More L.A. burgerage for you. A Hamburger Today reader Mike Makis just dropped us an email: "Those that are not college football fans may have missed last night's segment on ESPN of the Apple Pan. Todd Blackledge covers a 'Taste of the Town' for every week's prime time college football game, and since last night's overtime showdown was at the Rose Bowl, he ended up at the Apple Pan."
Video, after the jump.
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.
913 East California Boulevard, Pasadena CA 91106 (b/n South Lake Ave and South Mentor Ave; map); 626-795-1123; pienburger.com
The Short Order:Classic So Cal-style griddle-cooked burgers replete with Thousand Island dressing. While there is nothing unique about the recipe, the execution is unmatched. It's the author's favorite example of the breed
Want Fries with That? Absolutely—they're golden, crispy and delicious
Price: hamburger $6.25; cheeseburger $6.75
Notes: Open Mon.-Fri., 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sat., 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sun., 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Last week I reported on the venerable Apple Pan restaurant and its justifiably hyped burger offerings. An equally compelling burger—albeit with far less star power (you probably won't see Jack Nicholson or any other celebrity dining here)&madsh;can be found in Pasadena at the decades-old Pie 'N Burger. I have to thank George Motz for featuring Pie 'N Burger in his book Hamburger America. I would have definitely made it to the Apple Pan irrespective of his book, as it is world famous, but a hidden gem like Pie 'N Burger would have likely slipped under the radar, overshadowed by L.A.'s more celebrated burger joints but for Motz's coverage. And what a shame that would have been, for Pie 'N Burger provided me with one of the seminal burger experiences of my life.
While the Apple Pan benefited from its proximity to the Hollywood movie studios and has served everyone from Clark Gable to Barbara Streisand, Pie 'N Burger has thrived on the back of a different constituency: local college students from USC and Caltech, as well as legions of those salt of the earth-type working people that you only hear about during primary elections.
California-based gourmet "build a burger" chain The Counter is planning to open 25 to 30 stores in Northern California—within the next 10 years. They currently have seven locations in California and are planning to open 11 more locations around the country and in Australia and Ireland. [via Eater SF]
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.
10801 West Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles CA 90064 (map); 310-475-3585
The Short Order: Plump, succulent, and tender quarter pound burgers made with toasted, squishy buns are generously topped with lettuce, cheese, pickles, and mayonnaise. They're arguably the finest example of the California-style burger
Want Fries with That? Crispy and delicious, they're worth getting
Notes: Closed on Mondays. Tue.-Thu. and Sun., 11 a.m. to 12 a.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Back in 2005 Hamburger Hadley reported on the the venerable Apple Pan in West Los Angeles. It has since been featured in George Motz's Hamburger America—rumor has it that the idea for Motz's film and subsequent book originated at Apple Pan's counter over a burger. As the newest member of the AHT staff, I considered it a rite of passage to make Apple Pan a destination when I recently visited Los Angeles.
Nothing has changed since Hadley's visit—the Apple Pan remains exactly as he described. In fact, I doubt that much has changed at the Apple Pan since it opened back in 1947. At that time the Apple Pan was surrounded by the citrus groves and family farms that blanketed the undulating terrain of what was then rural West Los Angeles. A riding stable used to be located just across the street—a lady that I struck up conversation with at the counter remembers taking lessons there as a child and then heading over to the Apple Pan for burgers. She confirmed that absolutely nothing has changed at the simple ranch-style building in the ensuing years. On the other hand, almost everything else in the vicinity has transformed from rural to urban—the massive Westwood Pavilion Mall located across the street towers above the Apple Pan and rows of houses have replaced the rows of orchards.
The August 2008 issue of Orange Coast magazine lists their 10 favorite local gourmet burgers made with fancier, less common ingredients, such as Kobe beef, smoky chipotle aioli, or roasted-tomato marmalade. If you prefer something more classic (and less costly), they also list their six favorite local basic burgers.
Editor's note: Burgermeisters! I'm totally psyched about this. This is the first in a series of excerpts from George Motz's book Hamburger America. George and his publisher were kind enough to allow us to run them here, along with George's beautiful photos. We'll be running one every other week. Eat up! —The Mgmt.
The meat grinder is in the window. What more can I say? "It's there mostly for dramatic reasons, but it's there so the customer can see what they are getting," says Joe Obegi, owner for over forty years and the man responsible for some of the freshest burgers on the west coast. The grinder is only five feet from the huge flattop griddle.
Joe takes his burgers very seriously. Don't look for 1/2 pounders and other fractional designations here. Joe prefers to use what he calls "actual sizes," 4, 6, and 8 ounce "fresh ground beef steaks." The burgers are cooked medium-rare unless specified. The menu explains, "Order your beef steak the way you would like your steak cooked."
