Yo, NYC burger joints: Take a gander at the photo above and read the description of it that I'm about to give you. I challenge you to put a version of this burger on your menu. Why? Because I've never seen one here in the city, and I'm too lazy to drive up to the Shady Glen in Manchester, Connecticut, whence the original originates. Here's how George Motz describes it in Hamburger America:
The four-ounce cheeseburger comes with 4 slices of cheese. The cheese is not just stacked atop the burger; it is symmetrically placed, centered on the burger as it cooks on the hot griddle. An understandably large portion of this cheese makes direct contact with the griddle. When the cheese cooks through it is curled skyward by the deft grill man until it resembles a cheese crown.
According to the entry on it in his book, Motz could not the Shady Glen to reveal the type of cheese used. Still, I emailed Motz to see if he had a guess. He answers:
It was definitely sliced from a block and was probably just American. It's the cooking surface that was key, a highly seasoned super-slick flattop. Ya know, Bartley's in Boston also melts their cheese directly on the griddle (and come to think of it so does Kewpee in Racine, Wisconsin. See attached photo; you can kinda see where they melt the cheese on the griddle).
As you can see it comes replete with their famous cheese skirt, which is like a crispy, delicious hors d'oeuvres to munch on. The burger was great. I would've liked a slightly thicker patty but that's not why you come here, you come for the cheese skirt.
Eating the Road didn't note what kind of cheese was used on the Squeeze with Cheese Burger, but this stuff here looks like cheddar.
The Cheese Skirt Burger Challenge
So here's a sketch of what I take to be the cheese arrangement on a Bernice Original or on a "cheese skirt" burger. Now it's up to you, burger-joint owner, to do the rest.
Try making one—maybe experiment with American and cheddar to see which works and tastes best—and put it on your menu. Either as a rotating special or on the regular menu. Email us to let us know (burger@seriouseats.com)—preferably with a photo of your cheese-skirt burger—and we'll keep a list of places that offer cheese skirt burgers.
Credit where due: This post is absolutely inspired by the brilliant Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge that Zach Brooks ingeniously came up with earlier this year.
Adam, I love the idea. Can't wait to see who steps up to the plate. To answer you question, The Squeeze Inn uses shredded mild cheddar. Here's a video that shows how they do it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQrq0NB8Dwk
..also, I ate at The Shady Glen recently and was quite underwhelmed, their beef/meat tasted as if they got it from the frozen food aisle in the supermarket. Honestly, it could have been one of those hockey pucks. I'll state that I went to their second location (360 Middle Turnpike W, Manchester, CT) and not the original that Motz did (801 Middle Turnpike E, Manchester, CT). They're extremely close together so I recommend trying the original.
Have you ever tried to make one of these? Takes a ton of cheese. Mine didn't looks as pretty as the pic. I also blew out my Juicy Lucy when I made one of those. www.JoesBurgerSearch.com
It's not that I can't make it at home, Wilfrid, it's that I want to see glorious burger ideas seeded in new areas.
But you know, actually, I'm a terrible burger cook. It's my dirty secret. So if someone else is doing the cooking, even better.
@Eating the Road: Thanks for the new link. And for leaving the original comment in the Burger Styles post. That's what inspired this challenge. You're not the only one who didn't like the Shady Glen. Nick Solares didn't like it, and I've heard from other folks that it's not the best burger. But the cheese thing they do is awesome. So apply that to a GREAT burger, and you've got gold.
For the love of god, if someone brings a Shady Glen style burger to NYC, use some better beef. Shady Glen serves a dense little patty that would be put to shame even by the 'burgers' we used to get in the school cafeteria.
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16 Comments:
Adam, I love the idea. Can't wait to see who steps up to the plate. To answer you question, The Squeeze Inn uses shredded mild cheddar. Here's a video that shows how they do it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQrq0NB8Dwk
..also, I ate at The Shady Glen recently and was quite underwhelmed, their beef/meat tasted as if they got it from the frozen food aisle in the supermarket. Honestly, it could have been one of those hockey pucks. I'll state that I went to their second location (360 Middle Turnpike W, Manchester, CT) and not the original that Motz did (801 Middle Turnpike E, Manchester, CT). They're extremely close together so I recommend trying the original.
Eating The Road at 2:22PM on 10/15/09
Yes, yes, yes. Please, yes.
cook au vin at 3:16PM on 10/15/09
Leave the restaurant owners alone. I seriously cannot imagine anything easier to cook at home. Is it doing the dishes that's a problem?
Wilfrid at 3:21PM on 10/15/09
Have you ever tried to make one of these? Takes a ton of cheese. Mine didn't looks as pretty as the pic. I also blew out my Juicy Lucy when I made one of those. www.JoesBurgerSearch.com
jojoprice at 3:23PM on 10/15/09
Frying cheese is easy enough. I admit I haven't tried making it curly.
Wilfrid at 3:25PM on 10/15/09
It's not that I can't make it at home, Wilfrid, it's that I want to see glorious burger ideas seeded in new areas.
But you know, actually, I'm a terrible burger cook. It's my dirty secret. So if someone else is doing the cooking, even better.
@Eating the Road: Thanks for the new link. And for leaving the original comment in the Burger Styles post. That's what inspired this challenge. You're not the only one who didn't like the Shady Glen. Nick Solares didn't like it, and I've heard from other folks that it's not the best burger. But the cheese thing they do is awesome. So apply that to a GREAT burger, and you've got gold.
Adam Kuban at 3:37PM on 10/15/09
For the love of god, if someone brings a Shady Glen style burger to NYC, use some better beef. Shady Glen serves a dense little patty that would be put to shame even by the 'burgers' we used to get in the school cafeteria.
ratbuddy at 4:14PM on 10/15/09
don't know if it's changed, but the restaurant Elizabeth used to do a good burger with a skirt of crispy cheese.
GastroNomad at 4:39PM on 10/15/09
@ratbuddy: I'd love to see some of the better burger places in NYC attempt one. With good beef/cooking techniques.
Adam Kuban at 6:33PM on 10/15/09
Down here in Texas, Chris Madrid's, the legendary San Antonio burger joint does a mega-cheese hamburger with cheddar. Here was our experience:
http://htownchowdown.blogspot.com/2009/03/road-trip-chow-down-chris-madrids-in.html
HTownChowDown at 7:01PM on 10/15/09
That is GORGEOUS. I would beat a path to the door of any NYC restaurant that put that on the menu.
klg19 at 7:45PM on 10/15/09
I second elizabeth's burger with crispy cheese, it was great all around
dmax47 at 8:54AM on 10/16/09
Looks like The Flying Nun.
janeth202 at 9:39AM on 10/16/09
sounds awesome! deadly but awesome!!!!... crispy cheese, hmmmmmm I hope some burger place is taking notes!
chubbychinesegirl at 10:39AM on 10/16/09
Doesn't look good to me at all.
liberty at 12:38PM on 10/16/09
I'd like to Shopsin's take on this.
MikeNYC at 1:38PM on 10/20/09