A Hamburger Today

Carl's Jr. Testing 'Ice Cream Brrrger' in Orange County

2012-05-21T20:40:00Z

Carl's Jr. is testing a burger-themed ice cream sandwich—dubbed the Ice Cream Brrrger—in Orange County for $1.99, reports Foodbeast. Fast Food Maven has a photo and review of the real thing ("the real winner was the soft and chewy sugar cookies") and lists two locations you can get it at: 402 South Main Street Orange, CA 92868 (map), and 1522 E. Katella Ave., Orange, CA 92867 (map). If the rest of the country wants Ice Cream Brrrgers, those Orange County customers better eat up.

[via Huffington Post]

About the author: Robyn Lee is the editor of A Hamburger Today and takes many of the photos for Serious Eats. She'll also doodle cute stuff when necessary. Read more from Robyn at her personal food blog, The Girl Who Ate Everything.

Tumblr: 'Obama Eating Burgers'

2012-05-21T19:44:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

Because everything is destined to be Tumblr-ized, here's obamaeatingburgers.tumblr.com, a collection of photos of President Obama eating burgers (I'm guessing in relation to Obama being called upon by a group of doctors to stop eating burgers).

In more burger-related Obama news, Obama mentioned burgers during his appearance last week with France's new president, Francois Hollande: "I just want to remember that cheeseburgers go very well with french fries."

Behind the Scenes Burger Tour with Pat LaFreida, Part 2: The Grilled Burger at the Little Owl

2012-05-21T17:15:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

VIEW SLIDESHOW: Behind the Scenes Burger Tour with Pat LaFreida, Part 2: The Grilled Burger at the Little Owl

[Photographs: Robyn Lee]

Our Pat LaFreida burger tour continues this week with another small, if admittedly better known more-than-just-a-burger spot: Joey Campanaro's The Little Owl. But for Pat (who you can now check out on Food Network's Meat Men), size doesn't matter. Well, burger size does. But not restaurants.

"We put a lot of effort into little businesses like this. They're important to us," Pat says. Getting the blend of chuck, brisket, and flatiron steak just right took five or six trials, but all that work has made one hell of a grilled burger that Ed has praised to high heaven. And justifiably so: from a visual perspective alone, this may be the perfect American bacon cheeseburger.

The flavor doesn't disappoint either. It's smoky but not charred, ridiculously tender and moist but not greasy, and the mix of fresh beef drippings with slightly caramelized American cheese is pretty wonderful. This burger's really all about balance, in and out and top to bottom, with careful toppings and additions all aimed at elevating, but not hiding the meat. It invites needless debate to call anything "best in class," but this one is definitely in the running for best grilled burger in New York.

We stepped into the kitchen with chef Joey Campanaro to learn what goes into this beautiful beast. Check out the slideshow for a step-by-step guide to how it's made.

The Little Owl

90 Bedford Street, New York NY 10014 (at Grove Street; map)
212-741-4695; thelittleowlnyc.com

About the author: Max Falkowitz is the editor of Serious Eats: New York. You can follow him on Twitter at @maxfalkowitz.

Milwaukee: Juicy, Properly Cooked Burgers at Dr. Dawg, a Chicago Dog Joint

2012-05-21T15:00:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

[Photographs: Lacey Muszynski]

Dr. Dawg

6969 N. Port Washington Rd., Glendale WI 53217(map); 414-540-0400; drdawg.net
Cooking Method: Grilled
Short Order: Juicy, pub-style burgers at a fast casual restaurant with a menu of Chicago dogs and sausages
Want Fries With That? Hand cut fries are fantastic; try them tossed in rosemary and garlic, or topped with chili and a respectable cheese sauce
Price: Single burger, $5.99; double burger, $7.99; toppings, free-$1 each; bag of rosemary garlic fries, $4.99; chili cheese fries, $5.29

Where do you have to go in the Milwaukee area to get a good, fast-casual burger that's actually cooked to your requested temperature? A joint that specializes in Chicago-style sausages. The irony—that Wisconsinites would have to go to a Windy City-themed fast food restaurant on their own turf to find a burger that's not overcooked—is overwhelming. But, guys, trust me, Dr. Dawg has got it going on. If you must, just overlook the Green River soda in favor of the Sprecher root beer and pretend the skyline on the wall is Milwaukee.

Once you get over any (understandable) reservations related to our southern neighbors, you'll find a great burger. It's a cross between a fast food- and pub-style burger, and one of the best burgers you can find in a fast food type restaurant. The third-pound burgers are hand-pattied from Niman Ranch Angus beef, and, blissfully, aren't overcooked to death.

That means that the medium burger is juicy and succulent. In fact, even the double cheeseburger (below), cooked medium well, dripped juice into the paper boat upon first bite. The beef was packed loosely and only barely held together by the time I was down to my last bites, but I consider that a good sign. The beef's flavor was mild and could have used a bit more seasoning, but toppings and sauces certainly helped that along. The flavor from the grill was light and didn't overpower the meat.

Free toppings, including lettuce, tomato and raw onion, were generously portioned and the tomato was incredibly red for the season. Choose a cheese option that's got a bit more bite to it than the jalapeño jack, though; I couldn't taste it. The pickles were very thick and crunchy and might not appeal to someone used to sour dill slices, but they added a nice freshness. Bacon, while generally good and crisp, could have had a stronger flavor. The restaurant's signature Dawg sauce will appeal to buffalo wing lovers, but order it on the side to avoid soggy buns and to dip fries in.

You'll want a ton of fries. They're hand cut and fried to a nice crunch. Rosemary garlic fries are tossed with so much of the herb and garlic mixture that there's a layer of fried goodness at the bottom of the bag. The chili—think hot dog chili—that tops the chili cheese fries is thick and has just a little heat. While the cheese sauce was a bit grainy, I appreciated that it meant it had some real cheese in it and wasn't straight from a Sisco can. Pure indulgence food.

Though the sterile setting in a small strip mall area leaves a little to be desired, the large patio area and friendly staff help make it more hospitable. It's worth the drive to a north suburb for an inexpensive, high quality burger cooked the way you request—even if it's overrun with Cubs fans.

About the author: Lacey Muszynski is an editor, freelance writer and restaurant reviewer from Milwaukee, WI. When she's not burgerblogging on AHT, she might be updating her food blog, making fun of the Food Network, or wondering what her art degree has to do with all of this. Her idols growing up included Martin Yan, Chairman Kaga, and whoever was on Great Chefs, Great Cities that day.

Love hamburgers? Then you'll Like AHT on Facebook! And go follow us on Twitter while you're at it!

A Whole New Serious Eats

2012-05-19T22:15:52Z

From Serious Eats

Welcome to the new Serious Eats! We've made a whole new design for the site, in order to accomplish a few important goals:

Make it easier, faster, and more satisfying to find content on Serious Eats, while modernizing the design to work with the latest technologies.
Eliminate the biggest frustrations for frequent users of the site, such as glitches in search and in browsing the archives.
Give a stronger sense of community by showing off what's popular, what a particular author has written, and what stories are related to the article you're reading.
Set the stage for future improvements by streamlining the systems that run the site behind the scenes.

Two weeks ago, we invited you to preview the new Serious Eats and described the new features. Thanks to everyone who took the time to comment and submit feedback, because you helped us make Serious Eats even better!

You told us the preview site felt "too narrow" and cluttered, and that you wanted to see more and bigger photos. You were right. So on the homepage, we went wider with content and introduced big, beautiful photos. We also made adjustments to our fonts so that they're easier to read across different operating systems and web browsers.

We hope you like what you see, let us know what you think. You might still encounter some funny looking pages tonight as archive pages continue to update overnight, so bear with us until that process is complete.

Special thanks to the team that worked on this project: Tracie Lee, Christine Tsai, Paul Cline, Ben Fishner, and 29th Street Publishing.

P.S. If it doesn't look quite right i.e. you don't see any images, clear your browser cache to make sure you see all the new styles! Here's how: http://www.wikihow.com/Clear-Your-Browser's-Cache.

Pardon our Dust While We Upgrade

2012-05-19T13:15:00Z

From Serious Eats

We're making some upgrades behind the scenes today. Beginning this morning at 9:30 a.m. ET, all community features will be disabled (commenting, favoriting, and new submissions to Talk and Photograzing). We expect the upgrade to take approximately 3 hours and as soon as it is complete, community features will be restored. Thanks for your patience!

