tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26 2010-02-09T16:30:47Z Movable Type Enterprise 4.31-en http://www.ahamburgertoday.com/favicon.pngfeedmeaburgerhttp://feedburner.google.com tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.85192 2010-02-09T16:00:00Z 2010-02-09T16:30:47Z

[Photographs: Nick Solares] BAM: Burgers and More by Emeril 77 Sands Boulevard, Bethlehem PA 18015; map); 877-SANDS77; pasands.com Cooking Method: Grilled Short Order: Burger looks good on paper and in person, but it lacks flavor, and more importantly soul....

Nick Solares <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <p><img alt="2009-12-31-BAM-lede.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/2009-12-31-BAM-lede.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p class="caption">[<a href="" class="istock">Photographs: Nick Solares</a>]</p> <div class="breakoutbox"> <h4>BAM: Burgers and More by Emeril</h4> <p>77 Sands Boulevard, Bethlehem PA 18015; <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=77+Sands+Boulevard,+Bethlehem+PA+18015&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&hl=en&hq=77+Sands+Boulevard,&hnear=Bethlehem,+PA&ll=40.614734,-75.358583&spn=0.007729,0.016512&z=17&iwloc=A">map</a>); 877-SANDS77; <a href="http://www.pasands.com/dine/burgers-more.aspx">pasands.com</a><br /> <strong>Cooking Method:</strong> Grilled <br /> <strong>Short Order:</strong> Burger looks good on paper and in person, but it lacks flavor, and more importantly soul.<br /> <strong>Want Fries with That?</strong> Sure.<br /> <strong>Price:</strong> $14, comes with one side.</p></div> <p>There is no conversion of an edifice more indicative of the transformation of the American economy than that of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethlehem_Steel">Bethlehem Steel</a> building into a casino. Founded in 1857, Bethlehem Steel was once the virtual epicenter of steel manufacturing (only US Steel in nearby Pittsburgh was larger). For the next century it produced the steel that allowed skyscrapers to thrust further and further heavenwards, the hulls that floated the ships for America's navy and freight lines, and the armor that protected our veterans through two world wars. </p> <p>But by the 1970s, the company's fortunes declined in concert with the decline of American manufacturing in general, unable to compete with cheaper foreign imports. The company staggered on until 2003, losing billions of dollars along the way before declaring bankruptcy. When the <strong>Sands</strong> casino company purchased the land with the intention of building a casino, they faced an ironic problem: They had trouble finding enough steel due to a global shortage.</p> <p>But the casino was eventually built, and now stands as a testament to what American industry has become. Once we built ships and skyscrapers&mdash;now we produce bread and circuses. </p> <p>Hamburgers have changed a lot as well. Back in the days of Bethlehem Steel's prosperity, hamburgers were produced by line cooks in diners and teenagers in dedicated burger shacks; these days they seem to be increasingly the purview of chefs, especially <strong>celebrity chefs.</strong> Finding a celebrity chef burger in a casino may be the logical conclusion to the decline of manufacturing and the ascension of an entertainment and service-based economy. Thus, it is not surprising that <a href="http://www.emerils.com/">Emeril Lagasse</a> opened <strong>BAM (Burgers and More)</strong> late last year in the newly minted Sands casino.</p> <p><img alt="2009-12-31-BAM-facade.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/2009-12-31-BAM-facade.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p>I bet Lagasse was at BAM for a ribbon cutting ceremony when it opened, but he was nowhere to be found when I dined there. The somewhat predictable and not so clever name is based on Lagasse's tiresome catchphrase, "BAM!" which has been devalued by sheer overuse&mdash;it even found its way into a toothpaste commercial a while back. It used to connote the amping up of flavor, the act of adding something special to the mix. But is there any "BAM!" at BAM?</p> <p><img alt="2009-12-31-BAM-room.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/2009-12-31-BAM-room.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p>Things look good on paper. The menu offers three beef blends&mdash;prime chuck, grass fed, and brisket&mdash;along with some composed burgers such as the Herbert (short rib blend, chili, and onions) and the Creole (grass fed beef, andouille sausage, and pepper jack), as well as the option to build your own. Burgers come standard with the rabbit food trinity of lettuce, tomato, and onion, and one side item, but I kept things simple when I ordered a <strong>brisket blend topped with raw onions and American cheese.</strong></p> <p><img alt="2009-12-31-BAM-burger.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/2009-12-31-BAM-burger.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p>Things look good when the burger arrives. The plump bun bulges with a buxom patty that glistens in the light, and the cheese looks positively liquefied. It's a hefty burger at eight ounces, and the bun does a good job of containing it. Biting into it is a juicy experience: <strong>The blend gushes torrents,</strong> and the bun&mdash;an eggy, yellow affair&mdash;does a good job of soaking most of it up. The bread is sort of <strong>a cross between a brioche and a potato roll</strong>&mdash;fortunately, it veers more towards the latter. Although the cheese is perfectly melted, an additional slice may be required&mdash;it has trouble asserting itself due to the thick patty and bun. The patty had a decent crust and the inside was delivered rare as ordered. The grind was on the chunky side, but the flesh was tender.</p> <p><img alt="2009-12-31-BAM-autopsy.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/2009-12-31-BAM-autopsy.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p>Unfortunately, the patty, its admirable textural qualities aside, lacked flavor. <span class="pullquote">It was missing more than salt: The beef was dull and lacking minerality.</span> It seems to be as much a vehicle for other ingredients as much as the bun is supposed to be a vehicle for the beef. Loaded with toppings and larded with pork&mdash;Andouille sausage and pancetta live up to Lagasse's refrain of pork fat ruling&mdash;this burger might achieve a pleasing level of synergy. <strong>But a $14 burger using a custom prime beef blend should be able to go it alone;</strong> otherwise you may as well spend half the amount.</p> <p>I found it curious that Lagasse was recently <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/02/bam-emeril-legasse-to-open-burger-bistro/">quoted</a> as saying "We have to be a little bit price sensitive. That's why I don't have a restaurant in New York City." Not only can you get far cheaper burgers in New York City and elsewhere, but they have far more "bam" than the burgers at BAM. </p> <p>But what do you expect? This is casino food, designed to do what the casino itself does: separate you from your money. BAM has all the trappings of a burger joint, but it ultimately leaves you feeling hollow. The burger doesn't only lack flavor; it lacks a soul. </p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=ufNDfwlvQSo:LBFoXmkgVLQ:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=ufNDfwlvQSo:LBFoXmkgVLQ:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=ufNDfwlvQSo:LBFoXmkgVLQ:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/ufNDfwlvQSo" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/burgers-and-more-bam-emeril-lagasse-review-sands-casino-bethlehem-pa.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.85227 2010-02-08T23:00:00Z 2010-02-08T22:44:10Z

Austin > Dave's Hamburgers: Not a great burger, but not bad for something from a food court. [Austin Burger News] Dallas > Chip's: A juicy, well seasoned patty on a toasted and buttered bun. Good onion rings too. [Pegasus News]...

Robyn Lee <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <ul><li><strong>Austin > Dave's Hamburgers:</strong> Not a great burger, but not bad for something from a food court. [<a href="http://austinburgernews.com/2010/02/daves-hamburgers/">Austin Burger News</a>]</li> <li><strong>Dallas > Chip's:</strong> A juicy, well seasoned patty on a toasted and buttered bun. Good onion rings too. [<a href="http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2010/feb/08/burger-review-chips-old-fashioned-hamburgers-dalla/">Pegasus News</a>]</li> <li><strong>Dallas > Now Open:</strong> Although it's named 12 Burgers, it actually only has eight burger varieties. [<a href="http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2010/feb/08/12-burgers-belt-line-road/?refscroll=2240">Pegasus News</a>]</li> <li><strong>Michigan > Coming Soon:</strong> Basement Burger Bar in downtown Farmington will offer a variety of meats and toppings...and arcade games. [<a href="http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20100207/NEWS06/2070409/1023/">hometownlife.com</a>]</li> <li><strong>Boston > Best Burgers:</strong> Eight recommendations. [<a href="http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/food_dining/reviews/view/20100205bostons_burger_masters_where_to_find_primo_patties__bodacious_buns/">Boston Herald</a>]</li> <li><strong>Washington, D.C. > Coming Soon-ish:</strong> Atlanta-based <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/01/flip-burger-boutique-review-atlanta-ga.html">Flip Burger Boutique</a> will be coming to DC by the end of the year. [<a href="http://twitter.com/RichardBlais/status/8687608389">@RichardBlais</a>]</li> <li><strong>France > Quick's Strong Bacon:</strong> The new bacon-centric burger is a little too small and disappointing. [<a href="http://www.fastandfood.fr/2010/02/08/la-chronique-du-strong-bacon-de-quick/">FAST AND FOOD</a>]</li> <li><strong>California's Biggest Burger:</strong> Fagundes Meats in Manteca made a 250-pound burger over the weekend. [<a href="http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=74832&catid=2">News10.net</a>]</li> <li><strong>NYC > Boulud Truck:</strong> Daniel Boulud served a pork belly-topped burger as part of NBC's fancy food truck promotion. [<a href="http://midtownlunch.com/2010/02/08/at-lunch-now-liebrandts-fish-boulud-is-serving-burgers/">Midtown Lunch</a>]</li> </ul> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=yOSRSRFDwBw:gTC7LqK5ZHE:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=yOSRSRFDwBw:gTC7LqK5ZHE:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=yOSRSRFDwBw:gTC7LqK5ZHE:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/yOSRSRFDwBw" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/leftovers-the-days-stray-links-20100208.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.85228 2010-02-08T22:15:00Z 2010-02-08T22:18:42Z

If you watched the Super Bowl last night or have been poking around the intarwebs today, you probably caught Google's "Search Stories" ad titled "Parisian Love." But if you skimmed through the rest of the ads online, the one...

Adam Kuban <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <div class="videoEmbed"><object width="500" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/7EEPU65nF1U&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&hd=1&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/7EEPU65nF1U&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&hd=1&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="315"></embed></object></div> <p>If you watched the Super Bowl last night or have been poking around the intarwebs today, you probably caught Google's "Search Stories" ad titled "Parisian Love." But if you skimmed through <a href="http://www.youtube.com/searchstories">the rest of the ads online</a>, the one called "Out of Office" gives a quick nod to In-N-Out at the 40-second mark.</p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=V3TCyv-Ak1o:bDsWSEi8gX4:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=V3TCyv-Ak1o:bDsWSEi8gX4:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=V3TCyv-Ak1o:bDsWSEi8gX4:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/V3TCyv-Ak1o" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/video-in-n-out-burger-in-google-search-stories-ad.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.85194 2010-02-08T18:30:00Z 2010-02-08T18:25:03Z

Today's special burger at RUB BBQ is the Chili Burger ($7.50), topped with chili and cheese. It will be available for dinner starting at 6 p.m. 208 West 23rd Street, New York NY 10011 (map); 212-524-4300...

Robyn Lee <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <p>Today's special burger at <a href="http://www.rubbbq.net/">RUB BBQ</a> is the <strong>Chili Burger</strong> ($7.50), topped with chili and cheese. It will be available for dinner starting at 6 p.m. <em>208 West 23rd Street, New York NY 10011 (<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=208+West+23rd+Street,+New+York+NY+10001&amp;oe=utf-8&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;hl=en&amp;hq=&amp;hnear=208+W+23rd+St,+New+York,+10011&amp;ll=40.744095,-73.99646&amp;spn=0.007714,0.016512&amp;z=17&amp;iwloc=r7">map</a>); 212-524-4300</em></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=XgcP9xqgIUY:qI1mPrPchj8:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=XgcP9xqgIUY:qI1mPrPchj8:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=XgcP9xqgIUY:qI1mPrPchj8:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/XgcP9xqgIUY" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/todays-special-burger-at-rub-bbq-chili-burger.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.85177 2010-02-08T16:45:58Z 2010-02-08T16:53:31Z

[Photograph: Threadless] We mentioned the Burgervetica T-shirt here on AHT when it was just a concept on Threadless. But it appears to have gotten enough votes that it's being made and sold. $18 from Threadless [via Hamburger Matty]...

