Stella's on Sherbrook: 4/5

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Choego Burger: 3.9
- LeBurgerWeek Special
$11.95 (platter)


B & E Burger: 4.6
- Regular Menu
$14.35 (platter)

The newly renovated Stella’s at 116 Sherbrook is bright and roomy. There’s an open kitchen and interesting artworks. A plethora of personnel took turns greeting our group with sincere smiles and conversation. They’re a happy bunch and the service can’t be beat.

It was LeBurgerWeek – the greatest week of the year – and we were at Stella’s to feast on their homage to Asian/Latin/Caribbean/LA street cuisine boldly named the Choego (the best).

I had the Grass-Fed Beef Burger a few years back at Stella’s @PlugIn when the patty consisted of a collection of tasty morsels in close association, perhaps held together by some strange beefy magnetism, but not “pattyfied.” Today’s beef round took on a more traditional form but was quite a departure in flavour.

The Choego patty had good texture, not too soft and not to dense, but it was lean and dry. The seasoning was complex – cilantro, and opinions varied from caraway to thyme. The grilled ring of pineapple added some moisture. As you’d expect from Stella’s, all the ingredients were fresh and healthy, evinced with the generous pile of Arugula. Although present, neither the smear of avocado mayo nor the cheese was evident. The house baked fun was fresh, fluffy and did a great job wrapping the stack.

Photo Credit: Jeff

“It's burger week! It's burger week!” exclaimed Geoff. “I had the Stella's special entrant into the ever-expanding burger week roster. The Choego wasn't a bad burger but there were aspects that could have been improved. The Arugula had a bit of conflicting taste with the rest of the creation, but the pineapple had a good flavour and added some moisture. Overall the burger was a bit dry, meaning there was no burger detritus left on the plate afterwards - a rarity for me!”

“The burger had everything going for it, but some of the flavours did not work for me” critiqued Karen. “Perhaps it was the Arugula because I like pineapple on a burger. Overall a nice burger - good potential for the patty - but too many special ingredients made for complex flavours that didn't appeal to me.”

“Hmm … conundrum. Love the grilled pineapple and I love Arugula on a burger but something there was amiss” pondered Sandy. “Did the cinnamon change the chemistry of the pineapple? Nope, it was great on its own. I suspect the Arugula was extra peppery. A flavourful patty, albeit a little dry in spots. Love the Ally McBeal bathroom!”

Every burger is someone’s favourite, and the Choego was Maureen’s. “Not the flavour of a normal burger, but wow, absolutely delicious in its uniqueness. Burger held together really well and didn’t have to lick elbows!” Jeff liked it too: “Delicious! I was a little worried when I read the description that flavours would be too overpowering, but they worked together in perfect harmony. The bun was amazing - perhaps best I've ever had - in perfect proportion to burger and held together perfectly to the last bite.”

There were differing opinions over the Choego bun; some thought it perfectly sized to the patty, with bun and beef in every bite right to the end, but others thought it a little too ample. “Burger held together like a champ” jotted Brad. Les scribed "I like a bun you can pick up and eat! The bun held together for the whole experience so kudos for that!” The regular menu bun didn’t fare so well. Dani wrote “My burger came with a Focaccia bun. Although it was good, it didn't hold its load well and disintegrated. Decided to eat it with a knife and fork. Hopefully I won't get kicked out of burger club for introducing cutlery.”

A few people opted for the B&E Burger and enjoyed it. April exclaimed “My burger was a great choice! The B&E burger (with the addition of cheese and Avocado) was very yummy. The first half was relatively mess-free, however the second half (when the egg yolk broke) was running down my arm as I ate it.” Jacques wrote “I was curious about the combination of egg and burger and it did not disappoint. The bun was trouble from the get-go. Do not trust Focaccia buns to hold your burger. It was an eggcellent burger.”

The Planit (closed): 4.1/5

The Ultimate Burger
Score: 4.1
Platter: $14.50


Mushroom Swiss Burger
Score: 4.1
Platter: $15.00

Ashley Meilleur opened The Planit at 285 Portage Ave in August 2015 upsizing from her 12 seat Vinyl Diner in the Garrick Hotel. It’s a great location in the heart of downtown Winnipeg’s burgeoning Sports, Hospitality and Entertainment District (S.H.E.D.) The buildup of condominium high rises and nearby MTS Centre should mean plenty of Planit patrons for Ashley and partner Sandra Soares for years to come.

Our table was presided over by a painting of Ashley. She told the story of how the portrait went for auction at a fundraiser, and that she felt funny at the thought of it hanging in someone’s home so bought it herself. The second floor kitchen is shared the Creating Opportunities & Rewarding Experiences (C.O.R.E.) culinary training program that “provides skills for those transitioning from the streets back into the workforce”.  As their website proclaims, The Planit is “Proudly gay owned and operated and we are all about culture, diversity and supporting our community.” There are live entertainment events in the evenings and starting May 1, Planit will open a patio on Portage Ave.

The Planit Burger (RIP)

Interior colours are from La Bamba (and briefly Reuby's Gastropub). Diners are greeted by an upright piano soundboard leaning against the wall and a bright and cheery space. I took one bite of The Planit Burger on a previous visit and knew Burger Club had to dine here. On the day we visited there was a new menu and new chef (Ashley) with The Planit Burger replaced by two new beef offerings – The Ultimate and The Mushroom Swiss Burger. Sadly, the Brioche bun delivery didn't make it on time for Burger Club's lunch.

