Burger Wars at the Hyatt Regency Irvine Hotel
I was beyond thrilled when Shaun from the Hyatt Regency Irvine contacted me about joining him and another blogger at the hotel's restaurant, 6ix Park Grill to taste 5 specialty burgers that are currently apart of an ongoing contest.
Between now and April 9th, each burger that is purchased receives an entry into the 'Burger Wars' contest. The Prize? 2 Nights in the Presidential Suite or 20,000 Gold Passport Points, and the drawing for the winner will be held on Tuesday April 10th at Noon!
Tasting all 5 specialty burgers was definitely a treat since each burger had it's own unique presentation and composition of flavors. Sous Chef Bill brought out all 5 platters of the specialty burgers at once and explained the process, approach, and inspiration that went into creating each burger. Initially, the hotel and restaurant team had submitted their burger ideas, which were then made into the real thing! Twelve burgers were created, tasted by all, voted on, and the end result consisted of the Chipotle Peanut Butter, Parmesan, Portabella Mushroom, Salad Stack, and Hawaiian Style ''Loco Moco'' burgers. Alongside my burger eating escapades, I enjoyed a Pomegranate as well as Vanilla Infused Ice Teas. Read what I thought about each burger below!
Also take a look at 6ix Park Grill's Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Menus! Stop in and grab a burger by April 9th! I promise it will be a satisfying time! Also try the $3 $4 $5 @6ix HAPPY HOUR on Fridays from 5-7:30! $3-5 Food & Drink Specials, 1/2 OFF WINE BOTTLES, and Buy 1 Get 1 Entree! I don't think anything beats that!
***All burgers are made with Meyers Natural Angus beef patties; certified humane, no hormones or antibiotics, vegetarian fed, and Angus breed
Burger Salad Stack
By far the most intriguing presentation that I have ever seen for a burger; the ingredients are stacked on top of each other in a vase, then the chef or server lifts up the vase and out come the Boston leaves, cherry tomatoes, and avocado pieces drizzled in bacon vinaigrette and topped with cornbread croutons on a juicy patty. You definitely want to slice up the salad and patty into more bite-size portions and enjoy all of the meat and salad flavors together in one bite.
Chipotle Peanut Butter
I had tasted this burger first, and it was a great way to start off the burger tasting. Don't be intimidated by the words 'Chipotle' and 'Peanut Butter' used in the same title because this burger definitely packs a lot more 'bark' than its 'bite'. The in-house made jalapeno jam is more of a hint of spicy taste (since it is applied to the patty before being cooked) that perfectly complements the beef , pepper jack cheese and King's Hawaiian roll bun. It's quite aromatic and a perfect balance between sweet and spicy. The fruit and celery with peanut butter are a great side dish with the burger. The other blogger noted that this could be a 'kid-friendly' meal, which I agree since you don't really taste full jalapeno flavors in the burger, and everything is naturally sweet.
Hawaiian Style "Loco Moco"
I was no foreigner to this dish, although I had never actually had a 'Loco Moco' in Hawaii before, my parents used to make eggs with sausage or spam over rice. I think I would have more thoroughly enjoyed this burger if I hadn't been in 'Lunch' mode at the time because it's the perfect breakfast dish for me. And the buttermilk biscuits were the BEST that I had ever had, perfectly toasted and buttered. An interesting, but delicious compendium of Asian flavors and traditional breakfast favorites.
Parmesan
This burger was my fave; it was like a chicken Parmesan dish, but reinvented into a beef burger. There was just enough marinara sauce, and more than enough mozzarella cheese (I'm an Italian food and cheese fanatic, so fine by me) saturated and melted into the patty and garlic ciabatta bun. And I enjoyed the little bites of crunch from the panko crumbs layered between the cheese and bun. Like the other blogger stated, it was 'reminiscent of a meatball sandwich without the mess from the marinara'.
Portabella Mushroom
I had mostly been looking forward to tasting this burger, there was just something so enticing about the Portabella mushroom and fried leeks.The bleu cheese was a palatable touch to the burger but sometimes delectably disagreeable when I got a full bite of cheese. The pretzel bun kept the burgers juices and flavors intact, and the sweet potato fries (also another fave) were a good contrast with the savory burger.
Want to get tech savvy when it comes to dining? Use the restaurant's iPad and browse through the vast wine list. Search wines by type, price, grape, or region. And expand on specific wines to see the origins and specifications of each wine as well as food pairings. Not a big wine drinker? You can also browse the beer menu! And remember which wine you ordered by emailing and or sharing your selections to Facebook! This app, developed by Tastevin is not only an easily accessible resource for the restaurant's wine/beer menu but also a great way to get into drinking and gaining knowledge about wines; it really enhances the dining experience.
Amanda was not compensated for composing and publishing this post. All opinions expressed in this post are of my own.