Note: This week we're grilling Tommi Tómasson, proprietor of Hamborgarabúllan in Reykjavik, Iceland. He fell in love with burgers as a teenager, a love that is still with him today at 60-years-old and shows no sign of abating.
Name: Tommi Tomasson Location: Reykjavik, Iceland Occupation: Owner, operator, and founder of Hamborgarabulla Tomasar ("Tommi's Hamburger Joint")
How often do you eat burgers? At least one every day for the past five years.
Where did you eat your most recent one? At my restaurant.
Cheese: American, cheddar, other? American and cheddar mix.
Ketchup or mustard? Ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise.
Note:Grilled is our series of Q&As with burger lovers. After an unintentional eight-month hiatus, we're bringing it back to life! Today we prod Rev. Ciancio of New York City-based burger blog, Great Burger Conquest (and another meat-centric blog, Steak Club 7), and instigator of Burgercon.
Name: Rev. Ciancio Location: New York City AKA the Burger Apple Occupation: Artist Management (until eating burgers pays)
How often do you eat burgers? As often as I can without risk to life and limb.
Ketchup or mustard? Don't even think about putting the red bottle on my table unless it says "Red Devil" or "Crystal"
Sesame-seed or plain? ANYTHING but plain. Why go to the effort to make a delicious burger and then skimp out on the bun? Using an English Muffin is like giving a burger its angel wings.
Grilled, griddled, or broiled? YES and NOW and all TOGETHER.
And how would you like that done, sir? My Mom used to ask, "Can you rip off its horn, wipe its butt, and put it on my plate?" After seeing the results, I've dedicated my life to medium rare (unless the house suggests otherwise.)
Editor's note: One of the first emails we received in response to our call for a Los Angeles correspondent was from Damon Gambuto with the subject, "My Burger Destiny." His credentials and enthusiasm proved that being AHT's designated Los Angeles burger eater was, indeed, part of his beef patty-filled destiny. Expect to read his first review later today and a new review every Wednesday.
Name: Damon Gambuto Location: Los Angeles, CA Occupation: writer, producer
How often do you eat burgers? Frequently to quite frequently.
Where did you eat your most recent one? Bill’s Burgers. It’s 44 years old and counting, but I needn’t go into details here because you’ll read my post about it later today. Right? Right.
Cheese: American, cheddar, other? Um, yes please. I really like cheese. I like it on burgers, on breads, in salads, with fruit and all by itself. Though I’ve grown up a bit and find myself ordering a cheese-less burger more than I did in my youth.
Ketchup or mustard? You know what? Ketchup. Deal with it. Ketchup is sweet and tangy and delicious on burgers. I’m tired of the backlash that rebukes ketchup. You know what else is tiresome? Not letting me have ketchup on my burger even if I have the fortitude to endure the ridicule that may come with asking for it. (I’m looking at you, upscale eatery, that thinks putting a burger on the menu is "playful," but won’t serve me ketchup.)
Editor's note: Anyone with the drive to eat 12 burgers in 8 hours and spend 30 hours making hamburgers might be a little crazy but is probably a good person to listen to when it comes to burgers. That's why we're poking the burger-loving mind of AHT contributor and Cooks Illustrated writer Kenji Alt for this week's Grilled.
Name: J. Kenji Alt Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts Occupation: Chef, test cook, food writer, burger fiend
How often do you eat burgers? I've been known to eat 12 a day from time to time. During the nine months or so that I was trying to perfect my own recipe—my personal testing continued long after finishing the Cook's Illustrated Drive-In Burger story—about a dozen burgers a week. Currently I'm down to about two per week, give or take.
Where did you eat your most recent one? Franky 'N The Boys, a new retro joint that just opened up in Brookline Village, across from my office. It's going for the low-brow, vintage, Coca-Cola, drive-in, chrome-and-leather feel. Super-simple menu. I love their concept, but their execution falls short. "Low-brow" comes off as "cheap," and the burgers are served on buns that are a little too Wonder Bread-y. They also coat their fries in some kind of gunk that makes them taste like Cool Ranch Doritos. Coating fries is a sin in my book akin to adding stuff to the patty before forming it.