St. Helena, CA: Gott's Roadside Serves Decent Burgers and a Killer Breakfast Sandwich

2012-05-18T15:30:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]

Gott's Roadside

933 Main Street, St. Helena CA 94574 (map); 707-963-3486; gotts.com
Cooking Method: Griddled
Short Order: A classic California griddled burger with the fixin's, marred by underseasoned, rather bland beef
Want Fries With That? Yes, excellent shoestrings
Price: Burgers, $8-$11; seafood, $9.50-$15; fries, $2.70-$5

A couple weeks ago, Carey Jones and I were barreling up Highway 29 on our way to St. Helena in our Ford Escape, downing tacos, biting breakfast sandwiches, and taking names. Another four-meals-before-10:30 day in the life of a Serious Eater.

I may not look it or act it, but I'm a pretty sentimental guy at heart. I get warm and fuzzy when I hear about friendly, family-run operations that have been slinging hash since the 19th century. My inner monologue waxes nostalgic at the concept of a drive-in movie or a soda shop where the syrup is mixed into the fountains by hand. Number one on the list of places I wish would never go away: roadside diners.

Having spent my entire life living in either New York or Boston, I can't say I'm all that familiar with them. Sure, there are the ice cream stands and seafood shacks around the Cape and the New England coast, but at its heart, the concept of a drive-up burger stand is a purely California notion.

The first wave of roadside diners started popping up in the '40s. The predecessors to modern-day fast food venues, these old fashioned diners promised hot, fast, meals cooked to order at a reasonable price. The original Taylor's Refresher was one of 'em. Started by Lloyd "Popsy" Taylor in 1949 as a humble burger shack. It managed to survive for about 50 years before it was taken over in 1999 by the Gott brothers, Joel and Duncan.

Under their guidance, the newly revamped menu, which included burgers, seafood, sandwiches, and hot dogs—all with that sort of feel-good local/seasonal/sustainable/we-recycle-everything attitude that gets you places in California—propelled the roadside stand into a full-blown mini chain, complete with a James Beard Foundation award under their belt.

The restaurant now has three locations: the original in St. Helena, and branches in Napa and San Francisco's Ferry Plaza.

It was in 2010 that things got a bit ugly. Told that they were no allowed to trademark the name Taylor's (the name belonged to Lloyd's daughters Jean Taylor Nicholson and Virginia Taylor Toogood), the Gotts decided to expand and rebrand their business by renaming it Gott's Roadside.

The Taylors were not happy and there's currently all sorts of legal turmoil surrounding the restaurant and its name. Of course, this is all only interesting to the nostalgia fiend in me. The burger fiend cares about one thing only: How does it all taste?

Carey and I happened to arrive at that magical cusp between breakfast and lunch—where they're just starting to serve burgers but are still firing off egg sandwiches on all cylinders—and used the opportunity to sample both.

True to their roadside appearance, the Cheeseburgers ($7.99) at Gott's are classic California all the way. Fans of In-N-Out or Pie N' Burger will instantly recognize them. Griddled beef with melted American cheese served on top of a big pile of crunchy iceberg lettuce with tomato, pickles, and a secret-sauce-that's-really-Thousand-Island. It all comes on a toasted egg roll wrapped in (recycled and recyclable) brown paper.

What you won't recognize is the thick, pink-in-the-center patty of ground beef sourced from Niman Ranch. This is a gourmet burger disguised as a drive-in burger. And you know what? It doesn't quite pull it off. There's an essential balance to the classic thin, griddled California-style burger. The beef is not a star player, but merely another member of the cast. The burger is just as much about the sauce, pickles, and crunchy vegetables as it is about the crisp-crusted beef.

At Gott's, not only is there too much beef, but the beef is simply bland. Underseasoned and without a significant crust, it adds bulk but not flavor. It's not a bad burger, per se, but it's as clear an example as any I can think of where someone came along and tinkered with a good idea that needed no tinkering to end up with an inferior finished product.

Fries, on the other hand, are some of the best around. Crunchy, fluffy, potatoey, and well seasoned, you couldn't ask for a better bit of fried potato.

Equally tasty was the Classic Breakfast Sandwich ($4.99), made with a couple of soft, toasted slices of thick-cut, not-too-sour sourdough bread, some excellent crisp bacon, tender eggy-eggs, and American cheese. For a buck more, you can add fried chicken and jalapeño spread to your sandwich (we didn't, but love the idea).

At the end of the day, it's not the most spectacular burger on the planet, or even in the state (or highway), but it's a fine burger served with excellent fries in a setting where I could see myself spending a long time lounging at a picnic table, lounging by the highway in the California sun. Not a bad place to be.

About the author: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is the Chief Creative Officer of Serious Eats where he likes to explore the science of home cooking in his weekly column The Food Lab. You can follow him at @thefoodlab on Twitter, or at The Food Lab on Facebook.

What Should an In-N-Out Virgin Order?

2012-05-18T13:45:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

What do you remember about your first time? Did it sufficiently rock your world? Was it all fireworks and dancing unicorns and everything you dreamed it would be? What would you go back and change if you could? What smooth moves that you know now do you wish you'd had at the ready back then? What advice would you give a wide-eyed, nervous newbie right before his impending date with destiny?

Yeah, I'm pretty nervous about my first time at In-N-Out.

Wait, what did you think we were talking about???

I'll be heading to Texas for the Memorial Day Weekend, and in the past, that has meant a burger run to some obscure restaurant that I've read about in Hamburger America or seen on TV or found referenced in some weird online carnivore chatroom. Now that the burger barons of Baldwin Park have set up shop in the Lone Star State, I know exactly where I'm headed. But I don't know what I'm getting.

I mean, I have an idea. Thanks to Kenji's epic everything-on-the-secret-menu experiment, I think I have my maiden order gameplanned out. But it occurred to me that I also have legions of experienced veterans who can weigh in here. I know many of you think In-N-Out is waaaay overhyped. And many of you think we at Serious Eats give it waaaay too much love as it is. But face it, it is a Mount Rushmore-kind of hamburger institution, and I am a professional hamburger eater. So this is kind of a big deal. And I want to make sure that I don't royally screw up the only "first time" I'll ever get.

So, AHT Nation, what should an In-N-Out rookie order? Do I play it by the book, or go all Animal-Style with the not-so-secret menu? I look forward to your recommendations.

About the Author: Todd Brock lives the glamorous life of a stay-at-home freelance writer in the suburbs of Atlanta. Besides being paid to eat cheeseburgers for AHT and pizzas for Slice, he's written and produced over 1,000 hours of television and penned Building Chicken Coops for Dummies. When he grows up, he wants to be either the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys or the drummer for Hootie & the Blowfish. Or both.

We Try Heinz's New Balsamic Vinegar Ketchup

2012-05-17T20:30:00Z

From Serious Eats

[Photograph: Robyn Lee]

Heinz's new Balsamic Vinegar Ketchup sounds like a winner, right? Upping the balscidity (new word) in lieu of the traditional distilled white vinegar gives it a mild kick without completely throwing off the familiar taste of ketchup.

This is actually a pretty big move for Heinz, a bastion of ketchup tradition; they haven't released a new flavor in about a decade. (Remember green ketchup in the early 2000s?) Yet the new flavor doesn't taste that dramatically different from "normal ketchup." You certainly pick up on more of an umami-based depth and richer balsamic tang, but it's still the same sweet, sticky Heinz underneath.

It's also much darker and browner than the classic fire-engine-ketchup-red, which might resemble old, rotting ketchup that's been sitting out on the shelves for years. We know this because we have bottles of five-year-aged ketchup at SEHQ, sent to us back when the site first launched. Since the special-release Heinz bottles have some sentimental value, we're loath to part with them (they have survived two office moves) so now they're just office decor, NOT for eating purposes.

Anyhow, we approve of the new Heinz Balsamic Vinegar ketchup. Have you tried it yet?

About the author: Erin is the national managing editor of Serious Eats. You can follow her on Twitter: @erin_zimmer

F*ck You Pizza From Pizza Hut

2012-05-17T19:30:00Z

From Slice

[YouTube worldwideinterweb.com]

A lot of Slice'rs out there are of the mind that if anyone can eff up a pizza, the chains can. Case in point, and fueling this grotesque pizza parody, is the Cheeseburger Crown Pizza from Pizza Hut Middle East. Is that burger-crusted Frankenpizza the worse damage that chains have done? Have a look at some pies overseas, and you be the judge. In response to all this hybridized pizza persecution, the folks at worldwideinterweb.com have created this satire for your viewing pleasure. It's like Epic Meal Time's Fast Food Pizza, but way more revolting.