About halfway through my "beef steak," Joe made a strange but characteristically brazen move. He grabbed a fork and delicately pried loose a small portion of meat from the center of my burger. "Eat that, just like that with no bun or other stuff." My burger experience had been altered and I had seen the light — Joe's burgers really were ground steaks.
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.
1850 North Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90027 (at Russell Avenue; map); 323-667 0062; fred62.com
The Short Order: The Jucy Lucy here is not modeled on the famous cheese-stuffed burger at Matt's Bar in Minneapolis but on the burgers at In-N-Out. The Jucy Lucy here, though, is like an In-N-Out burger on steroids. And tastes even better
Want Fries with That? They come with, but if they didn't, you could skip them. They're not as crisp or flavorful as they need to be
Price: $9.63 for the Jucy Lucy
Fred 62 is named after its owners, both named Fred, both born in, you guessed it, 1962. Back in 1997, designer Fred Sutherland and chef Fred Eric collaborated to create what they call a "retro-kitsch diner" in the burgeoning Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angles. There is a distinct possibility that such ambitions can result in a trite, tiresome, and contrived restaurant that focuses too much on the kitsch and not enough on the food. Fortunately Fred 62 avoids most of the culinary pitfalls and turns out some inventive twists on classic diner fare.
The decor is an interesting mix of traditional diner trappings (a long counter divides the room, replete with classic soda fountains), along with a cheeky, low-brow slant (the servers all have racing stripes to match those of the leather booths that resemble cars seats). The building is painted in shades of green, orange, and yellow, giving it a rather gaudy and cartoonish look. Like I said, low-brow. Aesthetic misgivings aside, I was here to eat what the menu modestly bills, as "the worlds greatest hamburger sandwich."
I won't keep you in suspense. I don't think it is the world's greatest hamburger, but it is nonetheless very good—certainly one of the best burgers I have had in L.A. The burger in question is called the Jucy Lucy, but it is nothing like the one that has been reported on here at AHT extensively, which is actually filled with cheese before cooking. Fred 62's Jucy Lucy might not be filled with cheese, but it does at least live up to its name.
As part of McDonald's strategy to appeal to local tastes and aesthetics, a Mickey D's in Hacienda Heights, California, which has a large Asian community, has gone all feng shui. Elements include "leather seats, earth tones, bamboo plants, and water trickling down glass panels." Near the counter, eight rows of red tiles appear on the wall (eight is a lucky number, and red symbolizes "good luck, laughter, and prosperity"). [via Jason Perlow]
Related: Feng Burger
According to Eater SF, fancy-pants chef and Ratatouille consultant Thomas Keller is "Finally opening his Burgers and Half Bottles restaurant. Will be a part of Ad Hoc...."
Editor's note: A short time ago, AHT reader "Junior Mintz" (aka "Frieswitdatshake") contacted me about contributing some San Diego–area burger intel to A Hamburger Today. "Sure thing!" I said. Here's the result. Enjoy! —Adam
Red Rooster: Givin' the people somethin' to crow about.
I've found some good spots for chewing the cow down here in the San Diego area. One of these is the Red Rooster in Oceanside, California. It's a little roadside dive bar in an area of older strip malls near a California Highway Patrol station, just off the wrong side of the 5 freeway.
I work down the street and heard they had a damn fine burger. Smallish grill in the corner behind the bar with a deep fryer next to it. I dunno if they're half- or third-pound patties, but they're big. They flame grill 'em and grill Ortega chiles right there too. Ortegas don't have any heat to them at all, they just add a terrific flavor to balance the cheese, onions, and all that meaty goodness.
OTHER BLOGGERS, OTHER BURGERS
Texas Burger Guy visits Wallbanger's in Corpus Christi, a Fuddrucker-esque build-your-own burger joint. Gives it a 6 out of 10 overall. 4100 South Staples Street, Corpus Christi TX 78411; 361-855-8007
The Chicago Burger Project, which is gunning to try all 55 of Time Out Chicago's Top 55 burgers, visits Susie's Drive Thru. The Western Burger there is "unremarkable." 4126 West Montrose Avenue, Chicago IL 60641; 773-283-6544
Blogger Matt Bites on Chimichurri, the Dominican hamburger: "In the simplest of terms chimichurri is a Dominican hamburger. But a burger of the highest, messiest order and one that left me swooning and pining and all those other hyperbolic terms we love to use. Imagine a soft bun, a patty, grilled tomatoes and onions, cabbage (sometimes quickly pickled) and dollops of mayonnaise and ketchup. It's messy, greasy, and one of the tastiest things to pass my lips in such a long time."
Chicagoist hits up Top Notch Beefburger on the Windy City's South Side: "The burgers here, hand formed from fresh beef ground daily, take you back to a time when GIs walked the streets with pockets full of money, ready to cut themselves a slice of good time. Which makes sense, since the place dates all the way back to 1942. After sixty-five years, you'd think they could do this in their sleep." 2116 West 95th Street 60643; 773-445-7218
The lament of a disgruntled fast-food worker in Kuwait.
