The $17 Hamburger

For dinner Monday night, my travelling companion and I went to The Sugar Rush, one of only two restaurants in town and the only one open on a Monday night. From the extensive menu, you can take your pick of Italian, Indian, Chinese Thai, or traditional American diner fare, but each item will set you back $15 to $20.

The owner, who is a Filipino immigrant from Toronto, bought the diner three years ago and has been trying to introduce a larger variety of dishes to the local palate. He lamented that they aren't interested in the Asian dishes. "Too many vegetables," he said. "They only want the Poutine." Poutine (for my American readers), is French fries covered in gravy. It's much too rich for my appetite, so I stuck with a hamburger.

Normally, I would remove the lettuce and tomato from my burger, but seeing as how fresh, ripe produce is so hard to come by up here (and so expensive!), I thought it would be criminal to waste it.

Needless to say, I ate every bite.