Note: When Serious Eats reader Lee Anne Shaffer recently took a trip to Taipei, Taiwan, to visit family, she did a bit of burger scouting in hopes of finding something worth reporting on AHT. Alas, while Taipei is known for being a gastronomic wonderland, it's probably best to avoid the burgers. Today, Lee Anne recaps her "Tragic Taiwanese Hamburger Tour."
[Photographs: Lee Anne Shaffer]
Leave them on the plane—your dissertation on the integrity of the unadorned burger; your valiant, passionately-spun argument in support of the smashed patty; those blueprints which painstakingly depict the quintessential slider; that lyrical ballad in three parts extolling the glorious golden chuck proportion: 87/13. They have no place here, where natives escort their hottest dates to McDonald's and any grain conglomerate can pass for a bun.
Taiwan is similar to the rest of Asia in that it isn't known for its burgers. Pick up any decent guidebook to Taipei and you'll be directed instead to try Taiwanese street food: flaky scallion pancakes fresh off the griddle, oil-flecked bowls of beef broth ramen, vermicelli studded plumply with deliquescent oysters, pork-filled soup dumplings encased in exquisitely tender skin. In fact, several weeks ago I was in the process of reacquainting myself with these particular pleasures when, amid the human swarm of Taipei's Shiling Night Market, I stumbled upon a graphically colorful, sesame-flecked three-foot hamburger.
The three-foot hamburger was actually advertising the availability of a 3-inch "mini-burger." Curiosity reared its familiar head, and thus commenced the following Brief, Tragic Taiwanese Hamburger Tour.
Posted by Damon Gambuto, November 4, 2009 at 2:00 PM
[Photographs: Damon Gambuto]
Hudson House
514 N. Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach CA 90277 (map); 310-798-9183; hudsonhousebar.com Cooking Method: Grilled Short Order: A high-quality specialty burger that puts the gastro in this pub. Want Fries with That? Yes, please. Very nicely rendered shoestrings. Prices: Hudson Pretzel Burger, $10; add $2 for fries Notes: If you are looking to sample the menu, Taco Tuesdays offer a super deal of $1 street-style tacos to accompany your burger.
The Beach Cities are a collection of communities that dot the coastline just south of Los Angeles and represent that hard to find love-of-ease that can easily grow difficult. They have that Southern Californian temperament that thinks appointments are mere suggestions as to where one might find oneself. That is to say, folks down there make Angelenos seem punctual and serious. Of course, this is both a wild generalization and said with a deep and abiding affection.
When I first moved to Los Angeles I found myself spending my weekends away from my hardened, Hollywood peers in favor of languid afternoons in the Beach Cities working on my surfing skills, sangria recipe, and tan. I could barely believe just how nice life seemed down there. A friend rented a room that opened up onto a patio that was a few paces from the sand. It was all that I'd dreamed Los Angeles to be and, of course, isn't.
Redondo Beach sits on the southern end of this swath of sand and sea. While it offers the pleasures of the beach, I can't remember ever heading down to there for any special meals. That said, one of the most dramatic views of the ocean I've come across while dining is at the chain Mexican food restaurant El Torito on the pier that anchors its beach. That's the irony of the community in general. The lifestyle is so pleasant by dint of the location, there hasn't been much added to it, at least in the way of food, to make it special. A new gastropub called Hudson House is taking a shot at changing that one burger at a time.
Posted by Nick Solares, November 3, 2009 at 11:00 AM
Table 8
Cooper Square Hotel, 25 Cooper Square, New York NY (at East 5th Street; map); 212-475-5700; table8restaurants.com Cooking Method: Grilled Short Order: A haute burger that seems to have improved after a Eastward migration. Want Fries with That? Come with, potentially very good, marred by old cooking oil. Price:8 oz. Burger, $14
It has been a rough start for Table 8. West Coast celebrity chef Govind Armstrong's Big Apple debut restaurant certainly had some buzz around it when opened in the modern (but oddly anachronistic) Cooper Square Hotel. But the local critics did not take kindly to venture.
Adam Platt of New York Magazine cut to the heart of the problem when he noted that "Armstrong doesn't hesitate to use two (or even three) ingredients when one will do." Frank Bruni of the New York Times concurred, finding the dishes "overworked and overdressed", awarding the place the "bagel"—zero stars. I gave the place a C in my review for Serious Eats: New York, which is about as low a score as we award, barring food poisoning or assault by a member of staff. And that may not be so out of the question—one of the owners was a arrested for murder last week.
But the place seems to soldier on, at least for the time being. As I noted in my review, "given its location in a swank hotel, Table 8 will have an audience that, if not exactly captive, is at least embedded." If Table 8 were a freestanding restaurant I suspect it would have closed by now or gone the way of its West Coast originator—turned into a burger bar, called 8 oz. While Damon Gambuto, our man out West, found the burger there "good—but not great," Adam Platt proffered that the lunchtime 8 oz. Burger offered here in New York City "is a worthy entry in the city's haute-burger sweepstakes." Could the 8 oz Burger be transformed by making an East Coast journey? Can it really rank amongst the city's best? Yes and no.
