If you watched the Super Bowl last night or have been poking around the intarwebs today, you probably caught Google's "Search Stories" ad titled "Parisian Love." But if you skimmed through the rest of the ads online, the one called "Out of Office" gives a quick nod to In-N-Out at the 40-second mark.
Today's special burger at RUB BBQ is the Chili Burger ($7.50), topped with chili and cheese. It will be available for dinner starting at 6 p.m. 208 West 23rd Street, New York NY 10011 (map); 212-524-4300
We mentioned the Burgervetica T-shirt here on AHT when it was just a concept on Threadless. But it appears to have gotten enough votes that it's being made and sold. $18 from Threadless
Posted by Brad Japhe, February 8, 2010 at 11:00 AM
Brad Japhe has previously contributed a review of Flame Gourmet Burgers in Berkeley, and a recipe for a Father's Office-style burger. Today he brings another Berkeley review of Meridian International Sports Cafe.
[Photographs: Brad Japhe]
Meridian International Sports Cafe
2050 University Avenue, Berkeley CA 94704 (map); 510-705-1450; berkeleymeridian.com Cooking Method: Grilled Short Order: Good flavors made possible by original sauces and quality ingredients. Want Fries with That? Delicious duck fat frites are outstanding. Prices: 5-ounce cheeseburger, w/ choice of cheddar or bleu with parsley fries, $9.00 Notes: 24 Beers on draft including several noteworthy regional microbrews
If you live in New York or Los Angeles, you may know just how hip and trendy gastropubs have become. People pack themselves behind a crowded bar for the privilege of waiting an hour or two for a $10 beer to wash down a $20 burger.
And yet for all their flashiness, it can't be denied that many of these exclusive destinations back up the hype, offering gourmet hamburgers that have elevated the stature of a dish once regarded as a purely pedestrian meal. There's nothing pedestrian about dry-aged ground ribeye, crumbled Roquefort, onion-molasses compote, and lightly toasted ciabatta, some of the hamburger enhancements made popular by The Spotted Pig, Minetta Tavern, and Father's Office, to name a few of the nation's more notable gastropubs.
But within the significantly toned-down confines of Berkeley, California, there is a palpable resistance to all things flashy and mainstream. Although gastropubs have not proliferated throughout this notoriously countercultural community, there is Meridian International Sports Cafe situated on University Avenue in the heart of downtown. Meridian's non-pretentious vibe, inviting atmosphere, and original menu finally make the gastropub approachable for Berkeleyans by being comforting but not conforming.
Next Tuesday, February 9, RUB BBQ will hold a Master Hamburger Seminar hosted by James Beard Award-winning burger expert Josh Ozersky, author of The Hamburger: A History. The seminar will include a regional burger tasting—featuring a Mississippi Meatball burger, a North Jersey-style onion slider, and a Wisconsin-style butter burger—and "delve into the tastes of different beef blends, look at cooking methods, and offer tales and insights on the advanced frontier of hamburger experimentation." Beer is included in the ticket price.
Master Hamburger Seminar at RUB BBQ
Tuesday, February 9, 6 p.m.
$30/person
208 West 23rd Street, New York NY 10011 (b/n 7th and 8th; map)
RSVPs are required: 212-524-4300; rubburger@yahoo.com