Entries tagged with 'Brooklyn'
Posted by Nick Solares, October 11, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Rachael Ray's Burger Bash, part of the NYC Wine & Food Festival, took place last night, and for once the pimple-faced, grease-stained burger geeks became the beautiful people. While Ed and I had full tickets to the event, Adam came along last-minute and got in on a 20-minute press pass, complete with an escort.
From left: Tom Colicchio of Top Chef fame, burgers from New York City's Market Table restaurant.
Luckily, Ed managed to eventually pull a few strings (AHT is, after all, America's favorite hamburger weblog and anticipated, and indeed helped foster, this veritable burger renaissance that we are enjoying at the moment), and Adam was allowed to stay for the duration of the event, which was fortunate because there was a lot of ground to cover, with almost as many burgers to try as the number of minutes he was originally allotted.
I am sure you will read numerous accounts about all the celebrities who were at the event, but for me the real stars of the show were a handful of burgers and the minds behind them. Meet the burgers, and the burgermeisters, after the jump.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, September 15, 2008 at 7:15 AM
Booyah! I think I know where I'm heading for dinner tomorrow night: General Greene in Fort Greene. From the New Yorker:
It’s clear that the General Greene has set out to become a staple in its own right, most obviously with its burger (concocted with the help of Ryan Skeen, late of Resto and his own acclaimed burger). It’s the size of a hockey puck—small in diameter, plump in the middle—but juicy. The flavor is dynamic enough to inspire debate—is there some pork in there, or lamb? Nope: it’s a hundred per cent Angus beef, from DeBragga, at a seventy-thirty ratio, making you forget (or at least forgive) the backyard-cookout accompaniment of potato chips.
Bada-bing! Thirty percent fat? This is surely one juicy mofo. General Greene is closed Mondays, so don't run out there till tomorrow.
General Greene
229 DeKalb Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11205 (at Clermont Ave.; map)
718-222-1510
Posted by Robyn Lee, September 8, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Former AHT East Coast editor Matt Jacobs reviews three burger joints in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Nothing's perfect, but at least the veteran Bonnie's Grill gets 7/10 and newcomer Brooklyn Flipsters scores a 6/10, with the potential to get better. Other newcomer Corner Burger sadly only gets a 3/10.
Related
Openings: Corner Burger in Park Slope
Five Guys Park Slope, Opening Day
Posted by Adam Kuban, September 3, 2008 at 1:30 AM
A burger from Nick Solares's trip to 67 Burger.
In the "$25 and Under" column, where burgers have often been chronicled, the Old Gray Lady takes on three joints: 67 Burger, 5 Napkin Burger, and Joy Burger Bar.
AHT is already familiar with 67 Burger (reviewed here) and 5 Napkin Burger (reviewed here), but Joy Burger Bar has flown under the radar on this site. Probably because I don't make it up to East Harlem that often and when I do it's usually to go to Patsy's Pizzeria.
Based on the Times blip, though, I don't know if I'd want to waste my time. Writer Betsy Andrews disses the the "Munch" (3-ounce) and "Midi" (5-ounce) burgers but gives the "Maxi" (8-ounce) a lukewarm review. (In fact, it's hard to tell if she likes any of the burgers she's written about.) Here she is on Joy:
There’s plenty of the namesake emotion in the eight-ounce Maxi burger ($5.75), though. Started on the griddle and finished on the fire, it’s an amply seasoned, succulent chuck burger that’s just this side of plump enough.
Its spoiler is its thin bun, flame-grilled to fragility. Slather on chimichuri, and you’ll end up basically bunless — which is too bad because the chimichuri is the piquant champ of dressings at a place that prides itself on its house-made sauces. Runner-up is the Asian-style sweet chili.
Andrews then goes on to say that "Joy is a sweet hangout for the best patty for blocks." Doesn't sound like it to me.
Still, it's probably worth a trip, as there's another burger joint up there called Burger Inc. The AHT crew definitely needs to check these two out.
Joy Burger Bar
1567 Lexington Avenue, New York NY 10029 (at 100th Street; map); 212-289-6222
Related
67 Burger: Topping Configurations Are Numerous, But Simplicity Rules
Initial Report: Five Napkin Burger, Hell's Kitchen
Posted by kenjialtci, August 25, 2008 at 10:45 AM
Editor's note: Kenji Alt is a food writer for Cook's Illustrated magazine who takes a special interest in burgers. He is also a madman. You might remember his post on The Blumenburger, where he followed Heston Blumenthal's burger recipe, which takes 30 hours, 4 minutes and requires 32 ingredients. He's back, this time with an epic feat that took only 8 hours but seems far more grueling in our book. I mean twelve burgers?
