Burgers in a land of 10,000 Lakes

There are plenty of fantastic burgers to be had in the City of Lakes. Some are made with beef, while others spotlight lamb, turkey, tuna or black beans. Whether jumbo half-pounders and diminutive two-biters, nouvelle or old-fashioned, here are 13 that could definitely land on a "best" list.

TRYG'S A mini-burger classic in the making. Patties of loose-formed Black Angus chuck, nicely charred on the grill, are wedged into chewy ciabatta buns and garnished with a pert sweet pickle garnish, three to a plate ($7). Get 'em with a basket of onion rings.

3118 W. Lake St., 612-920-7777, www.trygs.com

BULLDOG NE. RESTAURANT & BAR

When it comes to burgers, the kitchen at this hot new Northeast joint knows what's what, curing and twice-grinding highly seasoned Kobe-style chuck ($8 to $10) before letting the garnishes fly, including stinky Stilton, smoky Minnesota-raised ham and bacon, truffle oil and a cheeky horseradish-laced mustard. Don't miss the sea salt-dusted fries.

401 E. Hennepin Av., 612-378-2855, www.thebulldogmpls.com

LA BELLE VIE Even James Beard Award nominees can't resist the burger's proletarian format. In the ultra-swanky lounge of his sublime fine-dining palace, chef Tim McKee fashions a pair of mini-burgers ($9) with savory lamb, then enhances them with a mint-yogurt sauce and roasted peppers.

510 Groveland Av., 612-874-6440, www.labellevie.us

MY BURGER

This cute fast-fooder offers an unbeatable skyway box lunch: a lavishly buttered grilled bun stuffed with a thick beef patty, grilled onions and tangy sweet pickles and served with a generous fistful of long, slender fries, all for just $4.95. Toss in a hand-mixed malt for $2.25.

601 Marquette Av. S., 612-436-0330, www.myburgerusa.com

BRYANT-LAKE BOWL

The BLB's California-style burger ($7.75), a paragon of pure beef flavor, is a thick grilled-to-order patty of grass-fed, naturally raised beef sourced from a century-old family farm in Montevideo, Minn. Wash it down with a glass of Minnesota-brewed 1919 Root Beer.

810 W. Lake St., 612-825-3737, www.bryantlakebowl.com

BIRCHWOOD CAFE

No Boca Burgers for the B'wood, huh-uh. Black beans, currants and sunflower seeds stand in for meat; pert pickled onions, golden roasted beets and a snappy aioli add color and flavor ($8). The topper is a marvelous house-baked, sesame-studded buttermilk bun.

3311 E. 25th St., 612-722-4474, www.birchwoodcafe.com

5-8 CLUB

While the Juicy Lucy (or, as purists prefer, Jucy Lucy) tradition lives in several Minneapolis pubs, many aficionados are partial to the rendition ($4.85) at this former Lake Nokomis speakeasy, which, true to form, stuffs American cheese into a half-pound of ground beef. The menu's cautionary "be careful and take your time" is no joke: The molten cheese, lava-hot, tends to extrude itself (OK, gush) from the burger via gravity and the pressure of the first bite.

5800 Cedar Av. S., 612-823-5858, www.5-8club.com

VINCENT

At his downtown restaurant, chef/owner Vincent Francoual glams up the working-class Juicy Lucy by substituting smoked Gouda for Velveeta and inserting a decadent bonus: braised short ribs ($12.75). Cheapskate alert: Stop by the bar during Happy Hour (4:30 to 6:30 p.m. weekdays), when the price drops to $6.

1100 Nicollet Mall, 612-630-1189, www.vincentarestaurant.com

CRAFTSMAN

Chef Mike Phillips grills a pair of fantastic beef burgers, but his real genius lies in a category-killing turkey version ($11). The juicy, sizzling hot monster is served with a thick swipe of boldly flavored horseradish aioli (the secret: house-smoked paprika) and a crown of sprightly micro greens. In a word: Wow.

4300 E. Lake St., 612-722-0175, www.craftsmanrestaurant.com

ZELO

It's a good thing my friend was a regular. "There's only one order of turkey burgers left," said our server as she rushed past our table on a jam-packed Friday night. "I put them aside for you." Bless her. The baby size sammies (two for $6.95), topped with iceberg lettuce, a tomato slice and a refreshing basil aioli -- hit the spot; no wonder they're so popular. Ditto the tuna variations ($8.95), nicely flavored and finished with a perky wasabi mayo. Too bad they're only available Wednesday through Saturday.

831 Nicollet Mall, 612-333-7000, www.zelomn.com

ANNIE'S PARLOUR

This classic campus burger joint finesses a hefty beef patty ($4.95) on the grill until it achieves mouth-watering perfection, then serves it straight up on a plain bun. It's hard to imagine an improvement, although adding a slab of sultry smoked cheddar never hurts. Don't even think of not ordering a malt.

313 14th Av. SE., 612-379-0744

112 EATERY

Late-night food of the gods. Chef/owner Isaac Becker mixes ground beef with eggs, thyme, onion and butter, tops it with a sensuous brie then wedges the whole shebang ($9) into an English muffin.

112 N. 3rd St., 612-343-7696, www.112eatery.com

BAR LURCAT

Pre-112, Becker ran the Lurcat kitchen, where he sparked the ever-growing mini-burger-on-the-bar-menu trend (inspired, perhaps, by the infamous White Castle Slyder) with a similarly winning butter-thyme-shallots combo (two for $7.50) that remains -- with good reason -- a top seller.

1624 Harmon Place, 612-486-5500, www.damico.com

Rick Nelson RDNELSON@STARTRIBUNE.COM •