Sandra and server Brittany were great hosts and Ashley prepared ingredient platters so we could see and taste the individual components of our stacks. Along with the Red Thai Chicken and Rice soup, Ashley surprised us with a “cheeseburger” soup for anyone (like me) who wanted to make it all about the burger. Both soups were a large serving, hearty and delicious. “The soups are an adventure” wrote Cary. Have the soup!

The two Angus chuck beef burger assemblies are similar, but with cheddar cheese and onion rings on one, and Swiss cheese, bacon jam and mushrooms on the other. Both come with flavourful Sriracha aioli and fresh groceries. The planned Brioche would have raised Burger Club’s rating from the substitute bun.

The home-style patty was soft and airy but held together well. Dani commented “Love the flavours of the patty! All of the food had such a wonderful variety of spices and flavours.” “Great burger, nice little bit of spice” wrote Chris. Cary also had the Ultimate Burger and scribed “Burger was FRICKEN TASTY!” The fries were delicious and consensus was they had a light dusting of cinnamon.

I had the Mushroom Burger and the mushrooms were fresh, thick sliced and sautéed to perfection – the highlight of my sandwich. “The hand battered onion rings made the burger for me! OMG - so flavourful” wrote Stephanie.

Photo Credit: The Planit

The Planit also makes a vegan Earth Burger with 14 grams of protein – more than the beef offerings! April wrote “I will have to come back to get the protein-packed veggie burger. Sounds like a good pre-roller derby meal ...” Russ liked the music “Bonus points for playing Grimes the whole time.”

Deer + Almond: 4.4/5

Royale with Cheese

Score: 4.4

Platter: $10

Art meets food in the little diner on the corner of Princess and McDermot and Mandel Hitzer is the creative tour de force in the kitchen.

Photos 1-6: Mandel Hitzer

There’s only one beef burger on the menu and it doesn't have any options. The sandwich first appeared for #LeBurgerWeek 2013 as a parody of the Big Mac, complete with special sauce and three-part sesame seed bun, but eventually the troublesome middle bun disappeared and the two patties merged into one thick layer of beef. It’s the ‘Royale with Cheese’, an artistic interpretation of Pulp Fiction's Quarter Pounder with Cheese, but it's still ‘Le Big Mac’ at heart.

Mandel is a self proclaimed “burger connoisseur who has travelled the world tasting burgers to come up with the perfect recipe." He uses a selection of beef cuts and just the right amount of fat to produce the succulent and flavourful patty. “The patty should stand on its own.” Our last few Burger Club outings have had prefab patties and it was like coming home to have lovingly crafted ground round once again.

Mandel knows the importance of a good bun and Deer + Almond are almost unique in that they bake their own. Mandel looked like a proud parent when he gazed at the bun and said “Behold its pillowy soft, shiny, seedy goodness. Once you make your own you can't go back.”

"Are you ready for a burger? We're just waiting for A&W" Mandel joked. He took my camera into the kitchen and returned it with a photo essay of burger love. We preordered, and our sixteen meals came out quite quickly. Brian started cutting his burger in half and Mandel exclaimed “You're compromising the structural integrity! Holding a messy burger together is part of the experience.” There's a training video for that.

Karen critiqued “The Royale was a delicious mess of love. The bun is the first thing you bite into - it should be the very best quality - and it was! Could taste all the ingredients and the special sauce rocked my world.” A number of our group raved about the sauce – Stephanie scribbled “OMG so good! The secret special sauce made the burger.”

Most diners really enjoyed the bun, but a couple thought the fresh bread a little doughy for the patty. The processed ‘American Cheese’ was exactly what it was supposed to be on the Royale – and I enjoyed it - but one or two could have done without the direct analogy.

Chris wrote “the burger was juicy, and very nice to taste a homemade bun. I found it drippy, but the sauce was very flavourful and helped to really punch it up.” Isabel commented “Little bit of spice was nice. Liked the cheese/sauce/burger combination. Kinda tasted like a Big Mac but way mo better. Bun was tasty - liked the seeds.”

Mandel asked what could make the burger even better and the only comment was the beef resembled a ball more than a patty. It's quite thick which allows chef to leave it pink in the middle – tender and juicy, and very flavourful.

You won't find fries at Deer + Almond, but you will find gourmet soups and salads – different delicious creations every visit. The teardrop shaped soup bowl - or salad - and the sandwich were served on a large, round plate that had the effect of making the burger look small.

All in all we had a great time at Deer + Almond and Burger Club put the ‘Royale with Cheese’ in our Top 10; a 5-star burger! At only $10 including the side, it was quite a good deal for a steakhouse patty and ranked #3 in value. Deer + Almond made our Top 5 for service so very good numbers all around! Peter was a quick and attentive server, and Graham cleared the restaurant and stood on furniture to take our group photo.

Nelson inspected the facilities and noted "the bathrooms are unlabeled. Good luck determining the correct one on the first guess.” He added “They should really have a portrait of John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson on the wall.”

'The Burger': Les Brandt

Mandel found a kindred spirit in Les who wrote a poem about the burger and followed it up a few days later with a watercolour tribute.

Photo: NB