New Year's Eve. The clock hadn't even struck twelve and I already witnessed a brawl involving fisticuffs outside my hotel suite, some arsehole throwing firecrackers at an urbanized deer, and a grown man wearing nothing but a diaper and a top hat. Spending the week in Banff was a memorable end to a memorable year. The greatest part was that I got to erase another task off the ol' bucket list: I ate a Kobe beef burger.

Well...it wasn't REAL Kobe beef, as that can truly only be obtained in Japan under strict farming conditions. However, Eddie Burger Bar offers an Alberta-raised, affordable (in comparison) alternative. And. It. Is. DELICIOUS. Seriously, I haven't stopped dreaming about this succulent culinary delight since I returned to Saskatoon. I've succumbed to the fact that eating anything less is just setting up my palette for disappointment, although I do plan on attempting to replicate the flavoring at home. Toasty bun, crisp red onions, aged cheddar, mystery sauce milked from the Gods...since this post is already devolving into food porn, let's take it all the way:

Muy Bueno! I've since decided that when I return to Japan I will indulge (and possibly go bankrupt) trying the original.

There is a competitor in the Banff burger wars, similarly named and claiming to have been voted "the best" in town, but rest assured, I tried it as well and it didn't come close. Eddie all the way! Now excuse me while I go back to salivating over my keyboard.