Editor’s Note: I am NOT a “food blogger!” This blog is just about my recent experiences trying the “Impossible Burger” and some of my reminiscences upon that time in my life when I was a vegetarian.

An “Impossible Burger” with Cajun-seasoned fries at Sidetrack in Ypsilanti.

A couple of local restaurants in my ‘hood have recently started offering the “Impossible Burger” on their menus. What is it? Well, read here. The short story, it’s a vegetarian burger…that doesn’t taste like one.

I was a vegetarian for more than 10 years, so obviously I have eaten my share of veggie/vegetarian burgers over the years! And some of them, were pretty darn…gross. Hockey puck-like, if you will. But if I was having a meal with friends at a restaurant that didn’t have too many other options, I’d maybe get a veggie burger slathered with some nice grilled mushrooms/cheese or something. I’m still not eating “red” meat, but will still have turkey or chicken burgers from time to time.

I tried my first Impossible Burger about three weeks ago and was very impressed! It “felt” like real meat in the mouth (I know I just walked into a really dirty joke here, ha ha). I honestly can’t remember the last time I had a real burger made from cattle, so it was kind of hard for me to compare. But it definitely had a “cattle” vibe to it! They’ve even found some way to make it “bleed,” which I’m not even sure I want to know more about…

A peek at the inside of an Impossible Burger. Does that look like blood to you? I remember getting a burger that wasn’t cooked thoroughly when I was a kid and was completely disgusted. When I was still eating beef, all of my burgers had to be well done.  Even a hint of blood and I won’t touch it.

The Impossible Burger IS a bit more pricey than your typical non-beef burger, Sidetrack was selling theirs for about $10.95, which included a side of sweet potato fries (which I switched out for regular fries). So this isn’t something I’m going to be eating every day. And I have no plans on becoming a vegetarian again. But I have to say I’m pretty impressed! Sure, down the road we might learn that the “secret ingredient” in this burger causes (here I go with a list of my favorite side effects of all time) Napoleonic Complex, spontaneous combustion, or death… or something. But just about ANYTHING you eat these days carries some kind of risk. I guess we’re not supposed to eat romaine lettuce right now. And that beef in your McDonald’s burger might have E. Coli in it.

I recently made my husband bust a gut when I sung the words “E. Coli” similarly to the jingle from the old ’90s Ricola advertisements (yes, we happened to be talking about E. Coli for some reason).

 

Sorry, I love any excuse to use italics! That chicken you’re eating might not have been cooked thoroughly. A disgruntled Taco Bell employee might have pissed in your taco meat (might be an urban legend, but the Taco Bell in my hometown was rumored to have had an employee who urinated in the meat). Food-borne illness is no joke, and I wouldn’t wish that kind of misery on my worst enemy.

The restaurant in which we had these burgers is around the corner from this building in the “Thompson Block,” which dates back to the U.S. Civil War. A restaurant and loft apartments are rumored to be included in this development.

As for the burgers, I’ll definitely have one of them again! I don’t think die-hard meat eaters are going to be won over to the cause, but at least vegetarians won’t be stuck eating meat substitutes that resemble hockey pucks, either.

On an unrelated note, the restaurant in which my husband and I had these burgers also had an intriguing drink special (which we did not order).

 

Well played, Sidetrack!