Located on the ever expanding/evolving/diversifying, food-drink-entertainment street (Adam's Avenue) in the heart of Normal Heights is a fresh new eatery, with an older brother two doors to the east, that you should be checking out soon, very soon.
Burnside is sandwiched between The Ould Sod and The Rabbit Hole just east of Felton street on Adam's Ave. It's a smallish place offering a menu focused on sandwiches and small bites.
A second amazing creation from the same dudes (or dudettes, I'm not at all sure) that brought you Sycamore Den, just two doors to the east. All offerings from Burnside are available via delivery (by them) to you at Sycamore Den. Yeah, super cool. What is Sycamore Den? A bitchen drink spot that you ALSO need to try. Leather, wood, possibly a Jack-a-lop mounted on the wall, maybe, maybe not... who cares, it's not important. What IS important is having great food, near by, at a reasonable price, in NOT an over cool setting, not pretentious over overdone (did I say Craft and Commerce?). Both of these places have these things but they do them in the appropriate amount, with just enough kitsch, but not too much.
Have I beaten this one to death? I agree, let's roll!
BEER! They have a few on tap. It's hard to find bad beer in SD these days so I'm sure they'll have something you'll like. If something stronger meets your fancy then roll to Sycamore Den. Easy.
You'll find no mandatory suspenders or curled mustaches here
just the occasional posing cock
The main purpose for this visit is food, and we hit it hard.
Everything we ordered was good, however our favorite is presented last, if you care.
Kimchi Ribeye Buns
The buns were soft, the meat was flavorful and sliced thin enough to keep it from becoming stringy. I also liked the presentation. They were easy to handle and get to your mouth. The kimchi was fresh and light, very very new kimchi, it could have even been made that day, tossed to order, that's how light it was. If you either don't like kimchi or just a touch or if you've never tried it then I completely recommend this. A great introduction to the veg. If you are a seasoned kimchi vet then you will be disappointed, just move on.
This was a decent start to our lunch.
Juicy and delicious. Crisp and fresh.
Banh Miho
Hoisin Pork, cucumber, carrot, cilantro, jalepeńo, soft nice bread. A good balance of flavor and a decent banh mi. They named this the Banh Miho because the sandwich is offered with a dipping sauce best known as the pho broth from the Miho truck (a hugely famous SD food truck).
Again, I liked this but the carrots were either not pickled much or at all. A significant flavor within a traditional banh mi is the pickled carrot/radish, and this just didn't have that. I also recall that my only experience with the Miho truck was their banh mi and it ALSO didn't contain pickled carrots, so they may have given some pointers to Burnside. Man, I hope not cause it kills this sandwich. A banh mi without the pickled flavor just seems a little empty to me. Like a california burrito, but made in a bowl instead of burrito style. It just wouldn't be the same experience, taste, anything, It would probably be good, but not amazing. This was good, but not amazing.
Tots
I'm not a huge tot-freak, just a freak. But I digress.
These tots killed it! Crispy and flavorful, just the right seasoning, and just salt, and maybe a little more "something", but not chili powder or anything too different. I don't want chili powder on my tots, fries, or anything except in my chili, or bbq, etc... You get where I'm going, I hope.
These killed it and they look it. Enjoy.
Porchetta Cubano
This was the overwhelming star of the meal. If you missed it let's start again. This is a cubano sandwich, made with porchetta. House made porchetta. There are obviously as many variations on porchetta as there are with everything in life. A common variation is to gut and bone and roll a pig around various off-cuts of pig and fat and pig, baked in an oven for many hours eventually crisping up the outer fatty layer, leaving the inside porky and juicy and incredible. Slices are cut from the log providing a cross section of all types of meat together, along with crispy crunches. A version that I think Burnside uses is pork belly wrapped around a loin of some sort and baked, etc...
This was the overwhelming star of the meal. If you missed it let's start again. This is a cubano sandwich, made with porchetta. House made porchetta. There are obviously as many variations on porchetta as there are with everything in life. A common variation is to gut and bone and roll a pig around various off-cuts of pig and fat and pig, baked in an oven for many hours eventually crisping up the outer fatty layer, leaving the inside porky and juicy and incredible. Slices are cut from the log providing a cross section of all types of meat together, along with crispy crunches. A version that I think Burnside uses is pork belly wrapped around a loin of some sort and baked, etc...
Burnside chops the pork and adds mustard, cheese, a sliced pickle, all "sandwiched" in-between soft bread and panini'd till crisp. Cuban. Magnifico.
Also served along side was a sauce that I forget the name of. I forget it because it simply wasn't needed. This sandwich had so much flavor that nothing else is necessary.
I really have no more words. These photos are/should be enough.
The only criticism I can offer is that I want MORE COWBELL! Wait, no, I want more pickling on the kimchi and carrots. Dear Burnside, please just bite the bullet and make a few extra days of both and let it sit, give it time, let it develop, please. If you don't believe me just try it, a personal sample size. You'll be blown away, I guarantee it.
Come on in and check this place out, you won't be disappointed.
Better yet, let's meet for a drink at Sycamore Den and share a bite.
Sound good?
See you there, soon I hope.
DVA
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