Green Harvest was on pace to be a contendor for food of the year but I burned out on it. The best in Bedford is actually 10 miles north at a place called Slick's Ivy Stone. Home cooking! You get dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls with frosting to start. Then the world's largest soup bowl. Then a home cooked meal (the photo is from chicken and waffle night) but I prefered steak and waffle night even better. Finish it off with some of the best pie I've ever had (Bumbleberry) and it was easy to get to sleep that night! :)
You simply have not lived until you take a trip to Daylight Donuts in Breckenridge. Who knew there were locals in Breck? This is where they have breakfast. Reasonable pricing and a local atmosphere puts a little spin on your vacation. Very nice!
While coffee could be a blog post altogether, no post would be complete without talking about the Black and Gold Latte. The Pittsburgh Mayorga Coffee Roasters in the airport was my go-to spot for coffee on 7 of the 8 legs I was in Pittsburgh (I didn't know about it on my way in the first time.) By about my 4th stop the girl that worked there knew my order. By the 6th stop she knew my name even. Pretty cool for an airport coffee shop. And the coffee? The black meant dark chocolate and the gold meant caramel. The black and gold represents Steelers fandom. Or deliciousness! 
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