Don’t get me wrong. I love living in Boston, and the city’s got a lot to offer, but among those things, there are a few key items that are missing (particularly for a former New Yorker): delis, decent bagels, pizza (I’d settle for even vaguely edible pizza), good hot dogs, and great griddled burgers. Now there are a lot of locals who will disagree with me and point to any number of restaurants that serve acceptable but unremarkable chopped-meat sandwiches. I’ve yet to find one that I don’t take major issue with.
R. F. O’Sullivan is too damn big to eat with your hands. (Why don’t Boston burger joints understand the concept that bigger is not necessarily better?) Once you get past the atmosphere, Bartley’s Burger Cottage patties, while juicy and greasy, are underseasoned, mealy, and frankly, bland. And despite (or because of) UBurger's spurious claim that their burgers are made of fresh ground beef (don’t believe it—they buy preground chuck just like most other places and mix it together with a nominal amount of house-ground stuff), they cook up with that rubbery feel that only an overcompressed, overworked patty gets.
Yes, I have ground beef envy. New Yorkers have been blessed by a burger renaissance, and every couple of weeks, when my slight burger pangs become uncontrollable fits of sandwiched chopped-cow lust, I’m moved to take the 200-mile trip to the city. (Of course, my New Yorker fiancé believes me when I tell her that I’m coming down just to visit her.)
Like an alcoholic who gets wasted the night before jumping on the wagon, I decided to try to cure my burger cupidity by going on a daylong feeding frenzy. A burger bender, if you will: 12 burgers in 8 hours.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, July 25, 2008 at 1:30 PM
Five Guys, Park Slope. As the Eater blog would say, "CERTIFIED OPEN." Just got back from lunch with the First Family of Burgers—George Motz, his wife, and their two kids (read George's account here). I had a "cheeseburger." If you don't know the drill at 5G, the "cheeseburger" is really a double cheeseburger. If you want a single-patty burger, you need to order the "Little Cheeseburger" or "Little Hamburger," which makes you feel like a kid and a bit embarrassed. I think they like it that way. Goads you into the larger option.
I won't spend too much time blabbing the burger. It's a really good burger. When I first tried 5G last year, I was skeptical. Signage reading "lean beef" and "cooked well-done" all pointed to bad. But the burger was juicy and flavorful. Who knew? The one at 5G Park Slope was the same. Delicious.
Anyway, this place is across from New York Methodist Hospital on Seventh Avenue:
So it wasn't surprising that the entire staff of the hospital turned out for lunch today. More pix, after the jump.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, July 21, 2008 at 10:45 PM
George "Hamburger America" Motz has the word: Five Guys in Park Slope opens Friday.
George ferreted out the info earlier this evening and has the post about it on his Hamburger America blog, where it looks like he's none too happy with the offerings in the 'hood.
The Park Slop Five Guys will open at 11 a.m., he says.
Five Guys, Park Slope
284 Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11215 (map)
718-499-9380
fiveguys.com
Posted by Adam Kuban, July 18, 2008 at 2:00 PM
Fifth Avenue. In the space that was recently Mediterra, which before that was some kind of Turkish restaurant, which before that was the Curry Shop extension of next-door Chip Shop. In that space now: Corner Burger. Eight-ounce burgers on big, sesame seed white bread buns. We're told that flame-grilling is the modus cookerandi. An array of "signature burgers," including the Paris Burger (mushroom and Swiss), the Texan Burger (fried egg), the English Burger (on English muffin)—you get the picture. Been open a week. Reserving judgment until the place gets on its feet. Good fried sides, though. The onion rings are delicious. [via Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn]
Corner Burger
381 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11215 (at 6th Street; map)
Park Slope's Brooklyn Burger Bar, on the corner of Seventh Avenue and 9th Street, is apparently under new ownership and has changed its name. So sayeth "Brownie," on the blog Blondie and Brownie. Flipster's is the new nom de burg. No word on whether it's better than Brooklyn Burger Bar was.