OPENINGS
La Jolla, California — Burger Lounge: New burger joint serves grass-fed, free-range burgers: "And then there's the special taste of grass-fed beef. My hamburger was remarkably juicy with an honest, meaty flavor. It reminded me of the skillet burgers my dad made when I was a kid." 1101 Wall Street, La Jolla CA 92037; 858-456-0196
Roanoke, Virginia — Phantastic Burger: The family opening it is named Phan. Get it? Phantastic Burger? It'll be open in the food court of Valley View Mall in September. 4802 Valley View Boulevard Northwest, Roanoke VA 24012, in the food court
MILWAUKEE LOVES SLIDERS
The Journal Sentinel checks in with a great survey of tiny hamburgers in the Milwaukee area. On the list: Firefly Urban Bar & Grill, 7754 West Harwood Avenue, Wauwatosa WI 53213; Buckley's Kiskeam Inn, 801 North Cass Street, Milwaukee WI 53202; Mikey's, 811 East Jefferson Street, Milwaukee WI 53202; Café Hollander, 2608 North Downer Avenue, Milwaukee WI 53211; Cans Bar and Canteen, 1185 East Kenilworth Avenue, Milwaukee WI 53202; Hooligan's Super Bar, 2017 East North Avenue, Milwaukee WI 53202
BRITISH MEAL
The Times of London finds "the best burger in New York" at The Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridien. 118 West 57th Street, New York NY 10019; 212-245-5000
Reaching into the AHT mailbag:
Dear AHT,
Ever since Bar Marmont in L.A. changed management, and changed its burger from the Best in the World to just plain old delicious, I've been searching the streets of Hollywood for the next perfect burger. Pretty close is the Kobe Burger at Dusty's on Sunset in Silverlake. I recommend it rare and without the condiments provided on the side.
Amazing!
—Dino
Thanks for the tip, Dino. Good LA intel is always appreciated!
As editor of AHT, I'm ashamed to say I've never been to the Apple Pan, but I've read and heard plenty about the place. Over at Serious Eats, we even have a nice video about general manager Charles Collins and his own 50th anniversary of service there. But today's story in the L.A. Times brings some new, quirky info (at least to me):
It's a loving portrait of a type of place that is sadly becoming all too rare these days. One that treats its customers and employees with respect (the "newest" kitchen member has been there 17 years) and doesn't try to meddle with a good thing or expand or chain itself out, thereby losing quality.
Related: The Apple Pan, Quality So Far
Photograph from Ilpo's Sojourn on Flickr
The Apple Pan, an institution of a burger joint in Los Angeles (covered here on AHT), opened in 1947. For 50 of its 60 years in business, Charles Collins has worked there. Burger documentarian George "Hamburger America" Motz catches up with Mr. Collins as he marks his golden anniversary there.
THE APPLE PAN
Location: 10801 West Pico Blvd. (at Westwood Blvd.), Los Angeles 90064
Phone: 310-475-3585
Price: $5.75
Short Order: Two classic burgers dating to the '40s still amaze tastebuds with individuality and kick-ass quality in old-school diner digs.
About the filmmaker: George Motz is the burger-mad genius behind our favorite burger movie, Hamburger America. For more from George, visit his website, HamburgerAmerica.com
Oh, the stars. They too love the burgers. Who'd have thought "the Queen" (Helen Mirren) was up for a bit of the ol' In-N-Out? In what seems to be a Hollywood tradition, a stand providing the famous California treat was set up at the back of the Vanity Fair Oscar party.
Last year, we blogged a photo of Beck eating a burger at the VF party.
All of our celebrity burger coverage [The AHT Archives]
Helen Mirren Is Cool [What Would Tyler Durden Do; via AHT reader Peter S.]
Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles ... and a half-inch metal screw?That's what Angela Faubert of Vallejo said she found in her Big Mac on Sunday afternoon, and, she said, she's not lovin' it.
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.
Ladies and gentlemen, last week we introduced you to AHT's Matty Jacobs. This week, it's time you got to know "Hamburglar" Hadley Tomicki a little better. Without further ado, let's get Grillin' —Ed.
Name: Hadley "Hamburglar" Tomicki
Location: Los Angeles
Occupation: Editor lataco.com, educator, and actor
How often do you eat burgers?
Less and less it seems these days after opening up to the taco lifestyle, maybe once or twice a month.
Where did you eat your most recent one?
Fatburger on a very classy date, unless you count the Runza I had in Nebraska the other week.
American, cheddar, other?
I like Gruyère, cheddar, even blue cheese. Typically sharp cheeses for me on my burger.
Ketchup or mustard?
Both. But if George W. Bush instituted a draconian one-condiment doctrine, I'd choose the ketchup.
Sesame-seed or plain?
Sesame, please.
Grilled, griddled, or broiled?
