Illustrations by Becca Saulsberry.
Each issue of Covered Bridge we, your brave culinary explorers Russel Reuben and William Montecristo, search the valley for inspiring burgers, sandwiches, tacos, snacks on a stick, second breakfasts and finger foods.
For the inaugural issue of Covered Bridge, we wanted to take a deep dive into the unsung hero, the Fight Club, the no-hitter you can’t talk about even though it’s happening before your very eyes …
Double cheeseburgers made by taco shops.
Illustrations by Becca Saulsberry.
Reuben: How many people stumble into their local taqueria and discover a perfectly cultivated, all-American, double cheeseburger served on a brioche bun flakier than my roommate Steve? I knew from first bite this delicious mystery would ultimately take gold in our burger bro challenge. This very well could be the World’s Best Taco Burger.
Montecristo: So maybe I’ve been sneaking around on my burger bro Russel eating this masterpiece again and again. Two or three times a week. Probably because when I come home smelling of Danimal sauce and onions my wife embraces the enchanting pheromone cocktail and can’t stay away from her own beefcake. I recommend pairing the burger that saved my marriage with their “Flying V” fries and house-made ranch.
Reuben: The most complex burger build in the lineup, this hole-in-the-wall’s pineapple topped creation transcends culture between two sesame seed buns. I’m not sure if my taste buds were vacationing in Maui or Michoacán, but those cheesy, double beef patties brought me back home to America with several spicy stamps in my hamburger passport.
Montecristo: Did you know that song “Macarena” is considered important because it was the first Spanish language song to hit number one back in 1996 and has since gone on to be the most viewed music video in YouTube’s history? Don’t even try and tell me about the pop culture firestorm that went down when Justin Bieber lent his voice to “Despacito” in 2017 or whatever that Santana song with the whiney guy was. For my money, this “Que Chido” burger is indisputably the greatest Spanish language crossover artist of all time.
Reuben: Legend has it after a record snowfall in 1986, Charlie Daniels skied right up to the bar in El Sabor. Fiddle in hand, ripping hot fire licks, singing of a burger that could steal your soul. Subsequently, this burger from hell was born. RIP to the Uneasy Rider, but the El Diablo lives on.
Montecristo: My cool dude neighbor told me I had to put El Diablo on my list, because it was “that flame flame.” I think he was talking about their spicy five pepper relish that took me right up to that euphoric zen state of pain that hovers just before miserable. Or maybe, he was talking about something the kids say on TikTok these days. Anyway, if the rankings factored in ski-in/ski out-ability, this burger would have scored even higher.
Disclaimer: These rankings are absolutely anecdotal samplings of some of the food we ate with our hands and is by no stretch of the imagination an all-inclusive or accurate encapsulation of the valley’s cornucopia of offerings. If you have a suggestion of where we should eat next please email us at eatwithyourhandsvail@gmail.com.