Help send this burger and its creator — and maybe even yourself — to a Washington, D.C., cook-off. Kris Busk, owner of the Shoreline Sandwich Co. and its burger-based sibling, Prime, has been nominated to participate in a national competition by the James Beard Foundation. 
The quest is to find the Best Blended Burger in America. The top five burgers chosen by online voters will participate in a national cook-off. A lucky online voter will win an all-expenses paid trip to D.C. to watch the final competition live. 
A blended burger is a combination of ground meat and chopped mushrooms. The result is a delicious, healthier burger. It’s also more environmentally sensitive, according to the James Beard Foundation. The foundation’s mission is to “celebrate, nurture and honor chefs and other leaders making America’s food culture more delicious, diverse and sustainable for everyone.” 
You can vote once a day through July 31 at the James Beard Blended Burger Project website. 
“This contest is a chance to support one of our own and to add another spotlight on the downtown dining experience,” wrote Terry Sweeney, executive director of the Downtown Management District on the Marina Arts District website.  
Prime opens every Friday night at 600 Leopard St. in Uptown Corpus Christi. Reservations at (361) 883-1633 are recommended for a chance to try a wide variety of gourmet burgers, including the William, Busk’s mushroom-blended creation. The burger comes with brie, Parmesan potato chips and truffle aioli. 
The Shoreline Sandwich Co. has two locations: one at 600 Leopard St. and the other inside the PlainsCapital Bank Building in downtown Corpus Christi (between Peoples Street and Schatzell). It’s not visible from the street — hungry restaurant-goers have to go inside the building to find it. 
The chef at the two eateries has won awards for his barbecue and has been featured on the Travel Channel. 
By the way, when you go online, click through the burger restaurants to find the Corpus Christi entry. Last time we checked, it was on the third page in.