In case the title didn't tip you off, this is definitely a NSFW video.

[Via: Huffington Post]

About the author: Meredith Smith is the Slice editor. You can follow her on Twitter: @mertsmith.

Brooklyn: LightHouse's Everything Burger Leaves Something to Be Desired

2012-05-17T18:30:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

[Photographs: Niki Achitoff-Gray]

LightHouse

145 Borinquen Place, Brooklyn NY 11211 (map); 347-789-7742, LightHouse.com
Cooking Method: Griddled
Short Order: Despite an alluring description from this otherwise excellent restaurant, the Everything Burger fell short on almost every front
Want Fries with That? Fries come with the burger, but diners should definitely order from the pickle menu as well
Price: Everything Burger, $13; w/fried egg, +$2; pickles, $5

In the year since LightHouse opened in South Williamsburg, I've had a series of delightful meals at their charming family-style picnic tables. Owned by attentive Israeli-American sibling duo Naama and Assaf Tamir, in collaboration with chef Nicholas Cox (previously of La Esquina), the restaurant serves up a small but well-curated raw bar selection, along with grilled steaks, chops, and the most extensive house pickle menu I've ever encountered. Their brunch menu veers more Israeli than their New American dinner options, with a marvelous shakshuka and an aromatic harissa-spiced chicken thigh with fried eggs. With plate glass windows lining most of the dining area, brunch-goers can bask in the sunlight while listening the house DJ's sweet vinyl collection. Given my affection for this neighborhood spot, it pains me to say that their Everything Burger was a disappointing lesson in burger no nos.

Let me begin by saying that the description on their brunch menu had me drooling. Bacon in my brioche? Duh! Pickled tomatoes? Yes, please! Fried leeks? The more the better! Benedictine? Sure, why not? And what really got me going was the option to throw a fried egg into the mix for an additional $2. Little makes me more gleeful than adding an egg to pretty much any dish, and never more so than at brunch. I'm obsessive about the experience of bursting that bright yellow yolk and contentedly watching it ooze into the surrounding food, infusing it with its subtle warmth and richness. Suffice it to say that with such high expectations, I fell pretty far.

My burger arrived open-faced and looking quite lovely. The patty, topped with my precious fried egg and a sprinkle of fresh herbs, sat on one half of the bun, with the benedictine, pickled tomato, and a tumble of thin, curly slices of fried leeks adorning the other. The leeks went from nice and crispy to soft and wilty and didn't add much in the way of taste or texture. The tomato, as with all the LightHouse pickles, was delightfully tangy but with only one slice, the flavor was largely subsumed by the rest of the burger.

Having ordered my patty medium rare, I was frustrated to find both meat and (gasp!) egg overcooked. I paled when I cut the burger in half and my egg remained entirely intact, though admittedly soft. Similarly disappointing was an almost uniformly grey patty which, despite being overcooked, lacked any char. The grind was far too fine and lean, giving the meat a gritty texture. Collectively, the patty was dense, dry, and flavorless.

Things went from bad to worse as my bun began to dissolve between my fingers. The bacon brioche was nice and bacon-y, but the bun was cut unevenly, with the top half significantly thicker than the bottom. Had the ratio been adjusted, I might not have ended the meal as I did: clutching bare burger bottom.

I was more or less ambivalent about my side of fries. Neither crisp nor mushy, neither over- nor under-seasoned, they remain unmemorable. That said, my sides of pickled mushrooms and jalapeños ($5 per plate) at least partially redeemed the meal. Generous servings of these brightly acidic vegetables brought a puckered smile to my face and reminded me why I will continue to make LightHouse one of my dining destinations.

About the author: Niki Achitoff-Gray is an intern at Serious Eats and an Editorial Assistant at Saveur.com. An avid photographer, cook, and social theory head, she is on an endless quest to eat the most unusual foods NYC has to offer.

Love hamburgers? Then you'll Like AHT on Facebook! And go follow us on Twitter while you're at it!

Baltimore: Crabcake-Topped Burger at Oriole Park at Camden Yards

2012-05-17T18:00:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

[Photograph: Camden Yards]

This is about as Maryland as a burger gets: a crabcake, seasoned with plenty of Old Bay, of course, on top of a burger patty. The "Camden Giant" is available this season at the new Gino's stand at Camden Yards, home to the Baltimore Orioles, which is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year.

Gino's Burgers and Chicken (AHT review) is a Baltimore fast-food institution from way back in 1957, when it was founded by the great Baltimore Colts defensive end hall-of-famer Gino Marchetti. Just this year, the Gino's chain opened a concession stand inside the ballpark, where you can get their normal burgers and these Camden Giants. The steak-and-cake special includes a three-ounce Gino's beef patty layered with a 2.5-ounce crabcake, smushed inside a Martin's potato bun with shredded lettuce, melted cheese, and a creamy sauce.

"We go through 400 pounds of crab meat per game," said the ballpark's executive chef Josh Distenfeld. "This year, total, we'll go through 35,000 pounds." He did his crabcake research (read: ate a lot of crabcakes) while developing the ballpark's recipe. "We must have tried crabcakes at over 50 restaurants all over Baltimore and into Ocean City, first." He sticks to a simple, classic approach: fresh Maryland jumbo lump crab meat, some breadcrumbs for binding, and LOTS of Old Bay. That last part is of critical importance.

About the author: Erin is the national managing editor of Serious Eats. You can follow her on Twitter: @erin_zimmer

Ann Arbor, MI: Great Burgers and Even Better Patty Melts at Zingerman's Roadhouse

2012-05-17T14:45:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

[Photographs: Daniel Zemans]

Zingerman's Roadhouse

2501 Jackson Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48103 (map) and one other location; 334-663-3663; zingermansroadhouse.com
Cooking Method: Grilled (burger) and griddled (patty melt)
Short Order: The Roadhouse might be the pinnacle of the Zingerman's empire and the burgers are part of the greatness
Want Fries With That? If you can, try both the regular and the sweet potato fries
Price: Burger w/fries, $12.95; patty melt, $14
Notes: Patty melt only on the lunch menu

When Zingerman's Deli opened its doors in 1982, it was a bit of a gustatory pioneer in a world where seeking out delicious food was not remotely close to the national pastime it's become. These days, it takes a place the size of Eataly to turn heads, but 30 years ago, the list of shop owners who spent time traveling the world to find great food was remarkably short. That's not to say that Zingerman's is a relic or even remotely behind the times today. The ownership is as committed as ever to spreading deliciousness across Ann Arbor, Michigan, and—via its mail-order business—all over the country.

The people behind Zingerman's have refused offers to franchise or set up shop in other cities, but that doesn't mean they haven't grown. Over the years, the Zingerman's empire has grown to include several additional businesses, including a bakehouse, a creamery, a candy company, and, most importantly for burger purposes, a restaurant called Zingerman's Roadhouse.

The Roadhouse, which opened in 2003, sells itself short with its motto, "Really Good American Food." See, while the menu has a Cheesecake Factory-esque variety of choices, from the sourcing of the ingredients to the execution in the kitchen, it mirrors the commitment to quality that has been a hallmark of the Deli for three decades. With Managing Partner/James Beard Award-winning chef Alex Young (Best Chef Great Lakes, 2011) focused on Cornman Farms (yet another part of the Zingerman's empire), the kitchen is now in the able hands of chef Kieron Hales.

Oddly enough, the burgers at the Roadhouse are still a work in progress. For years, they had their choice of beef from Niman Ranch, but when Cornman Farms started raising cattle (sustainably, of course), the restaurant had a new beef source at their disposal. Given economic reality and the socially responsible ethos of Zingerman's, that meant the days of unlimited chuck were a thing of the past. Today, the beef mix changes based on what's available—though it's primarily a blend of leg and shoulder—but Hales and his team are working on coming up with a mix that they can use consistently.