264 W 23rd Street, New York NY 10011 (map); 212-242-4900; another location on 52nd Street Cooking Method: Griddled Short Order: A little more than what I want to pay for a tasty fast food-style burger. Want Fries with That? Crinkle cut, crispy, and salted; if you want fried carbs, go for it. Price: Cheeseburger, $6; fries, $3; combo w/ shake: $13
The Serious Eats office is on a somewhat food desolate stretch of Eight Avenue a couple of blocks south of Madison Square Garden. But if I'm willing to walk 15 minutes, I can reach many tasty food destinations—like Koreatown, Chelsea Market, or Shake Shack in Madison Square Park.
And that's pretty much what I thought of after eating at Lucky's Famous Burgers, which opened about a month ago and is three avenues away from Madison Square Park. It wasn't bad, but if I want a fast food-style burger, I'd rather spend the extra ten minutes or so walking to Shake Shack than eat at Lucky's for the same price. Take a look at the burger after the jump.
Posted by Daniel Zemans, October 29, 2009 at 10:00 AM
[Photographs: Daniel Zemans]
Prairie Grass Cafe
601 Skokie Boulevard, Northbrook IL 60062 (map); 847-205-4433; prairiegrasscafe.com Cooking Method: Top Sirloin Burger, broiled; Stack Burgers, grilled Short Order: The Top Sirloin Burger, billed by Chicago Magazine as the best in Chicago, is very good, but not even the best burger in the restaurant. Want Fries With That? Sure, but neither the steak fries nor the regular fries are on the same level as the burgers Price: Top Sirloin Burger, $15; Stack Burgers, $6, $8, or $11 depending on the number of patties.
When Chicago Magazine named Prairie Grass Café, a contemporary American restaurant in the northern suburbs of Chicago, as the home of Chicagoland's best burger, I knew I was duty-bound to check it out.
Prairie Grass is powered by two chefs, Sarah Stegner and George Bumbaris, who worked together for years at the Ritz-Carlton (he was the Executive Chef for thirteen years). Rounding out the executive team at Prairie Grass is Stegner's husband, Rohit Nambiar, who is the General Manager, and her mother, Elizabeth Stegner, who makes the restaurant's popular pies.
Prairie Grass is decidedly not a burger joint; it is an upscale (in quality and style, not price) restaurant featuring American cuisine with a heavy emphasis on utilizing local farms and sustainable agriculture. Located in the northern suburb of Northbrook right off of I-94, Prairie Grass is not inconveniently located, but it's far enough out of the way that city dwellers have to go out of their way to eat there. Judging from the crowds that have routinely showed up at Prairie Grass since it opened five years ago, the location has not been a hindrance in the least.
Posted by Damon Gambuto, October 28, 2009 at 2:15 PM
[Photographs: Damon Gambuto]
Zeke's
7100 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood CA 90046 (map); 323-850-9353; zekessmokehouse.com Cooking Method: Grilled Short Order: A simple and beautifully charred burger that is reminiscent of your dreams of a backyard barbecue. Want Fries with That? No; I'd go with one of the homemade, traditional BBQ sides. Potato salad, perhaps. Prices: Zekeburger with cheddar, $10.95 Notes: While I still think LA is a long way from making a claim to being any kind of barbecue capitol, the guy's at Zeke's have fared well in many a competition.
I first headed to Zeke's Smokehouse about six years ago when it opened to a slew of favorable reviews. I jumped in my car on a quiet Los Angeles Sunday afternoon and headed to the even quieter community of Montrose. This bastion of suburban tranquility sits about twenty minutes northeast of the city, and my visit there was a small education in the virtues of suburbia and its obsessions. In this case, two lifelong restaurant men devoted their idle, middle-aged hours to meat, experimenting for two years on their barbecue until finally settling on a deep, smokey recipe. It's the kind of thing you can imagine two obsessive dads making a weekend project of for years.
I remember eating my meal in the self-consciously homey restaurant that looked as though it was built to launch a franchise. I watched families enjoying the waning hours of the weekend's freedom. It all seemed a good life, if wholly separate from the one I was living.
While my age has trundled perilously close too the swollen midsection of my life (and body), I am, in most ways, still miles away from Zeke's suburban idyll. Happily, the owners have opened a second outpost in West Hollywood. I know that the barbecue is first rate, so this time seconds would be a burger.
117 Second Avenue, New York NY 10003 (at 7th Street; map); 212-777-1086 Cooking Method: Grilled Short Order: Doesn't taste like a regular burger, but it's damn tasty. Want Fries with That? Comes with satisfyingly crispy fries. Price: Burger and fries, $7
One night while walking down Second Avenue, my eyes caught sight of something at 7th Street that compelled me to stop and clumsily whip out my brick-like camera. The sign outside of Song 7.2 proclaimed to have "THE BEST BURGER IN NYC." Song 7.2 is a Korean restaurant/bar. Home to New York City's best burger? Really?
While I would usually ignore such claims, curiosity got the best of me, and confirming or debunking the claim would only set me back $7. Hey, I love Korean food; this could be interesting.
