I first heard about burger biopic Hamburger America in a January 26 story in the New York Times. I promptly filed the info away in my mind and hard drive for what was then a castle-in-the-air burger blog—and then promptly forgot about it.
It wasn't until reading this story that my memory was jogged and I was prompted to order the DVD for review.
Hamburger America is delicious. Brooklyn filmmaker George Motz has captured eight unique family-run burger joints in this sweet little 54-minute paean to the patty. From Connecticut to Chicago to Santa Fe, we meet some of the most unpretentious yet serious burger artisans this country has to offer.
There's Ted's Restaurant in Meriden, Connecticut, where the burgers are steamed, thereby cutting the fat while retaining juiciness. Head out west a bit for a 180 on the fat philosophy at Solly's Grille. There, just outside Milwaukee, the specialty is the "butter burger," whose top bun is slathered with an insane amount of the namesake dairy product before gracing the patty. The butter then melts and oozes down the sides of the burger and onto the plate. (Yes, that's a butter burger on the DVD cover above.)
Perhaps the most endearing burgermeister in the film is Joe Maranto, owner of the Meers Store in Meers, Oklahoma. Mr. Maranto raises his own grass-fed Texas longhorn cattle for the restaurant's beef. It's actually quite touching to watch Mr. Maranto talk to one of his cattle, stroke it under its muzzle, and make kissing sounds to it while telling the camera that the animal is "the future of the Meers Store." With his respect for the animals he'll soon be feeding customers and his connection to the land and knowledge of its history, there's no doubting that the Meers Store turns out some lovingly crafted burgers.
You'll also meet the Sianis family, owners of the Billy Goat Tavern, the Chicago eatery made nationally famous as the inspiration for the well-known John Belushi "cheeseburger, cheeseburger, cheeseburger" skit on Saturday Night Live. (And yes, it's the same family that also spawned the Curse of the Billy Goat.)
Other hamburger joints featured are: The Wheel Inn (Sedalia, Missouri), Dyer's (Memphis), Louis' Lunch (New Haven, Connecticut), and the Bobcat Bite (Santa Fe).
HAMBURGER AMERICA Website:hamburgeramerica.com Cost: $16 + $2 S/H via Mr. Motz's site or $19.99 + S/H via Amazon. (We recommend buying it via Motz's site; as he probably gets a bigger cut of the money that way.)
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I first heard about burger biopic Hamburger America in a January 26 story in the New York Times. I promptly filed the info away in my mind and hard drive for what was then a castle-in-the-air burger blog—and then promptly forgot about it.
Perhaps the most endearing burgermeister in the film is Joe Maranto, owner of the Meers Store in Meers, Oklahoma. Mr. Maranto raises his own grass-fed Texas longhorn cattle for the restaurant's beef. It's actually quite touching to watch Mr. Maranto talk to one of his cattle, stroke it under its muzzle, and make kissing sounds to it while telling the camera that the animal is "the future of the Meers Store." With his respect for the animals he'll soon be feeding customers and his connection to the land and knowledge of its history, there's no doubting that the Meers Store turns out some lovingly crafted burgers.
