Entries tagged with 'reviews'
Posted by Damon Gambuto, December 3, 2008 at 3:00 PM
The 101 Coffee Shop
6145 Franklin Avenue, Los Angeles California 90028 (map); the101coffeeshop.com
Cooking Method: Grillled
Short Order: A retro Hollywood diner burger that looks better than it tastes
Want Fries with That? They are creative in that they're mixed with sweet potato fries, but I'd go with the mashed potatoes with gravy instead
Notes: Daily, 7 a.m. - 3 a.m.
Take a stroll into the hotel lobby to catch some Hollywood memorabilia
If you are thinking of heading to Hollywood to follow yours dreams of silver screen stardom then you can be pretty well assured that you will find yourself sliding into the leather booths at The 101 Coffee Shop at some point during your journey to fame or misfortune. Perched on the Northern edge of Hollywood, this retro diner resides on the first floor of a Best Western. The chain that runs the mid-range hotel belies its history. Hollywood luminaries have been making their way to this spot since it opened as The Franklin Hotel in the 1930s. These days the clientele is more Hollywood-hipster than Hollywood royalty, but then again, history is just the story told when the game is over. Winners and losers can be hard to spot in medias res. Today’s tattooed waitress could be tomorrow’s Olivia de Havilland (or Angelina Jolie, for those of you who demand contemporary references). Part of the magic of celebrity is simply the notion that the person dreamt big and won.
These kinds of thoughts can be distracting when dining a Hollywood spot like this one. You can almost feel diners' heads lifting and falling with each new patron that enters in hopes of stealing a glimpse of an up and coming ingenue pretending to eat or—at the very least—a former cast member of That 70’s Show finishing off an evening of drinking and carousing with a some late night pancakes. Sorry gang—it's just Damon here for a burger (or two).
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Posted by Nick Solares, December 2, 2008 at 10:15 AM
Borough Market
Middle Road, next to Northfield Farms stall #50, Borough Market, London, UK; map); boroughmarket.org.uk
Cooking Method: Griddled
Short Order:Griddle-cooked grass fed beef served on a large bap achieves a decent flavor but is not textural balance
Want Fries with That? Not available, but there are plenty of fish 'n' chip shops in the area
Price: £4
Notes: Thurs., 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Fri., 12 p.m. - 6 p.m.; Sat., 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Walking through a very busy Borough Market on a chilly Saturday afternoon in the late fall, I came across not one but two very long lines stretching out from stalls serving burgers. I managed to walk by the first one without distraction, but by the time I had reached the second one, located next to Northfield Farms butcher in stall #50 on Middle Road, curiosity got the better of me and I joined the line. There are many delicacies available in Borough Market to feed the hungry omnivore—wild boar sausage, pork pies the size of a baby's head, roast beef sandwiches, bangers smoked with thyme, not to mention a slew of ethnic treats such as bratwurst and chorizo. Can the burger stand amongst them?
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Houston Press food critic Robb Walsh praises the cheeseburger at Saint Dane Bar & Grille for being moist and juicy and only setting you back $6 with a choice of any side. Another potential plus: the bar is dog-friendly.
Posted by Kerry Saretsky, December 1, 2008 at 12:00 PM
While abroad, especially for a long time, sometimes we crave a little taste of home. For many Americans—among whom I guiltily include myself—this nostalgic morsel is found at McDonald's, where American pie tastes more like a cheeseburger meal with fries and a soda.
For those of us who crave some comfort while still seeking to partake in the English culinary gastropub tradition, there's the recently opened Oxford Organic Burger Company. In colonial literature, Britain is often portrayed as the woman, with her masculine colonies bravely providing for her. England and America again find this symbiotic marriage at this Cowley Road burger joint. America provides the inspiration for the flat, California-style patties, and the sides of fries (included with the burger) and green salad. Other American mainstays rarely found in England make their appearances: coleslaw, tuna melt, and banana split. There is also a concerted investment in ambiance, which evokes a sort of picnic-with-the-animals-by-tree-stumps chic—hard to come by outside of London.
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Posted by Nick Solares, November 25, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Pat La Frieda
601 Washington Street New York, NY 10014 map); 1-888-LaFrieda (523-7433); lafrieda.com
You can try La Frieda burgers at: Shake Shack, Primehouse, Kenn's Broome Street Bar, Spotted Pig, Little Owl, Market Table
Notes: Wholesale only
For over nine decades Pat La Frieda Wholesale Meat Purveyors have sold steaks, chops, and hamburgers to restaurants in New York City. Originally located in the Meatpacking District on West 14th, the company founded by patriarch Pat La Frieda has moved to three locations and has been handed down through an equal number of generations. Pat La Frieda's son, also named Pat, now runs the company with his son Pat Jr. (technically Pat the III) and cousin Mark Pastore. Because Pat La Frieda supplies the beef that make some of the city's most celebrated burgers they have become synonymous with quality. Using La Frieda beef does not guarantee a great burger, but it is a good start.
