relish.

Peanut butter, bacon and cream cheese on a burger.

I had to do it.

I really did.

I hit up Relish in London with the bf last weekend and upon glimpsing their ca-razy burger menu, knew I needed to go big or go home.

While it was a toss-up between the PB&C, The Stinky Pig (blue cheese, bourbon sauce, homemade 1000 island dressing, bacon, lettuce, tomato and caramelized onions) and the Lee-Ooh-La-La burger (bacon, béarnaise sauce, mozzarella and caramelized onions) I enlisted in the advice of our server, who let me know that the PB&C was a beloved favourite among many of their regulars. Done.

My dining companion went with the slightly tamer Smokin' Shantzy, with bourbon sauce, pickle, guacamole, pesto mayo, bacon, lettuce, tomato and peameal bacon. 

A decent mouthful, to say the least.

I was both excited and slightly terrified to try my burger. What if it didn't work and was the biggest waste of a meal ever? My boyfriend is constantly ordering better things than me at restaurants and then taunting me about it all meal and barely even giving me a bite of his even when I've ordered something awful. Was this going to be another one of those times?

On the advice of our server, I waited until the peanut butter and cream cheese had heated up to become a mass of melty, creamy goodness before I took a bite.

Just feast your eyes on this hot mess.

My first taste had me more than pleasantly surprised. The cream cheese mellowed out the sweetness of the peanut butter and both were offset by the crunch of bacon. The creamy, sweet and salty mixture coated the burger to to make for a juicy, if not a little sticky, bite. While the patty itself could have been a bit more tender, the toppings were a welcome distraction from this issue.

What initially started as somewhat of a self-dare turned into... a burger I'll probably order again. 

With a side of the "World's Best Coleslaw" (I'm a sucker for slaw... and this was pretty good) to round off my meal, I was sent nicely on my way to a food coma. But not so much so that I didn't struggle with the decision to order or not order a deep fried Mars bar with vanilla ice cream and raspberry coulis for dessert. I refrained. But with a heavy heart.

My next Relish visit? I'll be tossing that Mars bar back, preceded by a "Hungry Frat Boy" burger (topped with mac and cheese, cheddar cheese, double smoked bacon, tomato and pickle.) 

You might wanna join me. Gonna be one for the books. 

Relish

135 Wortley Road

London, ON

519-667-0606

www.relishhamburger.com