Reflect on the true meaning of National Hamburger Day

I'm a little disappointed that Walmart and Target haven't yet filled their shelves with National Hamburger Day decorations and supplies. Heck, they start with Christmas stuff before Halloween, so it only seems right.

In spite of this obvious oversight, May 28 is waayyy closer than you might think, and I hope everyone is sewing their costumes, regaling little kids with stories of Hamburger Days past, refreshing the batteries in their electric forks, building parade floats and preparing for the nonstop revelry. Last year I was touched and overwhelmed by the avalanche of greeting cards I received. The high point for me was the party hats in the shape of brioche rolls; giving "great buns" a whole new meaning. 

The Cape Region will yet again fry, grill, smoke, flip, top and slather its way into the forefront of this sacred season, and when the festivities are but an aromatic memory, local eateries will still lavish unusual treatments on the humble yet hallowed burger. 

Monday night at Summer House has been burger night for many years. Though I have a hard time getting past the Hickory Blue Cheese burger (with bacon, of course), this carnivore surprises even himself by occasionally indulging in the Monday-only Salmon Burger decorated simply with pickles and lemon basil mayo. It's a hard choice, so govern yourself accordingly. 

The new owners at Shorebreak Lodge wisely kept the LaFrieda Burger on the menu. Custom, never-frozen patties are crafted by butcher-of-note and Bronx native Pat LaFrieda from a secret blend of brisket, chuck and short rib from American Black Angus beef. They are then whisked overnight to restaurants throughout the land that proudly display LaFrieda's name on their menus. Shorebreak tops it with a restrained dollop of pimiento-cheese puree. This one will spoil you for other burgers. 

I would be remiss if I didn't give credit to a few of our locally operated franchise spots that have distinguished themselves in the burger department, namely the Baconator at our recently remodeled Wendy's (how do they get the bacon so crispy!?); Burger King's Bacon Cheeseburger Deluxe (it's the flame-broiling that does it), and Five Guys' bacon cheeseburger (add pickles, jalapenos, bacon, cheddar and extra mustard to the never-frozen cooked-to-order patty, please). Wrap yourself in a beach towel if you plan to consume any of these in the car. 

Three local burgers also deserve mention. Two are dished up by Pickled Pig Pub. The Bacon, Jam & Blue Burger marries bacon shallot jam with blue cheese to create an entirely new taste. The adventurous among us will love the PB&J Burger slathered with bacon peanut butter, strawberry jalapeno jam and cheddar. Yes, it sounds scary, but several years ago I was on a burger judging panel, and out of almost 20 burgers, this one took top honors. Try it with their house-made fried pickles. The third burger of note is the Apple/Bacon/Brie burger at Zogg's. Out of nine custom burgers on the menu, this is one of the best. And the apples make it into a salad! 

A sleeper on Rehoboth Avenue is most certainly the Blue Heaven Burger at Conch Island Key West Bar & Grill. This breakfast-on-a-bun fulfills the requirements of all three daily meals in each bite. And on pretty much every in-season night, you can munch in the presence of live music. Yet another place you might not expect to find a good burger is Big Fish Grill. Their Chop House Bacon Burger is made even better when cozied up to their piping hot and salty fries. 

Of course, the villagers would show up at Fork & Flask with pitchforks and torches if they didn't keep the Nage Burger on the menu, and if you were to suspect that Bethany Blues has a good burger - you would be correct: The Blues Burger sports pecan-smoked bacon, BBQ sauce and sharp cheddar. 

Step away from your email boxes! I know there are more, but a growing boy can only eat so much. So get your toppings in order, pat your patties and toast your buns. Burger Day is on the way.