Jesse Taylor, a mixed martial arts fighter competing on Spike TV's reality show The Ultimate Figher, was shown eating frozen cheeseburgers before a fight on this week's episode (TUF airs on Wednesday evenings on Spike TV). Burger King is the official sponsor of the show so all other branding is obscured, but the small burgers looked suspiciously like White Castle frozen cheeseburgers. While the rest of the competitors ate leafy greens and low-fat protein Taylor is quoted as saying, " I like Oreos and I like cheeseburgers." The other fighters on the show were aghast at his diet, but despite the incredulity of his rivals, Taylor went out and dominated his match, winning on all three of the judges' scorecards.
The owner of the popular Madison Square Park stand - famous for its juicy burgers, frozen custards and unbearable lines - wants to bring a mobile "shake truck" to downtown Brooklyn, sources said yesterday.
The Brooklyn truck could set up shop in the MetroTech plaza for lunch by the end of the summer. The truck is expected to hit other spots on weekends and at night. [New York Daily News]
What's so difficult about ordering a 2 Hamburger Extra Value Meal at McDonald's? Well, it doesn't exist. But there's a 2 Cheeseburger Extra Value Meal (2CEVM for short)—surely you could just order that without the cheese and end up with a 2HEVM.
If only life were so simple. Asking for cheese-less cheeseburgers in a 2CEVM at McDonald's is only mildly easier than walking on water. The Consumerist covers one man's never ending battle of mostly fruitless attempts in trying to order a 2CEVM with no cheese. Some choice quotes (emphasis mine):
Have you ever tried to order a 2HEVM? It confuses the heck out of the register drones. There's no button for it, and as you know: At McDonald's, if there's no button for it on the register it doesn't exist.
As a last resort, sometimes I have to ask for "Two Cheeseburgers, No Cheese." Don't ever do this. As many McDonald's order takers have tried to explain to me "cheese burgers without cheese are just hamburgers." In other words, they are a non-item. A thing that cannot exist. Anathema.
If I'm lucky, I'll be able to cajole them into ordering the 2CEVM and pressing the "grill:no-cheese" button. They'll be nervous about it though. Afterward, they'll stare at the register as if they expect it to blow up or start waving robotic arms around and shouting "DOES... NOT...COMPUTE...."
And the craziness continues. Why much McDonald's make it so difficult to get a value-priced combination of two hamburgers, fries, and a drink?
Just thought I'd drop in today with a quickie on Brgr in Chelsea—on Seventh Avenue at 26th Street.
I've never done an in-depth look at the place, in part because it ended up being a go-to spot for me and the rest of the folks at the AHT–Serious Eats offices. And you know that old adage about not deficatin' where you do your domesticatin', right?
Not that I would slag the place—It puts out a solid burger.
Anyway, we've now been a number of times since the original mastermind behind the operation, Chris Russell,was ousted late last year, and I figured I'd blab about the changes and the state of the burger there. Burger blabbitation begins after the jump.
If it's Tuesday, it must be time for another review from Nick Solares. Nick is also the publisher of Beef Aficionado, his blog that explores beef beyond burgerdom.
Ed Tretter is devoted to his burgers. He fawns over 67 Burger, his restaurant in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, the way doting parents might over their children. I sat down to talk to him recently during a hectic lunch hour, and, despite being constantly distracted by perceived inaccuracies in presentation and production that required his immediate attention, his passion for both his restaurant and hamburgers in general was evident.
He has certainly done his homework, employing many of the trappings of some of New York's more prominent burger houses—flame-broiled, fresh-ground patties; high-quality ingredients; and an ordering system inspired by Brgr. But I don't think it is fair to dismiss 67 Burger as purely derivative. There's a lot of thought put into the way things should be done. Bacon, for example, is deliberately placed beneath the patty for reasons of flavor and texture. The custom-made buns are baked in special muffin tins that Tretter's baker procured to better fit his plump seven-ounce burgers.