I love sliders. And by that I mean small griddle steamed hamburgers made of 100 percent beef served on white squishy buns or potato rolls, not a burger or sandwich that happens to be small.
The term has been devalued as of late, with "sliders" incorporating everything from seafood, pork, and even vegetables. (Just last week I ate a "slider" from the Kogi Truck in Los Angeles that consisted of morsels of short rib in a kimchi/cabbage melange served on a potato roll—no patty anywhere in sight.) I have devoted much space in this column to reporting on the declining state of sliders in New Jersey, where a handful of vintage slider emporiums continue to ply their trade, unaware of the fact that they are hopeless anachronisms.
Surely the slider, despite the adoption of the name to describe almost any small food thing in a bun, is so antiquated that no one would open a new slider restaurant in this day and age. Don't the economies of scale make selling sliders not economically viable compared to larger burgers? Well, I am happy to report that that is not the case.
Last week I brought word of a new White Diamond in Rahway, New Jersey. This week I paid them a visit, as well as tried the newly opened Mark that is serving sliders right here in New York City.
White Diamond
White Diamond
745 East Hazelwood Avenue, Rahway NJ 07065; map); 732-388-1860 Cooking Method: Steam griddled Short Order: Classic sliders from the owners of the original White Diamond. Want Fries with That? Sure, salty crinkle cut. Price: Hamburger, $1.30; cheeseburger, $1.40; fries, $2.25 Notes: Open Mon. to Sat., 6 a.m - 8 pm.; Sun., 7 a.m. - 2 p.m.
White Diamond in Rahway is wholly owned by the Tammy and Kevin Collins, who are also part owners of the original White Diamond of Clark that dates back to 1947. The Collins family has been in the hamburger business for almost four decades. That's a lot of burger knowledge, and it is used to good effect at their latest venture.
The burgers served at the Rahway location are every bit as good as the ones at the original location—perhaps even be better. The ingredients are all from the same purveyors that supply the original location. The fresh, never frozen, beef is delivered daily, as is the bread. And the cooking technique is identical: small pucks of beef are placed on the griddle and then pressed until completely flat; onions are added, the burger is flipped, and cheese and the bun are laid on top.
Note: Today's guest post comes from fellow burger blogger Rev. Dave Ciancio of Burger Conquest, which, after 137 burgers, recently celebrated its first birthday on October 17! Although based in New York City, Rev brings us a review of a burger chain in Amsterdam, for AHT's first post about a tasty burger in the city (Adam has previously posted about a not so tasty burger from an automat in Amsterdam.)
Elandsgracht 130, 1016 VB Amsterdam (map); 020 423 6225; burgermeester.eu Cooking Method: Flat top griddle Short Order: Q: How do you say "burgers taste better with cows starring at me" in Dutch?
A: "CRISPY PANCETTA" Want Fries with That? No fries available here. Price: Biefburger, €6.50
One of the perks of my job (I manage rock bands) is traveling, and on the one-year anniversary of Burger Conquest, I was in Amsterdam. After a little bit of research, I was pointed in the direction of Burgermeester, a Dutch burger chain with three locations, one of which was a convenient 4 blocks from our hotel in Leidseplein.
The Burgermeester concept is simple but smart: hand-made burgers made fresh with only the best ingredients, prepared on the spot and served on freshly baked bread with homemade sauces. All burgers come in two sizes: regular and mini. You can also choose beef, chicken, tuna, lamb, rabbit, eggplant, or veggie patties. Not sure what to get? Try out a Mini Trio. All burgers automatically come with lettuce, onion, pickles, tomato, mayo, and Burgermeester sauce.
137 Avenue C, New York NY 10009 (map);212-529-0005; thesunburntcow.com Cooking Method: Grilled Short Order: The meat is okay, but...ooh, there's a fried egg on it! Want Fries with That? They come with medium-cut fries. Not memorably great, but perfectly fine as crispy, salted carb sticks. Price: All burgers, $10
Fried eggs enhance the deliciousness of many typically egg-less, but already delicious foods. Shove it on a hot dog! Plop it on a pizza! Add it to beef noodle soup! Put it on rice! And please, put it on a burger.
Fried eggs aren't the most rare burger topping, but they're not as prevalent as other ones that I find less worthy, such as bacon (yeah, I'm not a fan of bacon on my burgers; please don't hate me). What is this monstrosity? Australia and New Zealand know what I'm talking about: The humble fried egg is just one component of what they call "the lot," the mass of burger toppings that usually consists of tomato, lettuce, onion, fried egg, beet, bacon, pineapple, and cheese. While I usually shy away from too many toppings, we're not talking about mozarella sticks, marinara sauce, and pepperoni here. "The lot" is a more harmonious group of toppings.
I had my first taste of the Australian burger last week when a friend and I went to The Sunburnt Cow to split a burger and veggie burger with the lot.
Posted by Daniel Zemans, October 22, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Note: Last week AHT contributor Nick Solares shared his top 5 burgers in New York City. This week our Chicago correspondent Daniel Zemans weighs in with his five favorite burgers.
