Game Changer Burger from Sea Dog Brewing Company – Orlando, Fla.

Sept. 2013

I hate admitting I like blueberry beer. My first attempt at this interesting concoction occurred in the summer of 2011, and I definitely had second guesses when I saw actual blueberries at the bottom of my frosty mug. The final result, though, certainly exceeded my expectations.

Sea Dog Blue Paw quickly crept up my list of favorite adult beverages, making its way near the bottom of my top 10. So when Sea Dog Brewing Company opened up a restaurant near the attractions in Orlando, Jess and I made it a point to try it out.

It may be located right off I-4, yet it is not the easiest to find once a restaurant-goer exits the highway. We eventually parked and walked to Sea Dog’s doors where three valet workers stood outside waiting for cars to pull up. By the looks on their faces, they were clearly not making any money tonight, and they kept eyeing the life-sized Connect Four game on the sidewalk due to their extreme boredom.

Once inside, everyone was very friendly and a live acoustic singer was proudly belting out random tunes to a small crowd. I opened up a menu and saw this fascinating item:

“Our 100% ground beef, bison and venison dusted with smoked paprika and chili powder, topped with Sea Dog blueberry BBQ sauce, bacon, and boursin cheese.”

Now, I am concerned with the fact it used an Oxford comma at the end of the description but not at the beginning. Anyway, behold the Game Changer Burger. I questioned the waitress about the legalities of serving venison since I had not seen it on a menu in forever, and she did not seem to know in some states it is illegal to serve it. So maybe it was ok since it was combined with other meats.

My feelings were so strong at diving into such a beast. This really had potential to be one of the best burgers in my lifetime. When it arrived, I wasted little time at getting messy. The sauce and cheese fluttered down my hand and on to resting tater tots below.

The burger was certainly scrumptious. I ordered it medium, and should have asked for it medium-rare knowing that venison and bison is a leaner meat compared to ground beef. So the burger ended up not being very juicy, which was a disappointment. The bacon, sauce and cheese would help to hide this a little bit, but I am starting to not enjoy bacon on a burger. If there is too much or if the bacon has a strong texture, it takes away from the flavor of the meat itself. I really hope I change my attitude, though.

I do want to return and try the Game Changer without bacon and served up medium-rare. I also would love to have this set up next to a couple of other burgers in Orlando to get a better sense of who has the best in town.

SBK Burger from Cavallari Gourmet

April 15, 2012

It serves as a place where food dreams come true. A simple little meat market situated within a quaint shopping center, Cavallari Gourmet forces jaws to drop the moment first-time visitors open its doors. Tasty free samples immediately greet your eyeballs, and then of course the stomach. Glancing to the left, Cavallari features an intense selection of domestic and imported beer, a deli with Boar’s Head products and a wide variety of cheeses as well as spices. Straight ahead brings out the sommelier in any visitor, as wine from across the world spreads out in elegant displays.

The real action, however, takes place to the right of the establishment, which brings this blog to the next sandwich. Filling up the length of the wall, Cavallari’s meat presentation is out of control. From stuffed chicken to steaks and premade burgers to kabobs, everything is available – even side dishes such as twice-baked potatoes, vegetables and macaroni and cheese. On tap this trip was the SBK Burger.

What SBK stands for remains unclear. A proper guess could be the Swiss, Bacon and Killer Burger. Killer as in the burger destroys the mind from its amazing flavors. And this massive design cost just $3.29, and I am positive if this were on the menu at any casual restaurant it would sell for at least $10.

Not having a grill at my disposal, I had two options: stove top or the George Foreman, which I had not utilized in about five months. I remain certain that the George Foreman causes food to lose so much of its taste, thus the reason I usually store it above the refrigerator for extended periods of time. I brought it out this time, though.

Sidenote: Bruce Channel’s Hey! Baby just came on internet radio. Fantastic writing music. “Heyyyy, heyyyy baby! I want to knowwww, if you’ll be my burger.”

Wrapped in a huge bacon slice with black peppercorns flooding its sides, the burger contained Swiss, cheddar and garlic mixed in its core and took awhile to cook to medium-well. While the SBK sizzled, I needed to be different due to sandwich buns not having a place in my kitchen today so I buttered up two slices of standard white bread and toasted them on the stove.

Once everything was complete, I added Bertman Ballpark Mustard out of Cleveland, and let my taste buds have control over the next five minutes. I brushed off several of the black peppercorns since they were very strong, but every bite provided a unique texture and flavor, especially from the ring of bacon. I guarantee this burger would have given me an even more memorable experience if I had the proper bread, but the two slices still worked as solid replacements.

What You’ll Need

Hamburger buns (or two slices of toasted white bread)

If Cavallari Gourmet is not accessible and combining ingredients at home:

80/20 hamburger

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Swiss Cheese

Garlic

Bacon

Black Peppercorns

The Steps

Although I do not know how the meat market makes it:

1)      Combine hamburger with shredded cheeses and garlic and form into a patty

2)      Wrap a piece of bacon around the edges so the bacon overlaps itself

3)      Layer the bacon in black peppercorns so it sticks

4)      Cook, preferably on a grill

5)      Add any condiments, but nothing extra is necessary