Editor's note: It's been a while since we've "Grilled" someone, but we want to get back in the saddle. We Grilled George Motz almost two years ago, but a lot has happened with him in that time. In 2006, he had just released his burger documentary Hamburger America, but since then he has written a book of the same name (which we've been excerpting from every other week) and has sort of become the burger guy out there. We figured it was a good time to catch up and see how his burger worldview had changed. So without further ado, let's get Grillin'.
Name: George Motz Location: Brooklyn, New York Occupation: Hamburger expert, TV commercial director of photography
How often do you eat burgers? At least 3 times a week, sometimes 4.
Has this number increased or decreased with the book project and your increased burger notoriety? Increased for sure. During the research for the book I was eating up to 20 burgers a week for weeks on end. Compared to working on the film I've eaten far more burgers. I've lost count at this point but I guesstimate that I've eaten over 3000 burgers in the last seven years, film, book, and PR combined. Most of them good ones, I might add.
Where did you eat your most recent one? I just had another Dram Shop burger [Park Slope, Brooklyn], the second in just a few days. It really is a great ode to the Dallas double with shredded lettuce and cheese. This time, though, I swapped the raw onion for jalapeños to make it a real Texas burger.
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.
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
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.
Ladies and gentlemen, Ray Alma is a fascinating co-worker of mine, and one with an abundance of opinion. He constantly visits my desk to talk burgers, and has some fascinating stories to tell. The world just won't be the same once you learn what he did at his old job. So, without further ado, let's get Grillin'! —The Mgmt.
Name: Ray Alma Location: Bayside, Queens (NYC) Occupation: Cartoonist
How often do you eat burgers?
Not as often as I used to. Maybe once every two months these days. I eat turkey burgers frequently, but I don't really count them as burgers.
Where did your most recent come from?
McGee's Pub. "Homemade sliders." Not bad.
Cheese: American, cheddar, other?
Yellow American Cheese. Don't get me wrong, I like cheddar as a cheese in itself, but when I get it on a burger it just pisses me off.
Posted by Adam Kuban, November 12, 2007 at 11:45 AM
Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce Lauren Krueger. We need some new blood around these parts, something to liven things up, and Lauren will be joining the crew of AHT to do just that. She'll be posting once or twice a week—reviews, rants, ruminations, and what not. Her first post will be along shortly, but first I thought I'd grill her as a bit of hazing and get-to-know-ya. So, without further ado, let's get Grillin'! —The Mgmt.
Name: Lauren Krueger Location: New Yawk City! (I always hear the Pace guys [video] in my head) Occupation: Eater, video editor
So, are you sure you're not vegetarian?
Yeah, I get that a lot. I'm a skinny girl who eats a lot of meat; it happens! I'm pretty sure I teethed on a T-bone.
How often do you eat burgers?
Not often enough (though certain members of my immediate family would say too often). Probably about once a week.
Where did you eat your most recent one?
More likely than not it was the mini burgers at Jimmy's Shake, I mean, Burger Shack. You were there! There's no burgers like home! There's no burgers like home!
Cheese: American, cheddar, other?
Sure, yes, by all means! Blue rules, Swiss is heavenly, Boursin makes me melt. Interesting fact: I never had a cheeseburger until college. What can I say? Everyone was experimenting. I'll still gladly skip the cheese, especially on burgers that have a particularly delicious meat makeup. I (very briefly) dated a guy who wouldn't dream of eating a hamburger without cheese. Needless to say, he wasn't imaginative enough to make the cut.
Ladies and gentleman, I first met Nick Solares, this week's Grilled subject, in late April, when he started sending me a series of tips and links regarding burgers. As he was quite adept at finding interesting beefy tidbits, I thought, "This guy would make a helluva blogger." Mr. Solares must have sensed his own potential because in May he started Beef Aficionado, a site dedicated to all things beef. Most impressive to me was his feat of eating and blogging a burger a day during his premiere month—which also happened to be National Hamburger Month. And so, without further ado, let's get Grillin'. —The Mgmt.
