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The Guilfordian^s top five Greensboro burger joints
BY MATTHEW JONES
STAFf= Writer
Hot grease drips off a buttery
brioche bun as you sink your teeth
into a savory combination of hot
grilled Angus beef, melted cheddar
cheese and smoky bacon.
Hungry yet?
It is no secret that Greensboro is
filled with locally owned joints that
serve up some of the best burgers
in the state. Fresh, readily available
ingredients are piled onto patties
made from the best meats by both
established diners and just-opened
restaurants. The following are just a
few of the best:
Jam's Deli (5707 W. Friendly Ave.
and 2920 Martinsville Rd.)
Walking into Jam'sis like traveling
60 years back in time to a land of
50s and 60s music, brightiy colored
plastic and friendly service. Diners
at the deli will have a difficult time
deciding between their excellent
six-ounce burgers paired up with
some of their flavorful curly fries.
Offerings include the standaixi Jam
Burger piled high with lettuce and
tomato and a bacon cheeseburger.
Fincastle's Downtown Diner
(215 S. Elm St.)
The cooks behind the counter
will fix you a burger that might just
blow your mind.
"Iti s like my Spidey senses kicked
in when they place my plate in front
of me," wrote Derrick Matthews in
a review of Fincastle's on his blog,
TheDowntowner. "But instead of
sensing danger, I was sensing a
plate of food 1 was getting ready to
wreck."
Their menu includes the classic
Fmcastle Burger, served up with
their trademark Fincastle sauce.
Adventurous students can venture
out to try the Joel Burger, featuring
spicy pimento cheese and Fincastle
sauce sandwiched between two
perfectly cooked patties.
Emma Key's Flat-Top Grill (2206
Walker Ave.)
Inside an old barbershop, chefs
serve up delicious burgers from a
massive flat top grill.
"The burger is glorious; a hand-
formed patty bipwned atop the
griddle to a perfect dark on the
outside, with a center pristinely
pink enough to remind me that I'm
eating meat," wrote former editor
of YES! Weekly Brian Qarey in a
review of the joint.
Signature burgers mclude the
James Taylor, topped with enough
chili, slaw and onions to make
the singer-songwriter proud. Or,
maybe you were never into folk
rock and would rather have The
Greensburger, with pickle spears
and spicy sport peppers.
Hops Burger Bar (2419 Spring
Garden St.)
Hops serves up some of the
greatest burgers around in wire
baskets fined with brown paper
to catch all the flavorful juices tiiat
drip from their burgers.
"Bmld-your-own burgers are
available, but skip the work and
just order one of Hops' specialty
burgers," wrote Jermifer Bringle in
a review for The News & Record.
"I've eaten a lot of burgers and fries
in this town, and I must admit that
Hops has taken its place among my
favorites."
You might even be tempted to
sample one of their newest and top
selling burgers, the French Onion,
topped with caramelized onions,
savory aiofi and gruyere cheese.
If Angus beef is not your thing.
Hops offers mushroom, cauliflower
and nutty patties made in-house.
Additionally, Hops offers a variety
of hot and crispy fries as weU as
local craft beers.
The Big Burger Spot (3750
Battleground Ave. and 510 A
Nicholas Rd.)
Behind the counter, you can hear
the loud sizzling of patties as they
cook on the infrared griddle.
"Big Burger Spot is the really
fun kind of burger joint, total blink
and you miss it kind of place,"
said Kristi Maier on her food blog.
triadfoodies. "On the side of a gas
station and convenience store...not
exactly a dive, but almost."
The Spot serves a wide variety
of burgers, including the Backyard
BBQ with fried onions and smoked
bacon and the Mediterranean with
hummus and cucumber yogurt
sauce, in any of three sizes: Almost
Big, Big, or Colossal. Additionally,
their french fry menu is nearly as
big as their burger menu, featuring
Pesto Garlic Aiofi and White Truffle
Parmesan fries.
Community of writers work to sharpen their craft in the Gnilford Writing Group
BY EMMA RUMPL
Staff Writer
Looking for a nice, relaxing space to work
on your writing whilst surrounded by non-
judgmental, friendly peers? How about
one with a flexible schedule, providing you
with plenty of opportunities to unite with
fellow writers?
If this sounds tempting, then the Guilford
Writing Group may be just for you.
Those looking for a good, relaxing place
to work on their writing will be delighted
to learn that the writing group provides
such a space. They can write to their
heart's desire in a setting where the only
sounds are the clacking of keyboards and
the scratching of pens and pencils against
loose-leaf paper.
"It's a no-pressure environment to work
on writing," said first-year Jessica Kellam.
"It gives you a chance to focus."
Individuals who regularly attend the
group receive a number of benefits. For
instance, their writing skills are likely to
improve or stay sharpened.
"GWG helps to keep my fiction writing
muscles in shape," said writing tutor Linda
Catoe in an email interview. "I hope this
group will encourage me to expand my
abilities into the long-fiction arena."
Another benefit is the influence writers
have on each other's work just by attending
the group.
"It's very inspiring to be around a lot of
other people who are interested in writing,"
said Heather Hans, instructional design &
assessment librarian.
The writing group encourages students
to explore new territories, such as a different
form of prose or an alternate writing style.
"I started writing in genres I normally
haven't written in," said junior Gray
Stanback.
GWG also boasts a judgment free
environment. People who wish to come
in and share their writing need not fear
scathing criticism. Instead, they can
expect to receive compliments and helpful
feedback.
Participants have found that the writing
group is a safe space to unveil their writing,
and it helps them feel more confident about
sharing their work.
"(The writing group has) been a
catalyst for me to be more comfortable
with (sharing my writing) and to just be
comfortable with people's suggestions,"
said senior Faith Krech.
The familial feeling of the writing group
complements the tolerant atmosphere.
From the moment an individual walks
into a GWG meeting they will find no
animosity directed toward them, but
rather people who are happy to have
another fellow writer among them.
"(GWG) provides a good, open
feeling," said junior Sam Dawson. "I got
to know a lot of people. It provides a sense
of community."
The relaxing, tolerant and friendly
aspects of GWG have been present since its
founding in 2012.
So, what is different about it this year?
Flexibility.
"Rather than being a very static group,
(the writing group) is responsive to the
needs and ideas and inspirations of the
people in the group," said GWG Founder
and Assistant Professor of English Myl^ne
Dressier.
GWG members appreciate Dressler's
consideration for their busy schedules.
"I think it's a very compassionate way
of doing things, said junior Amanda Libby.
"(Myl&ne) wants to have everyone come
when they can."
A gathering welcome to any member of
the Guilford community, GWG encourages
students, faculty and staff to attend its
meetings. The group regularly gathers on
Wednesdays from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. in Duke
103 to work on any type of creative writing.
In addition to having regular meetings.
Dressier plans to schedule writing
workshops and other literary events
throughout the year. She is opening the
gates of opportunity for people who cannot
visit the group at its regular meeting time.
"(The writing group) is-open to anyone,
any major, any member of our campus
community," said Dressier. "Creativity
happens in all kinds of places and we want
to nourish that in every way possible."
GWG is beginning to unfurl its wings by
emphasizing that a community of writers
cannot improve unless other fans of the
written craft join in as well.
Want more information about GWG?
Visit the Guilford Writing Group Facebook
page or contact Mylene Dressier at
dresslermc@guilford.edu