Waterside burger night is simply mouthwatering

During winter, those restaurants that stay open really buckle down and offer the year-round population deals, discounts, and nightly specials to get us out of our homes and into local eateries. One of those incredible specials is Burger Night at Waterside Market in Vineyard Haven. Every Friday starting at 5 pm, Waterside offers up a specialty burger menu that doesn’t break the bank. 

Chef William Hart, previously of the Black Dog, is now slinging burgers (and other delicious items) behind the line at Waterside. The current menu, which will change slightly throughout the winter to include other burgers, boasts burgers from the classic to the extreme, including but not limited to: 

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  Firehouse Burger, $15: Infused with jalapeños and bacon, this burger is topped with fresh avocado, Cheddar cheese, and a sriracha ranch sauce that will give you just the right amount of heat. 

• Pitts Burger, $15: In honor of the owner’s hometown of Pittsburgh, this burger is topped with American cheese and layered with crisp coleslaw, a fried egg, and hand-cut fries.
• Turkey Burger, $14: It’s seasoned and glazed with a maple aioli and served layered with cranberry sauce and Brie cheese.
• Quinoa Burger, $13: A great option for those meatless days, this quinoa burger is served slathered with a curry lime aioli and topped with fresh greens and tomato. 

The best thing about these burgers? They are made with local, organic, and grass-fed beef from the Grey Barn. More specifically, it’s certified organic grass-fed, pasture-raised beef that contains no antibiotics and no added hormones. Certainly you can’t get meat better than that on the Island, and the Waterside Market culinary team lets the meat do all the talking, just barely seasoning it with salt and pepper to bring out all the naturally delicious flavors of locally raised beef. 

Waterside Market is the ideal spot in Vineyard Haven to host a burger night, with its scattered marble-top tables, gorgeous white tile walls, and chalk menu signs creatively inviting you to order a delicious meal. Whether you arrive for date night and tuck yourselves into a corner table or decide to dine out with a group of friends, Burger Night is the way to go. With their offerings of beer and wine, it’s a great night to reunite with those friends you barely see during the summer — because what’s better than juicy burgers, cold beers, and hand-cut fries dunked in ketchup while laughing with friends? 

Their wine list is quite delectable as well, and pairing burgers with wines should be an art. I’m not a sommelier, but here are some of my suggestions: 

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  Order the Firehouse Burger and pair it with a split of Carpene Malvolti rosé brut ($14 a split) — the sweetness of the wine will balance out that sriracha ranch sauce.

• If you order either the Black & Blue Burger or the Mushroom & Swiss Burger, pair it with something that can stand up to those flavors — a Malbec like Domaines Paul Mas from France ($8 a glass).
• Looking to order a glass of Chardonnay? Their Clos Du Val from Napa Valley ($12 a glass) will pair with most burgers, especially something on the lighter side like the Turkey or Quinoa Burger. 

Waterside Market is flipping specialty burgers every Friday night this off-season from 5 to 8 pm. They are located at 82 Main Street, Vineyard Haven. You can view their entire menu online at watersidemarket.com.

This article by Marnely Murray originally appeared on mvtimes.com.