Burger from Primehouse. [Photograph: Robyn Lee]
I offer my Top 5 burgers in Chicago list with two disclaimers. First, I have a long ways to go before I would feel qualified to argue that my favorites are also the best—off the top of my head, I know I still need to try burgers from Naha, Hot Chocolate, Custom House, Grafton, and C-House. Second, my list is going to be skewed heavily towards half-pound beasts, which will necessarily exclude outstanding places that sell thinner patties. There are times when thin is in for me, but if I have to pick my favorites, fat is where it's at.
1. David Burke's Primehouse: When Adam wrote his opus on burger styles and noted that most of the AHT staff does not appreciate steakhouse burgers, I wanted to fly them all to Chicago to eat here so they would see the light. From the dry aged beef to shallot and spinach on top to the bacon mayo on the potato bun, this burger is just perfect in every way. [Review] 616 N. Rush Street, Chicago IL 60611 (map); 312-660-6000; jameshotels.com
Posted by Damon Gambuto, October 21, 2009 at 2:00 PM
[Photographs: Damon Gambuto]
Marked5
Location varies; check their Twitter feed or website for the latest updates. Cooking Method: Griddled Want Fries with That? Shrimp chips are all that's on offer, and while pretty and pastel-colored they aren't anything special. Price: Torakku Beef Burger, $5
What exactly is it that makes food from a truck so appealing? The value of this not-so-recent, yet decidedly persistent proliferation of food trucks (or, perhaps better termed, "food truck culture") has been a source of much contention between my friends and me. I have yet to be convinced of the value of these new mobile eateries beyond their original purpose: getting food to hungry folks without any convenient, local, and affordable options.
Of course, the recent trend is trying to be much more than simple convenience. The nouveau Los Angeles food trucks have become light bulbs to the moths that make up our local foodie scene. It's as if, by dint of its inherent inaccessibility, this new wave of food truckery has turned scarcity into demand. From my vantage, it seems like an exercise in a collective, cognitive dissonance. Customers line up for an hour to try a Kogi taco only to find it a mediocre exercise in fusion cuisine. Rationalization kicks in and the calculus becomes, "I wouldn't go through so much trouble to track down food that's just okay, so it must have been awesome."
While I too love devising elaborate schemes to feed myself yummy food, I'm okay with the fact that a lot of them turn out to be long roads to ordinary meals. I love a gastronomic adventure, but just because something is hard to find doesn't mean I have to like it.
Of course, the age of Twitter has meant that the tech-savvy food trucker is (usually) easy to track down. Thus, when someone encouraged me to try the fusion burgers of Marked5, I put aside my prejudice and checked their feed.
In my recent Guide To Sliders in Northern New Jersey I listed two restaurants that I believed to still serve the genuine article but had not been able to try, though not through a lack of effort on my part. I had visited both on a number of occasions as I hunted sliders in Jersey, but always arrived too late; they both close in mid afternoon. I finally made it to both.
Fern's White Diamond
Fern's White Diamond
1208 1/2 E Grand Street, Elizabeth NJ 07201 (map); 908-352-8555 Cooking Method: Steamed griddled Short Order: Classic preparation does not help the stale beef Want Fries with That?Not especially. Serviceable though frozen Price: Two hamburgers and fries, $4.95
Fern's started life as a general store called Cosmo's back in the 1960s. It reportedly sold sandwiches and groceries and later added a lunch counter. In 1980 it became part of the White Diamond chain, adding a griddle to the kitchen and hamburgers to the menu. The restaurant eventually doubled in size, taking over the adjacent store. Today the restaurant is called Fern's White Diamond and is a diner with burgers only being a small part of a broader menu.
The good news is that the burgers are prepared in the classic griddle-steamed method—the patty is mashed down on the griddle with onions, then the cheese and bun top it when it is flipped. The bad news it that when I visited the beef was hardly fresh. It looked brown even before hitting the griddle—oxidization had set in—and tasted muted and stale. I had but one bite before stuffing a napkin over it and the equally unappetizing fries, paying by bill, and beating a hasty retreat.
901 N 2nd Street, Philadelphia PA 19123 (map); 215-238-0630; standardtap.com Cooking Method: Grilled Short Order: Good burger, but I'm still on the hunt for a better one. Want Fries with That? They come with tasty skinny fries; you'll probably want to eat them all. Price: Standard Burger, $10
My search for a good burger in Philadelphia hasn't gone too well. Admittedly, I've only been to five places—Good Dog, Monk's, Royale Tavern, National Mechanics, and SquareBurger—and while none of them was bad, none was so good as to inspire spasms of delight.
During my last visit to Philadelphia, I made my first trip into Northern Liberties to eat dinner at Standard Tap, highly recommended by many AHT readers. Alas, still no delight spasms, but it was so far the best burger I've had in the city, and if the weather's nice you can take advantage of the pleasant second story patio seating like I did. Innards shot after the jump.