Juice to Spare
67 Burger: The Autopsy.
I first heard about 67 Burger when George Motz mentioned on his blog that it was the "juiciest burger" he had ever eaten. Considering the man has eaten hundreds of burgers in almost every state in the union, that is really saying something. Indeed, in my experience, the burgers here positively brim with juiciness. Cutting a burger in half to take an "autopsy" shot resulted in a thick geyser of juice shooting straight out of the top of the sandwich, a pink streak in the bun would have left no doubt in a crime scene investigator's mind that this was one juicy burger. The bottom portion of the bun became so soaked that it almost completely fell apart.
Turns out we had one extra book sitting around for the Hamburger America Burger Haiku Giveaway. So we have six winners instead of five! They are, in no particular order:
dark brown salty crust
right amount of pink inside
sizzle juicy drip —benzado
The judges say: A perfect portrait of the perfect burger.
You once were a cow
Now you are a burger
Tasty little cow —UncleTupelo
The judges say: Fun and wickedly dark—from the cow's standpoint. If haikus had titles, this one's would be "Bwahahahah."
Danny of the blog Food in Mouth (an AHT reader and frequent commenter), made this bad boy on a stovetop cast-iron griddle. Looks effing perfect, don't it?
Yeah, I know I'm a couple weeks late to the Iron Man train here. So sue me. I've been working on other projects, so I just got around to seeing this kick-ass flick over the weekend.
Anyway, as a lot of you emailed me about, billionaire weapons magnate Tony Stark, after three months in evil-doer captivity, asks for a cheeseburger as his first meal back in the good ol' U.S. of A. And where does his driver grab it from?
Burger King.
Is Tony Starck a mechanical genius? Yes.
Is he a burger genius? No.
With so many great burgers to choose from in the L.A. area, I'm outraged that he'd pick a lame chain burger. But of course Father's Office, the Apple Pan, Irv's, In-N-Out, and all the other great places in the area don't have the movie tie-in bucks to throw around.
Get psyched—tomorrow is National Hamburger Day! Of course, this is a holiday that should really be celebrated every day (just like Earth Day... well, sort of). But for those Midwesterners who want to make it a truly special occasion, Patty Burger will be offering a free single with cheese, an order of fries, and a drink in exchange for a burger from anywhere else.
As owner Gregg Majewski has proclaimed, "No one should have to celebrate this special day with a bad burger." He also added, "Give me your tired, your poor, your underweight, overcooked, neglected patties. Bring me your soggy buns, wilted lettuce, under-ripe tomatoes, and other tasteless toppings."
The offer is good from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, May 28, 2008, at Patty Burger's Chicago and Milwaukee locations.
Patty Burger
72 E. Adams Street, Chicago IL 60603; 312-987-0900
1952 N. Farwell Avenue, Milwaukee WI 53202; 414-271-3800 pattyburger.com
I love this piece, "McForest," by Berlin-based artist Sarah Illenberger. Her site doesn't elaborate on the thought process behind it, but perhaps it's a comment on deforestation in the name of cattle-ranching? The piece appears to have been an entry in the book Sideways: A Smart Art Project, released as part of a Mercedes-Benz SmartCar promotion. [Tip o' the hat to "Hamburger Matty" via Happy Mundane]
You need some burger recipes for summer grilling season? We've dug up some of our favorite burger recipes—from the classic burger to a Tex-Mex version to one that features blue cheese as its signature flavor. Whatever your taste, one of these four burgs should do you right. Happy grilling, meatheads!
The Classic Burger: Little more than a combination of chuck and sirloin seasoned generously with salt and pepper. Maybe topped with cheese, if you're going crazy
The Nobby Burger: A recipe for one of my favorite burgers in Portland, Oregon—the one from the Nob Hill Bar & Grill
The Tex-Mex Burger: For you folks who didn't get enough of Cinco de Mayo
What's so difficult about ordering a 2 Hamburger Extra Value Meal at McDonald's? Well, it doesn't exist. But there's a 2 Cheeseburger Extra Value Meal (2CEVM for short)—surely you could just order that without the cheese and end up with a 2HEVM.
Yo, burger cheapskates: Starting at 2 p.m. today—cheap White Castle burgers. As in 27¢ each.
