Darlin' if U want me 2 (possibly NSFW, depending on how uptight your Wplace is):
Via Josh "Mr. Cutlets" Ozersky, who says, "This is the most mind-bendingly erotic thing I've ever seen."
Agreed. That is one sexy mofo of a burger commercial, Mr. C.
AHT reader Nick alerted me to this video here, saying, "David Hasselhoff celebrates national hamburger month."
Heh, heh. That's pretty funny.
But, as Elvis Presley once sang, "Don't be cruel to a heart that's true." And who but Michael Knight has a truer heart? Therefore, instead of embedding the video right here in this entry, I am making you click the link above to view Mr. Hasselhoff, a man who has battled alcoholism, eating a hamburger as he falls off the wagon. (It's not like you haven't seen it already, though.)
As a fan of Hasselhoff (Knight Rider was brilliant), I would like to believe that this statement was made with all sincerity:
Because of my honest and positive relationship with my daughters, who were concerned for my well-being, there was a tape made that night to show me what I was like. I have seen the tape. I have learned from it and I am back on my game.
I would also like to know where that hamburger came from.
Even though this has been up on Serious Eats for a few weeks now, I haven't shared it here on AHT yet. It's a short video we at Serious Eats commissioned from our friend George "Hamburger America" Motz, and it chronicles a trip to the butcher to get some burger meat. Instead of buying the prepackaged stuff from the grocery, consider going the the extra yard by visiting your own reputable local butcher. You'll be happy you did, especially with grilling season (Memorial Day is the official unofficial kick-off) upon us.
I don't know what's scarier, that this guy has been saving McDonald's burgers for 18 years in his basement, unrefrigerated, or that the burgers still "look exactly the same." [via Jason Perlow]
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
The other week, we mentioned that our friend George Motz would be on ABC news discussing burgers. Here's a clip of his appearance:
A Major Beef! Who Invented the Hamburger? [ABCnews.com]
Photograph from the Flickr photostream of the real janelle
Remember all that hullaballo about the birthplace of the burger? How New Haven, Connecticut, and Athens, Texas, were going back and forth on this? How Josh "Mr. Cutlets" Ozersky wrote an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times about this? Well, New Haven just fired a retaliatory nah-nah-boo-boo strike:
Nobody disputes that Louis' has served its hamburgers longer than any other restaurant. The oldest continuously published newspaper in America thereby declares the oldest continuing hamburger joint in America the authentic one. So there.
Hamburger Hooey [Hartford Courant; via Barry Popik. Thanks, Barry!]
MORE ON LOUIS' LUNCH
Here's a video we produced over on Serious Eats about Louis' Lunch.
Dear AHT readers,
Wassup?!? Adam here. So I've mentioned it before, and blah blah blah, but A Hamburger Today is now part of SeriousEats.com, where I'm working as managing editor. No reason to worry that this site will change in any really funky way, etc., or that we're going to get stuffy around here, what with the word serious thrown in there. What it DOES mean is that we have access to some cool new resources and new friends. Among them are Jane and Michael Stern of Roadfood.com.
Over at Serious Eats, we've been producing a series of short videos starring the couple, in which they travel to some seriously quirky and seriously good food destinations. Anyway, one of our recent Roadfood episodes is on Louis' Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut. You might know it from experience or from the many posts we've done on the place recently. Well, if you want to get to know it a little better, click the image below to go watch our short video. Even if you don't agree that Louis' Lunch is the burger's birthplace, you've got to admire the characters who staff the joint—and you'll dig their cool method of cooking the patties.
—Adam (aka The Mgmt.)
Roadfood: Louis' Lunch [Serious Eats]
Some would argue that the best drink to pair with a burger is an ice-cold Coca-Cola or a frosty mug of beer. I would argue that the ideal beverage is Dr Pepper, as it's my favorite soft drink. But if you're an oenophile or know someone who is, this video from AHT parent site Serious Eats will help you pair a glass of the ol' Jesus juice with your quarter-pounder. We give you Serious Eat's "Sommelier to Go," Joshua Wesson ...
NOTES FROM THE VIDEO
When choosing a wine to serve with a burger, it's not so much about the meat than the toppings or condiments gracing it.
If you're going to slather on ketchup, look for fruity wines or even sweet wines, since ketchup—not the burger itself—will be the dominant element. Off-dry rosés or even white wines with a touch of sweetness can work. An Australian Shiraz is a respectable pick.
If you're eating the burger on its own, "nothing is better than a rich, sunny, southern red from Italy." Try a Nero D'Avola from Sicily.
Having a side of coleslaw? "You'll find great happiness in a Syrah-based wine from Southern France—a good Côtes du Rhône would be quite lovely."
