Vancouver, BC, and Western Canada Burger Club

[snacky_cat]

Ohhh, good call on Stromin' Norman's. I saw their ad in Terminal City and didn't realise they had an actual location, given as I've only seen them at, erm, Wreck Beach (NB: I am not a nudist. I just like to drink when at the beach. Really.)

Their burgers are great, and there's always different game available depending on what's fresh. And if you eat at the "real" location, you don't have all those issues associated with eating food prepared by a naked dude. I think a hair in the food on The Drive is a lot better than a hair in food at Wreck Beach.

That being said, Wreck Beach is probably one of the best outdoor restaurants in this town. Aside from Stormin Norman, there's Nudious Foodious, purveyor of naked souvlaki and other Greek treats, the Peruvian empanada lady, the naked crepe girl, and all the cold beer you could want. I'm sure this will warrant its own thread come next summer.

For now, get thee to Stormin' Norman's!

[Vancouver Lee]

I thought I heard the resounding thud of the gauntlet being thrown down.

Good thing Lee is there to pick it up.

←

Never one to back down from a challenge, our next Burger Club will officially change to Stormin' Norman's Wild Meat Grill. Sunday October 16th at 6:30pm.

[Macha]

Just a thought for a upcoming burger gathering!

Argo Cafe at 2nd and Ontario!

I have tried tons of burger shops in Vancouver and Argo is my best find so far! For $6 you can have a fully loaded burger and fries.

Only problem is, they are closed Sunday and Mondays. So that may not work for the club, but if anybody gets the chance to swing in there, you won't be sorry.

[snacky_cat]

Never one to back down from a challenge, our next Burger Club will officially change to Stormin' Norman's Wild Meat Grill.  Sunday October 16th at 6:30pm.

←

Mamacat and I are in for Stormin' Normans.

The menu, as I don't think it's been posted yet. You can also see a lovely shot of the Wreck Beach locale at sunset. That location shuts down in October, so you've still got time to grab a musk ox burger with a side of naked flower child if you're up for the trip down and up those stairs.

[thoughtbox]

So how does this Burger Club work. Do I need to sign-up for something, pay some dues. Or do I just show up on Sunday October 16th at 6:30 and order a burger?

The reason I state that the Muskox maybe a little too much, is because I have found that the taste of "wild game" meat far different than that process raised on a farm stuffed full of chemicals beef that we eat today. And when I say far different, with the muskox or even the buffalo, you get a much much leaner, dryer, meatier taste(way meatier). I can not eat pre-fab burgers anymore, to me they taste like mush. But that is my taste.

And when we talk about meatier taste, I find the muskox is off the charts. This wild beast has survived the ice-age. How cool is that? A few butchers that I have talked too, don't eat it, too meaty they say, and I am yet to meet a person that likes the muskox burgers. I LOVE THEM. I've tried the others, and they are good too(bison, cariboo, venison etc...), but the muskox is the true beast burger.

I found this site. Never tried these particular patties, but they have some muskox history etc. Check it.

http://www.wildmuskox.com/

[thoughtbox]

One quick note. If you are thinking of hitting up Stormin Normans on Wreck beach. They are not there every sunny day, so really it is hit and miss, and the menu is not as extensive on the beach. ie, I've only seen the muskox there once, and I'm a huge wreck beacher. Usually they only have a mixed-game burger.

Nothing beats eating under cooked beast meat, naked. ;-). But if it is just the burger experience your going for, commercial is the way to go. If it is a life changing, hippie movement your looking for, that could leave you with dreadloc's, and dirty hands, then its wreck beach forsure. I suggest if you have not gone to wreck, definetly take it up(it is vancouvers dirty little secret, and it is awesome), but I would wait for next summer.

[Vancouver Lee]

So how does this Burger Club work. Do I need to sign-up for something, pay some dues. Or do I just show up on Sunday October 16th at 6:30 and order a burger?

We're pretty casual for most Burger Club outings, no advance reservations required unless the place we're visiting is small. But PM's are always welcome, nice to know how big a turn out we're going to get.

Nothing beats eating under cooked beast meat, naked. ;-).

←

Yet another interesting idea for future Burger Club outings.

[Jeffy Boy]

The Rodeo Drive In at the corner of 152nd and Hwy 10 will be closing in Feb 2006.

Owner Gerry Hayes confirmed Thursday that he's selling part of the land to the department of highways and the remainder to a private developer. "I decided to sell, I'm getting tired of it. When you're 76 years old, you don't want to make burgers until you're 100," Hayes said Thursday. The bright-orange diner has been a fixture at the corner of 152 Street and Highway 10 since about 1949, Hayes said, adding that as owner of the restaurant since 1988, he's been at the helm longest.

