We are on Ubereats for BB, TL, and The R. We are going to close all locations tomorrow and go online delivery only.
It’s about a once-a-week occurence for Don Day’s Wife and I to have food delivered. We order pizza. A lot. We order Chinese. Quite a bit. We order Thai food and fried chicken. Occasionally. But in the 26 years (I think it’s 26…I hope it’s 26) that Don Day’s Wife and I have been together we had never before ordered in what we did last week.
You see I had a hankering. And not to watch Big or Gump or Splash. But for a burger, a rich, juicy, sloppy burger.
Now burgers are meant to be eaten from stools at sticky-topped bars. Burgers are meant to be eaten in naugahyde booths in formica-tabled diners. Burgers are meant to be eaten in cars after being collected from drive-through windows. And burgers are meant to be eaten at home on coffee tables littered with remotes.
But there was no beef in the house. No bread in the house. Plus we’d already bottomed a bottle of red so changing back out of our flannels wasn’t even considered.
But, like I said, I had this hankering. And Don Day’s Wife had this same hankering. And I remembered, earlier in the day, seeing a headline in Atencion, the only piece of newsprint that’s left in my life: “The best way to order food online in San Miguel” and below it a logo with a very familiar bird that Chef Donnie Masterton’s daughter had drawn a decade or so ago.
Birdie’s Burgers, one of San Miguel’s best burgers, were apparently available online. Where did I leave my iPad?
The website is comidomisma.com. and after typing in my address and hitting Find restaurants, there was Birdie’s Burgers up in the top right of the screen. Another hit and there was their menu.
We decided to do one fairly traditional burger, The Dude with bacon, cheddar and onions, plus one quite untraditional burger, The Truffle Shroom with cremini mushrooms, truffled aioli and brie cheese. I said earlier that Birdie’s makes one of San Miguel best burgers. They may make the very best potatoes in San Miguel so, for a side, we went for an order of Birdie’s rather exotic Truffle & Parmesan fries.
I watched the clock (and an episode of Homecoming) unable to stop thinking, over and over, how will those burgers travel.
47 minutes later, the doorbell rang and I exchanged a driver’s tip for a brown paper bag, headed up to the den (and the rest of Homecoming) and dug in. I could feel some welcome heat coming through the paper.
The bottom half of the heavily seeded (you can’t overseed) bun was a little soggy but the rest of the boxed burgers tasted as fresh as if I was eating them at Doce 18, where Birdie’s makes its nest. Birdie’s uses brisket and chuck from Canada de la Virgen, the only local meat operation I’m aware of that raises 100% grass-fed and finished cattle that are hormone and antibiotic free.
“We prefer the nutty and rich flavor we get from the grass-fed”, Birdie’s Executive Chef Donnie Masterton told me. “We are trying to make healthier choices…to be conscious of the environment and the animals we are consuming.”
The deep taste you get in free-pastured beef was still there in the home-delivered product and the meat was cooked medium-well which I think is perfect for a mass-produced burger.
The fries handled the car ride even better. Birdie’s does a double fry but doesn’t try to overcrisp the exterior so the cheese melting on top and the generous amount of truffle oil soaking in works just as well as in the Doce 18 food court.
So would I order in from Birdie’s Burgers again? Yes. And would I order them in as often as pizza or Chinese. No. My 26 year old (praying that 26 is correct) burger habits of eating out or making in are way too well-established.
And would I use comidomisma again? Absolutely. I actually prefer online to telephone even if it’s only because it eliminates my need to say truffle aioli in Spanish. ComiDomi was easy to find, easy to use, easy to pay, got here in less than an hour and there are a lot more San Miguel restaurants on their roster. Mi Vida, Sushi 23, Neopolitan and Tacolicious are just four.
As you know, I don’t cook but love to eat. I think I discovered the joys of comidomi last summer during the rainy season. Birdies is a fav. Pork belly. Argentina steak on Mesones, mi Vida, all wonderful. The only time the delivery was over an hour was one very busy Friday and the chef at mi Vida called me to let me know. All done while wearing my jammies.
OK. This blog is going in my Top 10, along with your blog on ordering wine from Costco.
Perfect for those nights I don’t want to cook…..but also don’t want to get dressed and go out! And one of my favourite meals are….you guessed it…..burgers and fries. And the best burger I have had in San Miguel is at Birdies. Next time try the cheesy fries they are addictive. Thanks Glenn!
Can you point me to the blog about Costco wine please?
http://dondayinsma.com/2018/03/20/best-wine-store-history-san-miguel-de-allende-now-open-business/
What’s your go-to for pizza, Chinese, Thai, and fried chicken delivery?
Muchas gracias for your awesome blog/newsletter!!!
Pizza: Pizza Guy. Chinese: Dragon Chino. Thai: Orchidea. Chicken: Crunchy Chicken. Search the site and you can find out more about them. The phone is search a great kitchen utensil.
Glen, have you tried the pizza at the recently opened restaurant (can’t remember the name) down the corridor behind Don Lupe Grill? The owner is Italian and he imports a lot of his ingredients from Italy. Try it and let me know what you think.
I’ve tried it, love it, and will be writing about it very soon.
Great post Sr. Don Day! I have a request for a post along these same lines. As you know, more and more locals find it necessary to avoid Centro during most weekends due to the crowds, thus seeking nourishment on the outskirts of town. It would be great to have a comprehensive “go to” guide for the many restaurants outside of town, a trend that is thankfully growing. Just a thought. Keep up the good work!
I have had Birdies burgers many times and generally liked it. The BIG problem I have is that the buns always fall apart during the first bite! Every time. I then take to the knife and fork to finish. No way to eat a burger.
I had “The Dude” last weekend and it was a mess right after I started. I’m not sure I will go there again.