Adam Kuban <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.threadless.com/product/2202/Burgervetica&streetteam=capn"><img alt="20100208-burgervetica.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100208-burgervetica.jpg" width="500" height="500" /></a></p> <p class="caption">[<a href="http://www.threadless.com/product/2202/Burgervetica&streetteam=capn" class="istock">Photograph: Threadless</a>]</p> <p>We <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/11/burgervetica-t-shirt.html">mentioned</a> the Burgervetica T-shirt here on AHT when it was just a concept on Threadless. But it appears to have gotten enough votes that it's being made and sold. <strong><a href="http://www.threadless.com/product/2202/Burgervetica&streetteam=capn"><em>$18 from Threadless</em></a></strong></p> <p>[via <a href="http://www.capndesign.com/">Hamburger Matty</a>]</p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=--izFBtZNtc:tUXhUVRjBT8:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=--izFBtZNtc:tUXhUVRjBT8:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=--izFBtZNtc:tUXhUVRjBT8:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/--izFBtZNtc" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/burgervetica-t-shirt-now-available-on-threadless.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.84771 2010-02-08T16:00:00Z 2010-02-08T21:12:03Z

Brad Japhe has previously contributed a review of Flame Gourmet Burgers in Berkeley, and a recipe for a Father's Office-style burger. Today he brings another Berkeley review of Meridian International Sports Cafe. [Photographs: Brad Japhe] Meridian International Sports Cafe 2050...

Brad Japhe <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <p><small>Brad Japhe has previously contributed a review of <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/06/flame-gourmet-burgers-in-berkeley-california.html">Flame Gourmet Burgers</a> in Berkeley, and a recipe for a <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/06/a-fathers-office-burger-for-fathers-day-recipe.html">Father's Office-style burger</a>. Today he brings another Berkeley review of Meridian International Sports Cafe.</small></p> <p><img alt="20100208-meridian-burger.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100208-meridian-burger.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p class="caption">[Photographs: Brad Japhe]</p> <div class="breakoutbox"> <h4>Meridian International Sports Cafe</h4> <p>2050 University Avenue, Berkeley CA 94704 (<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=2050+University+Avenue,+Berkeley+94704&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=2050+University+Ave,+Berkeley,+Alameda,+California+94704&gl=us&ei=NqJvS4y6DIzR8QbByeD6DA&ved=0CAkQ8gEwAA&z=16&iwloc=r1">map</a>); 510-705-1450; <a href="http://www.berkeleymeridian.com">berkeleymeridian.com</a><br /> <strong>Cooking Method:</strong> Grilled<br /> <strong>Short Order:</strong> Good flavors made possible by original sauces and quality ingredients.<br /> <strong>Want Fries with That?</strong> Delicious duck fat frites are outstanding. <br /> <strong>Prices:</strong> 5-ounce cheeseburger, w/ choice of cheddar or bleu with parsley fries, $9.00<br /> <strong>Notes:</strong> 24 Beers on draft including several noteworthy regional microbrews</p></div> <p>If you live in New York or Los Angeles, you may know just how hip and trendy <strong>gastropubs</strong> have become. People pack themselves behind a crowded bar for the privilege of waiting an hour or two for a $10 beer to wash down a $20 burger.</p> <p>And yet for all their flashiness, it can't be denied that many of these exclusive destinations back up the hype, offering gourmet hamburgers that have elevated the stature of a dish once regarded as a purely pedestrian meal. There's nothing pedestrian about dry-aged ground ribeye, crumbled Roquefort, onion-molasses compote, and lightly toasted ciabatta, some of the hamburger enhancements made popular by <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/07/the-spotted-pig-burger-without-cheese-greenwich-west-village-manhattan-nyc.html">The Spotted Pig</a>, <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/03/secrets_of_minetta_taverns_black_label_burger_1.html">Minetta Tavern</a>, and <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/10/fathers-office-burger-sandwich-los-angeles-la-california.html">Father's Office</a>, to name a few of the nation's more notable gastropubs. </p> <p>But within the significantly toned-down confines of Berkeley, California, there is a palpable resistance to all things flashy and mainstream. Although gastropubs have not proliferated throughout this notoriously countercultural community, there is <strong>Meridian International Sports Cafe</strong> situated on University Avenue in the heart of downtown. Meridian's non-pretentious vibe, inviting atmosphere, and original menu finally make the gastropub approachable for Berkeleyans by being comforting but not conforming.</p> <p>The first thing you notice when you walk into Meridian is how lofty and open it is. Huge ceilings with well-adjusted acoustics allow you to hear more of the sports commentary rumbling from the dozen or so flat screen TVs around the bar and less of the monotonous din that hangs ominously over many a crowded watering hole. I sit down to a friendly and attentive bar staff that asks me to choose from <strong>24 beers on draft, mostly regional microbrews.</strong> </p> <p><img alt="20100208-meridian-closer.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100208-meridian-closer.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p>Their burger is served with thick cut steak-fries and your choice of cheddar or bleu cheese for a reasonable $9. I decide to go with the <strong>bleu cheese burger</strong> and add crumbled bacon. It doesn't take me long to choose <a href="http://www.bearrepublic.com">Bear Republic</a>'s exquisite <strong>Racer 5 IPA</strong> to balance out the pungent flavor of the bleu cheese and the smoky bacon. The delightfully hoppy flavor and aromas of this hearty, pale monster are perfectly suited to pierce through the biting strength of the bleu.</p> <p><img alt="20100208-meridian-innards.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100208-meridian-innards.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p>Before delving into a hamburger, I always cut it in half. Besides making it easier and cleaner to eat, it's the quickest way to gauge how your meat was actually cooked&mdash;my medium rare burger comes cooked as ordered, with the fresh juices of the handmade patty saturating the lightly grill-toasted ciabatta bun. Cutting the burger in half also gives the opportunity to look at an aesthetically pleasing cross section. Here I see big clumps of bleu cheese lightly melted atop a crispy, charred five-ounce patty that has an almost glowing redness at its core. Crumbled bacon and sweet red onions are smothered on top of the cheese, which is oozing off the sides of the burger, and the meat is sitting on a bed of lettuce and chopped tomato. The only thing I need to add are the <strong>sweet and crispy pickles</strong> served on the side. I'm delighted when the bartender informs me that the kitchen does its own pickling. </p> <p>I take my first bite: The flavor of fresh ground beef is perfectly accompanied by the salty tang of quality bleu cheese. I pause in a moment of culinary bliss, punctuated by that cold, refreshingly piney goodness that only a top-notch <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_Pale_Ale">India Pale Ale</a> can offer. </p> <p><img alt="20100208-meridian-fries.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100208-meridian-fries.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p>The <strong>french fries,</strong> sprinkled with parsley and perhaps a few other herbs, are thick, but well cooked so they're not mushy, which steak fries tend to be. The fries come with a deliciously rich and savory <strong>remoulade</strong>&mdash;like an herbal mayonnaise on steroids. Garlic Parmesan fries and duck fat frites are available for an extra price, and both are addictive enough to deserve to be criminally outlawed. </p> <p><img alt="20100208-meridian-empty.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100208-meridian-empty.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p>I was very satisfied with my burger experience at Meridian. Their burger had the chef-prepared hallmarks of good gastropub cuisine in an environment that was easy to digest&mdash;elegant but not pretentious&mdash;and I got to drink delicious beer at a reasonable price while watching tennis and basketball on large HD screens. I ended up with an empty plate and a full belly. Bonus points were added for promoting civic awareness: They preempted several meaningless midseason college basketball games to show the politically-savvy diners a live Obama delivering his State of the Union Address. Hearing the woes of the world while I dined reminded me that even in trying times, the good life is never more than a burger, beer, and ball game away. Thanks to Meridian International Sports Cafe, you can find it in the heart of Berkeley.</p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=MaIuJYiRca8:Sh7LNzsubzM:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=MaIuJYiRca8:Sh7LNzsubzM:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=MaIuJYiRca8:Sh7LNzsubzM:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/MaIuJYiRca8" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/meridian-international-sports-cafe-gastropub-burger-review-berkeley-ca.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.85120 2010-02-08T14:00:00Z 2010-02-08T06:26:24Z

You may enjoy all kinds of burgers, but is there one you prefer over the rest? If you don't know your burger styles, all the choices are explained in our guide to hamburger and cheeseburger styles. Take the poll after...

Robyn Lee <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <p>You may enjoy all kinds of burgers, but is there one you prefer over the rest? If you don't know your burger styles, all the choices are explained in our <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/09/a-guide-to-glossary-of-regional-american-burger-cheeseburger-styles-and-cooking-methods.html">guide to hamburger and cheeseburger styles</a>. <span class="hideme"><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/aht-poll-whats-your-favorite-burger-style.html">Take the poll after the jump »</a></span></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=JQ0Ojredff4:YfjkKHQmVB8:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=JQ0Ojredff4:YfjkKHQmVB8:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=JQ0Ojredff4:YfjkKHQmVB8:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/JQ0Ojredff4" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/aht-poll-whats-your-favorite-burger-style.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.85077 2010-02-07T22:00:00Z 2010-02-07T22:19:52Z

In case you missed them, here are the top three new posts from the last week. 1. Reality Check: McDonald's Angus Third Pounder It looks better than it tastes. 2. Hodad's in San Diego Goes Beyond Bacon Strips with a...

Robyn Lee <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <p><small>In case you missed them, here are the top three new posts from the last week.</small></p> <p><strong>1. <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/reality-check-mcdonalds-angus-third-pounder.html">Reality Check: McDonald's Angus Third Pounder</a></strong><br /> It looks better than it tastes.</p> <p><strong>2. <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/hodads-bacon-cheeseburger-review-san-diego-ca.html">Hodad's in San Diego Goes Beyond Bacon Strips with a Bacon Patty</a></strong><br /> Bacon patty = better than bacon strips.</p> <p><strong>3. <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/jacks-classic-hamburgers-review-north-hollywood-los-angeles-ca.html">An Old-Fashioned Burger at Jack's Classic Hamburgers in North Hollywood</a></strong> <br /> Get a picture perfect Southern California-style burger for a remarkably fair price.</p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=Eee4ydVCqUY:eeOgHMD2bgk:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=Eee4ydVCqUY:eeOgHMD2bgk:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=Eee4ydVCqUY:eeOgHMD2bgk:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/Eee4ydVCqUY" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/top-posts-from-last-week-20100207.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.84996 2010-02-07T00:00:00Z 2010-02-07T01:18:07Z

There be raw onion in this burger. [Photograph: Robyn Lee] Here are the results to this week's poll: How Do You Like Onions on Your Burger? Raw 44% Grilled 19% Sautéed 21% Fried, unbattered 3% Fried, battered 6% Pickled...

Robyn Lee <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <p><img alt="20100206-burgerwithonion.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100206-burgerwithonion.jpg" width="500" height="333"/></p> <p class="caption">There be raw onion in this burger. [<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/roboppy/4023533410/" class="istock">Photograph: Robyn Lee</a>]</p> <p>Here are the results to this week's poll: <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/aht-poll-how-do-you-like-onions-on-your-burger.html">How Do You Like Onions on Your Burger?</a></p> <p><strong>Raw</strong> 44%<br /> <strong>Grilled</strong> 19%<br /> <strong>Sautéed</strong> 21%<br /> <strong>Fried, unbattered</strong> 3%<br /> <strong>Fried, battered</strong> 6%<br /> <strong>Pickled</strong> 2%<br /> <strong>Other</strong> 2%<br /> <strong>No onions for me, please</strong> 7%</p> <p>Raw is the winner by a long shot. I'd like raw onions more if they didn't always leave my mouth with an unpleasant aftertaste that lasts for hours.</p> <p>Thanks for your participation! Stay tuned for next week's poll. (As always, I take poll suggestions.)</p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=an0ql4lQxVk:IJyygIH6mvI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=an0ql4lQxVk:IJyygIH6mvI:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=an0ql4lQxVk:IJyygIH6mvI:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/an0ql4lQxVk" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/this-weeks-poll-results-20100206.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.84903 2010-02-05T23:45:00Z 2010-02-05T23:46:13Z

[Flickr: EastofNYC / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0] Next Tuesday, February 9, RUB BBQ will hold a Master Hamburger Seminar hosted by James Beard Award-winning burger expert Josh Ozersky, author of The Hamburger: A History. The seminar will include a regional burger...

