Even though Kootenay Time is new to Nelson’s culinary landscape, they are quickly and passionately carving themselves a niche for local diners.
Their Home Burger, which is in the running for Nelson’s Best Burger, offers up a delicious and affordable alternative.
“We’re trying to create the affordable burger and as it turns out, it’s super tasty because there is a lot of meat it,” said Kootenay Time owner Michael Chesney.
When it comes to creating a great burger, Chesney said there two important parts: the burger and the bun.
“It’s got to be a really awesome patty that’s super beefy with no mixture in it, just spices and a really hot bun,” he said. “To me that’s the topper, if a burger doesn’t have a really hot bun I’m sad because I’m waiting for that burger moment that we’re all searching for. I was inspired by the St. Catherine’s burger in Montreal. It’s the classic dollar burger on the road, so what we are trying to deliver is that you can drive by and pick up as many as you want at one time.”
For the beef in Kootenay Time’s Home Burger, Chesney went to Creston where he’d found his dream burger, but admits that he’s never met the creators of the delicious patty.
“We get it from a secret location in Creston,” he said. “It’s Creston beef, produced by people who are doing it up there with a Doukhobor tradition behind them. We are middling the burger you could say because I found my dream burger there. I could never top the way those guys do them. I’ve never met them it’s so secret.”
In addition to the Home Burger — which is topped with fried onions, relish, ketchup and mustard along with lettuce and tomatoes — Kootenay Time offers a portabello mushroom burger and kids burger.
“We also offer a great burger alternative with our portobello mushroom burger which is a whole cap,” said Chesney. “We’re creating a whole line of burgers and we have more burgers coming out this fall. It’s a fully loaded burger and we use the Ebesse Zozo sauce in various heats going up to the super hot.”
Vote for Nelson’s Best Burger at nelsonstar.com, click on the contests tab.