That I can't be certain about what specific cuts went in my burger is immaterial. What matters is that the grass-fed beef, ground daily in the restaurant and put together in a not-too-dense patty, is one very good hunk of beef. The grilled burger came a shade more cooked than the medium rare requested but had a great crust around a warm pink center. Although I would have liked a little more fat, if this is the blend the kitchen settles on, you won't hear any complaints from me.

Burger eaters have the option of adding one of an ever-changing short list of American-made cheese. I opted for a seven-year Hook's cheddar for the princely sum of $3.50 an ounce. This was the most I've ever paid for cheese on a burger, but this beautifully melted layer of dairy was one pristine example of cheddar. A second add-on was the bacon from Nueske's, which upped the price another $2.50. Nueske's makes an awesome product, but I often find it to be a bit much for a burger. That was not the case here, where the thick patty and flavorful cheese kept the salty and smoky bacon in check. The final pieces, pickles from Ann Arbor's The Brinery and the soft onion roll from Zingerman's Bakehouse, were more than worthy of the burger.

As good as the burger was, the gut-busting patty melt was better. The beef itself is identical to the regular burger's, which is only notable because, well, who's ever heard of a patty melt with a half-pound patty? It works wonderfully here because the kitchen compensates for the large patty by upping the ante with every other part of the sandwich.

The thick slices of rye bread, which naturally comes from Zingerman's Bakehouse, is simply the best I've ever had the pleasure of eating. It's loaded with flavor, has a particularly thick and chewy crust around a soft interior, and will make virtually any sandwich ever invented taste better. The mountain of grilled onions and wild mushrooms add a sweet and juicy umami bomb to the patty melt, and the baby Swiss from Deppeler Cheese Factory in Monroe, Wisconsin, brings a nice coating of creaminess.

I ordered this one rare and the kitchen delivered. Not only was it a bit juicier than the medium/medium rare burger, but the reduced time on the griddle allowed for me to really appreciate how coarse the grind was. The beef had a nice chewiness that almost made it come across as hand-chopped. Oh, remember the lack of fat I mentioned in the burger? Thanks to a truly impressive amount of butter, that was not remotely an issue with this wonderfully overpowering beast of a sandwich.

The Roadhouse gets a lot of meat and produce from Cornman Farm, but for potatoes they have to look elsewhere. The sweet potatoes, available for a $1 upcharge, are from the wonderfully named Frog Holler Organic Farm. These extremely thick roasted potatoes were more than solid, but there's no sense in eating that much starch when the rest of the menu is so good. The white potatoes, which come from a variety of sources and are not always made from the same type of potato, were really flavorful but were a bit soft for my tastes.

I got there at about 4 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon, a time where I expected to have my choice of seats. That was foolish of me. The Zingerman's name alone is enough to bring people in, but when the place gets accolades like Alton Brown declaring the mac & cheese to be the country's best comfort food, that doesn't help matters. Fortunately, some spots at the first-come, first-served counter opened up, giving me a great view of the bustling kitchen while I enjoyed a couple of great burgers, some excellent sides, and possibly the finest fried chicken that has ever crossed my lips.

About the author: Daniel Zemans writes for Slice, A Hamburger Today. He occasionally regrets not going to the University of Michigan at some point in his schooling.

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AHT Giveaway: Tickets to Thrillist's East Village Beer & Burger Crawl, May 19

2012-05-16T17:30:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

Sliders from Mark Burger. [Photograph: Nick Solares]

Burger Conquest and Thrillist have joined forces to bring you this Saturday's East Village Beer & Burger Crawl, an afternoon of gourmet "sliders," craft beers, and 2-for-1 beers at the following restaurants: Bareburger, Little Town, 13th Step, Destination Bar & Grille, St. Marks Burger, Poco, sideBAR, Stand4, That Burger at Idle Hands, and Village Pourhouse. Vouchers are available for $20 (10 burgers), $30 (five burgers and five beers), or $40 (10 burgers and 10 beers) and are valid between 1 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, the 19th.

Thanks to Thrillist we have three pairs of $30 vouchers to give away. To enter, just tell us in the comments: What's your dream drunk food burger?

Contest will end and comments will close at 11 a.m. ET, Friday, May 18, 2012. One entry per community member. Three winners will be chosen at random. Winners are limited to anyone who can attend the Burger Crawl on Saturday, May 19, between 1 to 7 p.m. Standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.

Los Angeles: Attack of the Clones at Fusion Burgers

2012-05-16T15:30:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

[Photographs: Damon Gambuto]

Fusion Burger

5933 York Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90042 (map); 323-257-8705; Facebook page
Cooking Method: Griddled
Short Order: A family of former Umami cooks opens a knock-off burger spot that serves up high quality burgers
Want Fries with That? Yes; solid fries if you need them, but go for homemade cheesy tots for a better fried spud
Prices: House Burger, $9, The Very Cheese and Bacon Burger, $10

It was only a matter of time. The meteoric rise of the Umami Burger empire meant imitators would pop up around Los Angeles. Sure, one could make the argument that we wouldn't have seen the likes of Stout or even Rounds without Umami, but those riffed on the idea of a high-end, burger-themed restaurant. What we have with Fusion Burgers is a full tilt knock off.

The folks behind this small burger bistro in the Highland Park section of Los Angeles do little to secrete the origins of their menu. The owners, Miguel Munoz, Sr. and Jr., are a father-son team who honed their burger cookery at the Santa Monica Umami location. Apparently there was something hinky in how these guys parted ways with Umami, but I'm not going to delve into whatever that might be about. What I will get into is their burgers. Not everyone thinks Fleischman is a burger Jedi, but I'd say he taught them well. I stopped by this (very new) restaurant for lunch and found a lot that was very familiar and very good.

The Munoz Family (daughter Betty is a server) has taken over a space that used to house Tacos El Michuacano and done little to change the feel of the dining room (think: taco joint) and a lot to change menu (think: burger!). This burger-centric menu is rather large and, well, rather familiar. They list thirteen different burger creations that are reminiscent of the the Umami menu. In fact, the menus and graphics in general ape their former employer's. As it turns out, so does their burger technique.

I started with the House Burger, which puts a seven(ish)-ounce patty on a Portuguese bun. The Munozes slather on some homemade Thousand Island, green leaf lettuce, oven-dried tomato, lardons, and beer cheddar cheese. The beef is a blend of of skirt steak and short rib from Lanza. The bun is from Artisan Crust, which, like Umami's, is a Portuguese bun (though Miguel, Jr. claims his is less sweet).

The burger is both visually and in flavor reminiscent of Umami. The Fusion version gets two things just about exactly right: the beef and the bun. The former is a beautifully coarse grind that is given a gentle touch when formed into a patty. It's griddled in a cast iron skillet at high heat, creating a truly great crust that gives way to a very juicy center. It seems they've foresworn the Asian kick in this patty as there was little beyond the rich beefiness in evidence when I tried it on its own. The bun was a spongy and held together beautifully. The proverbial (Portuguese) cat is out of the bag; Artisan Crust makes a fantastic bun.

The toppings were a bit overdone. The Thousand Island had good flavor, but the portioning was a little heavy handed. The lettuce was fine, but the oven-roasted tomato—a technique that ups the umami (small "u")—was a mushy and unwelcome. The cheese was flavorful and melts like a dream, but again, was a bit much. The lardons were a salty distraction.

Second up was The Very Cheese and Bacon Burger. For this the Fusion Burger's standard patty and bun get a heaping pile of lardons and fried onion, beer cheddar cheese, homemade ketchup, and Dijon mustard.

This one was a big miss for me. The basics of the burger were, once again, excellent. Beef was flavorful and crumbly; bun spongy and delightful. But all of that goodness gets lost under the mess of the toppings.

The fries were basic slim-cut, skin-on spuds that don't make much an argument on their own. They were sort of crispy and not terribly flavorful. That said, cover them in the very good homemade chili (worthy of a bowl unto itself) and some gooey cheese and they make much more sense.

I also tried the homemade Cheesy Tots and I'm so very glad I did. The exteriors were wonderfully crispy and the rough cut potato on the inside was turned smooth from the cooking. The cheese was almost unnecessary, but still, these are some of the best tots I've tried.

The Munoz Family clearly has the talent and training to make a very good burger restaurant. So many things about how they've put together this family project are great. Everyone there is unfailingly polite and pleasant. The food is high quality and in most phases well-executed. The big failing here is that they chose to so closely ape Umami. If they had taken inspiration from Fleischman rather than going with straight imitation there would be so much more to like about the place. Not only would it lose the knock-off vibe, but one imagines that simplifying the food would play to their strengths. When I was leaving Betty told me that they'd opened quickly for financial reasons and they'd be making changes in their first few months. I hold out hope.