Posted by Adam Kuban, June 23, 2008 at 2:00 PM
Oh, before I forget (I've already forgotten to mention it here before), I just wanted to say that there's a Five Guys opening in Park Slope. George Motz tipped me to this a while ago, but I just got an admittedly unexciting picture of the under-construction front this weekend. It's in the former D'Agostino's on Seventh Avenue and 6th Street.
This is great news, as Park Slope has a dearth of good burgers. And even though Five Guys has that wrongheaded thing going on with using lean beef and cooking it to well-done, the joint somehow manages to turn out a good, juicy burger nonetheless. A welcome addition to the neighborhood.
Five Guys, Park Slope
284 Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11215 (map)
718-499-9380
fiveguys.com
Posted by Adam Kuban, May 30, 2008 at 8:50 AM
The owner of the popular Madison Square Park stand - famous for its juicy burgers, frozen custards and unbearable lines - wants to bring a mobile "shake truck" to downtown Brooklyn, sources said yesterday.
The Brooklyn truck could set up shop in the MetroTech plaza for lunch by the end of the summer. The truck is expected to hit other spots on weekends and at night. [New York Daily News]
Posted by Nick Solares, May 28, 2008 at 1:15 PM
If it's Tuesday, it must be time for another review from Nick Solares. Nick is also the publisher of Beef Aficionado, his blog that explores beef beyond burgerdom.
Ed Tretter is devoted to his burgers. He fawns over 67 Burger, his restaurant in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, the way doting parents might over their children. I sat down to talk to him recently during a hectic lunch hour, and, despite being constantly distracted by perceived inaccuracies in presentation and production that required his immediate attention, his passion for both his restaurant and hamburgers in general was evident.
He has certainly done his homework, employing many of the trappings of some of New York's more prominent burger houses—flame-broiled, fresh-ground patties; high-quality ingredients; and an ordering system inspired by Brgr. But I don't think it is fair to dismiss 67 Burger as purely derivative. There's a lot of thought put into the way things should be done. Bacon, for example, is deliberately placed beneath the patty for reasons of flavor and texture. The custom-made buns are baked in special muffin tins that Tretter's baker procured to better fit his plump seven-ounce burgers.
Juice to Spare
67 Burger: The Autopsy.
I first heard about 67 Burger when George Motz mentioned on his blog that it was the "juiciest burger" he had ever eaten. Considering the man has eaten hundreds of burgers in almost every state in the union, that is really saying something. Indeed, in my experience, the burgers here positively brim with juiciness. Cutting a burger in half to take an "autopsy" shot resulted in a thick geyser of juice shooting straight out of the top of the sandwich, a pink streak in the bun would have left no doubt in a crime scene investigator's mind that this was one juicy burger. The bottom portion of the bun became so soaked that it almost completely fell apart.
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Posted by Nick Solares, May 20, 2008 at 9:30 AM
If it's Tuesday, it must be time for another review from Nick Solares. Nick is also the publisher of Beef Aficionado, his blog that explores beef beyond burgerdom.
Editor's note: Ladies and gents, I introduced you to Nick "Beef Aficionado" Solares when he debuted on A Hamburger Today a couple weeks ago, but I'd like to point out this morning that he'll be showing up each week on Tuesday morning with his signature mouthwatering photos and thoughtful reviews of New York–area burger joints. Here's his latest. Dig in! —The Mgmt.
Diner
85 Broadway, Brooklyn NY 11211 (at Berry Street; map); 718-486-307
dinernyc.com
Short Order: Burgers made from grass-fed beef often turn out dry and tough. At Diner, however, the in-house butcher, freshly ground meat, and perfect cooking technique make for a fine sandwich
Want Fries with That? Pale-looking fries are actually crisp with a tender interior that tastes like potato
Price: $12; comes with fries
Not to be confused with the Brooklyn Diner that Adam so enjoyed last week, which is confusingly located in Manhattan, Diner is located in Brooklyn—Williamsburg, to be specific.
If I had to describe Diner in two words, they would be bohemian eclectia. Dating back almost a decade, Diner certainly anticipated the burgeoning of Williamsburg as a cultural and culinary destination. The restaurant takes its name from the fact that it is situated in a 1920s Kullman diner and is certainly not named for its menu, which, aside from a few staples including a hamburger, changes nightly and is far more avant garde than the restaurant's name suggests. You won't find pancakes here, but you will find savory crepes. And, while they offer steak, it is pasture-fed and dry-aged in house.