Name: Nick Solares, editor in beef, Beef Aficionado Weblog Location: NYC via UK Occupation: Bon vivant
How often do you eat burgers?
The month of May excluded, I usually eat 3 to 4 per month, but sometimes I will go on binges and go through that number in as many days.
Where did you eat your most recent one? In-N-Out burger on Sunset—I had a regular cheeseburger and an Animal-style cheeseburger. I am amazed that fast food can be this good. [Note: I'm sure Nick has eaten a few more burgers in the span between when I asked him this and when I published this interview. —The Mgmt. ]
Cheese: American, cheddar, other?
Being an Anglophile and a foodie dilettante, I reflexively choose cheddar even though it rarely, if ever actually comes from Cheddar, but I am fine with American. Actually, my favorite burger places serve American exclusively, so I guess that should really be my answer. I love blue cheese in many other applications but find it much too pungent and overpowering on a burger plus burgers places don’t usually get very good quality blue cheese. Anyway.
Ketchup or mustard?
With apologies to Monsieur Motz, I go with the pantywaist ketchup. I find mustard so austere and grim; burgers are supposed to be a fun, frivolous food. The mild sweetness of ketchup is wonderful juxtaposed against the charred exterior of the burger, and I also find that it contrasts particularly nicely with the tanginess of the cheese. Mustard tends to darken the entire palate, pulling the burger too much into the yin. I feel ketchup achieves a better balance as an accompaniment for while it is sweet it also has tartness from the vinegar that provides a smoother palate. I am also fine with Thousand Island that is ubiquitous of California-style burgers.
Sesame-seed or plain? Plain. I like the idea of seeds, but it just turns out that my favorite burgers use plain buns.
Grilled, griddled, or broiled? Griddled, for anything up to about 6 ounces. Anything bigger than that I prefer grilled or broiled with a slight preference for the latter, although I prefer smaller burgers.
And how would you like that done, sir? Rare please, unless I am eating sliders, in which case you usually have no choice.
Ladies and gentlemen, it's been a while since we "Grilled" someone here on AHT. Sorry 'bout that. But we're back, and with a most illustrious guest indeed. John T. Edge is the author of one of AHT's favorite burger books, Hamburgers & Fries, and he's here with some fascinating burger talk—and a recipe for bacon-infused burgers. So, without further ado, let's get Grillin'
Name: John T. Edge Location: Oxford, Mississippi Occupation: Director of the Southern Foodways Alliance, contributing editor at Gourmet magazine, and writer for various folks
How often do you eat burgers? Or did all the burger-eating you did for the book turn you off burgers altogether?
I eat more burgers now after the book than I did before. I eat them about two a week: One is a burger I cook, and the other is one someone else cooks.
Where did you eat your most recent one?
At Phillip's Grocery here in Oxford. It's a much misunderstood burger. Phillip started out in Holly Springs, Mississippi, with a burger that has linkages to the doughburgers and slugburgers in the book. It's a burger with a strange consistency at its core. It's a creamy consistency—as if there were peanut butter in it: Is there soy in there? Is there bread in there? There's some extender in there, most likely a bread-based extender, and it crisps up the burger as it cooks. I like it drenched in chili. A nice chili cheeseburger, with pickle, mustard, and onion.
It's a great burger, but it's a tell of something else—it points its way to the early days of burgers. It's a remnant of an earlier time when almost all burgers had some sort of meat extender added. You could say it's a vestigial hamburger.
Interesting. So on that chilli cheeseburger, or any burger for that matter, do you prefer American, cheddar, or other?
I don't look down my nose at the processed slice of cheese goo because it melts really well. Of late, I've been taking those blue cheese crumbles in the tubs, you know what I'm talking about? I mix those in red wine vinegar or cheap balsamic, then add some spicy brown mustard (we use Zatarin's, but any spicy brown mustard will do—anything but yellow ballpark mustard). Mix that up, and you don't need any dressing. It's kinda self-contained.
Ladies and gentlemen, last week my Serious Eats colleague Alaina Browne blogged about Value Pack, the typeface made from hamburger meat. Today, in this installment of Grilled, we bring you the man behind the meatfont. So, without further ado, let's get Grillin'! —The Mgmt.
