The Bad Apple...and a good one, too.

I kept hearing The Bad Apple in the North Center neighborhood of Chicago has the best burger in the city. And there is some fierce competition for that title.

Since my friend Marya and I were at Begyle Brewery nearby, we decided to see what this burger was all about.

We were out celebrating the anniversary of our friendship. There is a bit of a debate between us about when we actually met. According to Marya, we met on March 17, 2017, but we actually met on Feb. 11, 2017, where she was attending my small birthday gathering at Begyle but Marya doesn't recall standing and talking to me at all. So, we celebrated on St. Patrick's Day.

I give Marya a slightly hard time about forgetting this fact. However, I'm not sure if my experience as a new Chicagoan or Old Town resident would be the same without her hilarious antics, infectious laugh or her couch, which has become an extension of my own living room. She's also a pro at Christmas tree removal and she raves about anything I cook, which makes her a great person to have in your corner. And I'm lucky she's in mine.

At The Bad Apple, on the city-wide holiday that is St. Patrick's Day, we were greeted and told there was a 20 minute wait. So we wandered in the direction of the bar. One item to highlight are the roving bartenders who took our beer order even though we weren't close to the bar.

I had the Boulder Shake Chocolate Porter on nitro and Marya had the B.O.M. Triporteur Full Moon.

The walk to The Bad Apple gave us time to decide that we were going to share a burger and the cheese curds - which also came highly recommended.

The cheese curds were fantastic, but I have yet to meet a piece of deep-fried cheese that I didn't love.

Sharing a burger was a short-lived plan.

I settled on the Magic Mushroom Tour burger and Marya had The Fig It Is burger. But, it was a tough decision because all of the burgers sounded great. Other burger toppings included short ribs, peanut butter and truffle vinaigrette just to name a few.

The first thing to catch my eye about the mushroom burger was the English muffin it was served on, which is how my mom serves her burgers. It also had swiss, onions and bacon. The burgers are served with fries however, I opted for a salad. Balance is key here.

Thank goodness for my Orange Theory Fitness workout earlier that morning which allowed me to burn off a fraction of this meal. Again, balance.

Marya's burger was also a standout with its porter, fig and bacon relish, topped with goat cheese and smoked onion. My gastronomic hero polished off her burger and I did not. But, I now have the world's happiest Airedale Terrier who will inhale the contents of this doggy bag.

The burger lived up to all expectations and I'm happy I finally got there. I'll definitely go back to The Bad Apple to try a few other burgers and beers...and possibly dessert.

But, the fun atmosphere at The Bad apple was the best part. We were lucky enough to be there to see Loyola win in the final seconds and advance to the next round of the NCAA tournament. In that moment, everyone in the restaurant was a Loyola fan.

So friends, I hope you have a few good apples in your life that you can bring to The Bad Apple for a great burger and a beer.

xo,
Your friend,
Caroline