In one of the more impressive feats of waitressing, the entire menu is memorized and recounted for each table with exacting detail. The waitress frantically scribbles each course with a pencil onto the paper that lines your table (right) as she effortlessly lists them, often giving specifics beyond just the dish, furnishing one with the knowledge of the provenance of the fresh, locally sourced seasonal ingredients and method of preparation.
The restaurant is located in the shadow of the Williamsburg Bridge, and, despite its narrow confines, offers booth, table, and bar seating as well as outdoor dining. The decor is a heterogeneous mix of tile, glass, and metal and perfectly complements the food.
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Posted by Nick Solares, May 15, 2008 at 11:30 AM
If it's Tuesday, it must be time for another review from Nick Solares. Nick is also the publisher of Beef Aficionado, his blog that explores beef beyond burgerdom.
I must admit that I had high expectations for the hamburger at Junior's, the fabled Brooklyn diner that is famous for its justifiably hyped cheesecake. Since opening in 1950 Junior's has firmly cemented itself into the New York food vernacular. It is a rite of passage for any politician running for state or national office to make Junior's a campaign stop, and the cheesecake there is considered by many the best that the city has to offer.
Given the popularity and acclaim that Junior's enjoys, I figured that there must be something special going on with its burger, which is so often the staple of a successful diner.
Junior's History
The story behind Junior's is one of those quintessentially New York rags-to-riches tales. Founder Harry Rosen dropped out of high school and became a soda jerk during the roaring '20s, eventually opening a string of sandwich shops of his own in Manhattan called the Enduro, named after the manufacturer of the stainless steel that lined his kitchens. By the 1930s, he had opened an Enduro on the corner of the Flatbush Avenue Extension and DeKalb Avenue in Brooklyn. He soon shuttered his Manhattan concerns in favor of the Brooklyn location.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, April 11, 2008 at 11:22 AM
I'm not going to spend a lot of time dwelling on Action Burger. If you remember the Lucky Burger [AHT review] that opened and then closed on Avenue A in the East Village, the former owner there is affiliated with Action Burger. And, judging by taste and texture, the same burger from Avenue A has popped up across the river here in Williamsburg (on Grand between Union and Lorimer). I'm guessing the patties are "cold smoked" and marinated overnight the same way they were at Lucky. The result is an odd smokey flavor and a tough patty.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, July 10, 2007 at 10:17 AM
Harry Hawk, the man behind the food at Schnäck and Water Taxi Beach, may be bringing his awesome burgers to the new fake beach at Brooklyn Bridge Park in Brooklyn Heights, according to New York magazine's Grubstreet:
That translates to freshly ground hamburgers, grilled Jubilat hot dogs from Brooklyn, house-smoked pulled pork, and freshly cut french fries. Hawk is waiting on the food-service truck that will make his latest fast-food dream come to fruition but says he expects it to happen fairly soon.
We've long been fans of Schnäck and we love the Motz Burger at Water Taxi Beach, so if Hawk manages to get his plan off the ground, we'll be burgerin' under the bridge soon.
Posted by Adam Kuban, July 2, 2007 at 5:18 PM
Friend of AHT George "Hamburger America" Motz sent us the following photos and observations on the recently opened Five Guys in Brooklyn Heights. He went yesterday. —The Mgmt.
Five Guys
Address: 138 Montague Street, Brooklyn NY 11201
Phone: 718-797-9380
Fax: 718-797-9381
Notes: "We are getting the sign next week," the owner told me. Kind of an odd, but super busy location two blocks from the courthouse on Montague Street.
Not too big, but PACKED for lunch 15 minutes before I took this pic.
Ask for a cheeseburger and you automatically get a double. Mine had pickles and mustard. Just look at that glorious heap of goodness.
Huge crew, efficient assembly line
I forgot about their peanut thing. They encourage you to grab a handful of free peanuts at the door and toss the shells on the floor.
I like Brooklyn Heights Blog's take on it: "The competitive advantage that FGBF has over other burger chains is that it appears they may have some sort of "screening process" for their employees. The lovely ladies who took my order were helpful and patient and the kitchen crew were working together like a well oiled machine."
That was pretty much our take on the chain when we visited the location in College Point, Queens, back in early May.