Name: Robert Bolesta Location: Brooklyn, New York Occupation: Graphic designer
What inspired you to create Value Pack?
It was made for a typography class I was taking at Pratt Institute. The project was to make an alphabet out of any found object. I wanted to do raw meat, and hamburger was the easiest to mold and shape into letter-forms.
What, if anything, does Value Pack say to the observer?
It was intended to be just a type study, but I suppose there are other levels of meaning, if you choose to read into it. I made it before I read Fast Food Nation, but I'm sure you can draw some parallels. To be honest, I was mostly interested in trashy supermarket aesthetics and the repetition of the letters resembling an assembly line or something.
Who are your artistic influences or inspirations?
I am graduating in about a month, so right now a couple of my professors have had big impacts on me.
How long did it take to make Value Pack?
A frustrating day to shoot it. I went home to Pennsylvania to do it so I'd have more space. I repackaged each one individually, and I figured out that regular plastic wrap doesn't look the same as industrial plastic wrap, so at midnight I drove to the 24-hour grocery store and asked them if they would go back behind the meat counter to get me a sample of the industrial kind. They actually did it! It was awesome, but it made me feel weird when they watched me leave. They had this look on their faces like they had just given a murderer his weapon.
Ladies and gentlemen, I happened across the McChronicles shortly after starting A Hamburger Today. It's a blog written by one very McDonald's-obsessed man. At first, I thought it was some sort of McD's guerrilla-marketing stunt, but after reading the site for a few months, it became clear that the man who I came to think of as "Mr. McChronicles" (the author maintains anonymity on the site, so I have nothing else to call him) had no affiliation with the chain other than eating at it frequently and critiquing it. I finally got around to giving him the third degree last week. So, without further ado, let's get Grillin'! —The Mgmt.
Name: The McChronicles Location: New York Occupation:
So you're essentially a "customer evangelist" for McDonald's. Let's get this out of the way, since a lot of AHT readers will have the same question I do: Do you work for McD's?
Some people are "sure" I do, many wonder if I do (and ask). The truth is that I don't, never have, and think that working at a McDonald's (as a crew member) would ruin the relationship I currently have (as a pure consumer). Being hired as a "fake blogger" is a reprehensible thought to me, considering the goal of the McChronicles blog. I have absolutely no affiliation with the company, or any related organization, in any way.
Why McDonald's? When did your fascination with the chain begin?
Like many people, I have something within me that has a very positive reaction to McDonald's. Once, while entering a McDonald's with a middle-aged, college-educated engineer, he turned to me and said, "No matter how many times I go to McDonald's, and no matter how old I am, when I walk in I always feel like a kid." That statement hit me hard because I feel the very same way. I never articulated it, or thought much about it, but I do share the exact same feelings.
OK—so that "something" inside me probably started in the '60s. Like everyone else of my era, I grew along with McDonald's. Face it, in the early days, they were like the awkward kid next door—interesting and amusing as they found their way. At some point they reached their stride and became significant. Their ads got stronger, more persuasive. Their message became more compelling and personally meaningful. Eventually, for a young kid, McDonald's was high on my short list of really cool places to go (or to aspire to go). But I had two big problems: I lived very far from the nearest McDonald's (and rarely traveled), and my family was very poor. As a result, I don't think I went to a McDonald's until I was 12. Even then, I had to borrow money from a friend to be able to buy something.
During my college years, I lived near a few McDonald's. With money from a part-time job I was able to eat there occasionally. It felt good. My first pre-date with my wife was at a McDonald's.
After I got my first "real" job, I discovered that there was a McDonald's right around the corner from where I worked. It always felt like a real treat when I ate there. At one point, 100 percent of my entire consumption was from McDonald's for well over 30 days. I never really kept track because it wasn't a big deal to me (this was in the late '70s, pre-Super Size Me). I didn't gain weight or feel bad. No big deal.
Fast forward to the modern era. Having an undergraduate degree in business (focus on international business), an MBA, and 25 years of business experience, and being responsible for a corporation's entire global marketing and communications program, I had become relatively astute in business, marketing, advertising, and the like. I would often sit with my wife during lunch and comment on my observations on how the McDonald's we were sitting in seemed to be doing.