The Bill's Classic with American Cheese is phenomenal. Liberally seasoned with salt, sear-crusted to perfection, and just juicy enough, it's good enough to eat plain—though it does come with pickle, tomato, and lettuce. $5.95. [Photographs: Adam Kuban]
Bill's Bar and Burger opens to the public today, but A Hamburger Today got a sneak peek and tasting yesterday. Of course, mileage may vary once the place has to deal with the strain of burger-hungry Meatpacking magpies, but based on yesterday's round of burgers, the place is killer. Dare I say it ... dare I? If the burger quality holds up at Bill's Bar and Burger, then the Shake Shack, long my gold standard for this type of burger, will have a serious—and I mean SERIOUS—rival for my top-of-the-pops favorite burger in NYC. Like neck-and-neck. Like Spy vs. Spy.Like trying to choose which is cooler, Lion Force Voltron or Vehicle Voltron.More pics and analysis, after the jump.
5 East 51st Street, New York NY 10022 (b/n Madison and 5th; map); 212-759 4730; primeburger.com Cooking Method: Broiled Short Order: Order correctly and you can get one of New York's great burgers in a unique setting. Want Fries with That? No; they're not fresh or crisp. Price: Hamburger, $5.25; cheeseburger, $5.95 Notes: Specify that you want your burger salted and made from scratch.
I walked into Prime Burger the other day around 1:30 p.m., and my heart sank. It was half-full. "This is not right," I thought to myself. We're talking about Prime Burger, the last remaining old-fashioned burger joint in New York City.
How old-fashioned? It's been around since 1938, when it was called Hamburg Heaven. Back then it was open 24 hours and it catered to movie stars and politicians. Its location across the street from St. Patrick's Cathedral led its owners to proclaim on its menu, "The Gates of Heaven Never Close." Don't you love that? Hamburg Heaven's customers did too, but the good folks at St. Patrick's didn't, so the line was removed from the menu. Although it's no a 24 hour restaurant, it's still open for breakfast, when they serve a unique breakfast combination, the Breakfast Delight ($5.50): a burger, fried egg, and hot buttered toast.
But nostalgia is not the only reason we must all band together to make sure Prime Burger stays around at least another 70 years. If you order right you can also get one of the greatest classic, small, perfectly sized burgers to be had anywhere. But ordering right is key.
Posted by Damon Gambuto, October 14, 2009 at 2:30 PM
Just a few of the burgers eaten over the past year. [Photographs: Damon Gambuto]
Perhaps it's my irrepressible narcissism, but I feel as though we're living though a burger boom. It could just be the medium-rare-rose colored glasses of a burger reviewer, but everywhere I look I see attentions turning toward my favorite sandwich. Daytime television shows, magazine covers, and chefs of all varieties have featured the humble hamburger on their menus. Whether fancypants or fast food-style, the burger is back and in many ways better than ever. America, it seems, has rediscovered its favorite meal, and I couldn't be more pleased.
Of course, when considering one in four Americans eats fast food each day (and there's usually a burger involved), it might be an overstatement to claim that this is some sort of burger comeback. Maybe it's a burger renaissance. Whatever we call it, it couldn't have come at a better time for me. I can hardly believe it, but October 10 marked my one year anniversary reviewing burgers here at AHT. It's gone by faster than summer vacation and was twice as fun.
Like my colleague and friend Nick Solares did before me, I decided to celebrate my anniversary by taking a look back at the year in burgers that was. There have been fifty plus patties that made it into my belly and then onto the (web)pages of AHT (plus many more that I didn't write about). It was a tour of the diversity and possibility of my adopted hometown. I (re)discovered the landscape of Los Angeles as a flatland of burger agony and ecstasy. Here is are some quick bites of my own personal year of the burger.
940 Ferry Boulevard, Stratford CT 06614; map); 203-378-6728; dannysdrive-in.com Cooking Method: Griddled Short Order: Circa 1935 drive-in serves a decent, but not world beating burger. Want Fries with That? Yes; they're crinkle cut, crispy, and golden. Price: Hamburger Works, $3.35; Cheeseburger Works, $3.70; fries, $2.50 Notes: Second location open in Shelton, Connecticut.
Back in 1965, Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck opened a submarine sandwich shop in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It would eventually grow to become the Subway chain.
What does this have to do with Danny's Drive-In, located in nearby Stratford? Not much, except the toppings that Danny's serves on their burgers are strikingly similar to those that grace a Subway sandwich. Of course, lettuce, tomato, and onion are nothing new on a burger, but the green pepper and white American cheese that Danny's adds to theirs is unusual and leads me to believe that just maybe the founders of Subway ate at Danny's and took notes.
Danny's Drive-In dates back to 1935 and has been a local favorite ever since. Specializing in both hot dogs and hamburgers, Danny's menu offers all manner of toppings on both, such as the legendary Kuhn's chili, jalapeños, BBQ sauce, and bacon. But even the standard burger comes with the "works"—lettuce, tomato, onion, and green pepper. Mayo, ketchup, and mustard are optional.
Lord knows we've given enough shout-outs to Eleven Madison Park lately, but I did want to mention how seriously cute and delicious chef Daniel Humm's lounge lamb burgers are. Made with spectacular and pricey Elysian Farm lamb and served with house-made pickles, these adorable little suckers are wonderfully succulent and just lamb-y enough. Serious eaters might complain (or should I say baah) about the price—$12 for two—but there isn't a better lamb burger in the city.
