The Time Has Come For Arugula To Replace Basic Lettuce On Burgers
[Jordie’s Note: Guys. This isn’t my burger. It’s just the only burger with arugula I could find on google images that wouldn’t get me sued for a copyright. That bun sucks and the patty is nonexistent.]
One of my favorite quarantine pastimes has been ordering a burger from the bar around the corner from my apartment. They also brew their own beer there and have a lemon meringue IPA which is to die for. Does that make me a hero for supporting small, local business in their time of need? Not for me to decide. All I know is that the grass-fed burger with a samurai ranch on a sesame seed bun goes hard, and the beer is fantastic.
However, one move I like to pull is to always have a supply of baby arugula in the refrigerator. I keep that MF thang on me. Always stay strapped with the arugula. And what I'll do is I'll replace the bibb lettuce that comes on the burger with some arugula. And why is that?
Well because arugula beats the absolute shit out of all the basic lettuces out there. Iceberg? 4-0 sweep in the 1st round of the playoffs. Romaine? 4-0 sweep in the conference semis. Boston? 4-0 sweep in the conference finals. Bibb? Gentleman's sweep since bibb lettuce is usually a little smaller and fits on the burger better, but it's still not much of a series.
Unfortunately with this pandemic, many restaurants around the nation have been forced to close up shop for the time being. And that's devastating. I'd argue that the restaurant/bar industry is the most important industry in America. Just think about how much they mean to our every day life. I want to see these places back up and running as quickly as possible. But maybe, just maybe, this time away from the kitchen will allow some of these places to tinker with their menu a little bit. And the most important adjustment to make is to start throwing arugula on their burgers and really all of their sandwiches which would have a typical lettuce in general.
Arugula is a sexy green. It's got a little kick to it. It makes you feel alive. It adds a little extra spice to each bite. That peppery taste goes great with a burger. And most importantly--it's so much easier to fit onto the bun. Nothing is worse than when you get a burger with almost an entire lettuce leaf hanging off to the side. I'm not talking about just a little bit that hangs off the side that you can clean up in just one swift bite. I'm talking about when you've got practically a side salad attached to your burger. Baffling when places do that but whatever.
The fact of the matter here is that there needs to be a changing of the guards. There needs to be the passing of the baton or torch or whatever. Arugula deserves to have a breakout year in 2020.
P.S. - Need the Stanley Cup Playoffs back in my life so I don't have to blog about leafy greens anymore.