The Crafted Culture Experience

“Craft, only craftier.”

The annual Burgers and Beer festival is curated exclusively by food writers of the San Diego Readers Magazine. An event that assembles the very best burger vendors to allow the public to choose whom they deem worthy of the crown for being the best there is.

For its 5th annual event, they summoned Craft Culture.

Who view themselves as a work in progress and embrace an environment of continuous improvement toward becoming what the community needs and desires.

Their portfolio includes Leap Coffee, premium roasted offerings of coffee, pastries, and breakfast. Under Death by Tequila, they offer elevated Baja cuisine, and of course, a tequila bar. Both stem from the brain trust banner Empress, a family of restaurants that houses investors for the modern-day restaurant.

I arrived on a warm Saturday, the sunlight bathed the inside of the restaurant beautifully. I was attracted to their branded sign sitting on the back wall, a centerpiece that emits an inviting communal space.

You know why I am here…

The Burger:

Two Certified Angus Beef Patties + Wisconsin Five Year Aged White Cheddar + House Made Roasted Garlic Aioli + Neoske Bacon + Mama Lil’s Peppers + Sauteed Onions + Brioche Bun

Only it’s 3 pm, which means I am too early for the burger that’s only served at 5 pm and onward.

They profess to have carefully curated and finessed all of their food and beverage, so I decide to make the best of it.

My main dish, the Roasted Poblano Fundido: Poblano + Corn + Double Cream + House-MadeCorn Chips. Alongside some Craft Wings with House Made Spicy Honey

The Witchcraft cocktail, beverage of the month for October (left), and their Classic Cheesecake featuring seasonal fruit (right)

I decide to return another day, a day when I know I will arrive after 5pm and I can rest assured that the burger will be served.

The Burger is served with your choice of a Cesar Salad: Sweet Gem Lettuce + Charred Corn + Pickled Onions + Radish

Or, you can opt for the Duckfat Garlic Fries served with Rosemary + Parmesan

For the first time in my life, I recommend you choose the salad.

Yes.

You read that right.

The Wedge Salad: Heirloom Tomatoes + Pickled Onions + Point Reyes Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

The Avocado Chicken Salad: Chicken Cranberry Salad + Pecans + Avocado + Grapefruit Vinaigrette + Lola Rossa

Now, these salads are the upgraded salads mind you, but for a small fee, you get to indulge in delectable succulents, which I’ve never experienced before.

It’s then that I realized I must come back and try their sweet potato fries. I’ve never had them, and Craft Culture seems like the proper place to discover them.

Crispy Sweet Potatoes: Maple Creme Fraiche, Dukkah

They were delicious, more of a dessert than a side to complement the main dish. I will never understand how it ever replaced the standard potato of choice for fries. Now I have a benchmark for how they should taste, however.

But let’s not lose sight of why we are here: The Burger

This one speaks my language. Being Mexican means having a palette that craves a spicy component in any dish to make it a complete dining experience. With Mama Lil’s Peppers, you get that spicy kick that is often missing from a burger. It also features white cheddar, I often find American Cheese to be too salty and distracting from the seasoning of the patty. Not a problem here, with the Wisconsin white cheddar that’s aged for five years adding an exquisite layer. It’s all balanced by the caramelization of the sauteed onions that creates the perfect culinary pairing of flavors. An exemplary display of craft that must be experienced.