Posted by Daniel Zemans, October 8, 2009 at 10:00 AM
[Photographs: Daniel Zemans]
Eat Rite Diner
622 Chouteau, St. Louis MO 63102 (map); 314-621-9621 Cooking Method: Griddled. Short Order: Budget prices, priceless experience. Want Fries With That? No idea—I haven't had the fries there in 10 years. Price: Six sliders with cheese, $6
When planning a recent trip to St. Louis with Nick Solares's review of 11 different New Jersey slider emporiums on my mind, I hatched a crafty plan. I would not call my friends to come pick me up until long enough after my Megabus got into Union Station that I would have time to make my first trip to Eat Rite Diner in about eight years. And since I spent that particular visit at this 24/7/365 joint sleeping (yes, we'll call it sleeping) with my head on the counter, joining the legions of people before and since then who have done the same, this would be my first time actually eating at Eat Rite in 10 years.
Located on Route 66, Eat Rite has remained virtually unchanged since it opened more than 60 years ago even as its surroundings have shifted from a major transcontinental highway to Busch Stadium (two blocks away) and the Purina world headquarters (across the street). The small shop has 13 stools with dark green vinyl seats in various states of disrepair. The countertop is worn down and the tile floors and walls appear to have been around as long as Eat Rite itself. There are two pinball games (one old, one new) and a jukebox—that's it. This place is as bare bones as it gets.
9531 Culver Boulevard, Culver City CA 90232-2618 (map); 310-202-1470; fordsfillingstation.net Cooking Method: Griddled. Short Order: A well-regarded chef fails to bring his talents to bear on his burger. Want Fries with That? Sure. Not standouts, but good enough to embrace your lack of self-discipline. Prices: Pub Burger (with fries), $16. Notes: The "seasonal" option (seasonal toppings) for your burger prep might be a way to enliven an otherwise ordinary fancy-pants burger.
Recently I've found myself sitting down for some of the pricier burgers in town. Despite the power of attributed value, I am not, as a rule, predisposed to prefer a fancy-pants burger. Often times the impulse to add flourish stands in the way of realizing the simple beauty of the sandwich. Then there are also times when the added cost means the added benefit of excellent ingredients and thoughtful preparation. Two of my recent fancy-pants burgers—the first at Rustic Canyon, the other at Comme Ça—were extraordinary.
With these delectable memories still fresh, I decide to make my way toward yet another posh burger. I've been excited to try the burger at Ford's Filling Station for quite some time, as I've visited this American gastropub on a number of occasions and enjoyed a variety of chef Ben Ford's offerings: charcuterie plates that are salty and hearty, flatbreads topped with shrimp and Meyer lemon. The menu, even in its modest scale, always seemed to be chock full of distractions that kept me from the burger. Of course, that could only persist for so long. Recently I headed to downtown Culver City to make amends for all my non-burger meals at Ford's.
253 Grand Street, Brooklyn NY 11211 (map); 718-387-8783; walterfoods.com Cooking Method: Grilled Short Order: A satisfying, juicy burger if you're in the neighborhood. Want Fries with That? The burger comes with skinny golden fries. Price: Short Rib Burger, $13
Since I was already at Walter Foods for our fancy pants fried chicken taste test (yup, what a hard job I've got), I figured I may as well get in a burger review as well. Because nothing says "balanced meal" like fried chicken and a burger.
The short rib burger ($13) from Walter Foods is a 7-ounce short rib patty on a brioche roll topped with bacon, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a pickle on the side. Check out the innards after the jump.
2538 Whitney Avenue, Hamden CT 06518; map); 203-281-0604; glenwooddrivein.com Cooking Method: Grilled. Short Order: Superb charbroiled burger from a classic circa-1950 drive in. Want Fries with That? Yes, but don't miss the superb onion rings either. Order Frings for the best of both worlds. Price: Hamburger, $3.25; cheeseburger, $3.55; Frings, $3.65
"I have been coming here for 50 years and I have never tried the hamburger; I always get the hot dogs," chuckled the elderly lady, as if the joke was on me for getting the burger instead of the famous hot dogs on my first visit to the Glenwood-Drive In. I was standing in the parking lot taking a picture of the vintage restaurant when she approached me to sing the praises of the place, laud the hot dogs, and reminisce about a life wasted avoiding a hamburger. Fifty years is almost as long as the Glenwood Drive-In has been in business, and it has remained in the hands of the same family since the patriarch, the improbably named Rocky Stone, purchased it back in 1955. The name Rocky Stone sounds like he should have been a boxer, but he actually delivered bread to the Glenwood before buying the restaurant.
When Rocky passed on in 1960, his son Wayne Stone, who sounds like he should have been a wealthy philanthropist, took over and expanded the menu. The building and signs have undergone a number of transformations over the decades, seemingly mirroring the body shapes of automobiles of the day, but seem to have stalled out in the late 1970s.
