My brother Teddy loves hamburgers. Well, actually, he loves cheeseburgers.

At every restaurant, regardless of city, that’s his order: In part because, born with Down syndrome, he doesn’t like change. But more so because he knows what he likes, so why order anything else?

Born in 1989, exactly three years and three months after me, Teddy and I didn’t always have a lot in common. We went to different schools (him public, me private). We had different hobbies (he loved movies, I loved books). We had very different skill sets (he was a social butterfly, while I leaned into schoolwork and studying).

The one thing we could always connect on was sports and, subsequently, stadium food. It started when our dad got Vikings season tickets. As kids, we’d spend every other Sunday each fall sitting in the Metrodome, cheering for the home team and, arguably more important, contemplating our lunch options. More often than not, we’d land on either a hot dog or cheeseburger, comfortable with our consistency and confident in their deliciousness.

Over the years, and across sporting complexes, we’d started to compare these two staples, noting where it was best to eat what. Teddy also began regularly ordering burgers when dining out, slowly but surely building his own culinary expertise. So as Wayzata’s restaurant scene began to explode, I thought “Why not extend this practice, and his knowledge, to our hometown?”

To see our favorites, check out the article written in collaboration with the Star Tribune!