Let's face it; springtime in Chicago hasn’t been the most exciting thus far. With my seasonal allergies acting up, random downpours of rain, and being pelted by snow recently, I really need something to cheer me up. Every time I get into this seasonal funk I like to treat myself to some summer nostalgia. Last week, I decided to pick up the most quintessential summertime food ever, the burger. Sure, there are thousands of burger joints all over this city, but none scream summer more to me than Vince’s Pizzeria and Taqueria an unassuming casual restaurant I stumbled upon last summer located on Western and Ardmore, just minutes away from The Chopping Block in Lincoln Square.
With over 30 gourmet burger options to choose from, all of which include interesting ingredient choices and a make your own burger option, Vince’s Pizzeria and Taqueria will leave you with your stomach full and your mind blown.
Whenever I’m feeling healthy but don't want to eat cardboard flavored health food, I go for the ground turkey patty topped with grilled artichoke hearts, roasted red bell peppers, and smoked provolone cheese burger called the Turkeyator.
But let’s be serious, I rarely ever feel like something healthy. So on this day, I grabbed this one too.
The Blackhawk. A beef patty that is stuffed with cheddar, American cheese, and jalapeños that is beer battered and deep-fried. DEEP-FRIED! Topped with beer battered, deep-fried pickles, lettuce, and avocado aioli. This burger definitely isn’t for the faint of heart.
No, really, if you have a heart condition you probably should shy away from this delicious monster burger and pick up the Turkeynator (which is my second favorite burger of theirs) instead.
Even in the dead of winter, a good burger can satisfy my summer nostalgia by transporting me to a time full of sun, friends, and charcoal smoke in the air. The good thing about spring is that we are that much closer to being able to grill outside again. Which leads me to this bit of exciting news: our May class calendar is now live! This means our outdoor grilling patio at our Lincoln Square location will open back up offering outdoor grilling classes and boot camps that feature way more than just burgers.
The first outdoor hands-on class is Grilling Boot Camp that starts on May 21st. May and June's Grilling Boot Camps are already sold out so go ahead and snag a spot in July's session. If you can't wait that long (really, who could?) check our online calendar to sign up for one of our many grilling classes we have lined up in the meantime!
*Please know that The Chopping Block's grilling classes take place outdoors on our patio and are therefore subject to weather cancelation. In the event of a cancellation, all participants will be contacted by phone and e-mail no later than 10am (for lunch-time classes) and 2pm (for evening classes) on the day of class.