Sometimes the best ideas are born out of thrift. That's the origin of the Northlander burger at Helen's JAD at 2002 Armour Road. This unassuming North Kansas City has a reputation for good food and great beer, and this burger is just one reason why.
The Northlander stands apart from other burgers because of its green olive aioli, which owner Rod Bredemeier says was created out of a surplus of olives.
"I created the Northlander with the Green Olive Aioli because I’m thrifty. We were going through a lot of olive brine for Dirty Martinis at the time and couldn’t bring myself to throw good food out. At the time, my bartender was from Michigan and told me she’d had olives on a burger once up there. I tinkered with the Aioli for a bit and came up with a recipe," says Bredemeier.
It must have worked. The Northlander has been a favorite for more than ten years now.
The Northlander
Fresh 6 oz Angus beef patty, cooked to your liking
Diced bacon
Grilled mushrooms
American Cheese
Toasted brioche bun with a healthy layer of green olive aioli
Gree olive aioli
1 cup of roughly chopped green olives with pimentos
1/2 cup heavy mayo
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.