About the author: Damon is one of our roving burger reporters and food writers. When he's not eating more than is warranted or healthful (and then writing about it) he can be found writing and producing for television and film. You can contact him at seriouslydamon@gmail.com.

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AHT Giveaway: Case of Pat LaFrieda Burgers

2012-05-16T13:30:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

Inside the Pat LaFrieda facility. [Photograph: Nick Solares]

To celebrate National Burger Month, we're teaming up with famed New York City meat purveyor (and current stars of Food Network's Meat Men) Pat LaFrieda to give away a case of "AHT blend" burger patties (24 per case) each week for four weeks. Patties will be shipped fresh anywhere in the U.S. (sorry, international readers!), perfect for throwing a giant burger party or for cooking burger-centric meals at home. To enter this week's contest, just tell us in the comments section below: What's your best burger memory? (That doesn't necessarily have to involve the best burger you've ever eaten, but it could.)

Contest will end and comments will close at 12 p.m. ET, Monday, May 21, 2012. One entry per community member. Winners are limited to U.S. residents. Standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.

Video: Boss Bacon Burger on 'Epic Meal Time'

2012-05-15T20:30:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

A gargantuan patty made of a ground bacon and beef, stuffed with bacon strips, topped with bacon bit-studded cheese sauce, topped with a pile of bacon strips, doused in Jack Daniels root beer barbecue sauce, all on a bacon bun. See the Boss Bacon Burger's construction and demise in Epic Meal Time's latest video.

Boss Bacon Burger - Epic Meal Time

Video: The Epic Stockyard Burger Featuring Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Bone Marrow-Stuffed Patties on 'Epic Meal Time'
Fast Food 'Lasagna' Made of 45 Burgers on 'Epic Meal Time'
The Sloppy Roethlisberger from Epic Meal Time
How to Make Fast Food Sushi

Dinner Tonight: Shrimp Burgers with Roasted Garlic-Orange Aioli (via Food52)

2012-05-15T20:00:00Z

From Serious Eats

Editor's Note: We're teaming up with our friends over at Food52 to bring you even more easy weeknight recipes. Food52 recipes will appear on this site every Tuesday and Thursday, and are carefully curated by the Serious Eats team. Check back on Serious Eats every weekday afternoon for a new quick and easy weeknight dinner idea from our own test kitchens, or from the good folks at Food52.

This summer dinner replaces the usual beef and pork with a lighter option: shrimp. The thing that takes the most time is the aioli, but it's the most important part of the dish. It's not only used as a condiment, it also binds the shrimp together to form the burger. The patty is light, but the aioli provides the richness you'd expect from a good burger.

About the Author: Will Gibney is currently a summer intern here at Serious Eats and loves being around so much food. He recently found true love in a Jamón de Bellota in Spain

Get The Recipe!

Shrimp Burgers with Roasted Garlic-Orange Aioli »

Chain Reaction: Sonic

2012-05-15T19:00:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

[All photographs unless otherwise noted: Todd Brock]

Sonic

11105 Crabapple Road, Roswell GA 30075 (Map); 770-573-9775
3,500+ locations nationwide. Find one at sonicdrivein.com/locator
The Schtick: "America's Drive-In," where carhops deliver burgers, dogs, and such to your driver's side window, with almost 400,000 drink options
The Burger: Varieties don't stray too far from the classics. Typically unremarkable fast-food beef, overapplied veggie toppings, bonus points for good bacon
Want Fries With That? Ick. Go onion rings or chili cheese tots instead
Setting: The interior of your car, maybe a nearby picnic table
Price: Sonic Cheeseburger, $3.19; SuperSonic Double Bacon Cheeseburger, $4.59; Bacon Cheeseburger Toaster Sandwich, $4.69; French fries, $1.00/1.49/1.80; Onion rings, $1.69/1.99; Chili Cheese Tots, $1.99/2.59/2.99

Who knew there were so many hardcore Sonic fans out there? Not me, that's for sure. When I ranked the chain's onion rings last in AHT's Onion Ring Roundup last month, no one was more surprised than I was when Sonic apologists crawled out of the cyberwoodwork to defend "America's Drive-In." Most seemed to believe that the translucent puddle at the bottom of my bag and the extreme greasiness that soaked every ring across two orders was an anomaly, an exception to the rule, an unfortunate case of that particular location dropping the deep-fried ball.

Maybe they were right. I mean, it had certainly happened with my BK Chef's Choice experience. Maybe Sonic deserved another shot, I decided. And maybe, as long as I'm going, I should put the burger menu through its paces, too.

[Photo at left: Sonic; photo at right: Todd Brock]

My baseline Sonic Cheeseburger was a remarkably accurate replica of the official PR photo. The chain's standard quarter-pound patty wasn't dwarfed by a too-big bun, as is often the case with a fast food menu's base burger model. A decent melt on the American cheese, visible garden crops peeking out from underneath the beef—there was reason to hope here. While Sonic's menu says your cheeseburger will come with your choice of ketchup, mustard, or mayo, I wasn't asked for my preference. Whether or not mayo is the default or just what the kitchen crew felt like using that day, mayo is what I got. Fine.

The beef wasn't really juicy per se, but this burger had a nice proportion of beef-to-everything-else going on. I personally dislike shredded lettuce on a burger, as I typically end up with more shrapnel in my lap than lettuce in my mouth. And while I could neither see nor really taste the chopped onions theoretically hidden in the lettuce, this cheeseburger was far better than other fast-food value menu offerings, and it was worth the $3 price tag. Not a destination burger, but if you're near a Sonic with a slight burger jones and not much cash, this should fix you up nicely.

[Photo at left: Sonic; photo at right: Todd Brock]

The SuperSonic Double Bacon Cheeseburger wasn't as close a match to its company mug shot, but it was still a pretty darn tasty-looking lunch. I tend to gravitate toward double-meat burgers (much to my cardiologist's chagrin), and was totally digging the meat-to-bun ratio of this bad boy. Best of all, atop the twin individually-cheesed patties was some beautifully cooked bacon. Sonic does offer all-day breakfast, so getting bacon right is pretty much a non-negotiable dealbreaker in my book. Score one for Sonic. Not the flaccid, translucent baconesque substance foisted upon us by some chains, these strips were curled and meaty and definitely held their own inside this heavy-duty handful. The sheer height of this burger necessitated some squeezing, and that roughed up the lightweight bun considerably, but that was my only major complaint with this near-$5 burg.

[Photo at left: Sonic; photo at right: Todd Brock]

The third burger of my test drive, the Bacon Cheeseburger Toaster Sandwich compared favorably to its publicity still. Burgers served on Texas toast are often lost underneath, but this beef was prominently displayed. The lettuce, tomato, and pickle were playing hide-and-seek for the most part, but the bacon once again looked spot-on and even the onion ring was making a cameo appearance.

Granted, using just a single ring as a burger topping looks a little pathetic, and left the first and last bites completely ringless, but since I'm not a huge fan of onion-ring-topped burgers anyway, it was no huge loss.

The Toaster seemingly attempts to combat all that bread by overloading the veggies. Four pickle slices on one burger is probably excessive, and I wouldn't mind if Sonic dropped its tomato usage from two slices per burger to one. And as is almost always the case, the (hickory) barbecue sauce threatened to overpower everything else in sight.

Sonic's beef is pretty bland with that grey, industrial look so many fast-food patties suffer from; despite a pretty picture, I couldn't help but wonder if either a second meat disc or slightly-tweaked topping distribution wouldn't help the Toaster immensely.

Three burgers gave me three side opportunities. I started with the onion rings I had bashed just a few weeks earlier. Hooray for second chances; these were fantastic. Heavy in the hand for their size, there was no grease at all—not in the bag and not on the rings—a fine crumb coat covering a bready inner layer, and a noticeable sweetness to both the onion and the casing. It absolutely pops. These rings even had an audible crunch to them. Whether I got a bad batch before or the Sonic in Woodstock, Georgia, just doesn't know what it's doing, the Roswell store kicked its ass in the onion ring department. If these were what I'd sampled during April's roundup, they might have given BK a run for the top spot.

