I thought the timing was perfect. I decided to take some time off blogging and give my body a break and then Reg came home and said he was on holidays for the next two weeks! What could be bad?
It began great. Hanging out with friends, getting stuff done we needed to get done. Then all hell broke loose. Stress like you would not believe. And I can tell you none of it. What I can say is Reg and I, despite chest pains from stress and worry, are OK.
Cheese Curds Gourmet Burgers & Poutinerie
In Dartmouth there is a foodie hangout with a reputation for crazy-long lines for their unusual burgers called Cheese Curds Gourmet Burgers & Poutinerie. I was out with the gaming ladies (it’s actually our hubbies who play together) and all I knew is I wanted a burger.
This is no ordinary burger joint. There are so many to choose from! TNT Spicy Burger, Pork Schnitzel Burger, Honolulu Burger… Burgers made from salmon, chicken, lamb…
But I just wanted a really good classic burger. Hmm…
Another thing that is unusual about Cheese Curds is you pay up front and they have a tip option. Remember, this is a place with long lineups and you go through cafeteria style. Plus, how can you tip before you have eaten the food? I know this is becoming more and more common but being here for the first time and not knowing the quality, put me in an awkward position.
Their whole shtick is that the burgers are chef-inspired. So you will not find these types of hamburgers anywhere else and I must agree, that is true. You can get high end original burgers here for under $10.
I am glad they had a visual representation of all their specialty burgers on the menu as you walked by but you do not see them until after you have ordered. I highly recommended looking all the menus the first time you go and really know what you want before you order.
The amount of toppings available was crazy! Again, I wanted a traditional burger but I did want one element from here I can not get anywhere else. I decided to get the bruschetta topping instead of traditional tomatoes. Oh and ketchup? Was not listed on the toppings menu and I did not see it here. Emily had to get packets of it.
I choose Canadian cheddar for the cheese, got lettuce, pickles, mustard and then added my own ketchup to the burger.
This was one of the thickest yet fully-cooked burgers I have ever had and it was still crazy-moist. The burger was soft but just lightly toasted. It really was perfection. It was not easy getting a traditional burger at Cheese Curds but they did it!
On a side note. Alissa was not pleased that her Thai Chicken Burger was deep fried. There was no info indicating that this item would be deep fried. Despite that, the food was amazing and everyone around us raved about their food.
I give our experience at Cheese Curds four out of five wooden stars.
We were making a day of it together and I thought I would share a little part of Nova Scotia with you that I adore: Conrad’s Beach. Emily and Alissa had never been to it before and we really wanted to cool down. No better way to do that than go to a beach on the Atlantic Ocean.
It is always the same. On a hot sunny day in the city it will be cool and foggy at the beach. No suntanning but there are nice waves, mist and right now a surprisingly warm ocean.
A guy was parasailing in the water near us and we could barely see him, the fog was so thick!
A mink even came out and played around in the water that day!
I think a great burger followed by an afternoon wading in the ocean was a great way to start our modest staycation. More to come!
Sorry to hear that stress invaded your staycation. That’s life, isn’t it? Your cheeseburger looks great — yum. Personally, I’m a real minimalist when it comes to toppings. Mustard, relish and maybe a few onions, that’s it. Plus ketchup to dunk it in — must be Heinz.
I want to go to Cheese Curds..i have been hearing crazy good things about it!
But….no fried cheese curds??? Cheese curds themselves are awesome and fried even better!!! It’s a yummy Wisconsin delicacy. http://eatcurds.com/