By Chesney Hearst, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Rio Burger Fest is back in Rio de Janerio for its second edition. Featuring 21 restaurants and bars throughout the city offering gourmet burgers on their menus, the festival began on November 13th and will run through November 23rd.
“What we hope to happen during this Burger Fest in Rio, is to increase the consumption of hamburgers by those attending the festival,” said creator of the festival, Claudio Baran in a prepared statement. “We also hope to change the perception of the burger, making it more than a fast food item, helping it to become a recognized quick and tasty dish for all ages.”
The Burger Fest originated in São Paulo five years ago as a way to showcase the true gourmet potential of the hamburger. It also served as a way for restaurant goers to discover and explore new establishments.
During the first edition of the festival in Rio earlier this year, more than fifteen restaurants and bars offered specialty hamburger dishes from May 23rd through May 31st.
For this edition, nine of the now twenty-one participating establishments will offer new menu items, prepared especially for the festival. The cozy Miam Miam restaurant in Botafogo is offering a 200g seasoned ground patty with crispy bacon, onions, and garlic, served with potato chips and a special mustard sauce for R$46.
Mira!, located in the Botafogo exhibit space, Casa Daros and also run by the trio of entrepreneurs behind Miam, Miam, is offering a 180g patty on fresh homemade brioche bread topped with sheep’s milk cheese, red onion relish, and homemade tartar sauce, served with potatoes with rosemary and sea salt for R$42.
Baretto-Londra in Ipanema offers a dish with mini cheeseburgers, made from Filet Mignon patties, served on artisan bread, topped with cheddar cheese and arugula sprouts and served with fries for R$62.
Bar do Lado in Leblon is serving the “Top Hat Burger,” a seared foie gras with emmenthal cheese, onion relish and wild rockets for R$36.
The Coccinelle bistrô in Centro is offering two selections: the “John Wayne” with homemade bread and braised pork belly topped with caramelized onions, fried egg and tomato sauce with herbs and dijon mustard and served with homemade chips or organic salad for R$32.
Another is the “Steve Mac Queen,” with minced rump on homemade bread topped with tomato confit, caramelized onion, raclette chesse, avocado, bacon, homemade tomato sauce with herbs and Dijon mustard, served with chips or organic salad for R$38.
VitaSete in Ipanema will also offer three dishes during the festival. First is their “Soho,” a 220g burger topped with cheese, avocado, red onions and spicy sauce, served with fries or green salad for R$40. Next is the “Moulin Rouge,” a 220g burger topped with goat cheese, red onions and pepper, served with fries for R$42.
Finally, they will offer the “Forrest Gump Special Edition,” a 220g sirloin burger topped with grilled mushrooms, mushroom sauce and cheese. The dish will be accompanied with fries or salad for R$44.
To find out more about the Rio Burger Fest, the complete list of participating establishments and their dishes, see the festival’s site.