Robyn Lee <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <div class="photo-with-caption" style="width:250px"><img alt="20100205-rubbbq.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100205-rubbbq.jpg" width="250" height="168" /><p class="caption">[<a rel="cc:attributionURL" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastofnyc/4101355703/in/photostream" class="istock">Flickr: EastofNYC</a> / <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/" class="istock">CC BY-NC-ND 2.0</a>]</p></div> <p>Next Tuesday, February 9, <a href="http://www.rubbbq.net/">RUB BBQ</a> will hold a <strong>Master Hamburger Seminar</strong> hosted by James Beard Award-winning burger expert <strong>Josh Ozersky,</strong> author of <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0300117582/?tag=serieats-20">The Hamburger: A History</a></em>. The seminar will include a regional burger tasting&mdash;featuring a Mississippi Meatball burger, a North Jersey-style onion <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/09/guide-to-sliders-white-manna-rose-system-diamond-northern-new-jersey-nj.html">slider</a>, and a Wisconsin-style <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/09/a-guide-to-glossary-of-regional-american-burger-cheeseburger-styles-and-cooking-methods.html#butterburgers">butter burger</a>&mdash;and "delve into the tastes of different beef blends, look at cooking methods, and offer tales and insights on the advanced frontier of hamburger experimentation." Beer is included in the ticket price.</p> <h5 class="restname">Master Hamburger Seminar at RUB BBQ</h5> <p>Tuesday, February 9, 6 p.m.<br /> $30/person<br /> 208 West 23rd Street, New York NY 10011 (b/n 7th and 8th; <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=208+West+23rd+Street+nyc&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=208+W+23rd+St,+New+York,+10011&gl=us&ei=E6psS4j4AZ6ltgf-2b2BBg&ved=0CAkQ8gEwAA&ll=40.744095,-73.99646&spn=0.007478,0.016512&z=17&iwloc=r11">map</a>)<br /> RSVPs are required: 212-524-4300; <a href="mailto:rubburger@yahoo.com">rubburger@yahoo.com</a></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=DYZQ7pn8gQo:omxfeXYvrLU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=DYZQ7pn8gQo:omxfeXYvrLU:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=DYZQ7pn8gQo:omxfeXYvrLU:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/DYZQ7pn8gQo" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/master-hamburger-seminar-rub-bbq-february-9-nyc.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.84893 2010-02-05T22:45:00Z 2010-02-05T22:55:10Z

Dallas > Five Guys vs. Wingfields: In the battle between burger chain and South Dallas landmark, the latter wins. [Dallas Observer] Victoria > Fernwood Inn: There's too much bun, but the flame-grilled patty and double-smoked bacon are good. [Victoria Burger...

Robyn Lee <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <ul><li><strong>Dallas > Five Guys vs. Wingfields:</strong> In the battle between burger chain and South Dallas landmark, the latter wins. [<a href="http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/cityofate/2010/02/5_guys_versus_wingfields_the_b.php">Dallas Observer</a>]</li> <li><strong>Victoria > Fernwood Inn:</strong> There's too much bun, but the flame-grilled patty and double-smoked bacon are good. [<a href="http://vicburgers.blogspot.com/2010/02/fernwood-inn-1320-gladstone-avenue.html">Victoria Burger Blog</a>]</li> <li><strong>Nashville > Now Open:</strong> Ant B's Burgers is currently open for lunch and hopes to add breakfast soon. [<a href="http://blogs.nashvillescene.com/bites/2010/02/b_is_for_burger.php">Nashville Scene</a>]</li> <li><strong>Arkansas > Ed Walker's Drive-In and Restaurant:</strong> Their Giant Cheeseburger is five pounds of beef topped with cheese and served on a custom made bun with toppings and condiments on the side. [<a href="http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/eatarkansas/2010/02/burger_bonanza.aspx">Arkansas Times</a>]</li></ul> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=LWTxerKc9Pw:P13PqPN-guc:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=LWTxerKc9Pw:P13PqPN-guc:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=LWTxerKc9Pw:P13PqPN-guc:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/LWTxerKc9Pw" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/leftovers-the-days-stray-links-20100205.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.84840 2010-02-05T20:30:00Z 2010-02-05T20:48:34Z

There isn't anything timely about this video: We just happened to be passing around this charming online cooking show Feed Me Bubbe ("bubbe" = grandmother in Yiddish) around the office last week and found a burger episode from August...

Robyn Lee <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/video-feed-me-bubbe-episode-5-bubbe-burgers.html"><img alt="20100205-feedmebubbe.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100205-feedmebubbe.jpg" width="500" height="340" /></a></p> <p>There isn't anything timely about this video: We just happened to be passing around this charming online cooking show <em><a href="http://www.feedmebubbe.com/">Feed Me Bubbe</a></em> ("bubbe" = grandmother in Yiddish) around the office last week and found a burger episode from August 2006. Bubbe's burger made of ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, garlic, and onion may seem more meatloaf than burger, but that's the way Bubbe learned to make them from her mother. "The taste is out of this world&mdash;better than the regular hamburger," she says. I'm not going to argue with a Jewish grandmother. <span class="hideme">Watch the video after the jump.</span></p> <h4>Feed Me Bubbe Episode #5: Bubbe Burgers</h4> <div class="videoEmbed"><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wYibcJVuUqQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wYibcJVuUqQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></div> <p>You can read the recipe <a href="http://www.chalutzproductions.com/FeedMeBubbe/Recipes/Recipe5.html">here</a>. Anyone else's grandma have her own hamburger recipe?</p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=jJt6qO9ECsc:y035CnmEnc0:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=jJt6qO9ECsc:y035CnmEnc0:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=jJt6qO9ECsc:y035CnmEnc0:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/jJt6qO9ECsc" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/video-feed-me-bubbe-episode-5-bubbe-burgers.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.84688 2010-02-05T15:30:00Z 2010-02-05T15:40:13Z

Liz Bomze lives in Brookline, Masachusetts, and works as the Associate Features Editor for Cook's Illustrated Magazine. She also freelances regularly for the Boston Globe, Boston Magazine, The Improper Bostonian, and Martha's Vineyard Magazine. Though eating is an all-day, everyday...

