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By Anthony M. Fuda

mvbrb@hotmail.com

Abracadabra.

There was no slight of hand or any magic words, and we didn’t have to wait for the smoke to clear, but the chefs at the Magic Tree conjured up some delicious burgers for us.

The Magic Tree is Phill and Sandy Reda’s venture into the restaurant business. You might know the Reda’s as the owners of Vintage Estates, supplying all your beer and wine needs.

It seems they combined their love of beer with a great food menu to produce a laid back place where you can enjoy the best of both.

We found our way through the spacious dining room and looked over the beer and burger menus.

There are six columns of mostly craft beers, with a wide variety of choices.

The menu boasts six burgers, and a veggie burger. That would seem simple enough, but each burger sounded better than the previous one.

The menu read as follows: The Brewmaster - “A mouth-watering chorizo & Angus beef burger lacquered in a beer cheese sauce & mustard aioli served on a fresh pretzel roll”; Thai Chili - “Our one half-pound Angus burger char-grilled & topped with a spicy Thai slaw & garlic lime mayonnaise, served on a grilled pretzel roll”; Magic 8 Ball - “Jalapeño peppers, 2 bacon strips, & pepper jack cheese are added to spice up this juicy one half-pound Angus burger served on an egg bun”; Sunny-side Upscale Burger - “A juicy chorizo & Angus beef burger, topped with a fried sunny-side up egg, melted cheddar cheese & bacon served on a fresh pretzel roll”; Caprese Burger- One half-pound Angus burger topped with fresh mozzarella, tomato slices, fresh basil, & a balsamic glaze. Served on an egg bun”; Justa Burger - “One half-pound Angus burger with your choice of any or all of the following: lettuce, pickle, tomato, onion, ketchup, mayonnaise & mustard. Served on an egg bun”; and the Cilantro Black Bean Burger- “Seasoned vegetable & black bean burger topped with fire roasted cilantro corn relish & chipotle herb mayonnaise served on a fresh pretzel roll.”

Just reading the menu and hearing all the ingredients that go in the burger, you could almost taste each delectable bite.

All the burgers are served with your choice of a side salad, cole slaw, fresh-cut fries, or fresh-cut chips. We split our choices between fries and chips, and were pleased with both.

Our server, Hannah Walski, brought our burgers out and we were ready to taste if the burger descriptions were real, or just an illusion. Just by the presentation we knew these burgers were prepared with high standards.

We all agreed the burgers were seasoned very well. We took our small-bite taste test and were extremely happy with the flavor.

I had the Caprese Burger and enjoyed everything from the fresh toppings to the toasted bun. The basil and tomato tasted like they were just picked from the garden after I ordered, and the balsamic glaze brought all the flavors together. This is the burger you would imagine eating sitting on a porch in Tuscany, overlooking the city.

John had the Thai Chili Burger and said, “I normally wouldn’t choose this type of burger, but I was feeling adventurous tonight. The burger comes out and it looks great, but still I am scared because this is not the burger I would normally order. I put the lid on, took a bite, and was completely blown away. The Thai chili slaw that comes on the burger was outstanding. It was a perfect blend of sweet and spicy - but not too spicy. The burger was nice and juicy, and cooked the way I ordered it. The pretzel bun held up great under the pressure of the delicious slaw. This is a highly recommended burger and I can't wait to get my hands on another one soon.”

JT ordered the Sunny-side Upscale Burger and noted, “The Sunny Side Upscale features a Chorizo-Angus blend. For those who have never heard of it, (like me), Chorizo is sausage seasoned primarily with paprika. The waitress explained that the burgers with the Chorizo have to be cooked well done. Any worries that I had of the well-done burger being too dry were laid to rest with that first bite; the Chorizo - Angus blend was juicy and delicious! The thick-cut bacon was fried up just right, no rubbery under-cooked fat here. The combination of the blended, seasoned meats, egg and cheese was awesome! And on a fresh pretzel roll? Get out of here!

Spatman had the popular Brewmaster, and thought, “This burger is a patty made from the Chorizo - Angus beef mixed together and fried well done. It was very juicy and seasoned well. A great tasting patty, served on a pretzel bun and topped with a melted beer flavored cheese sauce and a mustard sauce to enrich the taste. Also topped with bacon, lettuce and tomato, a combination to make your taste buds savor every bite. Served with a side of fried chips and a French onion dip. It rates a 4 out of 5 on my wet nap scale. Great taste for a great price.”

Eric had the Magic 8 Ball and commented, “The Eight Ball burger came just as advertised - fresh jalapeños and red peppers that really took it up a notch. For someone who likes the heat like I do this burger did the trick. Lots of flavor, and the burn stuck with me for quite some time, too!”

Whatever spells they use at the Magic Tree, keep it up, because the final product looks and tastes amazing. And wash your burger down with any of their craft beers.

4 stars

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