Great burgers

My daughter Stacy called me the other day and told me she had been to a relatively new restaurant in Duluth and had enjoyed what she said was the best hamburger she had ever eaten. Well, that got my attention because I am always on-the-hunt for a great burger. Today I had the opportunity to try that place, which is the Clyde Iron restaurant that just opened this year back in May. The head chef is Robert Giuliani who I will have the privilege of working with on a dessert event in February. Teresa and I went there today for lunch and I ordered his Steak Burger, which can be cooked to a medium-rare if you like, and I do, so I ordered it with the Smoked Cheddar cheese, Tomato, Lettuce, Mayo and Caramelized Onions. To be fair, the cook forgot to put the onions on it but it was so good that I didn't notice. The bun was nicely grilled and the burger is cooked over an oak-fired grill. The cheese lent a very nice smoky note to the dish and to me the classic burger is dressed with tomato and lettuce with mayonnaise. They offered several choices of cheese and toppings, like a spicy sauce so I asked the server what the sauce was and she said it was a spicy ketchup. I am not a ketchup guy so I went with the mayo and it was excellent. Up until this burger my "gold standard" had been between two burgers; the first is the Kobe Beef burger at the Crooked Spoon in Grand Marais, MN and the second,believe-it-or-not is a chain restaurant burger from Outback Steakhouse in Duluth. Both of those can be ordered medium rare and they were my favorites to date. Robert's version is just as good as either of those, as they each have their individual high points, so I would say we have three equal winners in my estimation.
I tried another one a couple of weeks ago after watching an episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives which featured the Duluth Grill. They offer a Roasted Garlic burger and it sounded intriguing to me so I ordered it. Major disappointment. The burger was way overcooked, it was served on a whole wheat bun, which is just wrong and there were no garnishes at all. I won't be back.
The hunt continues for excellent food!
Good eating,
Tim