Entries tagged with 'Chicago'
Posted by Sarah Wolf, May 27, 2008 at 1:15 PM
Patty wants to take care of you.
Get psyched—tomorrow is National Hamburger Day! Of course, this is a holiday that should really be celebrated every day (just like Earth Day... well, sort of). But for those Midwesterners who want to make it a truly special occasion, Patty Burger will be offering a free single with cheese, an order of fries, and a drink in exchange for a burger from anywhere else.
As owner Gregg Majewski has proclaimed, "No one should have to celebrate this special day with a bad burger." He also added, "Give me your tired, your poor, your underweight, overcooked, neglected patties. Bring me your soggy buns, wilted lettuce, under-ripe tomatoes, and other tasteless toppings."
The offer is good from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, May 28, 2008, at Patty Burger's Chicago and Milwaukee locations.
Patty Burger
72 E. Adams Street, Chicago IL 60603; 312-987-0900
1952 N. Farwell Avenue, Milwaukee WI 53202; 414-271-3800
pattyburger.com
Posted by Adam Kuban, December 18, 2006 at 11:55 AM
After a brief hiatus, ladies and gentlemen, Grilled is back. This week's installment is Peter Meehan, who has discovered and relayed the news of some of New York's finest burgers in the pages of the New York Times. Because he wishes to retain his anonymity for the purposes of his reviews, we do not have a photograph—apologies to those of you who enjoy rating the relative hotness of each new Grilled subject as compared with my sister. Without further ado, let's get Grillin'! —The Mgmt.
Name: Peter Meehan
Occupation: "$25 and Under" columnist for the New York Times
Location: New York City
How often do you eat burgers?
Once or twice a week at most. Back before I was reviewing restaurants, I probably ate three or four burgers a week.
Where did you eat your most recent one?
BLT Burger. I’ve taken a short burger break after bingeing at BLT.
Cheese: American, cheddar, other?
American, I guess. Seems like the patriotic answer. But I am open to almost any melty cheese on a burger. I have more specific feelings about what cheese choices I object to: I love blue cheese and mozzarella, but I don’t think either belongs on a hamburger; and I don’t like burgers blanketed in any outré or overly pedigreed cheese.
Ketchup or mustard?
Mustard on the burger, ketchup on the side. I think a truly great burger needs no ketchup. (But I have a very strong affinity for ketchup, so there’s a good chance I’m still going to eat at least part of that truly great burger with it.)
Sesame-seed or plain?
That’s tough. Sesame-seed buns do seem like the platonic ideal of hamburger bun-ness. But there are many seedless buns on burgers I like. Seedless potato rolls are perfect for the Shake Shack burger. The choice of ciabatta for the smaller burger at DuMont burger is inspired. The English muffin as a burger bracket has always struck me as a pointless East Coast affectation, but it serves Gabrielle Hamilton’s lamburger [at Prune] well. Before eating at Royale, I would have said “absolutely no brioche” because every hamburger I’d eaten on a brioche bun up to that point was way too rich. Not theirs. Plus it had sesame seeds. So I’m waffling, but ultimately going sesame. Final answer.
Grilled, griddled, or broiled?
All of the above. Didn’t George Motz teach us that burgers can be steamed and deep-fried, too? Is there even a verb for what they do to the burgers at Louis’ Lunch in New Haven? I find grilling and broiling to be the surest approaches to properly cooked patties, but I have no allegiance to any one style.
And how would you like that done, sir?
Medium-rare. Bonus points if the thing gets a chance to rest for a few minutes before it’s served, though I can’t think of a single restaurant where that happens.
Continue reading »
Posted by Adam Kuban, May 10, 2006 at 5:00 PM
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]
The 20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die [GQ]
Posted by Adam Kuban, May 1, 2006 at 5:00 PM
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 ...
- All-American Drive-In, Massapequa, New York
- Chris Madrid's, San Antonio
- CityGrille, Denver
- Dick's Drive-In, Seattle
- Goldyburgers, Chicago
- In-N-Out Burgers, Los Angeles [AHT's 2¢]
- Jack's Old Fashion Hamburger, Oakland Park, Florida
- O'Connell's Pub, Saint Louis
- Peter Luger, New York [AHT's 2¢]
- Roaring Fork, Phoenix
- Stanich's, Portland, Oregon
- Tessaro's, Pittsburgh
- Thurman Cafe, Columbus, Ohio
- Val's Burgers, San Francisco
- 96th Street Steakburgers, Indianapolis
15 Burgers to Try Before You Die [AOL Cityguide]
The 20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die [GQ]
Posted by Matt Jacobs, April 19, 2006 at 9:20 AM
While wandering Rush Street and Michigan Avenue in Chicago last weekend, I decided I needed a little pick-me-up. Seeing as this is a burger site, that meant sliders. I happened upon Luxbar, which is a fancy-schmancy bar/restaurant from the group that built Gibson's and Hugo's. Like so many other upscale restaurants, they have four different sliders to choose from.
I got a couple burger sliders, one with cheese and one without. The waitress did some recon for me and found out that they use organic ground chuck (20 percent fat) for the patties and that they bake their own sesame seed buns. She explained that the chef tried to use organic products whenever possible. Unfortunately, it didn't result in a spectacular slider. Although it was fairly juicy, it lacked any real flavor, which is even more disappointing in a slider. Restaurants that rely on condiments to provide taste is a growing pet peeve of mine.
Then again, I'm probably being a bit harsh. I finished both sliders quickly and would probably get another if I was there. But that doesn't mean these burgers were memorable, which is my usual litmus test. If I'm still thinking about it a week later, it must be a good burger.
Note: Sometimes doing a full review isn't necessary and sometimes we're just lazy. This is why we've introduced Quick Bites. We want to get you information on as many burger joints as possible and the new format should make that easier. Enjoy.
LUXBAR
Phone: 312-642-3200
Location: 18 East Bellevue Place (at Rush Street), Chicago
Price: $2.50 per slider ($.50 for cheese)
Posted by Adam Kuban, April 15, 2005 at 7:05 PM
McDonald's celebrated its 50th birthday today by opening its 50th anniversary restaurant in Chicago. Ray Kroc, who for all intents and purposes founded the McDonald's corporation we know today, opened his first McDonald's burger stand in Des Plaines, Illinois, about 20 miles northwest of Chicago, after striking a deal with the original McDonald brothers, who founded their joint in San Bernardino, California.
We at A Hamburger Today have a love-hate relationship with Micky D's, as I'm sure a lot of you do. When we were young, it was a special treat, and we fondly remember tearing into the cardboard Happy Meal boxes in anticipation of the special toy that was included. As we grew older, though, and our tastes for hamburgers developed a greater sophistication, we came to realize that the prizes were nothing more than cheap junk—a description that could also double for the burgers.
Still, sometimes we crave the weird, unmistakable taste of the burgers we grew up on. And the fries, if done right, are as delicious as ever. And how can you not love the 50th anniversary restaurant (see illustration, top-right image)?
The chain's ubiquity nationwide—and worldwide—make it hard to fathom that it is only 50 years old. And to think it started when Mr. Kroc happened upon the original McDonald brothers' burger stand while working as distributor of the Multimixer machine that the brothers used to brew up milkshakes.
Hmm. Sounds like an order of fries and a shake are in order for a quick after-work snack tonight.
Images from McDonald's (top) and AP (bottom).