In general: "For everything from burgers to pizza to steaks, I default to Southern Italy—to primitivos from Apulia or Nero D'Avolas from Sicily."
FEATURED WINES
Nausica Nero D'Avola Sicilia, 2005
Hope Estate Family Vineyards, Hunter Valley Wollemi Shiraz, 2005
ABOUT JOSHUA WESSON | Serious Eats likes Joshua because he took wine and made it accessible to everyone. You can walk in to one of his Best Cellars stores with $20 and leave with a great bottle of wine and $5 in change—each bottle he and his colleagues scour the world to carefully select is $15 or less.
Last week, the "Hamburgirl" and I went to see comedy troupe Toy Gun Assassins perform. The Assassins did a sketch in which the components of a BK burger—meat, bun, bacon, and cheese—were personified as attendees of an R&D meeting whose agenda was to create a new bestselling burger. I thought it would make perfect fodder for AHT but was dismayed that there was no way to blog it—until now. Below is the sketch. Readers with delicate sensibilities are advised: There's some off-color language in there. Lighting and sound are a bit muddled, but bear with it.
They even did a mock CNN-type scare show ...
Here's a fun one from the mailbag ...
Dear AHT: Dyer's Hamburgers in Memphis TN featured on Food Network cooks there hamburgers in a skillet with ancient grease. When they moved from their old location, they actually had the Memphis Police Department escort the grease in a padlocked trash can to the new location. Do a search and check it out. One day the manager looked up and saw Tami Fay Baker at the order station... —Mike, Montross, Virginia
Funny you should ask, Mike. AHT parent site Serious Eats featured a video of Dyer's excerpted from our friend George Motz's excellent burger biopic Hamburger America. I'm going to present it here. Enjoy!
FURTHER READING
Dyer's Burgers [Roadfood.com]
Dyer's Hamburgers [HollyEats.com]
This video is excerpted from George Motz's Hamburger America documentary. You can purchase the full DVD here.
Over on A Hamburger Today parent site Serious Eats, we've got a great video of Glendale, Wisconsin's Solly's Grille from George Motz's burger biopic Hamburger America.
Solly's Grille, located incongruously next to the Milwaukee Heart Hospital, is famous for the Wisconsin regional delight known as the butter burger. A liberal dollop of Dairy State butter is applied to the burger just after patty hits bun. How much butter? Dude. It's insane.
Hamburger America: Solly's Grille [Serious Eats]
With some of the bigger burgers (which I don't like), I feel like I need a snake's hinged jaw. Like this dude ...
Great find from an AHT reader ...
Dear AHT: Is it a sad comment on how much time I spend online that, last night, while watching this boring interview on Colbert, I thought of AHT 1:10 into this video, when he gives the reason Michael Jordon is the greatest sports figure of all time? —P.M.
Not sad at all, P.M. You should see how much time we spend online. That is truly said. —The Mgmt.
TRANSCRIPT
Colbert: Who's the greatest sports figure of our time right now?
Mike Lupica: It's either Tiger Woods or Roger Federer.
Colbert: Wrong. It's Michael Jordan. Still.
Lupica: But he's not playing
Colbert: It doesn't matter. Him not palying is still a better sports figure than anybody else right now. And not because of his stats, which are impressive, but because of the McJordan sandwich at McDonald's. Do you remember it?
Lupica: Yes, I do.
Colbert: Double cheeseburger, bacon, barbecue sause. OK? He's got a lock. That's it. He gets it forever from me. Because I think part of that sandwich is still in me.
Will It Blend purees a Big Mac, fries, and shake together. "In seconds, we have 24 ounces of wonderful meal."
A McValue Smoothie: Garnish with fries. Serve.
Will It Blend? McDonald's Extra Value Meal [willitblend.com; via Off the Broiler]
Simply amazing ...
Gotta have your tool, yo!
Wendy's Training Video Rap [youtube.com]
I think this one has been floating around the web for a while, but I just now saw it. I been under a rock, yo. How to create the "most illest, futuristic sandwich ever," for $1 and half an order of fries. By dallaspenn.com and ohword.com.
Ghetto Big Mac [YouTube; via McChronicles]
It's called the "upsell," the not-so-subtle art of prompting the customer to order additional menu items with such questions as the classic "You want fries with that?" or the less specific "Anything else?" But what happens when the customer keeps ordering? And ordering and ordering and ordering? Call it the "upbuy," counterattack to the upsell ...
From Australian television show The Chaser:
The Chaser McDonald's Upsell [YouTube; via SuperSizedMeals.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]
Early last month, we blogged about a family whose trip to the nearest White Castle (400 miles away) was sponsored by Globat.com as part of a promotional stunt. Conditions of the sponsorship were that the family of three had to eat 100 Slyders before leaving the restaurant. Video is now up here.