Liz Bomze <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <p><small>Liz Bomze lives in Brookline, Masachusetts, and works as the Associate Features Editor for <em><a href="http://www.cooksillustrated.com/">Cook's Illustrated Magazine</a>.</em> She also freelances regularly for the <em><a href="http://www.boston.com/">Boston Globe</a>, <a href="http://www.bostonmagazine.com/">Boston Magazine</a>, <a href="http://www.improper.com/">The Improper Bostonian</a>,</em> and <em><a href="http://www.mvmagazine.com/">Martha's Vineyard Magazine</a>.</em> Though eating is an all-day, everyday part of working at <em>Cook's,</em> she had no problem trying 10 burgers in one night to bring us this report of Monday's Burger Bash in Boston.</small></p> <p><img alt="20100205-burgerbash-intro.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/intro/20100205-burgerbash-intro.jpg" width="500" height="250" /></p> <p class="caption">[Photographs: Liz Bomze]</p> <p>As a warm-up to this month's annual gut-busting <a href="http://www.sobefest.com/2010/view-events.php?event=2">Burger Bash</a> in South Beach, Florida, this past Monday chef <strong>Ken Oringer</strong> converted his Nine Zero Hotel steakhouse <a href="http://www.koprimeboston.com/">KO Prime</a> into a competition hall and challenged nine of his fellow burger-slinging contemporaries to a flame-broiled battle of bovine proportions. The stakes (or patties, we should say): a beefy donation to <a href="http://www.autismspeaks.org/">Autism Speaks</a>, a nine-dollar trophy, and a year's worth of juicy, cheesy glory as the incumbent meat to beat. </p> <h4>Prime Pick</h4> <p><img alt="20100205-burgerbash-bristol.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100205-burgerbash-bristol.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p><strong>Bristol Lounge</strong> | <em>chef Brooke Vosika</em></p> <p>In a perfect world, that crispy potato ring would have been a deep-fried onion. Otherwise, chef Vosika's in-house dry-aged prime burger&mdash;festooned with high-class fixin's like buttery béarnaise and foie torchon (this is the Four Seasons, after all), plus your average lettuce, tomato, and side of crinkle-cut pickle chips&mdash;earned the extra two votes it needed to take gold. <em>200 Boylston Street, Boston MA 02116 (<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=200+Boylston+Street,+Boston+MA+02116&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=200+Boylston+St,+Boston,+Suffolk,+Massachusetts+02116&gl=us&ei=R4BrS4qoMci0tgee0cn8BQ&ved=0CAgQ8gEwAA&ll=42.3524,-71.068071&spn=0.007524,0.016512&z=17">map</a>); 617-351-2037; <a href="http://www.fourseasons.com/boston/dining/the_bristol_lounge.html">fourseasons.com</a></em></p> <h4>Choice Cut</h4> <p><img alt="20100205-burgerbash-torocoppa.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100205-burgerbash-torocoppa.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p><strong>Toro/Coppa</strong> | <em>chefs Jamie Bissonnette and Ken Oringer</em></p> <p>Many local carnivores (myself included) figured Bissonnette's "messy" burger was a shoe-in champ, and not just because it was slathered in Toro's grilled corn schmear: aioli, espelette pepper, lime juice, and crumbled cotija. The dry-aged sirloin-short rib combo (though maybe a tad too blood-red for some more squeamish stomachs) packed all the beefy flavor of a well-marbled steak in the confines of a delightfully squishy, average enriched wheat flour bun from 7-11. <em>1704 Washington Street, Boston MA 02118 (<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;q=toro+restaurant+boston&amp;fb=1&amp;gl=us&amp;hq=toro+restaurant&amp;hnear=boston&amp;cid=0,0,12221852768954856409&amp;ei=_EsMS73ECpDhlAfrkKWkBA&amp;ved=0CAgQnwIwAA&amp;ll=42.338467,-71.076136&amp;spn=0.008264,0.01929&amp;z=16&amp;iwloc=A">map</a>); 617-536-4300; <a href="http://www.toro-restaurant.com/">toro-restaurant.com</a>; 253 Shawmut Avenue, Boston, MA 02118 (<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=coppa+boston&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&hl=en&hq=coppa&hnear=Boston,+MA&ll=42.343352,-71.068548&spn=0.007525,0.016512&z=17&iwloc=A">map</a>); 617-391-0902; <a href="http://www.coppaboston.com/">coppaboston.com</a></em></p> <h4>A Select Few (in no particular order)</h4> <p><img alt="20100205-burgerbash-seldelaterre.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100205-burgerbash-seldelaterre.jpg" width="500" height="600" /></p> <p><strong>Sel de la Terre</strong> | <em>chef Louis DiBiccari</em></p> <p>Equipped with his "I 'heart' burger" t-shirt and a pint of PBR, chef Louis DiBiccari talked up the nice 'n fatty (70/30) ground chuck he gets from a small Maine farm (no wonder the juices were flowing!), Vermont cheddar, and pancetta, which they smoke in-house, chop fine, and fold into the Sriracha-spiked mayo. <em>Multiple locations in Boston (<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&view=map&q=Sel+de+la+Terre+boston&sll=42.35964,-71.05155&sspn=0.014587,0.033023&gl=us&ie=UTF8&hq=Sel+de+la+Terre&hnear=Boston,+MA&z=15">map</a>); <a href="http://www.seldelaterre.com/">seldelaterre.com</a></em></p> <p><img alt="20100205-burgerbash-koprime.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100205-burgerbash-koprime.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p><strong>KO Prime</strong> | <em>chefs Josh Buehler and Ken Oringer</em></p> <p>There was more than a little KO in this Meyers Ranch chuck mini-burger: a thick slab of foie torchon, citrusy yuzu aioli, kabayaki glaze (a.k.a. the stuff they shellack on barbecued eel), and a requisite housemade pickle sandwiched beneath a golden dome of baby <a href="http://www.iggysbread.com">Iggy's</a> brioche. It was a tempting attempt at gourmet burger nirvana, though clearly out-beefed by the competition at the host's other table. <em>90 Tremont Street, Boston MA 02108 (<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&q=KO+Prime&fb=1&gl=us&hq=KO+Prime&hnear=Boston,+MA&cid=0,0,1137696869426838409&ei=RW5rS8KVAceUtgfOooiRBg&ved=0CAoQnwIwAA&ll=42.356976,-71.061492&spn=0.007294,0.016512&z=17&iwloc=A">map</a>); 617-772-0202; <a href="http://www.koprimeboston.com">koprimeboston.com</a></em></p> <p><img alt="20100205-burgerbash-tremont.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100205-burgerbash-tremont.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p><strong>Tremont 647</strong> | <em>chef Andy Husbands</em></p> <p>Meet the Burger Daddy: "No bells, no whistles, no shrimp (see Blue Ginger)," jested the sandwich's proud creator. Just the basics: medium-rare grass-fed beef (a custom chuck-brisket blend), lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle, and "secret sauce"&mdash;all curiously stacked on a whole wheat bun. <em>647 Tremont Street, Boston MA 02118; 617-266-4600; <a href="http://www.tremont647.com">tremont647.com</a></em></p> <p><img alt="20100205-burgerbash-stella.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100205-burgerbash-stella.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p><strong>Stella</strong> | <em>chef Evan Deluty</em></p> <p>For those unfamiliar with New Haven's finest, the sandwich bread wasn't just for shock value (or because the chef ran out of regular buns). "It's a tribute to the <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/07/louis-lunch-new-haven-connecticut-ct-home-of-the-hamburger.html">Louis' Lunch</a> original," Deluty explained (though I doubt the luncheonette stuffs their burger with fontina). The 80/20 chuck-sirloin blend developed a deep, crisp crust that crunched right along with the lettuce and house pickle. <em>1525 Washington Street, Boston MA 02118 (<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&view=map&q=Stella&sll=42.343067,-71.078582&sspn=0.007097,0.016512&gl=us&ie=UTF8&radius=0.42&rq=1&ev=zi&hq=Stella&hnear=&ll=42.34014,-71.072091&spn=0.007098,0.016512&z=17">map</a>); 617-247-7747; <a href="http://www.bostonstella.com">bostonstella.com</a></em></p> <p><img alt="20100205-burgerbash-greenstreet.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100205-burgerbash-greenstreet.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p><strong>Green Street Grill</strong> | <em>chef Greg Reeves</em></p> <p>A tall order, from top to bottom: local bakery bun, Russian dressing, applewood-smoked bacon, panko-crusted fried pickle, medium-rare chuck-short rib patty, melty American cheese, another beefy patty, more melty cheese, bun bottom. If you could bite into it, the pleasure was all yours. <em>280 Green Street, Cambridge MA 02139 (<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&view=map&q=Green+Street+Grill+boston&sll=42.342163,-71.072509&sspn=0.014195,0.033023&gl=us&ie=UTF8&hq=Green+Street+Grill&hnear=Boston,+MA&ll=42.364561,-71.104041&spn=0.007293,0.016512&z=17&iwloc=A">map</a>); 617-876-1655; <a href="http://www.greenstreetgrill.com">greenstreetgrill.com</a></em></p> <p><img alt="20100205-burgerbash-lowerdepths.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100205-burgerbash-lowerdepths.jpg" width="500" height="300" /></p> <p><strong>The Lower Depths</strong> | <em>chef Tyler Potter</em></p> <p>Between the sliced grilled apple, applewood-smoked bacon, bacon fat, smoked gouda, and squirt of apple-jalapeño ketchup, this ground chuck patty from Kenmore Square's beloved subterranean beer bar got lost in a cloud of sweet smoke. <em>476 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 (<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&view=map&q=The+Lower+Depths+boston&sll=42.34014,-71.072091&sspn=0.007098,0.016512&gl=us&ie=UTF8&hq=The+Lower+Depths&hnear=Boston,+MA&ll=42.348601,-71.09386&spn=0.014193,0.033023&z=16&iwloc=A">map</a>); 617-266-6662</em></p> <p><img alt="20100205-burgerbash-blueginger.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100205-burgerbash-blueginger.jpg" width="500" height="582"/></p> <p><strong>Blue Ginger</strong> | <em>chef Ming Tsai</em></p> <p>There was no mistaking the TV personality in the room, but maybe that's simply Ming's way of drawing a crowd. For his surf-and-turf approach, the famed Wellesley chef topped a thick, springy ground-shrimp cake with braised oxtail hash, Asian slaw, pickle-y jalapeño tartar sauce, and frizzled shallots before packaging the whole bundle in a shiny sea salt-sesame bun. <em>583 Washington Street, Wellesley, MA 02482 (<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&view=map&q=Blue+Ginger+boston&sll=42.348601,-71.09386&sspn=0.014193,0.033023&gl=us&ie=UTF8&hq=Blue+Ginger&hnear=Boston,+MA&ll=42.295167,-71.293416&spn=0.007103,0.016512&z=17&iwloc=A">map</a>; 781-283-5790; <a href="http://www.ming.com">ming.com</a></em></p> <p><img alt="20100205-burgerbash-mikescitydiner.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100205-burgerbash-mikescitydiner.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p><strong>Mike's City Diner</strong> | <em>chef Jay Hajj</em></p> <p>A Greek-style gyro-turned lamb burger. Not a purist's take by any means, but the juicy, well-spiced meat and appropriately Athenian condiments&mdash;pickled turnip salsa and mint-yogurt tahini sauce&mdash;all swaddled between pita halves had several tasters sheepishly reaching for a second helping. <em>1714 Washington Street, Boston MA 02118 (<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&view=map&q=Mike%27s+City+Diner+boston&sll=42.352399,-71.068068&sspn=0.007294,0.016512&gl=us&ie=UTF8&hq=Mike%27s+City+Diner&hnear=Boston,+MA&ll=42.336786,-71.076307&spn=0.014593,0.033023&z=16&iwloc=A">map</a>); 617-267-9393; <a href="http://www.mikescitydiner.com">mikescitydiner.com</a></em></p> <p><img alt="20100205-burgerbash-judges.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100205-burgerbash-judges.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p>The judges, from left to right: <a href="http://www.chefchudy.com/">Richard Chudy</a>, <a href="http://www.goodeater.org/">J. Kenji Lopez-Alt</a> (aka our <a href="/tags/The Burger Lab">Burger Lab contributor</a>), and <a href="http://www.andrewrimas.com/">Andrew Rimas</a>.</p> <p><img alt="20100205-burgerbash-winner.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100205-burgerbash-winner.jpg" width="500" height="300" /></p> <p>The trophy and winner Brooke Vosika of Bristol Lounge.</p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=zkiaJJu1bpU:V7ypntgA5GI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=zkiaJJu1bpU:V7ypntgA5GI:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=zkiaJJu1bpU:V7ypntgA5GI:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/zkiaJJu1bpU" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/10-burgers-in-one-night-at-the-2010-boston-burger-bash.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.84743 2010-02-05T00:15:00Z 2010-02-05T00:21:30Z

Denver > My Brother's Bar: The JCB, the bar's most famous burger, is topped with jalapeño cream cheese and comes on a sesame-seed bun. [The A.V. Club] Florida State Fair: They're serving Krispy Kreme Doughnut Burgers. Find it at the...

Robyn Lee <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <ul><li><strong>Denver > My Brother's Bar:</strong> The JCB, the bar's most famous burger, is topped with jalapeño cream cheese and comes on a sesame-seed bun. [<a href="http://www.avclub.com/denver/articles/the-jcb-and-not-a-damn-thing-else-at-my-brothers-b,37341/">The A.V. Club</a>]</li> <li><strong>Florida State Fair:</strong> They're serving Krispy Kreme Doughnut Burgers. Find it at the stand by the deep-fried candy bars. [<a href="http://www.tampabay.com/features/food/general/article1070203.ece">St. Petersburg Times</a>]</li> <li><strong>NYC > Goodburger:</strong> "Awful value and mediocre food." [<a href="http://burgersofbrooklyn.wordpress.com/2010/02/04/metrocard-special-goodburger/">Burgers of Brooklyn</a>]</li> <li><strong>Seattle > Quest for the Best Burger:</strong> Comparison between Skillet Street Food, Blue Moon Burgers, and Two Bells Tavern. [<a href="http://digitalmileage.com/2010/02/04/quest-for-the-best-burger/">Digital Mileage</a>]</li></ul> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=snHI-WzBBjo:xayYC-q0y8I:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=snHI-WzBBjo:xayYC-q0y8I:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=snHI-WzBBjo:xayYC-q0y8I:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/snHI-WzBBjo" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/leftovers-the-days-stray-links-20100204.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.84727 2010-02-04T22:30:00Z 2010-02-04T22:35:17Z

Here's a recommendation we received this week in the AHT inbox. Recently I was back home visiting family in Iowa and came across a great place to get a burger. The link to the Best Burger in Iowa Contest inspired...

Robyn Lee <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <p><small>Here's a recommendation we received this week in the AHT inbox.</small></p> <blockquote><p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/tags/Dear AHT" alt="Dear AHT, Letters From Our Readers" title="Dear AHT, Letters From Our Readers"><img alt="Dear AHT, Letters From Our Readers" title="Dear AHT, Letters From Our Readers" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/bug-dearaht-right.png" class="photo-right" height="75" width="75"></a>Recently I was back home visiting family in Iowa and came across a great place to get a burger. The link to the <a href="http://www.iabeef.org/Content/bestburger.aspx">Best Burger in Iowa Contest</a> inspired me to write you about them.</p> <p><strong>The place is <a href="http://augustarestaurant.net/">Augusta Restaurant</a></strong> in Oxford, Iowa (between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids). The description on the website does not do the <strong>Big Easy Burger</strong> justice. They source their beef from a local farmer, they grind the beef for each burger only when they make it, and they serve each burger on a bun they bake themselves. The burgers are topped with fresh (local when available) lettuce, tomato, onions, and homemade mayonnaise.</p> <p>Honestly I was a bit shocked to find that sort of restaurant in Iowa. My father happened to know about it and took me there to try it out. I've eaten plenty of good burgers in Washington DC; Central, Cafe Saint Ex, etc... The Big Easy Burger is definitely on the same level and made with the same care as anything else I've ever had. </p> <p>I hope you or one of your reviewers gets the chance to try out Augusta's burger.</p> <p>Sincerely, <br /> Aaron B.</p></blockquote> <h5 class="restname">Augusta Restaurant</h5> <p>101 North Augusta Avenue, Oxford IA 52322 (<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=augusta+restaurant+iowa&gl=us&cd=1&ei=qkprS-_PLIHCMaSo7eAO&sig2=iCnrHytbrHoou082WtZ3ig&ie=UTF8&hl=en&view=map&cid=15511078079930179939&ved=0CB4QpQY&hq=augusta+restaurant+iowa&hnear=&ll=41.722252,-91.79067&spn=0.007599,0.016512&z=17&iwloc=A">map</a>)<br /> 319-828-2252; <a href="http://www.augustarestaurant.net">augustarestaurant.net</a></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=Gwz2K_5XoWc:UsVZmJg7Npk:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=Gwz2K_5XoWc:UsVZmJg7Npk:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=Gwz2K_5XoWc:UsVZmJg7Npk:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/Gwz2K_5XoWc" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/dear-aht-great-burger-in-iowa-augusta-restaurant.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.84503 2010-02-04T15:45:00Z 2010-02-04T19:55:24Z

[Exterior photograph: Daniel Zemans; all other photographs: Blake Royer] Hot Chocolate 1747 N. Damen Ave. Chicago IL 60647 (map); 773-489-1747‎; hotchocolatechicago.com Cooking Method: Gas grill Short Order: The desserts make this place a culinary landmark, but the burger is...