With my consumer hat on, I slowly adopted the role of "every customer." I observed as moms schlepped their kids in and out, as the retired rallied for coffee, as business people swooped in for a quick bite, and as teens co-opted McDonald's as their "third place." And, with my businessperson hat on, I studied the crew, the managers, the owners, the corporation, the delivery people, the facilities, the advertising, the challenges of running the business of McDonald's. As my observations, comments, praises, and criticisms mounted, my wife grew a bit frustrated. One day she said, "I can't do anything about these things you are pointing out. Why don't you organize your thoughts and tell someone who can do something about them?" Bam! It hit me. She was right. I was driving her nuts and wasting my time. So, I turned to blogging.
Posted by Adam Kuban, February 12, 2007 at 6:00 AM
Ladies and gentlemen, a couple months ago, I received an email from AHT reader Zoe Hamburger. Yes, you read that right. Zoe Hamburger. Heh. Ms. Hamburger wrote some kind words about AHT and mentioned that she especially liked the Grilled feature. I wrote back that, with a name like hers and given her job (keep reading for enlightenment, dear reader), she could be Grilled herself. I was delighted when she agreed. And so, without further ado, let's get Grillin'! —The Mgmt.
Name: Zoe Hamburger Location: New York City Occupation:MWW Group, in the Consumer Marketing division working for McDonald's
That's your real name?
Yes.
Really?
Yup.
It's not just a shameless ploy to appear among the illustrious alumni of our Grilled Q&A feature?
It would be a pretty good scam, but you can't make this stuff up.
So you've heard a lot of burger jokes in your life—any memorable ones? What's been the cheesiest?
Aside from you asking what the cheesiest burger joke has been? When I was younger the cable company sent the bill to Bacon Double Cheeseburger instead of Peter W. Hamburger. My family thought it was hilarious. You have to have a good sense of humor if your last name is Hamburger.
Since I started working with McDonald's, I've gotten more jokes than ever. I’ve had reporters hang up, people call the main line of MWW to see if I was for real.... The jokes are endless, but usually not memorable.
Do you feel your name guided your career path? Perhaps it was silently guiding you to work toward the promotion of hamburgers?
Maybe it's in the name, but I've always loved food. My dad used to give cooking lessons; my mom was a restaurant critic and has written two cookbooks, so it’s definitely in my blood. Still, if anyone had told me a year ago that I would be working with McDonald's, I would have thought they were crazy.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that I bring you today the inspiration for the Grilled series of Q&As. When I saw Ganda Suthivarakom interviewing food lovers in her "You Are What You Eat" surveys on her foodblog Eat, Drink, One Woman, I knew I had to adapt the format for AHT. Ms. Suthivarakom recently graced the stage of Carnegie Hall along with David Byrne and Miss Saigon. And so, without further ado, let's get Grillin'
Name: Ganda Suthivarakom Location: Brooklyn, New York Occupation: Writer, singer, web producer, not necessarily in that order [Um, you forgot foodblogger. —The Mgmt.]
How often do you eat burgers?
Probably once every two months. I'm kind of picky about burgers. I figure if I'm going to intake that much cholesterol, it better be worth it.
Cheese: American, cheddar, other?
Only American will do. Cheddar's too oily, swiss is too bland in the wrong way, blue cheese is just wrong. American is mild and melty and just right for me.
Ketchup or mustard?
Ketchup. Mustard is for sandwiches and vinaigrettes. Ketchup is a fine, fine condiment. Fries are merely a vehicle for ketchup. I also like a dab of mayo.
Sesame-seed or plain?
Sesame seed
Grilled, griddled, or broiled?
I've enjoyed grilled and griddled equally.
And how would you like that done, miss?
I like a medium burger, but only when I can trust the establishment not to give me mad cow sponge brain. Hence the burger once every two months thing.
