With another September comes another Le Burger Week, another new burger from Carlo’s Cucina.
Having won two of the last three competitions and being the runner-up in one of them, Carlo’s Cucina owner Carlo Guzzi is eager to win another title. Last year, Guzzi claimed more than 2,500 Le Burger Week votes for The Magnifico, a first-of-its-kind Sicilian burger. This year, Guzzi’s paying homage to the other side of himself with the Oh Canada burger.
The Oh Canada is a five-oz. Certified Angus beef patty topped with Wojapi, a Dakota berry sauce, maple chilli Japanese pork belly by Big Smoke BBQ, Bothwell old white cheddar cheese, and spring mix, drizzled with a wild cherry Pepsi aioli, all on a blueberry and strawberry-infused bun made by the Arborg bakery. Each Oh Canada burger comes with a side of fries, also topped with the wild cherry Pepsi aioli.
Guzzi initially got the idea for this burger when his sister called him after seeing Wojapi featured on a cooking show.
“I saw that, and I was like, ‘oh boy. I know how I can pair berries with fruit and meat,’” he said. “I didn’t know what it’d taste like, but I knew it’d be good.”
So, trusting himself and his expertise, Guzzi started pairing the Dakota berry sauce with meats and cheeses, eventually creating the Oh Canada burger.
“I grew up in a household where all my friends were Indigenous,” said Guzzi. “It’s always been a little bit more for me. Growing up having fry bread or Bannock, one side of the bread having butter and the other side a jam of some sort…when it came to the bun, I knew I didn’t want to do fry bread: it’s too heavy. I’ll make a bun that is buttery and gives that jam feel.”
He named the burger after the country to express his gratitude to the people who have supported him year after year.
“We need to always remember that we are one, instead of dividing the country,” he said. “So, I thought, ‘let’s put together a burger that’s going to bring the country together.’”
Le Burger Week runs from Sept. 1 to 8, with the winner announced later in the month. People can vote for their favourite burger at www.leburgerweek.com.
Guzzi is hoping to keep his streak alive and bring home another Le Burger Week title. He said that while he’s at the top of his game, he’ll continue to think outside the box and offer his customers the best.
