A few months ago, Great Divide Brewing & Roadhouse in RiNo shifted the menu to feature over a dozen hamburgers, and each burger has its own personality and flavor profile.
“We had fun building this menu specifically because we have 17 burgers,” said Justin Adrian, president of operations for Vibe Concepts, which runs Great Divide Brewing & Roadhouse. “We have everything from classic American to Asian to Greek; we went all over the board with this one.”
But while the burger program sings with great options, the real magic outside of the meat comes down to the bun. The restaurant needed something with integrity, that can hold up to sauces, juices, cheese, and volume.
“Picking the bun is important because we stack our burgers at Great Divide, and we need something that holds its integrity,” added Adrian. “We finally landed on a company that we feel best fits our burger, and that’s with Harvest Moon. They make an amazing bun, the product is local, it’s fresh, it’s killer.”
Harvest Moon Baking Company started as a cottage bakery in 2006, and even though it’s grown into a full commercial operation, the company keeps old-school baking traditions going strong. The ingredients are whole and simple, and the bakery eschews artificial preservatives. Buns and slider rolls are the specialty here, with options ranging from challah to sweet potato to classic sesame.
Get a taste of Harvest Moon’s airy brioche buns on the burgers at Great Divide RiNo, starting with the Wok This Way, a favorite of James Doxon, culinary director for Vibe Concepts. The hearty bite comes decked out in Asian flavors such as gochujang, sesame sauce, and crispy wontons. It also comes with wild mushrooms and fresh cucumber slices.
For Adrian, it’s the Peachy Keen that gets him salivating. The sweet-and-savory burger comes with fresh peaches, goat cheese, red onion, a sriracha glaze, and garlic aioli. For those craving a New American-style hamburger, the Jam It Up features bacon-onion-apple jam, bacon, fresh arugula, and Brie cheese. Spice chasers should add Jalap-En-O Business, which comes topped with pepper jack cheese, caramelized onion, guacamole, garlic chili crisp, and pickled jalapenos.
Another great way to sample the Harvest Moon buns is at Chicken Fight! & Burger Brawl on Thursday, August 20 at Elitch Gardens in Denver. All the buns used in Burger Brawl come from the company, and yes, Vibe Concepts and Great Divide is bringing a taste of those famous hamburgers to the festival. Until then, head to RiNo for a pre-game tasting.
Visit Great Divide Brewery & Roadhouse RiNo Monday and Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. 3040 Blake St., Denver, greatdividebreweryandroadhouse.com