Grilled—with lots of char marks.
And how would you like that done, sir?
Medium, possibly medium-rare, if you’ve got a good rep.
Daisy Martinez, host of the public television cooking show Daisy Cooks, recently served as a judge for the Sutter Home Build a Better Burger contest. If you want the lowdown on judging such a contest, click over to her site. A clip:
We each were served half of 10 burgers, and those burgers were separated into 2 classes: Alternative and Beef. The winner of the Alternative category would win $10,000 and the winner of the Beef category would win $50,000. As luck would have it, I was so busy tasting burgers that I didn’t photograph them, but the winner of the alternative burger was Elizabeth Bennett and her Opa! Burger, which featured flavors of the Mediterranean (lamb, feta, oregano, and the secret ingredient: 2 slices of soppresata!), and the winner of the beef burger was Camilla Saulsbury and her Born in Berkeley Burgers (showcasing lemon-grilled fennel and arugula-fig topping, teleme cheese, and crispy bacon). Not too shabby!
Sutter Home Family Vineyards Build a Better Burger Competition [Boriqua Blog]
Build a Better Burger [sutterhome.com]
A little bitta the ol' In-N-Out for you, Paris? ...
Celebrity Paris Hilton was arrested in Hollywood early on Thursday for suspected drunk driving, but she said the incident had been blown out of proportion and that she may have been speeding to get a late-night burger...."I had one margarita (and) was starving because I had not eaten all day," she said. "Maybe I was speeding a little bit and I got pulled over. I was just really hungry and I wanted to have an In-N-Out Burger."
Shouldn't she have been speeding to get a Carl's Jr.? ...
Arrested Paris Hilton says just wanted a burger [Yahoo! News; via Bill and Jason]
From an op-ed piece in the Los Angeles Times:
The great taste hasn't changed, but the mystique that inspired our carnivorous cross-valley quests sure has. The earlier, spartan drive-throughs, which once kept us at arm's length, a sheet of glass sealing off the inner sanctum where clean-cut workers frenetically packed the grill with meat patties, has given way to brightly lighted indoor seating no different from the national fast-food chains. The fabled secret menu, for years passed around solely by word of mouth, giving those of us in the know an easy way to separate the true In-N-Out fan — and true Southern Californian — from the wannabes … well, the Web ended all that.How can we preserve that vanishing sense of wonder while giving proper respect to the important role In-N-Out has played in postwar SoCal culture? An idea came to me a few months back while driving on the 10 Freeway, when I glimpsed a well-worn yellow-arrow sign, bearing a quaint pre-digital clock....
[In-N-Out No. 1] has been closed and gated off since 2004, replaced by a much snazzier restaurant just on the other side of the freeway at the same Francisquito Avenue exit. Next door stands the two-story "In-N-Out University" managerial training center and company store, selling such items as ski caps and beach towels emblazoned with the chain's name.
Company honchos have told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune that they plan to preserve the building, and there was even talk of a museum, but I envision something more — a full-blown In-N-Out shrine.
Enshrine This Burger [Los Angeles Times]
Joe's Best Burger Double Cheeseburger vs. In-N-Out Double Double, blogged to AHT from the Flickr photostream of Slice
Went to Joe's Best Burger in Flushing, Queens, NYC, a couple weeks ago to compare its double cheeseburger to In-N-Out's Double Double. New York City-based Joe's has been compared favorably to the California-based chain, with people saying it comes pretty close to the INO formula. Both taste great and are as fresh as you can get for fast-food burgers. But In-N-Out is a little meatier, as seen above. You can get a better idea of the differences and similarities here:
Joe's Best Burger Double Cheeseburger
In-N-Out Double Double
Relax. In-N-Out isn't going to change with the death of cofounder Esther Snyder. From the Los Angeles Times:
The new head of In-N-Out Burgers said Monday that the venerable restaurant chain would remain in family hands and stay true to its time-tested strategy — a simple menu and slow but steady growth — after the death of company matriarch Esther L. Snyder...."The general perception in the industry is that it's under-developed — that there could be a lot more of them," said Randall Hiatt, president of Costa Mesa-based consulting firm Fessel International.
The trick, Hiatt said, is to achieve that growth without losing the In-N-Out mystique.
"Because of the way they have restricted growth, it still has that cult kind of buzz," he said. "Like Krispy Kreme had but lost when you started to see them at every gas station."
Loss of In-N-Out Founder Won't Change Menu Plan [Los Angeles Times]
Sad news in the burger world:
Esther Snyder, who with her late husband Harry co-founded In-N-Out Burger in Baldwin Park in 1948 and popularized the drive-through window for the fast-food industry, has died. She was 86.
Snyder, who had succeeded her husband and two sons as head of the family business, died Friday, according to an announcement from the company. Neither the cause nor the place of death was announced.