Daniel Zemans <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <p><img alt="20100204-hotchocolate-intro.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100204-hotchocolate-intro.jpg" width="500" height="500" /></p> <p class="caption">[Exterior photograph: Daniel Zemans; all other photographs: <a href="http://thepauperedchef.com/" class="istock">Blake Royer</a>]</p> <div class="breakoutbox"> <h4>Hot Chocolate</h4> <p>1747 N. Damen Ave. Chicago IL 60647 (<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1747+N.+Damen+Ave.+Chicago,+IL+60647+&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=29.992289,56.513672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=1747+N+Damen+Ave,+Chicago,+Cook,+Illinois+60622&z=16">map</a>); 773-489-1747‎; <a href="http://www.hotchocolatechicago.com">hotchocolatechicago.com</a><br /> <strong>Cooking Method: </strong>Gas grill<br /> <strong>Short Order: </strong>The desserts make this place a culinary landmark, but the burger is not to be missed.<br /> <strong>Want Fries With That? </strong>The burger comes with chips, not fries; they're fine but not especially exciting<br /> <strong>Price:</strong> $13 or $15, depending on whether optional egg is included.</p> </div> <p>I think it's fairly well accepted that <strong>Mindy Segal,</strong> thrice nominated as the nation's best pastry chef by the James Beard Foundation, cooks up the best desserts in Chicago. Since graduating from culinary school in the city at <a href="http://culinary.kendall.edu/">Kendall College</a>, she has put together one of the more impressive Chicago restaurant resumes around, spending time at Ambria, Spago, Gordon, <a href="http://www.charlietrotters.com/">Charlie Trotter's</a>, <a href="http://www.mkchicago.com/">MK</a>, Metropolis 1800, and a few more. Five years ago, she went out on her own and opened <a href="http://www.hotchocolatechicago.com/"><strong>Hot Chocolate</strong></a>.</p> <p>Since the day it opened, the dimly lit restaurant has justifiably been packed on a nightly basis. When I went a couple of weeks ago on a cold weeknight filled with freezing rain, every table and every seat at the bar was occupied. The insatiable demand for the place would be justified even if Hot Chocolate served mediocre food with Segal's desserts. But the savory side of the menu offers top-notch seasonal American cuisine that's good enough to bring back diners uninterested in sweets. That includes the delicious burger, created by former chef <strong>Mark Steuer</strong> and unchanged by his recent replacement, <strong>Arik Meich.</strong></p> <p>I don't know what cuts of meat Hot Chocolate uses for its burger; all they will say is that is a blend of two cuts from <a href="http://www.heartlandmeats.com/">Heartland Meats</a> that are ground in-house. Whatever they're putting in there, the result was excellent. My burger was cooked to a perfect rare on a gas grill that was hot enough to put a nice sear on the outside of the patty. The meat seemed a little lean, a feeling that was confirmed when I learned Heartland beef comes from Piedmontese cattle, a cow known for having less fat. <span class="pullquote">Despite the lower fat content, the well-seasoned patty was remarkably juicy.</span> Unadorned, this would be an outstanding burger, but when you add the toppings and bun, it graduates to exceptional.</p> <p><img alt="20100204-hotchocolate-open.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100204-hotchocolate-open.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p>Every burger comes with a few pieces of excellent <strong><a href="http://www.gunthorpfarms.com/">Gunthorp Farms</a> bacon</strong> that added some needed fat to the meal along with a touch of smokiness and a bit of chewiness that contrasted well with the soft burger. The sharp <strong>4-year aged cheddar</strong> from <a href="http://www.widmerscheese.com/">Widmer's</a> in Wisconsin was intensely flavorful and among the better burger cheeses I've tried. The housemade <strong>dill pickle slices</strong> were so good I had to stop myself from eating them straight so I'd have some left for the burger. And the optional $2 <strong>egg</strong> was ridiculously rich and should be served alone to anyone who doubts the benefits of eggs from happy chickens.</p> <p><img alt="20100204-hotchocolate-innards.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100204-hotchocolate-innards.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p>The toasted housemade <strong>garlic-buttered bun</strong> manages to hold everything together very well despite moisture from the juicy burger and runny egg yolk. Much more than a placeholder, the bun is an expertly crafted brioche (not sweet) that would enhance any burger experience. </p> <p>All that said, as good as every element of the burger is, and each part is flawless, I did have one complaint. The burger, which is purportedly 8 ounce&mdash;though I would have sworn was no more than 6&mdash;did not stand out against all the extra flavors. To say the beef was overwhelmed by everything else would be going too far, but <strong>the meat flavor was partially obscured.</strong></p> <p><img alt="20100204-hotchocolate-chips.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100204-hotchocolate-chips.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></p> <p>While the burger was exquisite, neither of the accompaniments excited me. The <strong>chips,</strong> made in house, had a really good flavor but were not warm. Once homemade chips cool off, I find that they lose a good portion of their advantage over higher quality store-bought chips. The <strong>coleslaw</strong> has a little trouble deciding if it wants to be mayo-based or vinegar-based and ended up being a disappointing combination.</p> <p><img alt="20100204-hotchocolate-shake.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100204-hotchocolate-shake.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></p> <p>I've recently come to the decision that milkshakes are, when available, a crucial part of the burger eating experience. With that excuse in mind, I tried the <strong>cider caramel shake,</strong> which I ordered with the burger but inexplicably arrived as an appetizer. The extra tangy apple flavor went perfectly with the caramel flavor in a way that allowed both elements to come through very strongly while playing incredibly well together. It was outstanding and like nothing I'd had before. </p> <p>Of course, skipping dessert at Hot Chocolate is simply not an option for any non-diabetic who takes food seriously. When <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/user/profile/Ed%20Levine">Ed</a> came to Chicago a few months ago and went to Hot Chocolate, the darkness of the restaurant was too much for his camera to overcome. So, as a favor to Ed I took one for the team and ordered two desserts to get him some better shots. Look for his report on some truly extraordinary treats soon on Serious Eats.</p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=LW-i79wRZa0:_-_pKpCdYaA:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=LW-i79wRZa0:_-_pKpCdYaA:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=LW-i79wRZa0:_-_pKpCdYaA:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/LW-i79wRZa0" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/hot-chocolate-burger-review-chicago-il.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.84583 2010-02-04T00:00:00Z 2010-02-04T00:02:50Z

California > Jack's Prime Burger & Shakes: Their Ultimate Bacon Burger comes with maple bacon mayo in addition to bacon. [Hoosier Burger Boy] Los Angeles > Umami Burger: The "Hatch" Burger features 4 types of green chiles and house cheese....

Robyn Lee <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <ul><li><strong>California > Jack's Prime Burger & Shakes:</strong> Their Ultimate Bacon Burger comes with maple bacon mayo in addition to bacon. [<a href="http://www.hoosierburgerboy.com/2010/02/jacks-prime-burgers-shakes-san-mateo-ca.html">Hoosier Burger Boy</a>]</li> <li><strong>Los Angeles > Umami Burger:</strong> The "Hatch" Burger features 4 types of green chiles and house cheese. [<a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/03/discovering-the-fifth-taste-at-umami-burger-los-angeles-california.html">AHT review</a>; <a href="http://burgerconquest.blogspot.com/2010/01/umami-burger-for-rappers-by-ninjas.html">Burger Conquest</a>]</li> <li><strong>San Antonio > Bobby J's:</strong> The meat patty isn't thick, but it's plenty juicy and has just just the right amount of seasoning. [<a href="http://www.sanantonioburger.com/2010/02/review-45-bobby-js.html">San Antonio Burger Blog</a>]</li> <li><strong>Burger King's Sales Drop:</strong> Former super fans are changing their eating habits and young people are looking for healthier options. [<a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/108728/burger-king-draws-critics">Yahoo</a>]</li> <li><strong>Japan > New York Burger:</strong> The latest <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/12/big-america-burgers-coming-to-mcdonalds-in-japan-next-year.html">America-themed burger</a> is coming to McDonald's on Friday. [<a href="http://www.japanprobe.com/2010/02/04/mcdonalds-new-york-burger/">Japan Probe</a>]</li> <li><strong>France > The Premio:</strong> McDonald's new burger is made of a 100% beef patty on ciabatta bread topped with Parmigiano Reggiano, tomatoes, Batavia lettuce, and creamy Parmesan sauce. [<a href="http://www.fastandfood.fr/2010/02/03/la-chronique-du-premio-de-mcdonalds">FASTANDFOOD</a>]</li> </ul> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=jLiCvkVBiJE:4oUUtgssifI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=jLiCvkVBiJE:4oUUtgssifI:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=jLiCvkVBiJE:4oUUtgssifI:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/jLiCvkVBiJE" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/leftovers-the-days-stray-links-20100203.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.84419 2010-02-03T22:00:00Z 2010-02-03T21:35:53Z

Here's a recommendation we received this week in the AHT inbox. Hey Guys, Big fans of the site and just wanted to bring your attention to two places in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn that serve perhaps my favorite burgers in NYC:...

Robyn Lee <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <p><small>Here's a recommendation we received this week in the AHT inbox.</small></p> <blockquote><p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/tags/Dear AHT" alt="Dear AHT, Letters From Our Readers" title="Dear AHT, Letters From Our Raders"><img alt="Dear AHT, Letters From Our Readers" title="Dear AHT, Letters From Our Readers" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/bug-dearaht-right.png" class="photo-right" height="75" width="75"></a>Hey Guys,</p> <p>Big fans of the site and just wanted to bring your attention to two places in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn that serve perhaps my favorite burgers in NYC: <strong>Skinflints</strong> and <strong>Cebu.</strong> I haven't seen that much attention for this area of NYC and that's a shame because there's some great burger-ness happening over here!</p> <p>Both are served on an English Muffin, which is my preferred burger receptacle. I think Cebu has the better burger but both are worthy of attention. I'm a bacon/blue guy so that's what I'd recommend when going.</p> <p>Keep up the great work!</p> <p>Keith</p></blockquote> <p>Any other AHT-ers fans of these Bay Ridge joints? I haven't eaten much in Bay Ridge, but I'll travel for a good burger and I like the sound of English muffin buns.</p> <h5 class="restname">Skinflints</h5> <p>7902 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11209 (at 79th Street; <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&q=skinflints&fb=1&gl=us&hq=skinflints&hnear=New+York,+NY&hl=en&view=map&cid=16763597430088413442&ved=0CB4QpQY&ei=mOVpS8-iIZCeMtqP0dUE&z=16&iwloc=A">map</a>)<br /> 718-745-1116</p> <h5 class="restname">Cebu</h5> <p>8801 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11209 (at 88th Street; <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&q=cebu+brooklyn&fb=1&gl=us&hq=cebu&hnear=brooklyn&cid=0,0,4558457433929058578&ei=QuZpS96gDtShlAeF-MCVCA&ved=0CAoQnwIwAA&z=16&iwloc=A">map</a>)<br /> 718-492-5095</p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=qFRUMXbBqCY:LMt1ebqRNeI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=qFRUMXbBqCY:LMt1ebqRNeI:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=qFRUMXbBqCY:LMt1ebqRNeI:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/qFRUMXbBqCY" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/dear-aht-bay-ridge-burger-recommendations-skinflints-cebu-brooklyn-nyc.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.84305 2010-02-03T18:30:00Z 2010-02-03T16:57:38Z

[Photographs: Damon Gambuto] Jack's Classic Hamburgers 11375 Riverside Drive, Los Angeles, CA 91602 (map); 818-761-4599; jacksclassichamburgers.com Cooking Method: Griddled Short Order: An old-fashioned drive-in serving solid Southern California-style burgers. Want Fries with That? Yes. These fast food style fries...

