Thirteen-year-old Ayden Wood gives a thumbs up for his ninth Burger Love, the 5 O’clock Somewhere burger from Lobster House Restaurant and Oyster Bar.
At the age of 13, Ayden is working toward beating his Burger Love record by trying entries from 16 Island restaurants this month, which is three more than his previous record.
On Saturday evening he passed the halfway mark when he ordered Lobster House Restaurant and Oyster Bar’s 5 O’clock Somewhere, making it his ninth burger.
After removing the decorative umbrella, gherkin, and sweet pickled onion garnishes, Ayden flattened the burger and took his first bite.
“It’s really good,” he said, wiping some of the sauce off his face.
This is his third year participating in the Island-wide tasty endeavor that promotes local beef.
“It’s a lot of fun going to different places,” he said. “I like posting them online to tell everyone how they are, and they can see them and go try them.”
His feedback is appreciated.
“I’ve had a lot of people tell me, ‘great job, and you should be a food critic when you’re older’.”
What makes an entry top his list of mouth-watering goodness is if it has a unique ingredient he has never had on a burger before.
His favourite to date is the Fiesta Burger from Anson’s Restaurant, adding the tortilla chips were a great addition.
Ayden looks forward to Burger Love, and said his birthday is April 4 so it’s something fun to tie in for a celebratory supper.
He enjoys the variety of the 73 restaurants involved this year, adding the best part is going out with friends and family in search of the best.
“It’s cool that a lot of people are participating in this for the love of burgers. I like trying as many as I can, and it’s fun to do.”
For Andree Bosse, her recent relationship is “flourishing” thanks to Burger Love.
“The person I’m dating is also really into it. It’s great because we’ve only been seeing each other for a few months, and we’re getting all these dates in,” she laughed.
This is Bosse’s fifth time participating since it began in 2011.
“As it grows, more people are getting interested, and it’s easier to do because you can split the burgers with people.”
So far she has done 13 burgers, and doesn’t have a set goal, but has a few in mind she wants to try before the end of the month.
Her two highest ranked so far are the B2 Bun-sai Burger from Brothers 2, and The Brick-inator from Brickhouse Kitchen and Bar.
Burger Love is great for showcasing local farmers and generating buzz around restaurants, adding she has now eaten at places she hadn’t heard of before.
“The creativity that goes into it is definitely something I enjoy,” she said.
“It gets you out with friends. It gives you an excuse to go out and try new things. Everything about it is great.”