Thanks, AHT'ers, for convincing me to get in the ring with Sonic again. Time, budget, and gastronomic constraints don't allow us reviewers to try each and every item multiple times and at multiple locations as would be ideal, but I'm glad it worked out here.

Sonic's fries, however, have assumed the rings' former title of crappiest side I've had in a while. A thicker cut than McDonald's but not quite of the dimensions of Wendy's, these were well salted right out of the sleeve. Past the nice fry job, though, these spuds were overly starchy, unpleasantly dense, and just plain bland. I quit after three and never went back. Besides, now that I found a good ring, why eat bad fries?

But then again, when chili cheese tots are an option, I'll just skip the rings and fries. While not doused in a super-high-quality chili, this side was my favorite by far, with a tot itself that featured a lightly crisp shell and a fluffy interior. After a few minutes, the chili, cheese sauce, and tots had congealed into a single, tasty mass. Picking a single tot off the pile was no longer possible; I had to use a fork to pry off a meaty, cheesy, melty, fluffy, starchy wedge. And was happy to do so.

In the end, I'm not sure Sonic won me over enough that it vaults into my regular rotation of go-to fast-fooderies. Eating in your car while it's in motion is an occasional necessity. Eating in your car while it's parked? Why??? Maybe back in the golden age of the drive-in, when Richie and Fonzie and the T-Birds were showing off their carburetors, tailfins, and suicide doors with a doo-wop soundtrack blaring.

But whether it's my advanced age or my hopelessly uncool car, eating a burger while hunched over the steering wheel of a stationary automobile just doesn't sound like fun to me. Even with roller skating carhops. And yes, I know that most Sonics have picnic tables for out-of-car-body eating experiences, but if I'm now unbuckling my seatbelt to eat there, why choose Sonic over other fast-food chains? Not for the burgers alone; they're just not THAT good. For their Half-Price Happy Hour, when I can liquid lunch for less with 398,929 fountain drink and slush combinations? Possibly. And if I'm feeling peckish before crawling into a 44-ounce cherry limeade, I now know that I can find some halfway decent options here. Hell, maybe even onion rings.

About the author: Todd Brock lives the glamorous life of a stay-at-home freelance writer in the suburbs of Atlanta. Besides being paid to eat cheeseburgers for AHT and pizzas for Slice, he's written and produced over 1,000 hours of television and penned Building Chicken Coops for Dummies. When he grows up, he wants to be either the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys or the drummer for Hootie & the Blowfish. Or both.

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Burger City Guides: Michael Schwartz's Favorite Burgers in Miami

2012-05-15T15:15:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

View Michael Schwartz's Miami in a larger map

[Photograph courtesy of Michael Schwartz]

When James Beard award-winning chef Michael Schwartz opened Michael's Genuine Food & Drink in Miami in 2007, he brought traditional American comfort food to a city often associated with Cuban and Caribbean cuisine. The Philadelphia native is blooming in Florida, asserting his influence over the local, seasonal ingredients often passed over by other Sunshine State chefs and using them to create inspiring, accessible food. His Raleigh burger is a reinvented classic: served on a wood board, the tender meat is encased in a buttered and toasted brioche bun, garnished simply with butter lettuce and a generous slice of ripe, juicy tomato. But despite his all-American approach, Michael appreciates the melting pot of cuisine that lends Miami its signature heat.

Here are Michael's top five Miami burgers:

The Shack Burger. [Photograph: Robyn Lee]

1. Two words: Danny Meyer. I'm going with Shake Shack's Shack Burger almost every time. You can't beat the quality for the price, and because it's burgers Mr. Meyer's way, it's always a sure thing. I wanna be THAT guy! Just watch out for those Concretes!
1660 Lenox Avenue, Miami Beach FL 33139 (map); 305-434-7787; shakeshack.com

2. The Frita Burger at El Mago de las Fritas is the Cuban-style burger you need to eat. Accept no imitations. They grind chorizo right into the patty, and it's piled high with "papitas" and a fried egg to bring it all together inside the best Cuban bread bun you'll find. And if smoky rendered sausage, fried potato sticks, and a fried egg isn't enough, you can also go "caballero" or cowboy-style and get it with cheese.
5828 Southwest 8th Street, Miami FL 33144 (map); 305-266-8486; elmagodelasfritas.com

3. Whisk Gourmet is a get-your-hands-dirty burger. It's big and juicy, and really tasty! They were just recognized at this year's South Beach Wine and Food Festival Burger Bash as the judge's choice for best burger. I'm so proud of our hometown brother-sister owners Kristin and Brendan Connor. Those guys work hard to put out a product they believe in, and they deserve it! If only more folks followed their lead down here.
7382 Southwest 56th Avenue, South Miami FL (map); 786-268-8350; whiskgourmet.com

4. The Federal is a collaboration between three young partners who experimented for a while—with much success—at a pop-up concept, turning out great Vietnamese food in downtown Miami. They are as serious about putting out great food as they are about moving the needle, doing new things and having a little fun while they're at it. Now they've opened up The Federal in an unassuming strip mall and are doing a great Lamb burger, which is topped with a duck egg. As far as I'm concerned, that makes anything better!
5132 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami FL 33137 (map); 305-758-9559; thefederalmiami.com

5. The McBelly at Pubbelly: the word alone conjures some pretty graphic images. This little sandwich isn't one to be underestimated because it's contained in the modest, yet no less delicious Martin's potato roll. It is a little decadent and maybe even too greasy at times, but because chef Mendin makes sure there are plenty of pickles and kick from the kimchi to cut it all, you may even venture for seconds. I order a Hitachino Red Rice Ale with mine!
1418 20th Street, Miami Beach FL 33139 (map); 305-532-7555; pubbelly.com

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The Story Behind Umami Burger, from 'Los Angeles Magazine'

2012-05-14T22:30:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

In this month's issue of Los Angeles Magazine, dine editor Lesley Bargar Suter chronicles the "casual dining revolution" of Adam Fleischman, founder of Umami Burger. Three years after first opening Umami Burger in 2009 in Los Angeles, Fleischman now runs the Umami Restaurant Group, which includes nine Umami Burger locations, the pizzeria 800 Degrees, and UmamIcatessen, with more restaurants on the way. (In her piece, Suter gives a shout-out to AHT's Damon Gambuto, who reviewed Umami Burger back in 2009.)

Effects of 'Pink Slime' on Beef Industry

2012-05-14T18:30:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

[Image: Reuters]

Layoffs at a major beef processing plant, a boom in U.S. imports of beef, and record high prices of fresh lean beef trimmings are some of the effects of the "pink slime" controversy—the use of ammonia hydroxide-treated beef trimmings as a burger additive, known as "lean, finely textured beef" (LFTB) in the beef industry. Read more from Reuters.

For more background information on the spread of "pink slime" awareness, check out this New York Times editorial, "What if It Weren't Called Pink Slime?"

Behind the Scenes Burger Tour with Pat LaFreida, Part 1: The Pan-Cooked Burger at Lot 2

2012-05-14T17:30:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

VIEW SLIDESHOW: Behind the Scenes Burger Tour with Pat LaFreida, Part 1: The Pan-Cooked Burger at Lot 2

[Photographs: Robyn Lee]

You love Pat LaFreida; we love Pat LaFreida (and if you don't know Pat, his new show on the Food Network, Meat Men, will make a fine introduction). He supplies stellar meat to some of the best restaurants in New York City and all around the country, and a good percentage of our favorite New York burgers start with his custom blends. So when Pat offered to take us on a burger crawl of the city to learn how some of our favorite burgers get made, the only questions were, "How many?" and, "When do we get started?"

We decided to focus on four burgers that AHT considers exemplary of different burger cooking styles. All the burgers in this series come from meat ground in Pat's plant, and are the result of painstaking testing, tasting, and conversation to develop the just the right balance of texture, flavor, and burger magic.

First up: something of an underdog, the pan-seared, oven-finished burger at Lot 2 in South Slope, Brooklyn. It's an eight-ounce monster of alarming beefiness; honestly, if I could only have one thick-style cheffy burger for the rest of my life, it'd be this one. What makes it so good? It's all about the intense mineral beefiness of fresh short rib and sirloin, which tastes a bit like if a cow kicked you in the mouth. The thick patty doesn't have a single dry spot, and when cooked to a gorgeous, just-melting rare, is one of the juiciest burgers I've ever eaten. That said, this is nothing like grease bomb megaburgers elsewhere; it's actually remarkably clean tasting, and finishing one doesn't make you feel like you swallowed a bus.