Posted by Adam Kuban, January 29, 2007 at 10:31 AM
Ladies and gentlemen, I don't recall how we first happened upon Mister Hamburger's lively dispatches, but when we did, we were immediately taken by his no-holds-barred reviews and his neat little burger icons that quickly convey specific information about a given sandwich. We were also immediately saddened that we didn't think of such a cool icon-based ratings scheme. I should have Grilled Mister Hamburger much sooner, but better late than never, right? So, without further ado, let's get Grillin'! —The Mgmt.
Name: Mister Hamburger Location: Mister Hamburger is currently in Europe, but usually New York City Occupation:Being Mister Hamburger
How often do you eat burgers these days? Are you still on the Mister Hamburger Weight Loss Regimen?
Mister Hamburger eats as many hamburgers as he can. His intake rests at about two or three per week. Mister and Missus Hamburger have to cook their own sometimes because Rome does not share the same love of hamburgers. Mister Hamburger's regimen is kind of over, Mister Hamburger got back on the horse and eats crap again, but Mister Hamburger continued running.
Cheese: American, cheddar, other?
All. Mister Hamburger likes cheddar, mozzarella, blue cheese, American, fontina, Gruyère, Emmenthal, Monterey Jack, Parmigiano, Basque. And to all the cheese Mister Hamburger missed, Mister Hamburger loves you. Mister Hamburger has started taking notes about various cheeses on a scrap bit of paper because Mister Hamburger forgets what types of cheeses he buys at the supermercato in Roma.
Ketchup or mustard?
Mister Hamburger loves ketchup and gives Heinz five hamburgers.
Sesame-seed or plain?
Mister Hamburger loves a well-toasted sesame seed bun. Mister Hamburger loves finding the sesame seeds in his teeth after he finishes his burger.
Grilled, griddled, or broiled?
Mister Hamburger takes it any way he can get it, but he prefers grilled.
And how would you like that done, sir?
Mister Hamburger demands medium-rare, unless Mister Hamburger finds himself in countries that serve excellent-quality meat, in which case, he demands rare.
Ladies and gentlemen, allow us to be a little self-indulgent. This week's Grilled features Honey P., one of A Hamburger Today's founding editors. While we're a little averse to the sound of our own keyboards tapping, we thought you might want to know more about the folks who had a hand in making this site what it is. And so, without further ado, let's get Grillin'! —The Mgmt.
Name: Honey P. Location: New York City Occupation: Journalist
How often do you eat burgers?
Used to be about two times a week but too much Oprah and Dr. Mehmet Oz has me paranoid about heart disease so I’m averaging about one patty every one to two weeks. Regardless, I usually can’t resist.
Where did you eat your most recent one?
At an old school drive-in called the Charcoaler in El Paso, Texas. I had the area’s classic green chile burger. It was fantastic, no grease, fresh ingredients, perfectly palm size, and it tasted like you grilled it yourself in the backyard.
American, cheddar, other?
Cheddar, blue, gruyère or jalapeño Jack. I reserve American for summertime grill-outs and the Fourth, when you can’t seem to escape it. But it really does melt so well onto the burger. I just can’t renounce my expensive tastes. Well, not yet.
Ketchup or mustard?
Depends what else is on the burger for me. For example, ketchup and cheddar make a perfect pair, but if the burger has bacon and blue cheese, then I like a Dijon mustard. With American, Heinz and French’s is a classic combo. And for a really wild time, a mayo-ketchup mix is usually super tasty.
Sesame-seed or plain?
I don’t really care. The makeup of the bun is more important—soft, so it soaks up the juices but hearty enough that it holds the thing together and doesn’t fall apart. I like the taste sesame adds but it’s not deciding factor.
Grilled, griddled, or broiled?
Grilled. ‘Cause an open flame does a burger right. Despite some of the haters around here, I love the Corner Bistro burger, and I know that’s broiled, so perhaps broiled is my second choice.
And how would you like that done, miss?
Medium is my rule of thumb, but if your meat can hold its own, then medium-rare.
Ladies and gentlemen, this installment of Grilled puts in the hot seat one Dave Freedenberg, aka "Famous Fat Dave" aka "The Hungry Cabbie." Mr. Freedenberg recently made the Saveur 100, a yearly list of all sorts of cool food things compiled by Saveur magazine. Mr. Freedenberg is a New York City taxi driver who moonlights as a food tour guide, ferrying his patrons around the city in his cab. His blog, The Hungry Cabbie, details his adventures and food finds. And now, without further ado, let's get Grillin' ... —The Mgmt.
