In the iconic building that used to house Nell Thorn and Palmers before that, resides The Oyster and Thistle Pub in La Conner. Kurt and I went in hoping to get some relief from the heat, and while we were relieving, found ourselves in a pinch, burger-wise, so decided to knock the old O & T off of the list of prospectives.
The space itself is maze-like, though charming. At first we elected to sit at the bar, as that is usually the best place in any restaurant to sit for a variety of reasons, but soon found that the intolerable popular early millenium music playing there was too much to bare, so we opted for the back deck overlooking the parking lot of the La Conner Inn.
As we settled in, Kurt excitedly pointed out that the housekeepers from the Inn were getting off of their shifts, "Look at how happy they are," he observed, smiling brightly, "they have their whole day ahead of them." He also observed that one of the housekeepers happened to be very attractive. Kurt is good that way, he seeks beauty in almost any environment he finds himself in. As he sat back in his chair, beer in hand, he looked out over the parking lot and shared, "It's a beautiful view here. 57th best view in the valley."
We ordered the only burger they had on the menu, which was supposed to come with a bacon remoulade on top, but as the skagit beef rules clearly state, the object must be a simple cheeseburger. Kurt pursuaded the bartender to tone it down for us and he was able to order the burger medium. We were told that the beef was local and organic, so I was excited to see how this would fare, as I am a huge supporter of local and organic meat products.
The burger arrived gigantic. Nestled beside the enormosity on the stark plate was a white bean mixture and roasted wedged potatoes. The bun was clearly fresh and quite unique. The veggies were fresh and the cheese, gruyere. Kurt cut the burger in half and we both commenced consumption. It was clear the ingredients were high quality, but about two bites in, we both realized, much to our great disappointment, that the burger had no flavor. Not only that, but it was not cooked medium, but to what could only described as the far end of medium well, and sadly, there was little to no juiciness to the meat. It was, in fact, quite rubbery.
Oh, the sadness of looking forward to such a burger only to find in the end that the bacon remoulade was added to cover for the unrecognizable pattie of beef they were passing off as food. Okay, yes I am being harsh, and I apologize. I feel myself slipping into a morass of anger and regret, so I will let the scores speak for me:
Critic's Scores:
Kurt:
Sara:
As you can see, the burger did not fare well, and at $15, it was hardly a good value. The averages were as high as they were due in part to the high quality ingredients that accompanied the juiceless patty of meat. A beautiful view does not always mean a beautiful culinary experience. Take note.
The space itself is maze-like, though charming. At first we elected to sit at the bar, as that is usually the best place in any restaurant to sit for a variety of reasons, but soon found that the intolerable popular early millenium music playing there was too much to bare, so we opted for the back deck overlooking the parking lot of the La Conner Inn.
As we settled in, Kurt excitedly pointed out that the housekeepers from the Inn were getting off of their shifts, "Look at how happy they are," he observed, smiling brightly, "they have their whole day ahead of them." He also observed that one of the housekeepers happened to be very attractive. Kurt is good that way, he seeks beauty in almost any environment he finds himself in. As he sat back in his chair, beer in hand, he looked out over the parking lot and shared, "It's a beautiful view here. 57th best view in the valley."
We ordered the only burger they had on the menu, which was supposed to come with a bacon remoulade on top, but as the skagit beef rules clearly state, the object must be a simple cheeseburger. Kurt pursuaded the bartender to tone it down for us and he was able to order the burger medium. We were told that the beef was local and organic, so I was excited to see how this would fare, as I am a huge supporter of local and organic meat products.
The burger arrived gigantic. Nestled beside the enormosity on the stark plate was a white bean mixture and roasted wedged potatoes. The bun was clearly fresh and quite unique. The veggies were fresh and the cheese, gruyere. Kurt cut the burger in half and we both commenced consumption. It was clear the ingredients were high quality, but about two bites in, we both realized, much to our great disappointment, that the burger had no flavor. Not only that, but it was not cooked medium, but to what could only described as the far end of medium well, and sadly, there was little to no juiciness to the meat. It was, in fact, quite rubbery.
Oh, the sadness of looking forward to such a burger only to find in the end that the bacon remoulade was added to cover for the unrecognizable pattie of beef they were passing off as food. Okay, yes I am being harsh, and I apologize. I feel myself slipping into a morass of anger and regret, so I will let the scores speak for me:
Critic's Scores:
Kurt:
- Flavor of patty: 2
- Juiciness: 3
- Source of meat:8
- Veggies: 8
- Bun: 7
- Synergy: 3
- Price/value: 3
Sara:
- Flavor of patty: 1
- Juiciness: 1
- Source of meat: 9
- Veggies: 8
- Bun: 8
- Synergy: 2
- Price/value: 1
As you can see, the burger did not fare well, and at $15, it was hardly a good value. The averages were as high as they were due in part to the high quality ingredients that accompanied the juiceless patty of meat. A beautiful view does not always mean a beautiful culinary experience. Take note.
Looking for a good burger? Know of one in the Skagit? Let us know and we will put it on our list!! And in the meantime, share the fuck out of this blog. A girl's gotta eat, after all.
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