Welcome to the 2009 Burger Bonanza wherein two girls eat 20 of the city's best burgers, on the path to burger enlightenment. The 10 best will then be chosen to be featured—in ranking order—in 7x7's September magazine issue. Burgers must fit our "fancy burger" parameter: made with beef and available as part of the regular dinner menu at upscale restaurants in SF. Beyond that, we're open to suggestions, which we hope you will leave in the comment box below!

SOUTH FOOD & WINE BAR

Price: $15
Beef: Australian Wagyu beef from Queensland, 7 ounces
Bun: From Panorama Bakery
Fixings: mustard yogurt aioli, slice of chili-pickled pineapple, mache, Cresenza cheese
Cooked: gas grill
Comes with: "chunky chips" (big, fat French fries)

Like the Korean-influenced Namu burger, the South burger is for those that want a taste of a burger that pledges allegiance to a different flag—the Australian one in this case.

Not surprisingly, a burger with an Australian accent is no shrinking violet. The ground beef is rich Wagyu from Queensland—seven ounces of it. Topping this off is chili-pickled pineapple (apparently pineapple is a typical addition to Aussie burger), plus mache and a huge slab of Crecenza cheese. The Panorama Bakery bun appeared to be brioche, which might be a bit of a lightweight for this major undertaking.

South’s burger is plenty tasty but I’m not sure it needs the unmelted cheese—or so much of it. Also, when I think of cheese on a burger, I imagine it melted. But I did like the pineapple. In fact, I think there’s much to be said for the sweet/savory burger. In this rather purist town, there's not enough of them.