I Just Can't Get Them off My My Mind

And by "them," I mean hamburgers. First, I read a story about this past month being National Hamburger Month. Then there was Michelle's tale (or, should I say "tell-tale") of gourmet burgers on Sullivan's Island. And the final straw, the one that led to excruciatingly strong cravings, was this cover of Our State magazine staring at me from the checkout stand at the grocery store:

This issue celebrates hamburgers by highlighting the specialties of five Carolina dives:

• Second Street Lunch (Roanoke Rapids)
• Wimpy's Grill (Durham)
• South 21 (Charlotte)
• Art's Place (Kitty Hawk)
• Jimmy Mac's (Bryson City)

These articles bring up a few questions for me, though: How far is it acceptable to drive for a good hamburger? And, is it normal to have a burger bucket list?

Perhaps I should just find a good burger locally. I mean REALLY good. I know plenty of acceptable burger joints, but I'm looking for a mecca. In the meantime, I'm not going to be happy until I have the chili and slaw of a Carolina-style burger running down my chin. 

I love burgers of many different kinds, but there's something about a sloppy Carolina creation, like the one pictured above, that really sets my cravings in gear. The main components of such a burger, by the way, are chili, coleslaw, mustard and onions (the ingredients Carolinians often like on their hot dogs as well). Oh yum!