She was an inspiration for all the associates at In-N-Out and for all the people in the community whose lives she touched over the years," Lynsi Martinez, her granddaughter and sole heir, said in a statement.
Esther Snyder, 86; Co-Founded the In-N-Out Burger Chain [Los Angeles Times]
photograph from the Orange County Register
Reaching into the AHT mailbag, we pull out the following missive to the site. This one came directly to me, but I'm based in New York. Perhaps our L.A. editor, Hamburglar Hadley can answer. Or some of our SoCal-based readers ... —Ed.
Dear AHT: I LOVE LOVE LOVE A Hamburger Today ... just discovered it. Thanks! If I were given the decision of eating just one thing for the rest of my life, it would be hamburgers.I live in Southern California. I have been on a pretty strict diet for a while now and now I am going to have a hamburger. I've heard of the "glam burgers" from the LA Times (they wrote up Father's Office).... But could you recommend YOUR favorite place to go to for a burger in Southern California?
Would appreciate it.
TAYLOR'S AUTOMATIC REFRESHER
Location: Ferry Terminal Building (northwest corner), San Francisco [map]
Phone: 866-328-3663
Website: taylorsrefresher.com
Getting There: BART to Embarcadero Station or by various streetcar and bus lines
The Short Order: I really wanted to like this place, but the burger was disappointing. (Think of it as the Whole Foods version of a BK Whopper)
You Want Fries With That? You don't, if mine were indicative of the typical quality. They were so overdone as to be fry-shaped potato chips. CRUNCH! (Ow! My teeth!) The onion rings were no better -- burned and overly greasy (see photo below)
Taylor's Automatic Refresher. The name alone is magical. It conjures up nostalgia, real or imagined, for Atomic Age burger joints or for the bygone automats of New York and Philadelphia. And I can't help thinking of the R.E.M. album Automatic for the People, which jolts my mind's jukebox into a loop of jangly college-rock ditties by Michael Stipe & Co.
The place came highly recommended by several commenters on AHT. And so, last Tuesday, before our scheduled ferry to Alcatraz Island, the Hamburgirl and I found ourselves at San Francisco's Ferry Terminal Building, where Taylor's had recently opened a second location (the first is north of the city in the Napa Valley town of Saint Helena).
The building's clocktower rang noon and we were worried about missing our prison ship as we took our place in a long, long line of shiny happy people (right). "Look at this crowd!" I said. "It's like the Shake Shack of San Francisco. I hope it's as good."
Famous last words. Both our burgers were disappointing, despite all indications to the contrary. Made from all-natural, hormone-free, grain-fed Angus beef from California, coupled with the famously fresh produce the state is known for, how could you go wrong?
Long story short, my cheeseburger (topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and secret sauce on a toasted egg bun; $6.49) tasted like the Whole Foods equivalent of a Whopper. That is to say, good (and good-for-you -- well, sorta) but nothing special. And, like a Whopper, which is often filled with limp lettuce, bland tomato, and a heaping dollop of oozing mayo, the Taylor's cheeseburger was lacking in the vital crunch-contrast department. This bun had been toasted? Really? ... If I'm in California, then why aren't the veggies crisp and refreshing? ... Where's the zing to the special sauce?
The only thing redeeming was that the patty (about six ounces, ground to a medium-fine grind) had a strong beefy flavor to it -- again, akin to the Whopper's, but not derived through the miracle of modern chemistry. But that wasn't enough, given the price and the Shoulda Been Better factor. It really left me longing for the In-N-Out Double Double I'd had the day before.
And so the girl and I wolfed down our burgers (more due to time constraints than deliciousness), practically ignored our fries and onion rings (both overdone), and then hightailed it like bandits to get into the prison.
One sly trick I'll leave you with, if you're planning a trip to this Taylor's location: Skip the line in the main dining room by going around to the corridor behind the restaurant. There's a Taylor's To Go counter that seemed to have fewer people queued up, even at 12:15 p.m. If the weather's nice, you can take your lunch box around the front of the Ferry Terminal Building and eat it at the picnic tables just outside the retro-elegant Taylor's dining room.
IN-N-OUT BURGER
Location Visited: 333 Jefferson St., San Francisco CA 94133 [map]. Here are other locations
Website: In-N-Out.com
Getting There: Why not take a cable car? (Ding ding!) May I suggest the Powell-Hyde line?
The Short Order: Not the best burger I've ever had, but it is the ideal fast-food burger. Check out the not-so-secret secret menu
You Want Fries With That? Sure they're fresh-cut and what not, but so what? I didn't think they were all they were cracked up to be. I'd still take an order of perfectly done Mickey D's if given the choice. Maybe I should have ordered them animal style?
Double Double, blogged to AHT from the Flickr photostream of Slice
I just got back from my journey to San Francisco, a trip that afforded me my first opportunity to eat at an In-N-Out Burger. Some of you may be scandalized that the editor and publisher of A Hamburger Today had never had a Double Double before. Yeah, yeah, yeah: I'd never been to California prior to this trip, OK?
