Twitter pal Amber has written and posted pictures for this here blog about eating the KFC Double Down. She has waged her own epic Target Field food fight (Part I and Part II). And now, dear readers, she takes you to a place only she and a couple other brave souls dared to go: a competition between the Strasburger and a Donut-burger. To pull this off, she had to make the creations herself, as she will explain. THAT'S DEDICATION. As usual, she offers the following description and credit:
Amber Jones is a local business lady that occasionally moonlights as an amateur (at best) food and sports blogger." Her friend, Richard Conley, took the photos.
Amber?
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Back in June with the advent of Stras-mas, my obsession with a certain MLB-inspired food oddity began: The Strasburger. Born from the genius minds at The Burger Joint in Washington D.C., this freak of a burger was comprised of a hamburger patty, a hot dog representing Stephen Strasburg's stint with the Phoenix Desert Dogs, cheddar cheese invoking Syracuse orange where he pitched for the Triple-A Chiefs, and a mountain of pickles for every strikeout. By the time I made my way to D.C. in July, my dreams had been dashed: The burger named for Stras' was no mas. Not one to let anything go (ever), I decided that once I could gather up some fellow eaters with iron-clad stomachs, I'd just make them myself. In the meantime, while watching Man vs. Food I discovered another arterial delight of the Minor League variety. Sauget, Ill., is home to the Gateway Grizzlies and their signature concession: the Krispy Kreme burger. It's your standard bacon cheeseburger, but with a sinful raised & glazed bun.
So here's where the battle begins - it's a Major League vs. Minor League burger duel. After rounding up my friend, brother, and all of the burger components, I got to grillin'. [Side note: I had to substitute donuts from the grocery store, because there are no longer any Krispy Kreme locations in Minnesota.] First up was the Strasburger, which was interesting to say the least. Between the hot dog and the pickles, this thing was so salty a carnivorous deer with a serious case of salt lick withdrawal would be in heaven. Overall the flavor wasn't horrible, and I even learned that I like pickles on burgers. However, I can see that much like Strasburg's pitching career, there's no way this thing could last the full season on The Burger Joint's menu.
The donut burger was a whole new ballgame. The flavors of the lightly grilled donut, applewood smoked bacon, and sharp cheddar all melted together into one savory - albeit unwholesome - bite of goodness. I wouldn't have thought that a mash-up of your classic American diner fare and a breakfast favorite could be this satisfying, but this thing is so rich that all you'll need is one.
After making it through 3/4 of the Strasburger before admitting defeat, I sadly only had room for 3/4 of the Gateway Grizzlies' food marvel. This minor league winner turned out to be ready for the majors, and I'd recommend giving it a try at home. If you're feeling slightly less ambitious, I did hear an unconfirmed rumor that you might be able to find these bad boys at our Great State Fair (not likely to be on a stick).
