We love all of the awesome foodie events in Calgary, and this year, we have a new one to join the fray! YYC Burger Battle challenges restaurants to create an epic burger and face off against the competition. This year, 54 burgers are fighting it out for burger supremacy. One of our favourite parts of these food fests is that a portion of the proceeds often goes to charity. With YYC Burger Battle, our indulgence is helping out Kids Up Front, a local charity that gives kids awesome experiences with donated event tickets, and Grow Calgary, an urban farm that promotes sustainability and healthy eating. YYC Burger Battle is on until June 4th. Check it out and vote for your favourites!
Our YYC Burger Battle adventure took us to Naina's Kitchen. Their specialty stuffed burgers win or come second in just about any burger-related competition! This was a natural place to take our cravings! Their burgers are huge, and can get a bit messy, so with extra napkins in hand, we started our journey into burger paradise.
Before we get to the burgers, another fun element of Naina's Kitchen are the outstanding poutines.... and you all know how much we love poutine! We couldn't resist trying two of their unique creations. V ordered a side of the Pizza Poutine with her burger. They say it's a 'side' - but look at the size of it! Portions definitely come generous at Naina's Kitchen. V thought this poutine was a total hit, loving the homemade pizza sauce that had a rich hint of olive oil. On top of the fries and sauce, this poutine was loaded with pepperoni, cheese, and olives. One thing missing was gravy, something P believes is essential to make a poutine a poutine. Overall, though, a solid side to any burger.
A mega giant bottle of Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce is a permanent staple in our fridge, and quite possibly P's favourite condiment - so it came to nobody's surprise that to go with his burger, P got the side of Buffalo Chicken Poutine. This one was an all-around winner. The tangy Buffalo sauce coated chicken paired extremely well with the fries, gravy, and curds. It came topped with a creamy ranch sauce that balanced the spicy Buffalo Chicken perfectly well. Even though we were stuffed by the time we saw the bottom of the bowl, we were definitely craving more! You gotta try this!
Now, let's get to why we came here in the first place - the burgers! P ordered the YYC Burger Battle special, the Canadian Sugar Rush! Why is it called the 'Canadian Sugar Rush', you ask? First off - the bun is a donut! Yeah, that's right, a sweet, indulgent, glazed donut! What was remarkable about the donut was that it was firm and kept its shape. Our server mentioned that they added some biscuit dough to the donuts to give them that firmness. Good call! The epic proportions of this masterful burger didn't stop there. The patty was stuffed to the brim with local cheese curds and Canadian back bacon. It was then dressed with Canadian cheddar, bacon bourbon jam, pickled onions, lettuce, and an amber ale relish. The ingredients came together so well, the stuffed cheese was perfectly gooey and the sweetness from the bun balanced it all perfectly. We could eat this one every day until Canada Day. An awesome burger creation so perfectly in line with Canada's 150th!
While we could have easily ordered two of the Canadian Sugar Rush for YYC Burger Week, we're too adventurous for that kind of thing, especially if it's our first time visiting a new spot. We decided to try one of their previous award winners - the Nainalicious! This one was stuffed with pulled pork, aged cheddar, caramelized onions, and a granny smith apple, for some wonderfully Southern flair. The pulled pork in the patty was delicious, and the surprise star was the granny smith apple that gave the burger a nice, fresh crunch. While it didn't have quite the same extravagance as the Canadian Sugar Rush, it was a winner in it's own right, and also a burger we would readily go back for!
V's Final Word: I have a love hate relationship with messy food. I love all food, but I don't like things messy. For me to enjoy a messy meal, the food has got to be supremely worth it. And , boom! Naina's Kitchen nailed it! Put your qualms aside, pull up your sleeves, grab some napkins and enjoy a terrific burger at Naina's Kitchen!
P's Final Word: One of the fun things about Naina's Kitchen are custom stuffed burgers and poutines. They have a list of 19 different ingredients ready for stuffing. There's a burger stuffed with pulled pork, blue cheese, pineapple, and carmelized onions that has my name on it!
Price Range: $50 for two stuffed burgers and sides upgraded to specialty 1/2 poutines
Website: http://nainaskitchen.com
Address: 121 17 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 1H3