Globat.com could make you eat hundreds of hamburgers [DefyingGravity.com]
Could be the best-tasting lettuce-and-tomato hamburger EVAR! (Starring Jason Alexander from Seinfeld.)
Jason Alexander McDLT Commercial [YouTube]
You may remember this from childhood. Click play for a trip down memory street. Thanks to AHT reader Red Rhino-X for the link!
Grover the Waiter - Big Hamburger [YouTube]
Some men have grilled hamburgers all their lives. I imagine some have cooked tens of thousands of burgers and could probably flip a burger at the perfect moment while finishing the tie-breaking game of a best-of-seven chess match with Bobby Fischer. Unfortunately for our nameless hero, his skills are for naught without the right meat. A lump of day-old ground chuck will never compare to the prime beef used at Peter Luger.
For the last 22 years, Peter Luger has been named the top New York steakhouse, and I've got to agree. A year and a half ago, I went for the first time and shared a huge cut of prime-aged porterhouse. To this day, I can still taste the steak as well as Luger's orgasm-inducing bacon. The thought of the porterhouse in burger form was nearly too much for me. All of that delicious meat, nicely ground, broiled, and placed between a sesame-seed bun sounded like heaven, and I didn't want to tarnish my vision. Two weeks ago, I decided to chance it and turn my dream into reality.
Going for a burger at Peter Luger can be a challenge, as it is only served on the lunch menu (lunch served until 3 p.m.). Thankfully, Luger's serves the full lunch menu on weekends, so I didn't need to take a day off work to visit. Peter Luger Steakhouse has been around since 1887, and I don't think they've done much decorating since. The rooms are covered in wood and have a rustic flavor—perfect for enjoying a piece of meat. There are no exotic floral arrangements or architectural flourishes to distract from your mission. It's just you, your friends, an uncovered wood table, and your meat of choice.
My girlfriend and I both ordered our burgers with American cheese and cooked medium-rare. They arrived ten minutes later with a slice of raw onion and a side of fries. I was immediately excited by the sesame-seed bun—crispy on the outside but fluffy and soft in the middle, my ideal burger delivery device. The raw onions aren't something I'd typically put on a burger, but I imagined myself as a famished working-class Brooklynite visiting Peter Luger in the late-nineteenth century and knew my fictional self wouldn't throw aside a ring of raw onion.
Finally, it was time to taste the burger. Thus far, my dream of the perfect burger was in line with reality. Then, I took a bite. First contact was delicious. The meat had a strong flavor and a smooth texture despite the coarse grind. I took a few more bites and approached the center. Uh oh. The middle of my burger was bright red and nowhere near the pink I was hoping to see. In the dead center it was nearly raw.
Like so many others, I had discovered the downfall of the Luger burger—the chefs don't know how to properly cook a hamburger. Frank Bruni discovered this in February of 2005, Andrea Strong in October of last year, and Josh "Mister Cutlets" Ozersky mentioned this phenomenon before anything else when I mentioned my visit to him.
Well, did this ruin the burger? For me, no. About 80 percent of my burger was cooked to my liking and tasted divine. Yes, the middle was undercooked and lacked all flavor as a result, but I was able to overlook this. My concern is that Peter Luger's inconsistency could be much worse. Bruni wrote:
None of the burgers hit their marks. Mine arrived medium to medium-well. The one that was supposed to be medium was much more done than that. The one that was supposed to be rare verged on raw. Its center was scarily cold.
This type of inconsistency makes it tough to say this is a top burger in the city. The meat is top notch, the accoutrements were perfect, and the ambiance is spot-on, but the possibility of getting a raw, cold center is not acceptible. Of course, if the joint could iron out the inconsistencies in the kitchen, this could possibly be the best burger in the city, which is why I think it's worth giving it a shot. Just don't say we didn't warn you.
PETER LUGER STEAKHOUSE
Website: www.peterluger.com
Phone: 718-387-7400
Location: 178 Broadway, Williamsburg, Brooklyn NY 11211 [map]
Price: $7.95 for a burger (cheese is $1.50, fries are $1.95, and bacon is $2.50)
The Flaming Lips + flame broiled + shirtless fat men = well, just watch.
"The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" [YouTube; link from The Girl Who Ate Everything]
Matty's use of YouTube yesterday for featuring the Whopperettes Super Bowl commercial inspired me to do some digging. I wanted to find the Japanese hamburger magician that I saw—but didn't blog—several months ago. As Matty told me via AIM, "EVERYTHING is on YouTube!" He's not kidding. Here's the beef:
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