Damon Gambuto <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <p><img alt="20100203-jacks-intro.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100203-jacks-intro.jpg" width="500" height="500" /></p> <p class="caption">[Photographs: Damon Gambuto]</p> <div class="breakoutbox"> <h4>Jack's Classic Hamburgers</h4> <p>11375 Riverside Drive, Los Angeles, CA 91602 (<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=11375+Riverside+Dr+Los+Angeles,+CA+91602&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=11375+Riverside+Dr,+Los+Angeles,+CA+91602&gl=us&ei=icpnS_KdIo_2sQPq2ZjGCA&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ8gEwAA">map</a>); 818-761-4599; <a href="http://jacksclassichamburgers.com/Jacks_Classic_Hamburgers/Home.html">jacksclassichamburgers.com</a><br /> <strong>Cooking Method:</strong> Griddled<br /> <strong>Short Order:</strong> An old-fashioned drive-in serving solid Southern California-style burgers.<br /> <strong>Want Fries with That?</strong> Yes. These fast food style fries kept me interested to the point of over-indulgence.<br /> <strong>Prices:</strong> Double Cheeseburger, $4.25<br /> <strong>Notes:</strong> If you're going to head over at lunch time, those in the know call ahead and skip the long line.</p></div> <p>It could be said that <strong><a href="http://jacksclassichamburgers.com/Jacks_Classic_Hamburgers/Welcome.html">Jack's Classic Hamburgers</a></strong> tells you all you need to know about the place just with its name. This drive-in located in North Hollywood (or West Toluca Lake depending on which real estate agent you ask) has been serving its "old-fashioned" burgers for decades. That definitely qualifies as "old," but what, exactly, qualifies as "classic" is less certain. </p> <p>As Adam has documented so well in his <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/09/a-guide-to-glossary-of-regional-american-burger-cheeseburger-styles-and-cooking-methods.html">hamburger styles post</a>, old-fashioned can mean any number of things depending on where you're from. In this part of America, old-fashioned means a paper-wrapped burger served with toppings galore, and I couldn't be happier about it. This is the burger that I crave more than any other. Lucky for me, it's what Jack is serving. </p> <p><img alt="20100203-jacks-burger.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100203-jacks-burger.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p>Jack's burger would probably fall under Adam's <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/09/a-guide-to-glossary-of-regional-american-burger-cheeseburger-styles-and-cooking-methods.html#fastfoodstyleburgers">"fast food-style"</a> classification, but when you get a <strong>double cheeseburger</strong> as I did, this healthy helping could fall under the <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/09/a-guide-to-glossary-of-regional-american-burger-cheeseburger-styles-and-cooking-methods.html#stackedburgers">"stacked burger"</a> category (think In-N-Out) as well. It's for this reason and the consistent and distinct presentation that I call burgers like Jack's <strong>"Southern California-style."</strong> It was, in fact, the drive-ins like Jack's that proliferated in Southern California after WWII that gave rise to the fast food burger. </p> <p><img alt="20100203-jacks-innards.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100203-jacks-innards.jpg" width="500" height="325" /></p> <p>At Jack's, as tradition dictates, the two quarter-pound patties and two slices of American cheese are given the full treatment of lettuce, tomato, pickles, mayo, and onions (I opted for grilled). Unlike most actual fast food burgers, <strong>Jack's gets their meat delivered fresh.</strong> Because of this, <span class="pullquote">the patties, rather than recede into the background amid the competing condiment flavors, step forward with a strong, griddled crust</span>. The grind is standard, which by my measure means it's a bit too fine, but I wouldn't say they are mealy. It's not a patty that deserves a showcase of its own, but plays its role well. The lettuce and tomato were fresh and flavorful and the mayo added some nice extra fat. The bun, a <strong>seeded commercial,</strong> was spongy and struck a good ratio, though the double demands a quick eat or it will quickly fall apart .</p> <p><strong>The generous portion of grilled onions was nearly perfect.</strong> The sweet caramelization made for that extra hit of umami that takes a burger into Southern California-style bliss. I often think that grilled onions get short shrift when talking about what makes a burger like this (e.g., an In-N-Out Double Double) so good. Though perhaps <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/aht-poll-how-do-you-like-onions-on-your-burger.html">this week's poll</a> will prove me wrong. For me, a tender, toothsome grilled onion can forgive many other sins on a burger. </p> <p><img alt="20100203-jacks-menu.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100203-jacks-menu.jpg" width="500" height="263" /></p> <p>Jack's Classic is just that: a classic in the sense that it summons an era of dining that gave rise to the idea and reality of delicious, fresh, affordable food. Perhaps the burger isn't among the elite here in Los Angeles, but considering its solid and satisfying preparation along with a remarkably fair price ($4.25 for a double cheeseburger!), I'm hard-pressed to understand why anyone looking for a quick lunch in the area would ever opt for the fast food chains that places like Jack's gave rise to. Maybe Jack's and I are both old-fashioned.</p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=40mgb1yQCsY:z_yc77YHPis:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=40mgb1yQCsY:z_yc77YHPis:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=40mgb1yQCsY:z_yc77YHPis:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/40mgb1yQCsY" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/jacks-classic-hamburgers-review-north-hollywood-los-angeles-ca.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.83577 2010-02-03T16:15:00Z 2010-02-02T23:26:45Z

[Photograph: angusthirdpounders.com] Robyn's post about McDonald's McItaly line of burgers got me thinking about the old Golden Arches. Of course, you won't find doing a full-blown review of a McDonald's burger any time soon (unless it's April Fools' Day),...

Damon Gambuto <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <p><img alt="20100203-realitycheck-angus-website.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100203-realitycheck-angus-website.jpg" width="500" height="352" /></p> <p class="caption">[<a href="http://www.angusthirdpounders.com/" class="istock">Photograph: angusthirdpounders.com</a>]</p> <p>Robyn's <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/01/mcdonalds-in-italy-introducing-mcitaly-burgers-tomorrow.html">post</a> about McDonald's <a href="http://blogs.abcnews.com/theworldnewser/2010/01/mcdonalds-introduces-mcitaly-line-of-burgers.html">McItaly line</a> of burgers got me thinking about the old Golden Arches. Of course, you won't find doing a full-blown review of a McDonald's burger any time soon (unless it's <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/04/mcdonalds.html">April Fools' Day</a>), but I thought there might be some interest in what those McBurgers look like in real life.</p> <p>I headed over to an outlet on Wilshire Boulevard and ordered the <a href="http://www.angusthirdpounders.com/">Angus Third Pounder</a>, which was <a href="http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/thestew/2009/07/angus-third-pounders-mcdonalds-first-new-burgers-since-2001.html">added to the McDonald's menu last summer</a> as their first new burger in eight years. When I saw the real thing, I must admit, I was more than a little surprised.<br /> </p> <p><img alt="20100203-realitycheck-angus.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100203-realitycheck-angus.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p class="caption">[Photographs: Damon Gambuto]</p> <p>I opted for the "Deluxe" version of the Angus burger, which comes with lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle, cheese, and lots of mayo. I opened the box expecting a mess of toppings atop a messy burger. Instead what I found was <strong>the single most attractive fast food burger I've ever seen</strong>. If I didn't know the origin, I might well have been excited for the eating portion of the test. </p> <p><img alt="20100203-realitycheck-angus-innards.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100203-realitycheck-angus-innards.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p>As it turned out, the familiar, overcooked, wan patty undermined some fresh and totally redeemable toppings. Looks, as we know, aren't everything. </p> <h4>Related</h4> <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2007/08/mcdonalds-angus-thirdpounder.html">McDonald's Angus Third Pounder</a><br /> <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/09/how-mcdonalds-angus-burger-was-born-dan-coudreaut.html">How McDonald's Angus Burger Was Born</a></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=-gNQaVKF_ZI:ep76E6T9MPI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=-gNQaVKF_ZI:ep76E6T9MPI:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=-gNQaVKF_ZI:ep76E6T9MPI:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/-gNQaVKF_ZI" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/reality-check-mcdonalds-angus-third-pounder.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.84417 2010-02-02T22:30:00Z 2010-02-02T23:36:11Z

Hawaii > Burgers on the Edge: Tons of topping choices here, from Thai chili sauce to gravy and cranberry relish. [Hawaii News Now] Rhode Island > Ozzi's: Hand-cut fries, rich milkshakes, and over 200 possible burger combinations. [The Providence Journal]...

Robyn Lee <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <ul><li><strong>Hawaii > Burgers on the Edge:</strong> Tons of topping choices here, from Thai chili sauce to gravy and cranberry relish. [<a href="http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=11916612">Hawaii News Now</a>]</li> <li><strong>Rhode Island > Ozzi's:</strong> Hand-cut fries, rich milkshakes, and over 200 possible burger combinations. [<a href="http://www.projo.com/food/content/wk-dining_out_ozzis_steakburger_02-04-10_EIH8_v34.226cff7.html">The Providence Journal</a>]</il> <li><strong>NYC > One Man Burger Tour:</strong> Reviews of 18 burger joints on one page, with lots of photos. [<a href="http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/A-OneMan-New-York-City-Burger-Tour-UPDATED-12810-including-writeups-amp-Favorites-list-m555018.aspx">Roadfood.com</a>]</li> <li><strong>Ottawa > The Works Gourmet Burger Bistro:</strong> One of the city's fastest-growing companies. [<a href="http://www.financialpost.com/magazine/story.html?id=2513598">Financial Post</a>]</li> <li><strong>Free Wifi at Burger King:</strong> Currently being rolled out in Europe. [<a href="http://www.qsrmagazine.com/articles/news/story.phtml?id=10171">QSR</a>]</li> <li><strong>San Francisco > Quiver Bar:</strong> The Trashy Burger is made of "prime scraps left from daily butchering." [<a href="http://blogs.sfweekly.com/foodie/2010/02/swank_setting_trashy_burger_yo.php">SFoodie</a>]</li> <li><strong>Lawsuit Over Heart Attack Theme:</strong> Heart Attack Grill in Chandler, Arizona, is not a fan of Heart Stoppers Sports Grill in Delray Beach, Florida. [<a href="http://www.ananova.com/News/story/sm_3663414.html">Ananova</a>]</li> <li><strong>Dallas > Club Schmitz:</strong> Their juicy, well seasoned burger features fried bacon and grilled onions. [<a href="http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2010/feb/02/burger-review-club-schmitz-dallas/">Pegasus News</a>]</li> <li><strong>Boston > Burger Bash:</strong> Photos from last night's event. [<a href="http://boston.grubstreet.com/2010/02/a_bite_of_the_burger_bash.html">Grub Street</a>]</li> <li><strong>Iowa > Best Burger:</strong> Nominate your favorite at <a href="http://www.iabeef.org/Content/bestburger.aspx">Iowa Beef Industry Council</a>.</li> <li><strong>St. Louis > Best Burger Poll:</strong> Vote for your favorite at <a href="http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/yakkin-with-the-sherpa/2010/02/02/for-a-hamburger-today/">STLtoday</a>.</li></ul> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=rXdMus4tW6Y:-X280P5mhGU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=rXdMus4tW6Y:-X280P5mhGU:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=rXdMus4tW6Y:-X280P5mhGU:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/rXdMus4tW6Y" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/leftovers-the-days-stray-links-20100202.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.84256 2010-02-02T20:00:00Z 2010-02-02T20:03:56Z

Does the combination of beef, cheese, and macaroni make for a tasty burger? This question would cross few people's minds if not for the Mac and Cheese Burger ($15) at Burger Shoppe. Short story: It's not particularly great or...

Robyn Lee <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <p><img alt="20100201-burgershoppe-burger.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100201-burgershoppe-burger.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p>Does the combination of beef, cheese, and <em>macaroni</em> make for a tasty burger? This question would cross few people's minds if not for the <strong><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/01/new-at-burger-shoppe-the-mac-and-cheese-burger-nyc.html">Mac and Cheese Burger</a></strong> ($15) at <strong><a href="http://www.burgershoppenyc.com/">Burger Shoppe</a>.</strong> Short story: It's not particularly great or bad. It's just a burger with some macaroni and cheese in it.</p> <p>As previously mentioned, the eight-ounce burger is made of ground beef mixed with macaroni and cheese (made with cheddar, American, Pecorino and Gruyère) and topped with homemade cheese sauce and Gruyère bread crumbs. Since it comes with a too vinegary arugula salad instead of fries, my friend and I ordered a mix of fries and onion rings on the side. They weren't anything special; feel free to skip them.</p> <p><img alt="20100201-burgershoppe-innards.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100201-burgershoppe-innards.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p>And feel free to skip the burger. It wasn't bad, but if it's riding on the novelty of containing macaroni and cheese, it seems like it should contain more macaroni and cheese. The autopsy shot reveals little pockets of cheese here and there in the medium rare (erring on the side of rare) patty, but <strong>neither my friend nor I could discern much of the macaroni and cheese flavor.</strong> The textures of the meat and pasta melded together, resulting in uniform softness. I'm glad the burger was juicy, but it was otherwise pretty boring and not worth seeking out. (I wonder how it compares to <a href="http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/all-american-mac-n-cheese-burger/">Rachael Ray's version</a>.)</p> <p><img alt="20100201-burgershoppe-burger-chunk.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100201-burgershoppe-burger-chunk.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p class="caption">Ah, there's a macaroni bit!</p> <p>Reviews on <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/burger-shoppe-new-york">Yelp</a> had mixed opinions about the burger. To the people who said, "By far the most expensive burger I've ever had, but totally worth it," and "Although it's very heavy, it's full of flavor and grease and everything nice," I'm going to say, "NOOOO," unless they ended up with totally different burgers from what I got. I agree more with the person who said she was "a little underwhelmed by the touted mac & cheese goodness and kind of had to concentrate to experience the taste."</p> <p>If you want to try the burger for yourself, it's available <strong>upstairs in the bar section after 4 p.m.</strong> (thanks for the heads up, <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/01/new-at-burger-shoppe-the-mac-and-cheese-burger-nyc.html#437670">feistyfoodie</a>). My dining companion, who's eaten at Burger Shoppe many times for lunch, said the burger was better than their lunch options in the downstairs section.</p> <h5 class="restname">Burger Shoppe</h5> <p>30 Water Street, New York, NY 10004 (<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&q=burger+shoppe&fb=1&gl=us&hq=burger+shoppe&hnear=New+York,+NY&cid=0,0,16164199103619143450&ei=yIFoS-XZCM6mlAf0rI2bCA&ved=0CAwQnwIwAA&z=16&iwloc=A">map</a>)<br /> 212-425-1000; <a href="http://www.burgershoppenyc.com/">burgershoppenyc.com</a></p> <h4>Related</h4> <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/03/burger-shoppe-financial-district-manhattan.html">Burger Shoppe; Financial District, Manhattan</a><br /> <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/05/175-burger-at-wall-street-burger-shoppe-bah.html">$175 Burger at Wall Street Burger Shoppe: Bah</a></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=F-XbjmyiAvY:_9K8U0vT2i4:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=F-XbjmyiAvY:_9K8U0vT2i4:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=F-XbjmyiAvY:_9K8U0vT2i4:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/F-XbjmyiAvY" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/mac-and-cheese-burger-from-burger-shoppe-nyc.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.84139 2010-02-02T15:30:00Z 2010-02-02T15:37:53Z

