Saturday, June 25, 2005
Another Quiz, Another Blog Post
First, without further ado, Quiz 4: The Professional Steve.
And now for something completely different: a real blog post. No more ado there, either.
George Orwell once wrote about his favourite bar, the Moon Under Water, which was perfect in approximately every way, except that it didn't exist. In that spirit, I'm going to tell you a bit about my favourite burger joint: Gusto Burger.
Gusto is owned and operated by an squat, elderly gentleman, and has been for twenty-three years (at the same location, natch). It's only open at lunch and dinner time, and when the proprietor wants to take some time off - as he typically does for three weeks in the summer and a month in the winter - he simply closes the joint. He has no staff. He knows all of his regulars (and regulars are pretty much his entire clientele) by name, burger toppings, and personal history. The prices haven't changed in years - a burger goes for between five and six bucks.
The burgers, of which there are three types (beef, chicken, and veggie, all cooked on the same grill slick with beef grease) are huge and homemade. The toppings are fresh (you can tell, since you can usually see a partially chopped onion on the cutting board next to the grill, just over top of the shelves holding all of the necessary components of a well-stocked pantry). Gusto is licensed, and sells a wide array of beers - bottled, of course.
The decor is eclectic, with the walls covered in such things as photos of youth sports teams Gusto has sponsored, news clippings of regulars who have gone on to some degree of fame, and letters from around the world praising his burgers. While the place could probably seat fifty, it's usually empty but for the proprietor, who's often having a smoke out front of the business.
Here's the kicker: Gusto actually exists. Here, in St. Albert. My family used to go there occasionally when I was much younger, and I haven't thought about it in years, though I've passed it plenty of times (it being located right on St. Albert Trail). Yesterday, as I was walking past it while hungry, I was suddenly struck with the impulse to check it out again, to see if was as good as I remembered.
That experience will be narrated here next time.
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First, without further ado, Quiz 4: The Professional Steve.
And now for something completely different: a real blog post. No more ado there, either.
George Orwell once wrote about his favourite bar, the Moon Under Water, which was perfect in approximately every way, except that it didn't exist. In that spirit, I'm going to tell you a bit about my favourite burger joint: Gusto Burger.
Gusto is owned and operated by an squat, elderly gentleman, and has been for twenty-three years (at the same location, natch). It's only open at lunch and dinner time, and when the proprietor wants to take some time off - as he typically does for three weeks in the summer and a month in the winter - he simply closes the joint. He has no staff. He knows all of his regulars (and regulars are pretty much his entire clientele) by name, burger toppings, and personal history. The prices haven't changed in years - a burger goes for between five and six bucks.
The burgers, of which there are three types (beef, chicken, and veggie, all cooked on the same grill slick with beef grease) are huge and homemade. The toppings are fresh (you can tell, since you can usually see a partially chopped onion on the cutting board next to the grill, just over top of the shelves holding all of the necessary components of a well-stocked pantry). Gusto is licensed, and sells a wide array of beers - bottled, of course.
The decor is eclectic, with the walls covered in such things as photos of youth sports teams Gusto has sponsored, news clippings of regulars who have gone on to some degree of fame, and letters from around the world praising his burgers. While the place could probably seat fifty, it's usually empty but for the proprietor, who's often having a smoke out front of the business.
Here's the kicker: Gusto actually exists. Here, in St. Albert. My family used to go there occasionally when I was much younger, and I haven't thought about it in years, though I've passed it plenty of times (it being located right on St. Albert Trail). Yesterday, as I was walking past it while hungry, I was suddenly struck with the impulse to check it out again, to see if was as good as I remembered.
That experience will be narrated here next time.