Fortunately, the food seems to be unaffected by modernity as well. The reasonably priced portions of quintessential New England comfort food—hot dogs, lobster rolls, and fried clams—are huge, and according to the lady in the parking lot have not changed over time. Although she could not speak for the hamburger, I can't imagine that it has changed much either—it has a classic architecture and corresponding taste.
Posted by Damon Gambuto, September 30, 2009 at 1:45 PM
[Photographs: Damon Gambuto]
Comme Ça
8479 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood CA 90069 (map); 323-782-1104; commecarestaurant.com Cooking Method: Griddled Short Order: This heralded burger lives up to the hype. A truly beautiful rendition. Want Fries with That? Yes! Expert execution and lovely presentation. Price: Burger and fries, $16
Imagine the perfect burger. The notion is compelling, but giving it shape is likely to initiate all manner of frustration. What kind of burger? When am I to eat it? With whom? The idea is clear—the reality is blurry. This is the fundamental paradox of trying to think in terms of perfection. The act of adding specificity diminishes the glowing beauty of the general.
This complication didn't thwart the New York Times from determining just what burger perfection looks like. For them, David Myers' restaurant Comme Ça serves a burger that the New York Times deems the incarnation of the ideal. As it turns out, the restaurant is just a short drive from my home. I have the perfect idea for lunch.
669 Lexington Ave, Clifton, NJ 07011; map); 973-772-6000; hotgrill.org Cooking Method: Griddled Short Order: Hamburgers are made fresh everyday, but the patties are wafer thin and need to be doubled up, or better yet served "all the way." Want Fries with That? Sure; get them "all the way" as well for a goopy treat. Price: Hamburger, $2.05; cheeseburger, $2.30
The Hot Grill dates back to 1961 and is best known as a purveyor of Texas Weiners, a unique method of dog preparation that has nothing to do with with Texas, but rather has its roots in Paterson, New Jersey. As Serious Eats' Hawk Krall recently illustrated, a Texas Weiner is a deep fried hot dog served with Greek sauce—"a smooth, slow cooked meat sauce spiced with cayenne, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and cumin," while getting it "all the way" adds on mustard and diced onions. The Texas Weiner is seemingly the raison d'être of The Hot Grill, as a large hot dog dominates the restaurant's sign and the tag line listed underneath claims that they serve the "World's Tastiest Weiners." But they also serve hamburgers that are fresh made in-house daily. Can they stand up to the legendary dogs?
Lately, I have been eating my hamburgers plain without condiments or cheese—at least, if that is offered on the menu. I won't deconstruct a burger that is only offered in a specific way, but, as a reviewer, I want to see what is going on between the buns. This method of consumption ruthlessly reveals substandard ingredients, but at the same time, when everything is right, the simplicity can breed perfection.
Editor's note: A few months ago, Daniel O'Sullivan contributed a review on Kraze Burger in South Korea while teaching English there. Now he's traveling around Asia for the next two months and documenting the goodies on his blog Street Foodie. Today, he brings us his review of a burger joint in Vietnam.
[Photographs: Daniel O'Sullivan]
My Burger Mỹ
5 Hang Bac, Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi, Vietnam (map) Cooking Method: Grilled Short Order: Good quality burger with toppings to match. Want Fries with That? Yes; you might want more than what it comes with. Prices: The Works Mỹ Burger, 69000 VND
In a busy street in Hanoi's old quarter, amid the souvenir shops and tour operators, a simple chalkboard sign hangs unobtrusively on a tree. "Char grilled Burgers, Mexican food, 1m" it announces with a slight flourish. Follow the arrow, and you've reached Mỹ Burger My.
Owned and operated by American chef/writer Daniel Hoyer, My Burger Mỹ is an unassuming sort of place. The menu consists simply of a few burgers, a handful of sandwiches, some Mexican favorites, and a bevy of cold drinks—an essential nod to the unrelenting fury of the Hanoi summer.
Posted by Daniel Zemans, September 24, 2009 at 11:15 AM
"I loved the feel of Zaharakos so much that even if the food was inedible, I would gladly become a regular visitor."
[Photographs: Daniel Zemans]
Zaharakos
329 Washington Street, Columbus IN 47201 (map); 812-378-1900; zaharakos.com Cooking Method: Stovetop Short Order: Fantastic décor, friendly service, and delicious drinks more than compensate for mediocre food Want Fries With That? Meh. The skin-on fries were a little soft and the orange seasoning salt was nothing too exciting. Price: Gom Cheese Brr-Grr, $5.49
When I set out to plan my recent trip to Brown County State Park, my mind naturally turned to wondering what edible treats awaited me on my maiden voyage to southern Indiana. As I usually do for off the beaten path culinary guidance, I turned to Roadfood and immediately discovered that the one "can"t miss" stop in that part of the world is Zaharakos in Columbus, Indiana, the most architecturally significant small town in the United States.
James, Pete, and Lewie Zaharako, three brothers from Greece, opened their ice cream parlor and candy shop on October 20, 1900. Named The Greeks until the 1950s, Zaharakos would stay in the family for the next 106 years, first under James's leadership until his death in 1945, and then his kids and grandchildren following suit. When Lew Zaharako died in 2006, there was nobody left in the family with the ability and desire to run the place, and it closed. Ownership fell to the Columbus Capital Foundation, which, as far as I can tell, is a local group geared towards historic preservation (it currently owns the Crump Theatre). In 2007, Tony Moravec, owner of Blairex, a Columbus-based pharmaceutical company, bought Zaharakos and spent the next two years restoring the place to its former glory.