Having never been to San Francisco before, I did the requisite tourist stuff -- Alcatraz, Pier 39, a cable-car ride. Said cable-car ride stopped, conveniently, near Fisherman's Wharf, where there's an In-N-Out. (I love it when a plan comes together.)
The Fisherman's Wharf location was pretty much everything I'd heard an In-N-Out to be: clean, fast, and staffed with friendly workers.
The burger? Pretty much everything I'd heard it to be, too: fresh, never-frozen beef; crisp, fresh produce; well built. The double-patty, double-cheese variation hit the bun-to-beef ratio on the head. The bun was toasted perfectly -- a nice contrast of crunch and softness in and of itself. Easily the best burger from a fast food chain I've ever had.
Was it the best burger I've ever had? Mmmm, no. But it is exactly what a fast food burger should be, and it's a shame that the McDonald brothers' sandwiches, and not In-N-Out's, became California's burger ambassadors to the world.
Click through for an In-N-Out photo gallery ...
San Francisco Trip: Musee Mechanique, blogged to AHT from the Flickr photostream of Slice
Twenty Bucks a Day, our favorite low-budget gourmand, details a trip to California and his first visit to In-N-Out Burger: "Many burger fans I know swear by the venerable California mini-chain “In-N-Out Burger,” claiming it to be the ultimate in ground meat sandwiches. Enough, in fact, that I became instantly skeptical -– I guess I just don’t believe that a fast food restaurant could be both extraordinarily popular and very good." Click through to find out if the famed Cali classic did right by Twenty.
I'm highlighting Mr. Bucks's trip because I'll be making a similar pilgrimage next week. The girlfriend's kid sister is all growed up and gradiatin' high school, and we're heading to sunny San Francisco to attend the ceremony.
I'll be making my first visit to In-N-Out, too, having only heard about its deliciousness via Hamburglar Hadley and other burger lovers. Needless to say, I'm stoked.
But what other burgers should I try? A coworker of mine recommends Absinthe and Zuni. And Burger Joint comes up on a lot of folks' Top 10 SF burger lists.
Readers: If you had only one other burger joint to hit in San Francisco besides In-N-Out, what would it be? Leave your suggestions in the comments. Thanks!
The SF Burger Thread [eGullet]
The burger, the myth, the legend... [Twenty Bucks a Day]
Photograph via Flickr by Winona
L.A. CityBeat visits 25 Degrees, the burger joint attached to the recently renovated Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, and finds that (and I'm paraphrasing here) it is Lestat slurping a milkshake wearing Fonzie's jacket.
As you might expect, the burgers are fairly iconic and superannuated. They start as nine ounces of good sirloin and are cooked on a griddle rather than charbroiled – as they should be, because it preserves those pink and golden juices that ooze out the burger’s sides. They’re served on brioche buns made on the premises, and these are quite fine, their tops resembling a mushroom cap in shape and peanut brittle in color, with a fine sheen.It’s a mix-and-match proposition. You can choose from 12 different cheeses, both domestic and imported, along with other accompaniments, like fried egg, shiitake mushroom, jalape�os, and arugula. Dipping sauces cost 50 cents each and include horseradish cream, tarragon remoulade, chipotle, and Dijon, just to name a few; you can slab that on your burger too, or save it for the fries. If you’re like me and become paralyzed when faced with too many choices, you can go for one of the two house burgers, so it’s all decided for you.
The name refers to he temperature difference between medium-rare (mmm) and well-done (gargh!).
The Well-Appointed Burger [Los Angeles CityBeat]
Sad, sad news of yet another classic drive-in getting driven out in the name of progress:
Ralph and Mary Lou Fonzo, Rick's [Drive-In] owners, have been notified the property has been sold to make way for a condo development. Their customers are not happy. The Web site, www.ricksdrivein.com, was set up to tell the public about the situation and ask their help in finding Rick's a new Pasadena location.
The joint will be open until sometime in November, according to some culinary student on the scene in this article.
RICK'S DRIVE-IN
Location: 680 Walnut Street, Pasadena CA 91101 [map]
Rick's 86'd [Pasadena Star-News]
Forget the gravy train, you've booked a ticket on the Burger Express. Next stop: Listburg, where the populace is obsessed with notations and rank. The latest resident to settle in our sleepy hamlet is Jason Perlow (left), founder of eGullet.com and publisher of Off the Broiler, where this list is also available. Mr. Perlow's list, he tells us, is in no particular order. Beefy thanks to Jason! —The Management
MY TOP BURGER LIST | Words and Photos by Jason Perlow
White Manna, Hackensack, New Jersey
Got to have it as a double with grilled onions and cheese with extra pickle. Your stomach is going to rumble big time after eating four or five of these, but the indigestion and heartburn is well worth it. They look unattractive, lopsided and smooshed up. But they'll kick the crap out of you if you disrespect them. Kind of like most people from Jersey.