"The flavor is so clean when you use whole cuts of meat," Pat explained. And that's ultimately what makes the Lot 2 burger so great: It's built from the ground up to be an outstanding burger, not just a vehicle for trimmed surface fat and steak leftovers. It reflects the general ethos of Lot 2, which bills itself as a Brooklyn neighborhood spot (down to the impressive homemade pickles and lively, carefully constructed cocktails): do everything simple and really right.

Chef Daniel Rojo, left and Pat LaFreida, right.

We talked with Lot 2 head chef Daniel Rojo as he made us one of the house burgers. Check out the slideshow for a step by step guide guide to how it's made.

Lot 2

687 6th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11215 (map)
718-499-5623
lot2restaurant.com

About the author: Max Falkowitz is the editor of Serious Eats: New York. You can follow him on Twitter at @maxfalkowitz.

22 Burger Recipes For National Burger Month

2012-05-14T15:15:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

VIEW SLIDESHOW: 22 Burger Recipes For National Burger Month

I don't know who it is that designated May as National Burger month, but I'd like to give them a big, sloppy, greasy, onion-scented, cheese-covered kiss on the mouth. Or perhaps just a hug is fine. What better excuse to celebrate our national sandwich (national food?) and look back at the dozens of well-tested burger recipes we have in our archives?

Here are 22 burger recipes that run the gamut form simple to complex, with representation from around the country, breaking regional borders, and indeed inter-species relations. Perhaps burgers are the key to world peace. Check out the individual recipes below, or click through the slideshow above for a bigger look at the goods.

Classic Burger Recipes

These burgers are all inspired by classic American or regional American burger styles.

Restaurant and Fast Food Burgers At Home

Fake Shacks, In-N-Out Double Doubles, Big Macs, and the like.

Non-Beef Options

Burgers that cross that species barrier, yet still retain all the juice and flavor of a real deal burger. No compromise!

Condiments and Sauces

Chili, cheese, and other sauces.

Over The Top

Burgers that take it to the extreme. Bigger, bolder, and badder than any other beef on the block.

Love hamburgers? Then you'll Like AHT on Facebook! And go follow us on Twitter while you're at it!

Sausalito, CA: You Can Feel Okay about Ordering the Beef at Fish

2012-05-11T18:45:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

[Photographs: David Kover]

Fish.

350 Harbor Drive, Sausalito CA 94965 (map); 415-331-FISH; 331fish.com
Cooking Method: Grilled
Short Order: You could do a lot worse than this patty of beef served at a restaurant that specializes in fish. They just need a slightly less arid bun.
Want Fries with That? They come with it and they're good enough
Price: The Big Burger, with or without cheese, $14

Though it threatens my self-image as a true food geek, I have a difficult relationship with fish. I actually quite like the stuff when I order it, but it's as if a childhood aversion remains lodged somewhere in my brain, inducing a knee-jerk anticipation of an off-putting fishy funk that steers me towards other proteins when I contemplate a menu. The end result is that I only order seafood if I'm at a place where I'm sure it will be top quality.

This shouldn't be a problem at Fish*. The Sausalito restaurant specializes in serving up fresh, sustainable sea food. But even then, I'll admit I found myself a little pleased when I noticed that, for their non-piscine option, Fish offers up a hamburger made of Prather Ranch beef. Despite recognizing the incongruity of ordering beef at a restaurant named Fish, it didn't take much arm twisting for me to decide that I really needed to try this burger.

* They actually write the restaurant's name with a period (.) after the word fish. I have opted not to do that because, well, it's kind of a pain in the ass when it comes to writing clearly punctuated sentences.

The menu at Fish calls their hamburger "The Big Burger." By big, they mean a half-pound patty that they grill to order. My first bite told me this burger wouldn't reach the great heights of some of the Prather Ranch patties I've eaten, but you could also do a whole lot worse than this disc of quality beef. If the patty had gotten just a touch dry at the edges, it remained red and juicy at its center. The restraint in my enthusiasm springs mostly from the scale of the flavor offered by this patty—this burger was beefy, but not beefy.

I did also find the bun a bit dry for my taste. Though it eventually compacted sufficiently to achieve an acceptable burger-to-bun ratio, I needed to add a healthy serving of their Thousand Island dressing to both sides of the patty in order to combat the arid bread. Fish could have helped the situation by sticking the bun on the grill for a bit and then covering it in butter or mayo. Really, a little extra fat never hurt a burger. The juice from a few pickle slices might have helped as well, but they otherwise provide crisp lettuce, rings of red onion, and a melted slice of Spring Hill Organic cheddar.

The potatoes they serve at Fish achieve generic fry-ness. Relatively thin yellow sticks, they are mildly crisp, mildly salty, and you'll choose to eat them, but they don't make you sit up and take notice.

Sometimes restaurants tell you what they're good at, and I don't think Fish could have been any clearer than the name they chose for themselves. So it makes sense that there are little things I'd tweak when it comes to the preparation of their burger. But it's nice to know there's a good-enough non-fish option on their menu for those moments when my adult brain simply cannot quiet the squeamish seven-year-old that occasionally takes over my palate.

About the author: David Kover is a San Francisco-based freelance writer and food enthusiast. He occasionally gets his tweet on as @pizzakover.

Love hamburgers? Then you'll Like AHT on Facebook! And go follow us on Twitter while you're at it!

Chain Reaction: Hero Certified Burgers

2012-05-11T16:45:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

Of course we love our mom & pops, and our favorite burger joints around the country are pretty much all independently owned, but there are certain times in life—overnight layovers, hungover Sunday mornings, all-day shopping trips at the outlets—that the only options around are the chains. Chain Reaction is here to help you decide when to go for the burger, and when you're better off sticking with the chicken fingers.

[Photographs: Erin Jackson]

Hero Certified Burgers

77 Wellesley St., Toronto ON (map)
28 locations in Ontario, plus more to come. Full list at heroburgers.com
The Schtick: Chain serving 100 percent Heritage Angus beef burgers, sourced from a select group of farmers in Western Canada
The Burger: A bland, mushy, cooked from frozen mess
Want Fries With That? The poutine isn't bad, but I'd just stick with the shakes
Setting: Brightly-lit, semi-comfortable fast casual restaurant that makes a big deal about the quality of their beef, but still serves lousy burgers
Price: four-ounce Hero Burger, $4.99; six-ounce Hero Burger, $5.99; poutine, $4.99; chocolate shake, $3.99

A lot of things have changed in the (nearly) two years since I left Toronto. Massive skyscrapers and condo developments are everywhere, there's shiny new subway cars, and Hero Certified Burgers has emerged as the leading homegrown burger chain. I still remember when the first location opened in 2003 in the swanky Hazelton Lanes food court, where you could listen to a piano player while eating lunch and it felt natural to pay extra for a better-than-average burger. In those days, a burger cost $5 to $8, and the city was still getting used to the idea of "premium burgers." Other operators had tried the concept (and failed) but Hero had a winning formula: The burgers were a significant step up from fast food fare, while being reasonably priced and consistently good.

The concept has remained consistent over the years. Burgers are available in three sizes (four, six, and eight ounces), and can be topped with 31 different toppings, including premium cheeses like Swiss Emmenthal and Fior di Latte, plus sauces like Horseradish Dijon, mango, and guacamole. About half of the toppings are free; others will run you an extra 79¢ to $1.29.

The chain has swelled to 28 locations, with two more in the works, but along the way, the quality has taken a nosedive.

For all the hubbub that Hero makes about its beef, including that it's free range, hormone and antibiotic free, and sourced from 100 percent Angus stock (that's also halal), there's one important factor missing: It's not fresh. Yes, those premium burgers made from "certified beef" are frozen when they hit the grill.

As you might expect, that fatal flaw flatlines any chance the burger would have for texture. The meat was so thoroughly pulverized that it might as well have come out of an aerosol can. It had no char, and was rubbery, spongy, and completely void of any beef flavor. Even the best, freshest toppings couldn't have saved this burger, and mine were about as bad as the beef. The veggies were beyond bland and the ancho chipotle sauce was way over-portioned and so weirdly sweet that it was all I could taste.