"I went back to Ohio, but my city was gone. There was no train station. There was no downtown" &mdash;The Pretenders [Photographs: Nick Solares] Johnnie's Tavern 3503 Trabue Road, Columbus, OH 43204 (map); 614-488-0110; johnniesbythetrack.com Cooking Method: Griddled Short Order:...

Nick Solares <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <h4 class="topQuote">"I went back to Ohio, but my city was gone. There was no train station. There was no downtown" &mdash;The Pretenders</h4> <p><img alt="2009-12-31-JT-burger3.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/2009-12-31-JT-burger3.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p class="caption">[<a href="http://" class="istock">Photographs: Nick Solares</a>]</p> <div class="breakoutbox"> <h4>Johnnie's Tavern</h4> <p>3503 Trabue Road, Columbus, OH 43204 (<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&q=Johnnie%27s+Tavern+columbus+ohio&fb=1&gl=us&hq=Johnnie%27s+Tavern&hnear=columbus+ohio&cid=0,0,7378772775663785493&ei=_mhnS63zHsaWtgfYtuWqBg&ved=0CAoQnwIwAA&z=16&iwloc=A">map</a>); 614-488-0110; <a href="http://www.johnniesbythetrack.com/">johnniesbythetrack.com</a><br /> <strong>Cooking Method:</strong> Griddled <br /> <strong>Short Order:</strong> Burger lives up to its name&mdash;supersized and super tasty<br /> <strong>Want Fries with That?</strong> Sure, crispy and golden. Try the rings too.<br /> <strong>Price:</strong> $5.95<br /></p></div> <p>You have to feel for Chrissie Hynde. First, conservative firebrand Rush Limbaugh uses her song "Ohio" as the theme for his radio program, and now the same song is being quoted on a hamburger blog. </p> <p>Hynde was an ardent critic of the Bush administration and recently opened an Italian vegan restaurant in Akron, Ohio (tortuously called <a href="http://www.thevegiterranean.com/">The VegiTerranean</a>). But liberal or conservative, vegan or carnivore, the sentiments of her song ring true&mdash;there is a tension between progress and tradition. </p> <p>Hynde song addresses the "malling" of America&mdash;replacing neighborhoods with unique houses and Mom and Pop stores with gated, prefab housing developments and strip malls with national chains. Our suburban landscapes threaten to look like the background of a chase scene in a Hanna-Barbera cartoon&mdash;the same scene replayed on an endless loop. It is an America that does not have much use for independently owned businesses&mdash;even those that have been around since 1948, like <strong><a href="http://www.johnniesbythetrack.com/">Johnnie's Tavern</a></strong> in Columbus, Ohio.</p> <p><img alt="2009-12-31-JTsign.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/2009-12-31-JTsign.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p>Johnnie's Tavern has remained a family-run business since its inception. Founder and family patriarch <strong>Dominic Lombard</strong> and creator of the the "super Johnnie burger" worked at Johnnies every day until his death in 2006 when he was 94-years-old. His son John now runs the place, insuring that it will last at least another generation.</p> <p><img alt="2009-12-31-JTroom.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/2009-12-31-JTroom.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p><img alt="2009-12-31-JTsign2.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/2009-12-31-JTsign2.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p>At its heart, Johnnie's is a neighborhood bar with a pool table and the promise of Ohio's "coldest beer." But what you don't normally see at such places is families coming in with small children to eat food and drink little more than root beer. </p> <p><img alt="2009-12-31-JT2.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/2009-12-31-JT2.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p>The burger at Johnnie's is "super" in every sense of the word. It is certainly super sized, so massive that <strong>it comes cut in half and skewered with toothpicks to hold it together</strong>&mdash;otherwise, you would need to use three hands to hoist the hefty sandwich. Truth be told, giant burgers are rarely good, especially when they cost as little as the $6 that Johnnie's charges. But this burger is spectacular: It achieves a surprising synergy given its heft, but <strong>there is a careful layering of texture and flavor.</strong> The bun is a pillow-soft, seeded affair that does an admirable job of containing the enormous, over half-pound patty of fresh ground chuck. </p> <p><img alt="2009-12-31-JT-autopsy-burger.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/2009-12-31-JT-autopsy-burger.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p>When I requested the burger rare, the waitress expressed skepticism that it would be so. Indeed, it was not&mdash;there were some hints of pink, but it was mostly beyond medium. Despite being cooked almost all the way through, <span class="pullquote">the beef, although not unduly juicy, remained moist throughout</span>. It was a touch underseasoned, but had a respectable flavor.</p> <p>I love rare burgers not only because they offer a different flavor than fully cooked meat, but also because of the textural contrast rareness imparts. The overcooked burger's mono-textural profile was not an issue when topped with molten cheese and the fresh and vibrant rabbit food. I wondered how it would fare without all of the toppings that come standard&mdash;lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion&mdash;and decided that it probably benefited from the additions. <strong>Served unadorned, it might be a bit bland.</strong> Big burgers cooked all the way through need a bit of help, which it probably where all these toppings came from in the first place.</p> <p>When I fret about the seemingly ceaseless encroachment of corporatism over independently owned business, I remind myself of the burger at Johnnie's Tavern and I feel better. No fast food, fast casual, or even upscale chain can make a burger that comes anywhere close to what Johnnie's Tavern produces. While the hamburger is a universally appealing dish, it is the individual expression of it that makes it so, not that you can get the same one at every mall in America. If you find yourself in Columbus, I recommend you stop off at Johnnie's Tavern. Hopefully it will still be there, warding off the development of a strip mall.</p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=yEIdh2NoYLQ:0DD6MFrh0KU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=yEIdh2NoYLQ:0DD6MFrh0KU:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=yEIdh2NoYLQ:0DD6MFrh0KU:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/yEIdh2NoYLQ" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/johnnies-tavern-burger-review-columbus-oh.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.84198 2010-02-01T23:30:00Z 2010-02-01T23:40:12Z

Washington, D.C. > BGR: "You can get better burgers at Ray's, better sides and shakes at Good Stuff, and spend a whole lot less at Five Guys." [Two DC] LA > Grill 'Em All Truck: They make heavy metal-themed burgers,...

Robyn Lee <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <ul><li><strong>Washington, D.C. > BGR:</strong> "You can get better burgers at Ray's, better sides and shakes at Good Stuff, and spend a whole lot less at Five Guys." [<a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2010/02/bgr-burger-joint.html">Two DC</a>]</li> <li><strong>LA > Grill 'Em All Truck:</strong> They make heavy metal-themed burgers, cuh as the "Cancer Bats" burger topped with a pineapple, "Grandma's" BBQ sauce, bacon, and cheddar. [<a href="http://burgerconquest.blogspot.com/2010/01/grill-em-all-truck-patty-in-parking-lot.html">Burger Conquest</a>]</li> <li><strong>San Francisco > Mission Street Food:</strong> Juicy, fat-dripping, and tastes like "like little chunks of steak." [<a href="http://foodosophy.wordpress.com/2010/01/30/mission-burger-by-mission-street-food-san-francisco-ca/">foodosophy</a>]</li> <li><strong>Mexico > Best Burgers:</strong> Are from the Mennonite community Nuevo Ideal in the state of Durango. [<a href="http://33photo.posterous.com/menonite-burger">33photo</a>]</li> <li><strong>California > Coming Soon:</strong> Bomburger is in the works in downtown Huntington Beach. No opening date yet. [<a href="http://fastfood.freedomblogging.com/2010/02/01/mystery-burger-joint-coming-to-downtown-huntington-beach/49623/">Fast Food Maven</a>]</li> <li><strong>NYC > Coming Soon:</strong> Faustina, opening on Friday, will serve a burger at lunch made with the Pat La Frieda <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/10/pat-la-frieda-black-label-burger-blend-price-1199-pound.html">black label blend</a>. [<a href="http://ny.eater.com/archives/2010/02/this_friday_scott_conant_opens.php">Eater NY</a>]</li></ul> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=hj3qKPoWrqQ:El77_gpvW2E:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=hj3qKPoWrqQ:El77_gpvW2E:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=hj3qKPoWrqQ:El77_gpvW2E:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/hj3qKPoWrqQ" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/leftovers-the-days-stray-links-20100201.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.83638 2010-02-01T20:30:00Z 2010-02-01T19:09:22Z

Today's burger report comes from Erin Jackson, a food-obsessed Torontonian who writes for Food Network Canada. Since AHT was lacking information about the famous burger joint Hodad's, she offered to share a review from her recent visit to San Diego....

