Best Memphis Burger Fest is going to be bigger and better than ever this year. Part of the reason why is that the Saturday, October 3 festival is moving to Tiger Lane. Another part of the reason why is that a veteran cookteam will be competing for the first time ever in this festival:
THE MOODY QUES!!!!!!
I don’t know if we’ve filed the paperwork yet, but the team leaders informed me this weekend that we plan to enter. Of course. as “Mr. Load-in” I plan on being a big part of this. I have experience as a former judge and two years’ participation on another team. I also have influence with Seth and will try to get him to add a Best Microwave Popcorn category so we have a chance at bringing home a trophy.
Speaking of burgers, I returned to Oshi Burger yesterday for visit number two. This time I had the namesake signature Oshi Burger itself.
You know, I have seen some of the local bloggers judge the burgers at Oshi based on one burger there. I don’t think you can do that. No matter what toppings, the key ingredient in a burger is the meat. If you look at Oshi’s menu, there are many different kinds of meat from which to choose: Wagyu American Kobe beef, Creekstone Farms natural Angus beef, 50/50 ground chuck and bacon, and even turkey and lamb.
That being said, I really liked the signature Oshi burger, the most expensive burger on the menu, probably because it is the one made with the highest-quality meat. It has the Wagyu American Kobe beef, and compared to most other burgers at the restaurant it is relatively simply dressed with a soy glaze, shitake tapenade, Swiss cheese, and Umami mayo. The result is a rich, melt-in-your-mouth taste that is like no other I have ever seen in a burger. No, I take that back. I have seen that once before, the year I judged Burger Fest. It’s like a stick of butter (hi Adrienne) aspired to be a burger when it grew up.
If I were on death row, and had an hour to live and was told my last meal would be a burger, would this be my order? No, I’d probably get the double-double from Dyer’s. However, I don’t think burgers Downtown are an apples-to-apples comparison. I would get this burger again for sure, when in the mood for it.
I added a side:
Fries topped with bacon, beer cheese, and kim chee. I have said for a long time that kim chee is a topping that needs to show up on more foods. Oshi is rapidly moving up my list of places to visit.
Part of the reason that I was hungry and went to Oshi yesterday was that the tandoori truck was absent from the Memphis Farmers Market for the second week in a row! Come back, you are missed! Also missing was the Crazy Good hot sauce vendor. I wanted to talk to them and tell them how much I have been enjoying their Chaos Theory ghost pepper sauce.
I have confirmed that B-RAD will be working the Wednesday night bartending shift at the Blind Bear this week. B-RAD worked a rare weekday shift last week and drew a big crowd, and since he has some time off from his main job Jeannette is letting him pick up the shift once again. I’ll change up my Wednesday routine this week and do happy hour with Feeny and then D-RANKS with B-RAD at the Bear.
There will be a Basha Shine pop-up shop at Makeda’s Cookies, 488 S. Second, tomorrow beginning at 11 AM. You will be able to shop an exclusive collection of natural bath and body products.
Yesterday I witnessed one of the worst attempts to shotgun a beer that I have ever seen in my life:
Dude why would you pick a Rolling Rock to shotgun? Then again, I guess you want a beer that has as little flavor as possible.
Right around that time, Jamie told me, “Paul, take a picture of this.” An entire tray of duck farts was at the server station waiting to be delivered.
My influence on Downtown, summed up in one photo. DUCK FARTS!
Typical Sunday Fun Day in the summer coming up. Brunch with Bloom at Bardog, D-RANKS with B-RAD at Blind Bear, possible trip to my home away from home on the south side although I am undecided about that one because of the heat. PBR and duck fart time!