Ladies and gentlemen, who better to Grill for Father's Day than an actual dad? That's rhetorical, son. As my Father's Day gift to you (and him), here's an interview with my dear old dad. He likes his burgers the way he likes them, and doesn't care if you don't. So, without further ado, let's get Grillin'!
Name: Allan Krueger Location: Acton, Massachusetts Occupation: Dad
How often do you eat burgers? As often as I can! Oh wait, is your mother going to read this? Very infrequently, not hardly at all, almost never.
Where did you eat your most recent one? At home actually. Hot off the hickory smoked grill. And tasty it was, in spite of being vegetable-based.
Are you eating more veggie burgers than beef burgers these days? Oh, perish the thought. Well, more than when I was a lot younger, but not more so than in the recent years. You know, sometimes you feel like a nut, etc.
Cheese: American, cheddar, other? None of the above, not even with a veggie burger.
But you do like cheese, right? I've seen you eat it. It isn't the cheese, it's the combination. But this is a discussion about hamburgers, not grilled cheese.
Location Visited: 72 Nassau Street, New York NY 10038; map); 212-571-7272; zaitzeffnyc.com. Additional location at 18 Avenue B, New York NY 10009 (Alphabet City) The Short Order: Everything points to a dry, disappointing burger here—grass-fed sirloin, nonstandard bun, cooked on a griddle under a weight—but the meat is surprisingly, amazingly juicy and hella flavorful. I am still dreaming of this burger Want Fries with That? Fresh, hand-cut regular and sweet potato fries have potential but are greasy; skip them, especially at these prices Price: Sirloin QP, $8.25; HP, $13.50. Kobe QP, $9; HP, $15.25. Fries, $4.25 Further Reading From: Hamburger America, NYC Food Guy, Yelp
Wow. That's all I can say. I finally got my ass to Zaitzeff down in the Financial District. That's a great burger, I'll tell you what.
In a Nutshell
Portuguese Roll: This burger's bread looks sorta like a big English muffin, but it's fluffy, not spongy and chewy. And it looks beautiful all toasted like they do here.
Two Kinds of Beef, Two Sizes: You can either get a "Kobe burger" (actually made with American Wagyu beef) or a sirloin burger. Each version comes in quarter-pound and half-pound sizes.
All-Natural Philosophy: Apparently, founder Zach Zaitzeff saw an underserved niche in the Wall Street eats market—meals made with all-natural, sustainorganical goody-goody ingredients. The sirloin is sourced from D'Artagnan and the Kobe comes from Morgan Ranch. Even the ketchup is the Heinz Organic variety.
Griddled Patties: The burgers are made on a tiny flat-top griddle in an impossibly small kitchen area. The cook does up your burgers while keeping an eye on batches of fresh, hand-cut fries simmering in cast-iron pans nearby.
Pricey: As of publication, a quarter-pound sirloin burger runs $8.25 for burger only; half-pound sirloin is $13.50. "Kobe" burger, quarter-pound, $9; half-pound, $15.25. Wall Streeters can afford this, even in a crap economy, I'm sure.
Everyone's been reporting this shit about Robert Downey Jr. crediting Burger King with his drug-addiction turnaround. I actually saw this story last week, but everyone was crediting British film magazine Empire as a source. Oddly enough, no one was linking to the story his quotes were supposedly from. Rather than pass on spurious info to you, I took a pass on mentioning it here. Here's the quote, attributed Empire, as reported by OK! magazine (got that?):
"I have to thank Burger King," he told the magazine. "It was such a disgusting burger I ordered.
"I had that, and this big soda, and I thought something really bad was going to happen."
Downey Jr. says he went and threw all his drugs into the ocean right there and then.
The actor revealed that there is a nod to that moment in his latest movie, Iron Man, when his character asks for a Burger King cheeseburger when he is released by kidnappers.
I love a good piece of history almost as much as I love a good hamburger, so when I can find a place that has both, well, that is something I truly relish.
Old Town Bar on 18th Street in Manhattan's Flatiron District is as steeped in history as almost any bar you can name. Sure, Pete's Tavern, located just a few blocks away, can lay claim to being the oldest bar in New York (dating back to 1864) and also of having a rich literary history, being universally known as the "tavern O. Henry made famous."
Old Town Bar
45 East 18th Street, New York NY 10003; map); 212-529-6732; oldtownbar.com The Skinny: Great bar with a great history, but the burger is not great. Have a pint instead. Want Fries with That? Skin-on fries come with the burger but are limp and often just above room temperature Price: $10 for cheeseburger and fries
But Old Town itself dates back to 1892, and, while it might lack the literary pedigree of Pete's, it has its own, significant history in the political arena. Located close to the effective seat of political power for more than a century in New York City, namely Tammany Hall, Old Town Bar was allowed to operate as a speakeasy during Prohibition under Tammany's patronage. Tammany Hall moved from 14th Street in 1929 to a new location, and, incidentally, its final resting place on 17th Street, just a stone's throw away from Old Town.
How often do you eat burgers? Two or three times a week.
Where did you eat your most recent one? The Hill Bar & Grill in Waller, Texas (see photo, below right).
Cheese: American, cheddar, other? All of the above. Also Swiss, blue, Muenster, limburger, or Cheez Whiz.
Ketchup or mustard? No ketchup! In Texas, "all the way" means Mustard, mayo, onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles. (Some argue that mayo should be optional.)
Sesame-seed or plain? Open-minded. The plain bun at The Hill was good, but their best burger came on Texas Toast (double-thick white bread) buttered and griddled hard on both sides.
Grilled, griddled, or broiled? Griddled.
And how would you like that done, sir? Pink and juicy
Name: Allan Krueger
Ketchup or mustard? No ketchup! In Texas, "all the way" means Mustard, mayo, onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles. (Some argue that mayo should be optional.)