[mamacat]

Stormin Norman's got a huge review in the Sun's West Coast Life section today which means it may be busier than normal in there this weekend....has Norman been warned that a bunch of e-gulleters will be descending upon him?

[~cayenne~]

I was in there on the weekend, and I gave them a bit of the heads up too. Once again, the poutine, pop, service disappointed, but man oh man. Wild Muskox, the gamiest of the gamey. Delicious. Throw in the tobasco, right on that juicey undercooked meat. I'm sold.

←

That's odd, we were there on the weekend too, well actually Thanksgiving Day, so perhaps different staff? The service was great, friendly, efficient, made us feel comfortable and welcome in an unassuming way. I mean it is a casual place, but it wasn't like MickeyD's by any means. The rosemary lamb and the turkey cranberry burgers were delish, the fries and salad very generous and the SunGod Wheat Ale served up in a full pint, cold and priced right. Got to love the fresh fixin's bar, very, very impressive. Once again, got to mention the staff, they were great.

[Daddy-A]

Just waking up from a meat-induced coma ...

Started off Sunday with a porcine-overdose at Rockin' Ronnie's event at the HSG, only to remember our Burger-Club commitment at Stormin' Norman's. (I just now noticed the similarity between the two names )

I'm going to have to return when I'm not so full to really enjoy the offerings at Stormin's. But the Mixed Meat burger I shared with J (Yes, SHARED!) was really good from a meat POV. I appreciate the use of game meats, especially in light of the number of medicore burger joints that are out there. The condiment bar was unlike any other I've seen ... although the corn relish was nowhere near as good as Big Al's (Trout Lake market). Minor point, but I had to pick something!

Small room, but cozy, not crowded. Live music from "Sylvain" last night which was appreciated. Only one server who totally worked her ass off ... excellent service. Norman kept doing his own quality checks as well which I appreciate. The man really believes in what he's doing.

Good meeting all the new eGullet die hards. Thoughbox is destined to become a serious threat to Ling's eating crown, mark my words!

A.

[makanmakan]

well, i finally made it to an event and met some other food nuts!

it was great meeting you all and sharing a feast of game meat!

i had the buffalo. have to admit, i am a bit conservative when it comes to game. treading slowly. first time for the buffalo and i liked it! a lot! it was lean but moist, great flavour, topped with a huge mound of fried onions and mushrooms (can't not have those) and some swiss cheese. on the visit to the condiment station, i piled on some tomatoes, pickles, dijon, a few capers, and that yummy corn relish. fries that were good while hot, dipped in some garlic mayo. a couple of heinies and left smelling like a mixed wild meat patty!

my partner in crime had the caribou, also piled with some fried onions and swiss cheese. i had a bite and it was a bit stronger in flavour than mine but was definitely okay with it. he topped it with some tomatoes, capers, sprouts, dijon, pickles and corn relish. both burgers were done with a touch of pink in the middle and being such lean meats, kept them both moist.

have to mention the service was great. very efficient and quick. the poor server was alone and had help from the busboy and mr. stormin norman himself. no mistakes on our orders and the beers kept on coming! great music in the corner, amusing dude on his guitar.

if you haven't been to this place yet, do yourself a favour and go!!

next up, elk. gotta get to the muskox. seems like everyone else had that!

looking forward to the next one!

[Mooshmouse]

It was, indeed, an eGullet swarming at Stormin' Norman's Spirit Grill on Sunday evening and, I daresay, one of if not the best Burger Club outings to date... a bonus for all the first-timers who joined the ranks.

Having done some advance reconnaissance work with Vancouver Lee a couple of weeks prior, I knew what to expect and came with an empty stomach, ready to tackle the condiment station to end all condiment stations. Lee and I had sampled both the Ground Sirloin and the Mixed Wild Meat burgers on our first trip; of the two, my hands-down preference was for the Mixed Wild Meat burger and that's what I ordered.

Needless to say, I went a bit nuts with the toppings. Can barely remember what's on there now. Swiss cheese, sauteed mushrooms and fried onions were the hot toppings, then added lettuce, tomato, pickles, Maille dijon, relish, BBQ sauce and sriracha. The sauerkraut and capers that you see in the photo are on the side.

WARNING: EXTREME BURGER PORN ALERT!

The following photo is for mature audiences only and should not be viewed on an empty stomach. Viewer discretion is advised.

Don't say I didn't warn you. To paraphrase Normand's words, a good burger is a two-part relationship. He grills up the best burger possible and the customer is responsible for building it. True to his word, Normand grilled my well-seasoned Mixed Wild Meat burger to a perfect medium pinkness. In talking to a couple of tablemates who ordered the Muskox, the Mixed Wild Meat seemed to be a thicker, moister patty. Meat nirvana.

Me with the men of the evening: from left to right there's Sylvain (our live entertainment for the night who also happens to be a server at Stormin' Norman's), Normand Auclair and our illustrious Burger Club guru, Vancouver Lee.

