Franklin-based hospitality group A. Marshall Family Foods announced that two of their restaurants – Deacon’s New South in downtown Nashville and Scout’s Pub in Franklin – are competing in the James Beard Blended Burger Project.
The Blended Burger Project is a movement that strives to make burgers better by blending ground meat with chopped mushrooms.
Scout’s Pub burger is called The “El Hongo”: A flavorful house-ground burger patty meets the cool flavors of the Mediterranean with “El Hongo” from Scout’s Pub. Baby portabellas make up 25% of the custom burger blend along with brisket, chuck, sirloin and short rib, before it’s topped with creamy herb sauce, house-made cucumber relish, tomato, arugula and Swiss, nestled between a fresh bakery bun. Vote for Scout’s Pub here.
Deacon’s New South burger is Deacon’s blended burger which combines the late spring harvest with their penchant for experimentation by marrying flavors from home and around the world. They grind dry-aged beef and blend it 65/35 with crimini and shiitake mushrooms, then top the burger with a thick slice of pan-seared halloumi cheese, some fresh mustard greens just picked from our farm, a chimichurri of Koji-fermented green garlic and scape, and a ragout of pickled mushrooms. Then they finish it with a sprinkle of toasted crimini dust and serve it on the best classic egg dough bun made anywhere, from Charpier’s Bakery here in Nashville. Vote for Deacon’s New South here.
The burgers were created by the restaurant’s own chefs and are made up of at least 25% mushrooms. A panel of food experts selected by the James Beard Foundation will determine five winners from the top 20 entries with the most online votes. They are being judged in three categories (1) most creative use of mushrooms, (2) best flavor profile and (3) presentation. The public gets to vote for the best burger through July 31.
Customers who vote for their favorite blended burger online will also be entered to win an expense paid trip for two to the 2018 Blended Burger event at the James Beard House. View the Sweepstakes Official Rules here. Place your vote here – you can vote once every 24 hours.
