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If the South Sound had a signature dish, what would it be? I think it must be the hamburger. And who doesn't adore a juicy ground patty of beef in the mellow embrace of a good bun? In fact, the most common last meal requested by death row inmates is the cheeseburger, and it's a favorite of office workers, too, who only feel like they're on death row.
Welcome to day five of the Tournament of Burgers, featuring 64 of the South Sound's best against one another in the mother of all burger brackets. Below is a recap of yesterday's burger action followed by eight new burger joints hitting the grill today.
Game 1: NetShed No. 9 vs. Harmon Brewery & Eatery
NetShead No. 9 beat The Harmon in downtown Tacoma by 270 votes. That's a mind blower.
Game 2: Five Guys Burger and Fries vs. Engine House No. 9
The buzz about Five Guys' famous burgers being the best burgers ever flipped into existence has reached the Tournament of Burgers. The thinnish, griddle-cooked patties grabbed 62 percent of the votes yesterday against E-9. Five Guys' daily-ground beef is lightly packed and grilled to a savory, caramelized crunch, then stacked into twos and loaded into a supple, sesame-seed bun. It faces off with NetShed No. 9 in the Second Round March 29.
Game 3: Meconi's Pub Tacoma vs. The Hub-Gig Harbor
The Hub in Gig Harbor led the game at noon, riding the back of its delicious Stumpjumper Burger and used a strong burger flipping style to build a working margin. The Hub took its biggest lead at 1 p.m. Then The Hub suddenly went cold, going 60 minutes without a point while Meconi's started inching back into the game. By 6 p.m., under the leadership of its Mushroom Burger, Meconi's shot ahead in the vote count. It doesn't matter The Hub in Gig Harbor has a better view and airplane rides. Meconi's grabbed 72 percent of the votes and a spot in the Second Round.
Game 4: Tatanka Takeout vs. The Swiss
"If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be a 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you." That famous quote comes from the beloved Winner the Pooh. That quote could have easily come from a regular at Tatanka Takeout speaking on his or her love for the Ruston joint's bison burgers. And while Tatanka makes a tasty bison burger, I imagine if this were the Tournament of Chalk Board Writing, Tatanka would still have gathered 75 percent of the votes. Don't mess with Tatanka, at least until March 29 when Meconi's Pub gives it a shot.
Let's weed through the condiments. The following are advancing to the Second Round:
The daily burger battles on Walkie Talkie are sponsored by Ricky J's Restaurant and Lounge in Puyallup.
OK, let's dive into today's First Round burger battles. Vote for one burger joint per game. Voting for today's burger battles ends at 11:45 p.m.
Game 1: The Ram (3001 Ruston Way, Tacoma) vs. The Forum (208 S. Meridian, Puyallup)
Game 2: Frisko Freeze (1201 Division Ave., Tacoma) vs. Tacoma Cabana (728 Pacific Ave., Tacoma)
Game 3: Gourmet Burger Shop (4120 Harborview Dr., Gig Harbor) vs. Little Jerry's (8233 S. Park Ave., Tacoma)
Game 4: Mikie Burgers (4915 Center St., Tacoma) vs. Carl's Jr. (6215 Main St. W., Lakewood)
Confused? Read our Tournament of Burgers introduction here.