My friend's large six-ounce burger with maple chipotle barbecue sauce and the standard roughage was no better. The sauce was also way out of balance and squirted out both sides of the bun every time she tried to take a bite, which was twice. After that, both of them hit the bin. Life is too short for burgers this bad.

Any hope for salvaging the meal rested on the poutine, which turned out to be passably ok. The skin-on fries were decently crisp and tasty, and even though the gravy was a bit too heavy (and bland), it was still much more satisfying than the burgers. Truly good poutine requires chewy curds that are so fresh, they squeak on your teeth. On Hero's version, the curds were completely melted and didn't have the prized bouncy texture. For $4.99, it's about as good as you'd expect for a fast-casual restaurant, but no better.

Ordering a shake along with two burgers and poutine felt shameful at the time, but it turned out to be a good decision. The shake, made from vanilla soft serve blended with milk and chocolate syrup, turned out to be the best part of the meal. At first, it was so thick that it could only be consumed with a spoon (due to the fact that it's 90 percent ice cream), but it settled into a sweet, thick, slurry that was well worth $3.99.

In Toronto, you'll find better poutine at any of the official poutineries (like Smoke's, another homegrown chain, now with locations in seven provinces), but for the price, it would be difficult to find a better shake. I'd go back to try the premium flavors like mint chocolate chip or caramel, but that's the last time I eat a Hero burger.

About the author: Erin Jackson is a food writer and photographer who is obsessed with discovering the best eats in San Diego. You can find all of her discoveries on her newly-launched food blog EJeats.com. On Twitter, she's @ErinJax

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Dear AHT: Jersey Burgers in Ramsey, NJ

2012-05-11T16:30:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

[Photograph: Bill Cianci]

Here's a burger tip we recently received in the AHT inbox from AHT reader billcianci. Send your recs to burger@seriouseats.com. And if you ever want to submit a review, here's how.

Jersey Burgers

112 East Main Street, Ramsey NJ 07446 (map); 201-934-0002; jerseyburgers.net
Cooking Method: Flat Griddled
Want Fries with That? Fries are generic crinkle cut; eh
Price: Plain hamburger, 5-6oz, $4.49
Seating note: Two small round bar tables and counter—that's it

I've wanted to try Jersey Burgers in Ramsey, NJ, for a long time. Finally, I went for lunch a few weeks ago and ordered the Double Cheeseburger with raw onion and pickle. I asked for my burgers med-rare and for the first time in my life received my double beauty with two different temperatures: one patty was med-rare and one was well done. Very odd, no? If not for this and the very stale roll, this burger could have been a contender, as the meat tasted fresh and was very juicy despite the one well done patty. Although there is no excuse for serving a stale roll on a burger, I would give Jersey Burgers one more try.

—Bill Cianci

AHT Giveaway: Tickets to Rub BBQ's Burger Bash, May 20

2012-05-11T14:00:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

In the kitchen at Rub BBQ. [Photograph: Robyn Lee]

Our friends at Rub BBQ in New York City are holding their second annual Burger Bash on May 20, when they'll be serving four off-the-menu burgers from award winning barbecue-ists from 12 to 2 p.m. The $44.95 ticket price includes a North African Lamb Burger, the Mac-N-Cheese burger, the Bacon Burger, and the Black and Blue Burger, along with two artisanal draft beers or fountain drinks and a choice of one small order of fries or onion strings.

You can buy tickets online or enter our contest to win one of two pairs of tickets. Just answer this question in the comments section below: What kind of burger would you most like Rub BBQ to make?

Rub BBQ

208 West 23rd Street, New York NY 10011 (map)
212-524-4300

Contest will end and comments will close at 5 p.m. ET, Monday, May 14, 2012. One entry per community member. Two winners will be chosen at random. Winners are limited to anyone who can travel to Rub BBQ on Sunday, May 20, at noon. Standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.

Wendy's Underperforms; Burger King Improves Sales

2012-05-10T18:00:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

This week Wendy's reported that their first-quarter sales of 2012 were lower than expected, at less than 1 percent sales growth in North American locations, partially due to the promotion of their mid-tier burger, the W. From Marketwatch:

Wendy's Co., which is in the midst of a menu make-over to regain its position a higher-quality fast-food chain, still saw its sales growth lag that of its rivals in the first quarter, while its profitability also declined.

Wendy's hoped its new "W" cheeseburger would boost sales and profit margins by becoming a signature hit, like McDonald's Big Mac or Burger King's Whopper. While the new burger was intended to prompt value-menu-guests to trade up to the higher-margin item, Wendy's found that higher-paying customers were downgrading to the W instead.

"The positioning of W clearly was not where it needed to be. As a result, we will not promote the W again nationally," said Chief Financial Officer Stephen Hare on a conference call.

In the meantime, Burger King's first-quarter sales in North American grew 4.2 percent, the first sales growth they've had in two years. From The Miami Herald:

The Miami-based fast-food chain on Wednesday reported first-quarter earnings that included same-store sales growth of 4.2 percent for North American restaurants. This sales growth, which is considered the best measure of a restaurant's health, also helped Burger King turn a profit for the quarter ending March 31. Burger King reported a net profit of $25 million for the quarter, compared with a loss of $5.9 million during the same period last year.

Burger King Chief Financial Officer Daniel Schwartz credited the improvement to strong sales of its "new original chicken sandwich and French fries,'' plus promotional programs. The company also has been cutting costs through restructuring and refinancing its debt.

[via Burger Business]

San Diego: $5 Happy Hour Burgers at The Lincoln Room

2012-05-10T14:00:00Z

From A Hamburger Today

[Photos: Erin Jackson]

The Lincoln Room

901 4th Ave., San Diego CA 92101 (map); 619-696-8888; thelincolnroomsd.com
Cooking method: Grilled
Short Order: A tasty burger for the price, during Happy Hour
Want Fries With That? Skip 'em. The burger comes a la carte and the fries aren't worth the extra expense
Price: Angus burger, $5 (+$1 for cheese); turkey burger, $7.95; fries, $3.95
Notes: Happy hour is 3-7 p.m. daily, and all night on Wednesday

Happy Hour is the best time to be in the Gaslamp Quarter. The high concentration of bars and restaurants means lots of options, and the stiff competition keeps prices low enough to imbibe on a budget. One of the smartest spots to eat during Happy Hour is The Lincoln Room, where you can get a variety of food items for $5, like mussels, mac and cheese, deviled eggs, or a 1/3-pound Angus beef burger. On the regular menu, there's also a 1/3-pound turkey burger, topped with avocado and pepper jack cheese, so I did the only reasonable thing: I ordered both of them, plus a side of fries.

Five bucks buys you a pretty solid backyard cookout-style burger, served à la carte with butter lettuce, tomato, red onion, sprouts, and bread and butter pickles. Burgers are usually cooked to medium, but my request for medium rare was honored (though not exactly executed). The coarsely ground and simply seasoned patty was charred nicely on the outside, while the inside remained fairly moist, even though it was a smidge overcooked. Veggie toppings were crisp and fresh, but flavor-wise, the patty was lacking any in-your-face beefiness, and didn't reach the outsides of the bun. It needs a little help. Adding some strips of bacon would go a long way to ratchet up the flavor, or going with a more robust cheese. My choice (pepper jack) was cut too thin for the flavor to register.

What did stand out was the eggy brioche bun, which had the best characteristics of this divisive bread choice (it was soft and fluffy), and none of the fallbacks (it wasn't too sweet or too cakey). In hand, the buttery, toasted bun squished down to provide the ideal bread to meat ratio.

I was expecting more from the turkey burger. Instead of a patty made from ground turkey, seasoned with herbs and spices, I got a highly processed, reformed turkey patty, seasoned only with salt. Lots and lots of salt. The sodium blew away all of the other components, rendering them undetectable. Any calories you might save by choosing this option over the classic burger wouldn't be worth it. Just stick with the beef.

The burger comes solo, and the fries aren't worth ordering. Mine were dry and tasted too much like cardboard to bother with. You get a decent portion size for the price, but unless you use your fries as a ketchup delivery system, you might as well skip them and look to a pint of beer for extra sustenance.

For the price, The Lincoln Room serves a solid burger at Happy Hour. Pair it with a beverage and you can get both for $10 or less. That's a deal by any standard, especially in the Gaslamp.

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