The 15 Burgers Of Hamburger Hop

By Amy Cavanaugh in Food on Sep 29, 2012 6:00PM

$Three Aces, Matt Troost\r\n\r\nThe Ace Burger: USDA Prime chuck and sirloin mix burger, three-year aged Wisconsin cheddar, bacon jam, sliced red onion, bone marrow salt, and mixed greens tossed in lemon juice and EVOO on a salty pretzel bun.$ $John Chiakulas, Mity Nice\r\n\r\nFrench Onion Burger: USDA Prime steak burger, Swiss and mozzarella cheese, and grilled and crispy onions, on a spicy black pepper Asiago bun soaked with French onion dip.$ $Steven Lawhorn, Palmer Place\r\n\r\nThe Concord Burger: Seasoned brisket, short rib, and chuck burger, Danish Havarti, Nueskeâs Bacon, mizuna, pickle salad, and roasted red pepper arugula dressing on a toasted sesame seed potato bun.$ $Amanda Downing, Rockit Bar & Grill/Rockit Burger Bar\r\n\r\nSaltimbocca Burger: USDA Prime house blend beef burger, fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, and a caper-sage aioli on an Asiago black pepper bun.$ $Jeff Starr, Sutter Home Build a Better Burger\r\n\r\nThe Pepita Burger: USDA Prime ground chuck burger, pipian verde, Napa slaw, corn, and cotija crema on a ciabatta-style bun.$ $Dirk Flanigan, Henri/The Gage\r\n\r\nThe Grand Veneur: USDA Prime chuck burger, smoked Gouda, woodland mushrooms, pickled onions, lettuce, pickles, roasted onions, jalapeno, red wine ketchup, and mustard aioli on a brioche bun.$ $JR Luna, LUXBAR\r\n\r\n50/50 Slider: Chuck and brisket mix burger, smoky pulled roasted pork butt and shoulder, and Seedling Farms apple cider BBQ sauce on a brioche bun topped with crispy pork rind bits.$ $Yoshi Katsumura, Yoshi\'s CafÃ©\r\n\r\nWagyu Burger with Smoky Asian BBQ Sauce: Wagyu beef burger, a panko-crusted fried green tomato, pickle, Asian pear jam, Brie cheese, micro Wasabi, smoky Asian-style BBQ sauce on a poppy seed brioche bun.$ $Kevin Hickey, Allium at Four Seasons Chicago\r\n\r\nAllium Burger: USDA Prime beef burger, Dunbarton Blue, an onion ring cooked in bacon fat, homemade mayonnaise, beer mustard, and pickled mustard seeds on a house-baked bacon and onion bun.$ $Jonathan Lane, Benny\'s Chop House\r\n\r\nBennyâs Burger: Ground chuck, brisket, and short rib burger, homecured bacon, Gruyere cheese, pickled vegetables, and Ancho chile aioli on a soft potato bun.$ $Mark Rimkus, Flo & Santos\r\n\r\nFloâs Back of the Yards Burger: Ground chuck and braised pork burger, Babciaâs sauerkraut, crispy Krakus ham, cave-aged gruyere, and horseradish mustard cream sauce on a flour-dusted caraway seed potato bun.$ $Arturo Aucaquizhpi, Gene & Georgetti\r\n\r\nThe Classic G&G Burger: 100% USDA Prime burger, lettuce, American cheese, tomato, bacon, mustard, and mayonnaise on a pretzel roll.$ $Joseph Rosetti, Harry Caray\'s Italian Steakhouse\r\n\r\nHoly Cow! Dry-Aged Burger: Dry-aged ground brisket, sirloin, and short rib burger, candied bacon, Dunbarton Blue, Waldorf salad, and Harry Caray\'s steak sauce on a potato bun.$ $Clark Grant, III Forks Chicago\r\n\r\nThe Conquistador: Chuck and brisket burger, a fried quail egg, micro cilantro, avocado and jicama spread, and guajillo chile sauce on challah.$ $Ryan Kikkert, Jake Melnick\'s Corner Tap\r\n\r\nBB & Q Burger: USDA Prime beef burger, house-smoked cherrywood bacon, aged cheddar, and maple porter BBQ sauce on sesame and poppy seed bun.$

Chicago Gourmet kicked off last night with Hamburger Hop, a burger competition in which 15 chefs faced off for the People's Choice title and the Judge's title. The judges (John Besh, Besh Restaurant Group; Lin Brehmer, WXRT; Sheamus Feeley, Hillstone Group; Sue Ontiveros, Chicago Sun-Times; Nick Roach, Chicago Bears; and Keith Villa, Blue Moon Brewing Co.) selected Yoshi Katsumura of Yoshi's Cafe as the winner for his wagyu beef burger with panko-crusted fried green tomato and pickle, Asian pear jam, brie cheese, micro wasabi and smoky Asian style BBQ sauce on a poppy seed brioche bun. The People's Choice winner (and hands down favorite amongst all the food writers we talked to), was Three Aces' Matt Troost, who made a chuck and sirloin burger that was ground in-house and topped with bacon jam, three-year-old Wisconsin white cheddar, bone marrow salt, red onion, and mixed mesclun greens on a pretzel bun. Click through the slideshow to see them all.

chicago gourmet hamburger hop

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