Name: "Famous Fat" Dave Freedenberg Location: New York City Occupation: Cab driver, tour guide
How often do you eat burgers?
It depends on what season it is. If it's BBQ season, I eat more burgers than are healthy. In the winter, my consumption drops to maybe one a week, if I'm lucky. I've gone more than a month without eating one, though. Trying times. It was as though a great void was forming in my soul.
American, cheddar, other?
It depends on what else is on it, doesn't it? But I have no preference, really. I like cheese.
Ketchup or mustard?
Both. Or neither. Or only ketchup. Mustard only might be good, but in that case, the mustard has gotta be great.
Sesame-seed or plain?
Either one.
Grilled, griddled, or broiled?
Barbequed, I suppose. So I guess I mean grilled.
And how would you like that done, sir?
If the meat is really good, oh, baby, I like it raw.
Posted by Adam Kuban, December 18, 2006 at 11:55 AM
After a brief hiatus, ladies and gentlemen, Grilled is back. This week's installment is Peter Meehan, who has discovered and relayed the news of some of New York's finest burgers in the pages of the New York Times. Because he wishes to retain his anonymity for the purposes of his reviews, we do not have a photograph—apologies to those of you who enjoy rating the relative hotness of each new Grilled subject as compared with my sister. Without further ado, let's get Grillin'! —The Mgmt.
Name: Peter Meehan Occupation: "$25 and Under" columnist for the New York Times Location: New York City
How often do you eat burgers?
Once or twice a week at most. Back before I was reviewing restaurants, I probably ate three or four burgers a week.
Where did you eat your most recent one?
BLT Burger. I’ve taken a short burger break after bingeing at BLT.
Cheese: American, cheddar, other?
American, I guess. Seems like the patriotic answer. But I am open to almost any melty cheese on a burger. I have more specific feelings about what cheese choices I object to: I love blue cheese and mozzarella, but I don’t think either belongs on a hamburger; and I don’t like burgers blanketed in any outré or overly pedigreed cheese.
Ketchup or mustard?
Mustard on the burger, ketchup on the side. I think a truly great burger needs no ketchup. (But I have a very strong affinity for ketchup, so there’s a good chance I’m still going to eat at least part of that truly great burger with it.)
Sesame-seed or plain?
That’s tough. Sesame-seed buns do seem like the platonic ideal of hamburger bun-ness. But there are many seedless buns on burgers I like. Seedless potato rolls are perfect for the Shake Shack burger. The choice of ciabatta for the smaller burger at DuMont burger is inspired. The English muffin as a burger bracket has always struck me as a pointless East Coast affectation, but it serves Gabrielle Hamilton’s lamburger [at Prune] well. Before eating at Royale, I would have said “absolutely no brioche” because every hamburger I’d eaten on a brioche bun up to that point was way too rich. Not theirs. Plus it had sesame seeds. So I’m waffling, but ultimately going sesame. Final answer.
Grilled, griddled, or broiled?
All of the above. Didn’t George Motz teach us that burgers can be steamed and deep-fried, too? Is there even a verb for what they do to the burgers at Louis’ Lunch in New Haven? I find grilling and broiling to be the surest approaches to properly cooked patties, but I have no allegiance to any one style.
And how would you like that done, sir?
Medium-rare. Bonus points if the thing gets a chance to rest for a few minutes before it’s served, though I can’t think of a single restaurant where that happens.
Name: Tommi Tomasson
Name: Rev. Ciancio
Name: Damon Gambuto
Name: J. Kenji Alt
Name: George Motz
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.)
Name: Lauren Krueger
Name: Nick Solares, editor in beef, 
Name: John T. Edge
Name: Robert Bolesta
, but I'm sure you can draw some parallels. To be honest, I was mostly interested in trashy supermarket aesthetics and the repetition of the letters resembling an assembly line or something.
Name: Zoe Hamburger
