A Hamburger Today- aht.seriouseats.com

Grilled: Andrea Murphy

Posted by Adam Kuban, April 14, 2008 at 11:00 AM

Editor's note: Ladies and gentlemen, it's been a while since we grilled someone, and we couldn't get back in the groove with a better subject. You know that burger history book by Josh Ozersky that comes out this month? Andrea Murphy here worked as Ozersky's research assistant on it. We figured we'd get all kinds of dirt on "Mr. Cutlets" from her. So, without further ado, let's get Grillin'!

How to shape an imaginary burger patty, Andrea?

Name: Andrea Murphy Location: New York City Occupation: Researcher

You served as Josh "Mr. Cutlets" Ozersky's research assistant for his book "Hamburger: A History." What exactly did that entail? I spent a lot of time at the New York Public Library (and other libraries) looking through newspapers, books, academic papers, obscure food industry journals, and other sources. What would usually happen is that Josh would give me a topic and I would go find information. Sometimes he was very specific (a list of movies either from the 1950s or that took place in the 1950s where people eat hamburgers) and other times more general. There was a lot of photocopying.

What was the most unusual request Mr. Cutlets had? He never had any truly strange requests. Josh was always suspicious of all the competing claims of "inventing" the hamburger. For example, he wanted to track down everything on the Fletcher Davis story—that he invented the hamburger and served them at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. There was supposed to be a mention in the New York Tribune, but that turned out not to be true. I spoke to the archivist at the Missouri Historical Society and found out there was no record of a vendor with that name.

Did you at any time eat hamburgers with Mr. Cutlets? If so, where did you go? We went to Steak Frites on 16th Street a few times. And once we had burgers at Joe Jr.'s, the diner on 12th Street and Sixth Avenue. They both serve good burgers. I think Steak Frites has moved or maybe closed, I'm not sure. [It's now on Varick, near Downing, in the West Village; it moved about five months ago. —The Mgmt.]

Did this project affect your appreciation of burgers in any way? Sure, but I came away with more of an appreciation of the bun. It's not a hamburger if it's served on toast.

Sounds like Josh really got to you. That's one of his biggest burger pet peeves. Speaking of buns, sesame-seed or plain? Plain.

Without giving away too much from the book, did you learn any fun historical facts? I did, but everyone should go read the book to find them out.

What about burger-cooking and burger-eating tips? Not really my department. But if I ever needed tips, I would go to directly to Josh.

Did you find a new favorite burger place? If so, what was your favorite place to go before working on the book? No new favorite place. I do enjoy the burgers at the Corner Bistro.

Did you ever have a desire to beat Mr. Cutlets with cutlets? Occasionally, but the feeling would pass.

Best and worst experience with the book? There were a few best parts of this project. I love finding a strange citation, tracking it down, and then finding a really good and interesting source. That happened a few times. Also,I won over the mean research librarian at the NYPL. By the time the research was winding down, we had become pals. The worst part was all the photocopying. I hate photocopying, and there was tons.

How often do you eat burgers? Once or twice a month September through May and more often in the summer.

Where did you eat your most recent one? Last week at Cafe Loupe on on West 13th Street. It was delicious.

Cheese: American, cheddar, other? Cheddar for the most part, but I can be persuaded to try other types.

Ketchup or mustard? Usually it's ketchup and, on rare occasions, both.

Grilled, griddled, or broiled? I prefer them grilled.

Interesting. Josh didn't influence you in that respect. He prefers them griddled. And for your grilled hamburger, how would you like that done? Medium-rare.

What topping or condiment, in your opinion, should never grace a burger? I'm all for people using whatever condiment they like. That said, I would never put barbecue sauce on a hamburger.

What's the most unusual burger you've ever eaten? I tend to stay away from unusual burgers. I see things like the Hawaiian burger and have absolutely no urge to try it.

Related

Carne Knowledge: Two New Burger Books Hit the Shelves
Grilled: Josh Ozersky
Excerpt: 'The Hamburger: A History'

Burger Joints Referenced

Steak Frites: 225 Varick Street, New York City (map); steakfritesnyc.com
Joe Jr.'s: 482 Sixth Avenue, New York City (map)
Corner Bistro: 331 West 4th Street, New York City (map); cornerbistro.citysearch.com
Café Loup: 105 West 13th Street, New York City (map)

3 Comments | Tags: Andrea Murphy, books, Grilled, Josh Ozersky, Manhattan, Mr. Cutlets, NYC, The Hamburger: A History