Barbara Radcliffe Rogers' North Country Burger Favorites
From Moat Mountain Smokehouse & Brewing Co.
Photo by Susan Laughlin
The North Conway area is NH’s Burger Central. Skiers begin right on the mountain, ordering Big Matts in Matty B’s Mountainside Café at Attitash: two 4-ounce patties, on a Vintage Bakery challah bun. At King Pine’s Trail’s End Tavern, hungry skiers order fresh-ground bacon cheeseburgers on pretzel buns.
Après-ski stop Red Parka Steakhouse and Pub in Glen hand-grinds choice sirloin, top round and tenderloin for all their burgers, but the best-seller is the messy-to-eat 8-ounce Kitchen Sink burger. Recognizing that not everyone eats beef, Red Parka’s chef makes veggie burgers from three grains, black beans, sun-dried tomatoes and carrots, topped with lettuce, tomato, guacamole, sprouts and goat cheese.
Bartlett’s Cabin Fever Restaurant is known for half-pound steak burgers, the most popular being the Notch burger, with Swiss cheese, carmelized onion and apple-smoked bacon. The valley’s biggest is Rafferty’s Restaurant & Pub’s 10-ounce Hand Pressed Burger, and they offer all burgers on Udi gluten-free rolls. Also in the North Conway, Black Cap Grille guests create their own 8-ounce burger, using Black Cap or all-natural local beef, turkey or veggie burger on a crusty bulky or whole wheat roll with creative toppings that include arugula, caramelized onions and truffle mayo. 1785 Inn & Restaurant grinds their own Black Angus sirloin burgers and bakes their own rolls to serve them on. Along with popular sliders and Angus Burgers, Moat Mountain Smokehouse & Brewing Co. creates bison burgers topped with local cheddar, pale-ale pickles or their own chipotle mayo.
Delaney’s Hole in the Wall serves about 120 pounds of burger on a busy Saturday, which is 240 half-pound burgers on soft brioche buns. Favorites include their Surf and Turf Burger grilled with cracked pepper, piled with Maine lobster that’s been tossed in house-made lemon pepper aioli, and served a garlic grilled brioche.