Louis Lunch, New Haven, Connecticut
They got weird rules, the burger is bizarre, both in preparation and in presentation. It doesn't matter, it makes sense, in an almost proto-evolutionary way. Its like eating the missing link in burger anthropology.
O'Rourke's Diner Steamed Cheeseburger, Middletown, Connecticut
Connecticut is home to the strange burgers. While Ted's in Meriden is the steamed cheeseburger everyone has heard about, O'Rourke's really is the original. Make this place part of your lifetime burger pilgrimage.
NationWide Meats, Sacramento, California
Sacramento is hot as hell, but its also got one of the best burgers anywhere. The beef they use here is top quality, there's plenty of it, their burger dressing is outstanding and their super thick-cut fries are magnificent.
Burger Joint, San Francisco
The menu is minimalist. The neighborhood is weird. Don't miss this place.
Blue Smoke Jazz Standard Burger, New York City
Before there was Shake Shack, there was the Blue Smoke Burger. Can't think of a better burger to have when listening to Jazz and having a cold beer.
Shake Shack, Madison Square Park, New York City
Yes, the place is hyped beyond belief and the lines are infuriating. Doesn't matter. Go, go, go. Even if you have to camp outside overnight to get a place in line the next day.
McSorley's Burger, Greenwich Village, New York City
It's cheap, but its beefy, topped with raw onion, and it's the perfect accompaniment to some of the best beers in town, in the oldest, surliest Irish Bar in the city.
Johnny Rocket's #12 Burger, various locations
Something about the Red sauce they put on this thing, combined with the thin-style burger with crispy edges makes this one unique and worthy of mention, edging out the other Micro-chains.
White Castle Double Cheeseburger, various locations
Perhaps I have saved my favorite for last. Before there was Harold and Kumar, college students have been making late night inebriated treks to the Castle for over six decades. Its the ultimate working class burger, which proudly features grease as an ingredient. Don't forget the extra pickle, it brings everything into Zen-like balance.
Well, there's Mr. Perlow's list. Dig it? Got a beef with it? Leave a comment. Better yet, submit your own list and take up residency in Listburg.
Yesterday, we used a photograph of a farmer eating a burger at a cornhusking contest in Marshall County, Iowa, to illustrate an entry here. It's from the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Online Catalog. Below, we offer a look at other noteworthy burger photos we dug up from the available online collection.
Most of the photos here were taken by Russell Lee (right; 1903–1986), who was invited to join the federally funded Farm Security Administration as part of a team of photographers charged with documenting the plight of the rural poor during the Depression. (Esther Bubley, Jack Delano, and Arthur Rothstein, whose photos are also represented below, were members of the project as well.)
These photos are truly a fascinating scrapbook of hamburger—and American—history, and they're available for reproduction online at the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Reading Room (search the catalog for "hamburger"). Dig in!
Making hamburgers in concession stand, National Rice Festival, Crowley, Louisiana; October 1938; Russell Lee
Interior of hamburger stand. Waiting for customer, Alpine, Texas; May 1939; Russell Lee
Booth in hamburger stand, Alpine, Texas; May 1939; Russell Lee
Man in hamburger stand, Alpine, Texas; May 1939; Russell Lee
Little boy buying hamburger, state fair, Donaldsonville, Louisiana; November 1938; Russell Lee
Hamburger stand with old brands, Dumas, Texas; September 1939; Russell Lee
A hamburger shop in Durham, North Carolina; May 1940; Jack Delano
Hamburger stand and back of buildings on main street, Eufaula, Oklahoma; February 1940; Russell Lee
Hamburger stand, Harlingen, Texas; February 1939; Russell Lee
Hamburger stand. Imperial County Fair, California; March 1942; Russell Lee
Hamburger stand. Imperial County Fair, California; March 1942; Russell Lee
Blue Island, Illinois. After a movie, the Senise family drops in at a lunch counter for hamburgers; February 1943; Jack Delano
Washington, D.C. Walter Spangenberg and his date at the Hot Shoppe after the Woodrow Wilson High School regimental ball. She ordered a hamburger and milk, while he got a hamburger and a Coke; October 1943; Esther Bubley
At the hamburger stand on the Fourth of July, Vale, Oregon; July 1941; Russell Lee
White Tavern hamburger stand was the popular place in Amsterdam, New York; October 1941; John Collier
White Tavern hamburger stand was the popular place in Amsterdam, New York; October 1941; John Collier
Woodville, California. FSA (Farm Security Administration) farm workers' community. Migrant agricultural workers eating hamburgers at the Saturday night dance; January 1942; Russell Lee
Woodville, California. FSA (Farm Security Administration) farm workers' community. The women's club sells hamburgers at the Saturday night dances; January 1942; Russell Lee
Farmer eats hamburger at cornhusking contest, Marshall County, Iowa; November 1939; Arthur Rothstein
Here's a killer list we've mentioned on AHT but have never elaborated on. It's Alan Richman's top 20 from his July 2005 story "The 20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die" in GQ. Do click through to read the entire piece; it quickly made its way onto the Required Reading list at AHT HQ. Bon appétit! ...
