Rooted is all about the people, places, and events, that make us proud to call our community home.
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Looking to rejuvenate community spirit and spotlight the city’s burgeoning burger scene, local realtor Shaun Billingsley organized an event with the goal of finding North Bay’s best burger.
Shaun’s Annual Burger Crawl recently anointed The Station House & Steak Co., and Chef Steven Bugutsky as the inaugural winner.
Reflecting on his victory, Bugutsky expressed his appreciation for the diverse burger scene in North Bay. “There are lots of great spots in town that make a great burger and I was fortunate to come out on top,” he says.
Bugutsky’s winning creations included a variety of distinctive burgers, each with a special flair.
“We had guests try out the Turkey Burger, Habanero Burger, Brie Burger and we have The Station Burger,” Bugutsky noted. “Personally, I’m fond of The Station Burger. The aioli is awesome and the burger meat we use is great, it’s very tasty. A lot of people say the Bob Burger with the brie, onion and an apple has an interesting taste. We use Granny Smith apples and their tartness mixes well with the creaminess from the brie.”
The Station House & Steak Co.’s innovative approach to burgers earned them high praise from attendees, ultimately leading to being named the winner of the Burger Crawl.
Bugutsky’s establishment has been a staple in North Bay for a decade, and his culinary expertise has evolved alongside the city's growing appetite for gourmet burgers. “Burgers have come a long way in the last 10 years,” Bugutsky says. “We’ve been here for 10 years and we really noticed the burger craze starting at that point with all the messy burgers coming on to menus. During our first few years, we changed the menu every six to seven months, but since the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been consistent. I think when you’re in a city of 50,000 people, they become accustomed to what they like and what you’re serving, and as they say don’t change what isn’t broken.”
The concept of the Burger Crawl was born out of Billingsley's desire to reconnect the community after the isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a real estate agent, Billingsley is well-acquainted with the importance of social interaction, not only for his profession but also for the well-being of the community. “The idea of the Burger Crawl came about after seeing the effect the COVID-19 pandemic had on us socially. People were no longer connecting and going out to restaurants,” he explained.
Billingsley envisioned the Burger Crawl as a means to encourage locals to rediscover the joy of dining out while also supporting North Bay's restaurants. “I’m also a self-proclaimed foodie, although I think that everyone is nowadays,” he admitted. “I always liked to think that I made the best burger in town, certainly not after this experience, but the idea was, can we get a few people together and have some fun?”
Participants of the Burger Crawl sampled burgers from several local establishments. Each stop showcased the unique flavours and styles of North Bay's burger offerings.
Billingsley says the success of the Burger Crawl went beyond the culinary delights as he says many found themselves re-engaged with their community through the event.
“We had people coming out to the Burger Crawl and some of them had never been to the restaurants in which we were sampling burgers. We wanted to make sure people weren’t feeling isolated and we saw some great friendships built out of this burger crawl.”
Billingsley also highlighted the event’s impact on the local dining scene. The Burger Crawl introduced patrons to new eateries and encouraged a sense of camaraderie among the restaurant owners. “I’ve even had owners of restaurants who weren’t on the list for the crawls reach out and say ‘thank you for promoting these local establishments’ and that was very nice to see,” he says.
Billingsley says he hopes that people are encouraged to go out more often show their support. He says, “We have an incredible variety of restaurants in this city. A lot of mom-and-pop shops that are family run. They are paying rent, they have kids going to school, they are participating in community activities, and they need our support and I can’t think of a better way to help your community than by supporting these local businesses.”
Billingsley adds this burger crawl also gives him something to use as a selling feature for prospective residents, “I love North Bay, I was born and raised here and I raised my kids here. We have an amazing city and in my line of work, I have to promote North Bay, that is my storefront.”
He adds, “I always have clients asking for suggestions on where to eat when they are in town looking at homes. I have a list that I refer to and now I can add to that list on where the best burger is in town.”
Given the overwhelming positive feedback, Billingsley is already planning future culinary events. He mentioned that participants provided numerous suggestions for what the next crawl should focus on, with a new theme soon to be announced. “We’re going to be doing another crawl soon. We had people write down recommendations on what the next crawl should be and we’ll announce those results soon,” he says.
Billingsley credits much of the event's success to his assistant and friend, Bronte, who played a pivotal role in bringing the Burger Crawl to life. “Bronte is excellent at taking my ideas and making them work. I give her a lot of the credit for seeing this idea through from concept to reality.”
For those eager to participate in the next culinary exploration, details on upcoming events and recommendations can be found on the Burger Crawl Facebook Group. Whether you are a long-time resident or a visitor, the Burger Crawl offers a delightful way to explore North Bay’s best burger spots.
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