This past weekend I attended the Ex - which to you non Torontoites is the Canadian National Exhibition - and pretty much gorged myself on disgusting and unhealthy food. At the very top of that list was the Luther Burger - otherwise known as the infamous Krispy Kreme doughnut burger. This culinary delight consists of two (2!) Krispy Kreme doughnuts, a burger patty, American cheese, a slice of tomato and a piece of ice burg lettuce. You can add on to the burger with a couple slices of bacon and a fried egg.
This is a burger of legend. Something seen only on the Paula Deen tv show or written about in foodie books as the kind of food you would ever allow touch your discernible palate. It is, after all, the lowest of the low brow foods. But nevertheless, it arrived in Toronto. And it has made a splash unlike anything I've seen at the fair before. Even the much talked about chocolate covered bacon from a few years ago didn't get this much attention. A whole burger stand was created in the food building just for this mouth watering morsel of a sandwich.
And I had one.
In fact - since I went to the fair twice, I actually had one and a half.
And I am claiming here and now - as a man who has eaten his fair share of burgers in an attempt to find the perfect burger - that this was the best burger I've ever eaten. There is something about the otherworldly sweetness of the doughnuts combined with the super salty mixture of the beef and the bacon that just makes it sublime. Added onto that is the way the cheese melts so perfectly into the meat and is slowly absorbed by the doughnut - perfection.
But you see, in order to have a perfect burger. You need to have really good meat. And they deliver. This is some of the highest quality beef I've ever had at a fair. It is rich, but not too rich. Meaty. An amazing taste. Cooked to that perfect state. It kind of melts in your mouth as you take a bite. They really did not cut any corners in regards to the meat. This is not MacDonald's quality beef - no, it's gourmet grade beef. The stuff a burger foodie, like myself, dreams about.
And - call me crazy here - I actually think the use of ice berg lettuce is amazing here. It has this crunch that is just whoa! You bite in and as your teeth passes through that first layer of sweet from the doughnut it slams into the crunch of the lettuce and your whole mouth explodes - it adds to the flavor, it cleans your palate and your taste buds, getting them ready for the meat. And just as your are recovering, you encounter that rich deep taste of the tomato. Then the beef. And just as your mouth is in overdrive from all these different tastes sensations, you hit the sweet again.
Seriously... it is without a doubt, the best burger I ever ate.
I even included a picture! I took it myself, seconds before my first bite.