The kitschy, welcoming ambiance and the staff's passion for their burgers really make Stormin' Norman's Spirit Grill what it is. Can't wait to see what you have up your sleeve for the next Burger Club sojourn, Lee... it'll be tough to top this one!

[thoughtbox]

Glad to see everybody had a great time. I've got to admit, I've never been in there when it was so busy, and I've never had such good service. Our waitress kicked. This place even suprised me. The pop, was well carbinated, and the poutine was hot. And Sylvain, I have to admit is one of my favorite entertainers in Vancouver. Ladies, I suggest a trip down to wreck beach next summer, where Sylvain has been know to play in the buff. Got to love this guy, doesn't take requests. Plays what he wants. Loved it.

My double muskox, cooked medium rare, came out more like rare. And it was over the top delicious. Keep it up Normand. I eat one of these burgers and I feel the lean wild natural protein pump through my blood. I talked to Normand about how I recommended his joint for the burger club, and my triple cheese order came out looking like quintuple cheese. Man oh man, need I say more. Then came the fixin's. I consider myself a bit of a conservative stuffer. No greens. Just thinking of those rare muskox juices, swirling around with the tobasco. Throw in that nicely toasted bun, and a meaty punch that I have not experienced in a farmed beef burger in my entire life. I'm sold. Hungry right now just thinking about it. The hot peppers, the corn relish(I'd love to try that Big Al's stuff), the red onions(although I would prefer a thicker cut). Thats it. I think I know where I'm headed after work today. ;-)

Once I polished my burger and poutine, and that ice age meat soaked into my bones, I began scouraging around like an ancient cave man, polishing the remainders off other peoples plates. ;-). Sorry, I couldn't help it.

[Daddy-A]

I talked to Normand about how I recommended his joint for the burger club, and my triple cheese order came out looking like quintuple cheese. Man oh man, need I say more.

A new-ish member, and he's already pimpin' his eGullet status!

Great report ... and since I saw it for myself, I can vouch for thoughtbox's appetite. I can't wait to get him and Ling at the same table!

A.

[Chef Metcalf]

WARNING: EXTREME BURGER PORN ALERT!

The following photo is for mature audiences only and should not be viewed on an empty stomach. Viewer discretion is advised.

Oh man, does that look good!

Burgers tonight.

[Zucchini Mama]

I had to try the musk ox burger Sunday night and was quite pleased with the flavour. Actually, I didn't find it gamey at all. (My dad used to hunt, so I've had a good sampling of wild birds and mammals.) I wish there had been a Shirz/Syrah by the glass, as my taste buds were crying out for it as a good match with the meat. P had the mixed game burger and said he liked my choice better. The buns were remarkable--malty. Wished my burger was thicker. The joint was cozy and fun, and the service was great. I really enjoyed meeting some more eGulls and their partners.

Loved the garlic mayo!

I had eaten a Whitespot hamburger at a kid's birthday party for lunch (which was anemic and less than a centimetre thick) so the contrast of the two experiences made for a trippy day.

Zuke

Edited October 19, 2005 by Zucchini Mama (log)

[Vancouver Lee]

OK folks, here's the deal. Since the calendar is quite full for the next few weeks, and with Christmas season fast approaching, we're going to have to cram one last Burger Club meeting in. I know it's short notice, but here it is:

Sunday November 20th, 5:30pm

Moderne Burger, 2507 West Broadway (at Larch).

Take note of the early start time, as Moderne closes at 8pm on Sundays.

Sorry for the short notice, but it's the best we can do.

See you there!

[Zucchini Mama]

I was surfing today and a couple menu items at Zin cought my eye:

Shabu Shabu $14

Rare Beef, Smoked Shiitake Broth,

Spicy Miso Dipping Sauce

Bison Burger $15

Double Smoked Maple Bacon, Old White Cheddar,

Heirloom Tomato Relish, Red Chili and Sea Salt Potato Chips

Anyone been to Zin lately?

Zuke

[Vancouver Lee]

Lots of no-shows tonight at Moderne....Pez and thoughtbox, where were ya? In the end it worked out alright, as the restaurant was slammed and seating was at a premium. Peppyre was the first to arrive at about 5:20 and there was a long line-up already. A sure sign of good food to come...

Before we get to the food, a few words about the decor. The room (newly renovated after the fire, I'd expect, but tonight was my first time in so that's a guess) is done in cool retro-50's teal and stainless steel, with awesome art deco accessories (like the upside-down Empire State Building light fixtures). The juke-box doesn't work (bummer...must get that fixed) but the candy-bar machine at the back also dispenses nickels, much to the delight of Mooshmouse Jr!