1. Sirloin Burger, Le Tub
1100 N Ocean Dr., Hollywood FL 33019 [map]
2. Luger Burger, Peter Luger Steak House
178 Broadway, Brooklyn NY 11211 [map]
A Hamburger Today on the Luger Burger
3. Not Just a Burger, Spiced Pear Restaurant at the Chanler Hotel
117 Memorial Blvd., Newport RI 02840 [map]
4. Rouge Burger, Rouge
205 S 18th St., Philadelphia PA 19103 [map]
5. Kobe Sliders, Barclay Prime
237 S. 18th St., Philadelphia PA 19103 [map]
6. California Burger, Houston's
202 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica CA 90401 [map]
A Hamburger Today on Houston's (New York City)
7. Buckhorn Burger, Buckhorn Tavern
San Antonio NM 87832; call for directions: 505-835-4423 [map]
8. Hamburger, Miller's Bar
23700 Michigan Ave., Dearborn MI 48124 [map]
9. Cheeseburger, Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridien Hotel
118 W. 57th St., New York NY 10019 [map]
A Hamburger Today on Burger Joint
10. Number Five, Keller's Drive-in
6537 East NW Hwy., Dallas TX 75231 [map]
3766 Samuell Blvd., Dallas TX 75228 [map]
10554 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas TX 75220 [map]
11. Grilled Bistro Burger, Bistro Don Giovanni
4110 Howard Lane, Napa CA 94558 [map]
12. Hamburger, Bobcat Bite
420 Old Las Vegas Hwy., Santa Fe NM 87505 [map]
13. Cheeseburger, White Manna
358 River St., Hackensack NJ 07601 [map]
A Hamburger Today on White Manna
14. Hamburger, J. G. Melon
1291 Third Ave., New York NY 10021 (at 74th St.) [map]
15. Build Your Own Burger, The Counter
2901 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica CA 90405 (at 29th St.) [map]
A Hamburger Today on The Counter
16. Hamburger & Fries, Burger Joint
700 Haight St., San Francisco CA 94117 [map]
17. Double Bacon Deluxe with Cheese, Red Mill Burgers
Phinney Ridge, 312 N 67th St., Seattle WA 98103 [map]
Interbay, 1613 W Dravus St., Seattle WA 98119 [map]
18. Hamburger, Poag Mahone's Carvery and Ale House
333 S Wells St., Chicago IL 60604 (in the 175 West Jackson Building) [map]
19. Our Famous Burger, Sidetrack Bar and Grill
56 E Cross St., Ypsilanti MI 48198 [map]
20. Hamburger Sandwich, Louis' Lunch
261-263 Crown St., New Haven CT 06510 map]
AOL Cityguide has done it again. In late March, the good folks there brought you the best burgers in New York. Now they've compiled the "15 Burgers to Try Before You Die" (hmm ... strange echo of Alan Richman's piece in GQ last year, "The 20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die.") Without further ado, they are ...
15 Burgers to Try Before You Die [AOL Cityguide]
The 20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die [GQ]
[Julissa] Vargas works not in a restaurant but in a busy call center in [Santa Maria, California], 150 miles from Los Angeles. She and as many as 35 others take orders remotely from 40 McDonald's outlets around the country. The orders are then sent back to the restaurants by Internet, to be filled a few yards from where they were placed.
McDonald's hopes the practice will shave a second or two off each transaction—which would add up to significant time if multiplied by the billions and billions served by the burger giant.
Great. It's already hard enough to understand the garbled speakers without the order-taker being MILES AWAY.
The Long-Distance Journey of a Fast-Food Order [New York Times; via Get In My Head Or My Belly]
Hard to believe that Fatburger, which has locations in West Nyack, New York, and Jersey City, New Jersey, only recently opened in the Bay Area. But it's true. The joint's in Pleasant Hill:
E-40, you see, is one of the co-owners of the restaurant. Another is Chester McGlockton, a 13-year NFL veteran and former defensive tackle with the Oakland Raiders. The Pleasant Hill store is the first of five franchises that this investment team plans to open in the Bay Area over the next two to three years. Hopefully, the next one will be in my driveway.It makes sense that E-40 is onboard for this venture. Fatburger is the unofficial hip-hop hamburger, forever immortalized in the great Ice Cube song "It was a Good Day."
FATBURGER (PLEASANT HILL, CALIFORNIA)
Location: 100 Crescent Drive, Pleasant Hill CA 94523 [map]
Phone: 925-680-7600
