THUNDER BAY - Gem’s Burger’s & Fries chef Gabby Morsches used the home-court advantage to her favour in Saturday's Burger Wars.
The event was the first of its kind in Thunder Bay, which saw five restaurants compete for the title for best burger in town.
In the end, it was Gem’s, a restaurant located in Victoriaville mall where the event was being held, who took home first place.
The new event was an idea sparked by Victoriaville manager Brian Phillips.
“Since Port Arthur has its Ribfest, I thought the south core needed something and I came up with Burger Wars.”
“I approached seven restaurants, and we had five enter,” Phillips said. “It’s a good start and next year I hope to top it.”
Restaurant owners tried to impress nine judges with a wide variety of flavours, and styles.
Gem’s Burger & Fries, Giorg Ristorante, Excuria, Rooster’s Bistro, The Crew on May and Applebee’s all competed.
Morsches won judges over by offering a twist on her best-selling mushroom swiss burger.
“I elevated it to competition standards,” said Morsches. “Instead of lettuce I added arugula, I made a rosemary-infused balsamic reduction, and a little bit of roasted garlic, and my dijon aioli.”
The move paid off in a big way, as judge Alexander Mirabelli praised the way the burger “fell apart in your hands.”
Outside of the competition, Morsches says the event is a good way for her restaurant to get some exposure with other local restaurants.
“It’s exciting to see what other restaurants in the neighbourhood have to offer,” said Morsches. “There’s a lot of amazing chefs out there.”