My burger was a Moderne Steak (i.e. beef) burger with cheddar and mushrooms. My better half ordered the Moderne Steak burger with cheddar and BBQ sauce. The burgers themselves are made by hand fresh daily, and are not frozen once made. Peter was kind enough to explain that the beef comes from Australian steers (as opposed to cows), as he feels the quality is much better than what is available locally. His burgers certainly back up that statement. Peter also told us that he never adds salt or pepper to the burger mix, just good old-fashioned meat.

The burgers are enormous - a single patty was more than I could eat. I have no idea how anyone could possibly eat a double burger. There was no pink in my burger, but it was still juicy. I had to remove the garnish from my burger (i.e. the lettuce and tomato) so I could fit it into my mouth. The toppings were lovely and fresh, including a good quantity of thick-sliced mushrooms. My only quibble was the quantity of cheddar - I thought it could have used more cheese given the size of the patty. I'll order double cheese next time. The bun was fresh and properly sized, but it was a touch chewy which made it hard to bite cleanly through the burger without everything oozing out the back.

And for anyone who doesn't think the burgers are big, wait till you see the quantity of french fries that come with the burger platter. There were enough fries to satisfy three people on each platter, I kid you not. And what excellent fries they are. Peter told us they are fresh cut - literally. They don't cut up the potato until you order. It doesn't get any fresher than that, and the taste is wonderful.

Finally, the flipside of the menu covers the liquid refreshments available here. Moderne makes their own sodas, among them orange cream and cherry lime flavours. They are fabulous. I didn't sample the cherry lime, but the orange cream soda tasted exactly like a Creamsicle ice cream bar - sweet orange flavour up front and a lingering vanilla flavour on the finish. Yum. Several milkshakes were sampled by our dining party as well, no doubt they will be raved about in subsequent posts.

So in short, Moderne Burger has the complete package. Big flavourful burgers with terrific fries, and a range of excellent sodas to go with them. Awesome. No wonder the line-up is so long!

[Daddy-A]

Honestly, I would have rather been down at Moderne with you guys. But a family dinner beckoned and I, being the good cousin, answered the call.

However, I did a little recon work for the club on Friday ...

Burgers, Etc. on Hastings @ Gilmore in North Burnaby. AWESOME burger, cooked medium well and served with cheddar and mushrooms. Terrific flavour with a nice amount of messiness to it. Fries were good but not great. Washed down with a pretty good chocolate shake ... it needed a little more chocolate syrup IMO, but the quantity was good ... real ice cream etc.

They also serve pulled pork and smoked brisket for the burger-shy. Needless to say, vegetarians should stay away.

There's also a plasma screen for Canucks games ... now that the Lions are done

Only downside ... not open on Sundays. Still, worth adding to the Must Visit list.

A.

[Vancouver Lee]

←

Now THAT'S a good amount of cheese.....!

Looks like we'll be making a pilgrimage to Burnaby soon...

[makanmakan]

good to hear of the moderne success!

after reading arne's post about burgers etc., told my other half about it and as he works close by, he decided to go for lunch. happy to report back that there's another huge thumbs up! he had a burger with swiss and shrooms. in his words "very good burger, moist, juicy(lots-o-drippings) nice toppings, great kaiser- slightly crusty". someone had the sampler platter and said it was good. he tried the sausage...said it rocked, nicely spicey with a slow burn.

i think i need to go to diner for a burger fix now

[jamiemaw]

Hello Burger Clubistes,

I was visiting the Cactus Club Test Kitchen today and had the good fortune to sample their new hybrid marque, the Turbo HQZ, now undergoing consumer evaluation before chain-wide roll-out. As some of you may know, the Broadway and Ash CC is where new menu items are tested for the chain; occasionally you might even have your meal comped in exchange for filling out an evaluation card.

The hamburger comes from ther skilled hands of CC Executive Chef Julian Bond; the provenance of each ingredient is impressive - especially the fresh ground chuck with 25% FC - and instead of a too-thick slabette of distracting fillers, this was just right for the gaping maw.

I'll be interested in your remarks.

Jamie

[Vancouver Lee]

Hello Burger Clubistes,

I was visiting the Cactus Club Test Kitchen today and had the good fortune to sample their new hybrid marque, the Turbo HQZ, now undergoing consumer evaluation before chain-wide roll-out. As some of you may know, the Broadway and Ash CC is where new menu items are tested for the chain; occasionally you might even have your meal comped in exchange for filling out an evaluation card. 

The hamburger comes from ther skilled hands of CC Executive Chef Julian Bond; the provenance of each ingredient is impressive - especially the fresh ground chuck with 25% FC - and instead of a too-thick slabette of distracting fillers, this was just right for the gaping maw.

I'll be interested in your remarks. 

Jamie

←

I live just around the corner, and my wife and I stop in there frequently for a bite and a drink.....this is very good news indeed. :-)

Is this new burger on the menu at this location now?