Kicking off Bon Appetit's Chicago Gourmet food festival, Hamburger Hop brought 15 local chefs together to face off for the title of the best burger. Winning the judge's vote for best burger was Dino Tsaknis of David Burke's Primehouse with an Angus beef burger topped with porchetta, giardineria and provolone. The people's choice award was given to Daniel Grynevich of Kuma's Too with the "Sourvein" burger–topped with cheddar, raspberry maple aioli, bacon and maple syrup, and sandwiched between a pretzel bun top and a Belgian waffle bottom.
I tried about half of the burgers that were being dished out, and I'll have to agree with the people–Kuma's Too was the standout. Originally a burger of the month, it gained popularity to make a comeback, as burgers of the month rarely do at Kuma's Too, a server told me. The other standouts were Ryan McCaskey of Acadia, with a burger topped with gruyere and the 7L Burger from Chris Curren at Seven Lions.
