Crispy Emmer Veggie Burger at Uneeda Burger

Uneeda Burger, the newest restaurant from Quinn's and Restaurant Zoe owner Scott Staples, takes its beef patties very seriously. So what does a man who lets you upgrade your beef blend for an extra $3 have to offer in the veggie patty department? The Fremont burger shack's veggie alternative is made primarily of organic Bluebird farms emmer, a grain also known as farro, and is the result of extensive experimenting and tweaking. Emmer flour is stirred into a boiling veggie stock, then whole cooked emmer, chopped portabellas, a traditional mirepoix and seasonings like fresh thyme and rosemary go in as well. This cooks down for roughly 40 minutes, then gets poured onto sheet trays to cool and cut into squares.

These newly formed "patties" then get roasted in the oven to dry them out and impart a crispy texture, "like a garden burger but without all the stabilizers," as one manager explained. When they're ready to fire, the patties go on the bun grill so they don't consort with their meaty brethren on Uneeda's main burger grill. The final result is the crispy emmer veggie burger, topped with more portobello mushrooms, romaine, tomato, red onions and special sauce, yours for $6.25. You can also swap this patty in on any other burger preparation on the menu.
· Uneeda Burger [Website]