Chef Mary’s Hail Mary – This incredible burger blends Portabella and Button mushrooms, roasted garlic, thyme, shallots, Jalapenos and bacon in the fresh grind with beef brisket and ground beef. On top of the burger is an out-of-this-world-delicious house-made bourbon bacon jam, topped with crispy lettuce, house-made pickles and pickled red onion, Chef Mary’s famous devil dog sauce and slices of American and Havarti cheese served on a moist brioche roll.
Chef Robert’s Toscana’s Burger – A mouth-watering pan-seared burger, blended with house mesquite-smoked button mushrooms, topped with grilled tomatoes, caramelized onions, shaved lettuce, fresh watercress, Applewood bacon, aged smoked cheddar and house-made Arizona Cowboy Candy (candied mild jalapeno) mayo. Served on a delicious King’s Hawaiian bun – branded with “T” for Toscana’s – and tasty!
Chefs from Eagle’s Nest Restaurant and Toscana’s Grill are participating in The James Beard Foundation’s Blended Burger Project™, a nationwide culinary challenge to make a “blended burger” by combining ground meat with finely chopped mushrooms to create a delicious, healthier and more sustainable burger.
Eagle’s Nest’s Chef Mary Ahrens is featuring her Hail Mary blended burger, and Toscana’s Chef Robert Nixon is offering his Toscana’s Burger. Each restaurant’s burger will be on their respective lunch and dinner menus from now through July 31. In addition to being delicious, blending meat with mushrooms reduces calories, fat and sodium while adding important nutrients like vitamin D, potassium and B vitamins.
In the last two years, more than 700 chefs nationwide — including fast casual, fine dining, food trucks, campus dining and burger bars — took part in the 10-week competition. Chefs created their take on a blended burger featuring at least 25% finely chopped or diced mushrooms blended with meat.
This year, the five chefs with the most online votes will win a trip to the James Beard House in New York City in early 2018 to cook their burgers at a special Blended Burger Project event.
We want Chef Mary and Chef Robert to represent PebbleCreek at this prestigious event so we hope you will not only taste these delicious burgers but vote for them both – and often!
Vote today at jamesbeard.org/blendedburgerproject; scroll down to find the Eagle’s Nest and Toscana’s burgers. Consumers who vote for their favorite blended burger will be entered for a chance to win a trip for two to the 2018 Blended Burger Project™ event in NYC.
Chef Mary and Chef Robert hope that you will try their very special blended burgers – and help PebbleCreek restaurants solidify our place of excellence on the culinary map.
The James Beard Foundation’s mission is to celebrate, nurture and honor chefs and other leaders making America’s food culture more delicious, diverse and sustainable for everyone. The sustainability benefits of blending mushrooms into burgers makes the Blended Burger Project™ an integral part of the foundation’s Impact Programs, which are committed to establishing a more sustainable food system through education, advocacy and thought leadership.