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
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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
[via Hamburger Matty]
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]
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.
You may enjoy all kinds of burgers, but is there one you prefer over the rest? If you don't know your burger styles, all the choices are explained in our guide to hamburger and cheeseburger styles. Take the poll after the jump »
In case you missed them, here are the top three new posts from the last week.
1. Reality Check: McDonald's Angus Third Pounder
It looks better than it tastes.
2. Hodad's in San Diego Goes Beyond Bacon Strips with a Bacon Patty
Bacon patty = better than bacon strips.
3. An Old-Fashioned Burger at Jack's Classic Hamburgers in North Hollywood
Get a picture perfect Southern California-style burger for a remarkably fair price.
There be raw onion in this burger. [Photograph: Robyn Lee]
Here are the results to this week's poll: How Do You Like Onions on Your Burger?
Raw 44%
Grilled 19%
Sautéed 21%
Fried, unbattered 3%
Fried, battered 6%
Pickled 2%
Other 2%
No onions for me, please 7%
Raw is the winner by a long shot. I'd like raw onions more if they didn't always leave my mouth with an unpleasant aftertaste that lasts for hours.
Thanks for your participation! Stay tuned for next week's poll. (As always, I take poll suggestions.)
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.
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
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