Posted by Damon Gambuto, September 23, 2009 at 2:30 PM
[Photographs: Damon Gambuto]
Rustic Canyon
1119 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401 (map); 310-393-7050; rusticcanyonwinebar.com Cooking Method: Griddled Short Order: An obsessive, young chef puts together one of the best burgers in town. Want Fries with That? Yes! Fresh cut and twice fried makes for excellent and straight forward fries. Prices: Niman Ranch Burger (with fries), $16 Notes: If you are looking for the full treatment, ask for your burger smothered and you'll get a perfectly fried egg and thick-cut Niman Ranch bacon atop your already massive burger.
The truly seasonal and obsessively sourced menu at Rustic Canyon is a decidedly contemporary take that has its roots in the oldest traditions of feeding ourselves. That is to say, there was a time when every human menu was seasonal and locally sourced. These days, our food economy has been so thoroughly reconfigured by modernity that we don't find it odd to pay less for food driven, shipped, and flown thousands of miles before they hit our plates.
Now that we are slowly waking up to the perils of big agriculture and the pleasures of proximity, it's understood that part of a chef's duty is cultivation, even if only the kind that blossoms relationships with the best local farmers. Rustic Canyon's chef Evan Funke is perfectly suited to obsess over produce and just about everything else that has to do with his kitchen.
He started off on paths as disparate as masseur and the military, but found his life's work when a girlfriend's knife-wielding, Sicilian grandmother suggested he might have a gift for cooking. Whether it was kismet or just an offer he couldn't refuse, Funke made his way to Cordon Bleu here in Pasadena. From there he was trained, or as he puts it, "broken like a mustang," by Spago's executive chef Lee Hefter. Over the last year he's built a reputation on his fresh pasta (he apprenticed in Bologna) and an inventive Shepherd's Pie. That's all well and good, but I'm looking for medium rare and great.
Posted by Nick Solares, September 22, 2009 at 10:30 AM
Shady Glen
840 East Middle Turnpike, Manchester CT 06040 (map); 860-649-4245 Cooking Method: Griddle Short Order: Unique preparation and decades-old pedigree make for a classic burger, but flawed beef make it hard to recommend unconditionally. Want Fries with That? Absolutely; they're perfect golden crinkle cuts. Price: Cheeseburger, $4.75; Big Cheeseburger, $5.25
Bless George Motz. No one has single handedly done more to document and foster our hamburger heritage than he has. Starting with his film Hamburger America and subsequent book of the same name, Motz set out to cover unique burger spots using a loose set of parameters, focusing on places that had been in business for decades, preferably run by the same family, and that used fresh, never frozen beef. In essence, he is studying the hamburger before it underwent the rationalization and commoditization of the fast food business—burgers from a time when quality of ingredients and assurance of freshness were at least as important as speed of service.
The places featured in Hamburger America are all unique and worthy of attention—they are an important part of our cultural and culinary heritage. But I think that George will privately admit that he does not unconditionally love every burger in the book, although publicly he refuses to play favorites. There are burgers in his book that were probably chosen more for their historical significance or because they offer a unique version of America's favorite sandwich than the way they actually taste. I can't help but think that Shady Glen in Manchester, Connecticut, is one of those places.
When you arrive at Shady Glenn there is no doubt why it is featured in Hamburger America. The place looks like it hasn't changed since the 1940s—the brown formica counters and red and green stools that surround it like candy dots are bathed in a warm incandescent glow. The countermen are decked out in paper hats and the waitresses wear green smocks underneath white aprons.
Posted by Ed Levine, September 17, 2009 at 10:00 AM
[Photographs: Robyn Lee]
Trailer Park Lounge & Grill
271 West 23rd Street, New York, NY 10011 (b/n 7th and 8th; map); 212-463-8000; trailerparklounge.com Cooking Method: Grilled Short Order: Solid, beefy, well-charred cheeseburger Want Fries with That? The tater tots are great; sweet potato fries are worth trying too. Prices: Burger, $8.95; cheese, +$1.75; Double Wide Burger, $13.95
We are always on the prowl for a good burger within walking distance of Serious Eats world headquarters, yet somehow I had never made it to Trailer Park Lounge & Grill, which is a mere four blocks away. Robyn heard by way of Burger Conquest that Trailer Park actually made a pretty good burger, so this past week we hit the road to the kitschy storefront that is Trailer Park.
Us being us, we ordered a regular cheeseburger and a double-wide cheeseburger, one with sweet potato fries, the other with tater tots. Why? Because there were three of us, including Burgermeister Kenji. Actually, we also ordered a chicken salad sandwich, some chili, some mac and cheese, and a cheesesteak, figuring we would take our leftovers back to the folks at HQ. And you know what? We should have just taken Robyn's advice and stuck to burgers, because they were surprisingly good.
