At the Kuma’s Corner restaurant, the chef likes to invent new hamburgers named after rock stars. The latest one ventures into rather unusual territory, however:
Kuma’s Corner, a heavy metal-themed burger joint on Chicago’s North Side, this month is featuring a 10-ounce burger topped with a red wine reduction and an unconsecrated communion wafer, a menu item that, depending on whom you talk to, is either tasty or in poor taste.
The Ghost, named after the Swedish metal band Ghost B.C., costs $17 and comes with fries, chips or a side salad. In addition to the ingredients that ostensibly represent the body and blood of Jesus, the burger served on a pretzel bun includes a portion of slowly braised goat shoulder, aged white cheddar cheese and Ghost chile aioli.
Kuma’s names all of its specialty burgers after metal bands. Ghost B.C. is known for its secretive nature, with its musicians wearing hooded robes while the singer appears in skull makeup and dresses as a Roman Catholic cardinal. Some people have been offended by the burger, Director of Operations Luke Tobias said at the restaurant Wednesday.
“People have been kind of upset,” he said. “The thing with this is, the communion wafer is unconsecrated, so until that happens, it’s really just a cracker.”
Jeff Young, producer of the Catholic Foodie blog, thought the burger crossed a line.
“It’s not the Eucharist, but it’s still symbolic,” Young said. “For us as Catholics, the Eucharist is more than a symbol, it’s a sacrament. At the same time, it doesn’t mean that symbols aren’t important. … It is a mockery of something that is holy. The same thing could be said of the band itself.”
Whoa! Seventeen dollars for a hamburger? Now, that’s offensive.