Erin Jackson <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <p><small>Today's burger report comes from Erin Jackson, a food-obsessed Torontonian who writes for <em><a href="http://community.foodnetwork.ca/members/Erin-Jackson/default.aspx">Food Network Canada</a>.</em> Since AHT was lacking information about the famous burger joint Hodad's, she offered to share a review from her recent visit to San Diego. <em>&mdash;The Mgmt.</em></small></p> <p><img alt="20100131-hodads-menu.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100131-hodads-menu.jpg" width="500" /></p> <p class="caption">[Photographs: Erin Jackson]</p> <div class="breakoutbox"> <h4>Hodad's</h4> <p>5010 Newport Avenue, San Diego, 92107 (at Bacon Street; seriously!; <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&q=5010+Newport+Avenue,+San+Diego,+92107&fb=1&gl=us&hnear=&cid=0,0,17824121042645757495&ei=4UZmS-6EEM2W8AbvuamOAw&ved=0CAoQnwIwAA&hq=5010+Newport+Avenue,+San+Diego,+92107&z=16&iwloc=A">map</a>); 619-224-4623; <a href="http://www.hodadies.com">hodadies.com</a> <br /> <strong>Cooking Method:</strong> Grilled<br /> <strong>Short Order:</strong> Beef patty + bacon patty + 2 slices of cheese = 6 inches of burger goodness.<br /> <strong>Want Fries with That?</strong> Thick-cut, mildly spiced, absolutely essential.<br /> <strong>Prices:</strong> Bacon burger, $6.25 / $7.75 with fries; hamburger, $4.75 / $6.25 with fries.</p></div> <p>When the guy behind the grill at a burger shop has a giant cheeseburger tattooed on the back of one leg and a milkshake on the other, that's a good indication of passion&mdash;and where passion resides, mad flavor is likely to follow. </p> <p>The king of burgers in question is <strong>Mike Hardin,</strong> co-owner of <strong><a href="http://www.hodadies.com">Hodad's</a>,</strong> a burger joint in Ocean Beach, a laid-back community in San Diego. The menu is simple: burgers, fries, rings, and shakes, served in a surf shack dining room. Hodad's has been featured on Food Network's <em>Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,</em> and has been in business for over 40 years.</p> <p><img alt="20100131-hodads-burger.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100131-hodads-burger.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p>If you want to get to know the burger that made Hodad's famous, look to the <strong>bacon cheeseburger</strong> because that's where things get interesting. Instead of topping the burger with a couple strips of bacon, <span class="pullquote">they boil pounds of bacon in water, then fry it on the grill under an iron weight</span>. This may sound like a strange method, but it creates a crispy, super-flavorful <strong>bacon patty</strong> that has the consistency of a hash brown. Aside from sheer volume, the patty also delivers bacon in every bite.</p> <p>Size-wise, Hodad's burgers are big to the point that they're almost intimidating. Before it's wrapped, a bacon cheeseburger is easily 6 inches tall, largely due to the stacked onions, huge slab of tomato, and the two slices of cheese. Burgers are topped with the standard pickles, ketchup, mayo, and mustard, which&mdash;when combined with <strong>the juiciest patty I've ever tasted</strong>&mdash;makes them so moist and drippy that you dare not remove the burger wrapper while eating. </p> <p>Depending on your state of mind, the ooey-gooey goodness that is a Hodad's burger can be a blessing or a curse. Because they're so juicy you barely have to chew, I was faced with a conundrum: wolf it down as quickly as possible before the bun got soggy, or risk having the burger fall apart and make an even bigger mess. Wanting to keep my napkin use under three, I opted to mow down, which made me equally ashamed of how fast I ate, but also totally satisfied.</p> <p>Luckily, Hodad's epic <strong>shakes</strong> can not be consumed so quickly. Served in a metal tumbler, the shakes are roughly 80% ice cream and 20% milk. In addition to the tumbler itself being nearly all ice cream, it's topped with three additional scoops, whipped cream, and syrup, <strong>making it look like a sundae on top of a milkshake.</strong> At less than $5, you can't beat the value, considering it's got to be close to a pint of ice cream.</p> <p>Hodad's thick-cut, subtly spiced <strong>steak fries</strong> are also show stoppers. Glistening with oil and cut in different sized chunks, they're the best of both words, satisfying the craving for soft and crispy fries at the same time.</p> <p>Simply put, <span class="pullquote">Hodad's burger is one of the best I've ever tasted</span>. From a size, flavor, and value perspective, it can't be beat. Add an order of fries to the mix and you'll be wondering if that chorus of singing angels is your imagination or really happening. The milkshake was a bit over the top, but split between two people, it's an accomplishable feat.</p> <p>The only problem is Hodad's is no longer anywhere close to a "best-kept secret." During peak hours, the line-up can easily go around the corner. To me, that's a strong endorsement. Even with lots of options on the strip, people are more than happy to hang curbside. After sampling the best of Hodad's menu, you can count me among those willing to wait.</p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=kp8ULiZnfK8:ps3Br1dcizA:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=kp8ULiZnfK8:ps3Br1dcizA:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=kp8ULiZnfK8:ps3Br1dcizA:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/kp8ULiZnfK8" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/hodads-bacon-cheeseburger-review-san-diego-ca.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.84157 2010-02-01T19:00:00Z 2010-02-01T17:00:43Z

[Photograph: Nick Solares] The hamburger "fad" that everyone thought would be eclipsed by hot dogs and fried chicken continues unabated here in New York City. Take First Avenue in the East Village for example. Permanent Brunch recently morphed into...

Nick Solares <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <p><img alt="2010-01-15-select.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/2010-01-15-select.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></p> <p class="caption">[<a href="http://beefaficionado.blogspot.com" class="istock">Photograph: Nick Solares</a>]</p> <p>The hamburger "fad" that everyone thought would be eclipsed by hot dogs and <a href="http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2009/09/great-new-york-best-fancy-fried-chicken-roundup-momofuku-locanda-verde-blue-ribbon-blue-smoke.html">fried chicken</a> continues unabated here in New York City. Take First Avenue in the East Village for example. Permanent Brunch recently morphed into <strong><a href="http://www.permanentbrunch.com/">Permanent Brunch and Burger</a></strong> and I hear word that a new burger spot is in the planning stages a few blocks north. But probably not before <strong>Select Burger</strong> (pictured above) opens its doors, which seems like it will be in the next few weeks. Construction on the interior looks almost complete, although no other information is available. And just last week <em><a href="http://evgrieve.com/2010/01/cb3sla-agenda-looks-to-be-doozy-in.html">EV Grieve </a></em> brought word of plans to open <strong>Tallgrass Burger</strong> just a block south of Select. That is a lot of new burgers. Watch this space for full reviews.</p> <p><strong>Related</strong><br /> <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/12/burger-exit-review-delivery-com-nyc.html">Burger Exit Should Exit the Burger Business</a><br /> <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/10/sliders-burgers-review-white-diamond-rahway-nj-mark-nyc.html">New Sliders from White Diamond in New Jersey and Mark in NYC</a><br /> <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/07/belcourt-local-grass-fed-burger-east-village-nyc.html">Belcourt: A Hamburger for the Locavore and the Purist</a><br /> <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/06/the-smith-burger-review-east-village-nyc.html">Another Burger Ruined by Brioche from The Smith</a></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=wC4ZADbMOLA:dNpGm5x4ZX4:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=wC4ZADbMOLA:dNpGm5x4ZX4:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=wC4ZADbMOLA:dNpGm5x4ZX4:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/wC4ZADbMOLA" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/is-first-avenue-in-the-east-village-about-to-become-the-new-hamburger-alley.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.84099 2010-02-01T14:00:00Z 2010-02-01T07:08:50Z

[Photograph: Robyn Lee] Today's question comes from Dan Dickinson on Twitter: How do you like onions on your burger? Take the poll after the jump »...

Robyn Lee <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <p><img alt="20100201-onions.jpg" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100201-onions.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p class="caption">[<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/roboppy/4034264418/" class="istock">Photograph: Robyn Lee</a>]</p> <p>Today's question comes from <a href="http://twitter.com/Remy/statuses/8486056203">Dan Dickinson on Twitter</a>: How do you like onions on your burger? <span class="hideme"><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/aht-poll-how-do-you-like-onions-on-your-burger.html">Take the poll after the jump »</a></span></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=ID0tGNM1Zjk:AZ3QAiU5m8o:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=ID0tGNM1Zjk:AZ3QAiU5m8o:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=ID0tGNM1Zjk:AZ3QAiU5m8o:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/ID0tGNM1Zjk" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/02/aht-poll-how-do-you-like-onions-on-your-burger.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.83979 2010-01-31T15:00:00Z 2010-01-31T07:58:12Z

In case you missed them, here are the top three new posts from the last week. 1. The Burger Lab: Which Makes A Better Burger, Grass-Fed or Grain? We taste four kinds of beef so you don't have to. 2....

Robyn Lee <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <p><small>In case you missed them, here are the top three new posts from the last week.</small></p> <p><strong>1. <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/01/the-burger-lab-which-makes-a-better-burger-grass-fed-or-grain.html">The Burger Lab: Which Makes A Better Burger, Grass-Fed or Grain?</a></strong><br /> We taste four kinds of beef so you don't have to.</p> <p><strong>2. <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/01/flip-burger-boutique-review-atlanta-ga.html">Flip Burger Boutique in Atlanta: Flavorful and Well Crafted</a></strong> <br /> Get up close with five of their burgers.</p> <p><strong>3. <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/01/tessaros-americas-greatest-pub-burger-pittsburgh-pa.html">Pittsburgh: Does Tessaro's Serve America's Greatest Pub Burger?</a></strong> <br /> Thick crust + buttery interior = one of the best burgers you may ever eat.</p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=IHF90Qco-8U:jRcdg-V57mI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=IHF90Qco-8U:jRcdg-V57mI:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=IHF90Qco-8U:jRcdg-V57mI:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/IHF90Qco-8U" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/01/top-posts-from-last-week-20100131.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.83873 2010-01-30T23:00:00Z 2010-01-30T23:00:39Z

Here are the results to this week's poll: Have You Sent Back Burgers for Not Being Cooked to Your Requested Doneness? Yes. 40% No, it doesn't bother me enough to send it back. 35% No, I don't feel comfortable sending...

Robyn Lee <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <p>Here are the results to this week's poll: <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/01/aht-poll-have-you-sent-back-burgers-for-not-being-cooked-to-your-requested-doneness.html">Have You Sent Back Burgers for Not Being Cooked to Your Requested Doneness?</a></p> <p><strong>Yes.</strong> 40%<br /> <strong>No, it doesn't bother me enough to send it back.</strong> 35%<br /> <strong>No, I don't feel comfortable sending it back.</strong> 26%</p> <p>If you never thought about sending back a burger before, would you think about it now? </p> <p>Thanks for your participation! Stay tuned for next week's poll. (As always, I take poll suggestions.)</p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=e4vdkuNaWLs:Rwl4hTKqyIU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=e4vdkuNaWLs:Rwl4hTKqyIU:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=e4vdkuNaWLs:Rwl4hTKqyIU:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/e4vdkuNaWLs" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/01/this-weeks-poll-results-20100130.html tag:aht.seriouseats.com,2010://26.83722 2010-01-29T23:00:00Z 2010-01-30T03:27:40Z

Chicago > Edzo's Burger Shop: The care that owner Eddie Lakin puts into his burgers and fries makes it a must-visit. [Chicago Tribune] Canada > Dairy Lane Café: The Dairy Lane burger is made of a half-pound Alberta beef patty...

Robyn Lee <p><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/">From A Hamburger Today</a></p> <ul><li><strong>Chicago > Edzo's Burger Shop:</strong> The care that owner Eddie Lakin puts into his burgers and fries makes it a must-visit. [<a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-play-0128-cheap-eats-edzos-20100127,0,5163531.story">Chicago Tribune</a>]</li> <li><strong>Canada > Dairy Lane Café:</strong> The Dairy Lane burger is made of a half-pound Alberta beef patty on a toasted Kaiser, topped with bacon, mushrooms, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mustard, and mayo. [<a href="http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/life-style/food/burger-hunt-5119/">FFWD</a>]</li> <li><strong>30 Weeks of Homemade Burgers:</strong> <a href="http://30burgers.blogspot.com/">30 Burgers by 30</a> documents a different burger each week for 30 weeks until his 30th birthday.</li> <li><strong>Fired Over Extra Cheese:</strong> A McDonald's employee in the Netherlands was fired for adding complimentary cheese to a coworker's burger. [<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8481827.stm">BBC</a>]</li> <li><strong>NYC > Five Napkin Burger:</strong> The Hell's Kitchen burger joint is opening a second location on the Upper West Side on Feb 1. [<a href="http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/archives/2010/01/5_napkin_burger.php">Village Voice</a>]</li> <li><strong>Tokyo Burger Joints:</strong> Five recommendations [<a href="http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fg20100122sr.html">Japan Times</a>]</li> <li><strong>Cheeseburger Doritos:</strong> They actually taste like cheeseburgers. [<a href="http://www.everyview.com/2010/01/16/doritos-late-night-all-nighter-cheeseburger/">Everyview</a>]</li> <li><strong>Plano > D&A Burger:</strong> The burger is juicy and the bacon is good; overall it's just above average. Skip the fries. [<a href="http://burgerdoctor.com/da-burger-plano-tx.html">Burger Doctor</a>]</li> <li><strong>NYC > Best Burger:</strong> Lure wins in <a href="http://newyork.metromix.com/restaurants/essay_photo_gallery/best-of-metromix-new/1731171/content">Metromix's poll</a></li> <li><strong>Portland > J&M House:</strong> They offer teriyaki, charbroiled burgers, free wifi, and...a fax machine! [<a href="http://portlandhamburgers.blogspot.com/2010/01/j-house.html">Portland Hamburgers</a>]</li> </ul> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=nfpHwhvXXJk:9_BTvsc8zOc:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=nfpHwhvXXJk:9_BTvsc8zOc:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?a=nfpHwhvXXJk:9_BTvsc8zOc:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/feedmeaburger?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/feedmeaburger/~4/nfpHwhvXXJk" height="1" width="1"/> http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/01/leftovers-the-days-stray-links-20100129.html