A Hamburger Today was recently given a tour of the La Frieda facility located on the corner of Washington Street and Leroy street, which is also known as Pat La Frieda Way. The plant runs 24 hours a day, five days a week, and a bank of phone operators take orders late into the night while next door burgers are custom ground to order. La Frieda offer up to 25 different burger blends including ones using short rib, American Kobe, and dry-aged beef. But even the standard La Frieda blend is exotic by most standards, being comprised of USDA Prime chuck, shoulder clod, and brisket sourced from Nebraska and Creekstone Farms, Kentucky.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, November 21, 2008 at 2:00 PM
Photograph by Richard Kaszeta
When AHT reader Rich Kaszeta tried to visit Ercole's in Manhattan Beach, California, this past Monday, he was unfortunately denied burger goodness—they don't serve burgers during Monday Night Football (they serve chili dogs).
Luckily, he managed to find another burger just a few blocks away at Ebizo's Skewer. Although you wouldn't expect to find good burgers at a shabu shabu joint, Rich explains, "Apparently, the idea was that they already bring in all sorts of good beef, and decided that it would be easy enough to grind some of it fresh to make burgers."
Rich praises the "Kobe" beef burger for its "pleasantly crisped exterior and a very moist interior"—a little too moist, he adds. He also recommends the Belgian fries, which are "tender and fluffy in the inside, and perfectly crisped on the outside without too much browning."
Ebizo's Skewer
229 Manhattan Beach Boulevard, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 (map)
310-802-0765
Posted by Robyn Lee, November 21, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Two weekends ago when I visited Philadelphia I used Joy Manning's Philadelphia recommendations as a fooding guide. Of course, that meant hitting up Good Dog for one of their Roquefort-stuffed, caramelized onion-topped burgers, even if that meant dragging my vegetarian friend along (he was a good sport!). Check out this autopsy shot, after the jump.
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Posted by Nick Solares, November 20, 2008 at 2:00 PM
Having to review a burger a week is both an honor and a privilege, but it also means that I am not necessarily eating for pleasure. Such was not the case two nights ago when I ventured back to Veselka for a late night bite. Since I am off to the UK today, I thought a burger might make a good send off meal—I could not have chosen a better place to get it than Veselka.
The burger, which I should note (before he sends of irate missives to the management) is one of Josh "Mr Cutlets" Ozersky's favorites, and is, as I reported back in August, "balanced in all parameters—texture, size, flavor." My enthusiasm has only grown since this recent burger; it was even juicer and more flavorful than when I last ate it. Just look at the torrents of juices that emanated from the patty! In fact, as I type this I can think of nothing else. Now that is the sign of a great burger. Bravo, Veselka: You have not rested on your laurels—the burger is better than ever.
Veselka
144 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10003 (at 2nd Ave; map)
212-228-9682
veselka.com
Related
Photo of the Day: ZOMG! The Most Amazing Veselka Burger Photo I Have Ever Seen
At Veselka, Forgo the Borscht and Get the Burger
Mr. Cutlets on the Perfect Hamburger
Posted by Damon Gambuto, November 19, 2008 at 3:15 PM
The Tam O'Shanter Inn
2980 Los Feliz Boulevard, Los Angeles California 90039 (map); lawrysonline.com
Cooking Method: Grillled
Short Order: An old school eatery offers a twist on the classic burger
Want Fries with That? Since they come with the burger, but not a special treat
Notes: Lunch: Mon. to Fri., 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.; Dinner:
Mon. to Thurs., 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., Fri. and Sat., 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m., Sunday: 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.; Brunch: Sun., 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Mondays offer a discount wine
The name Tam O'Shanter was first made famous in the eighteenth-century by the Scottish poet Robert Burns. Burns, often referred to as the national poet of Scotland, plays a bigger role in your life than you probably realize. Once a year you (try to) sing along to his strange poem set to the music of a Scottish folk tune. It's about drinking to the good old days and forgetting your friends. Auld Lang Syne is Burns' legacy to most of the world, but in a little pocket of Los Angeles, the eponymous hero of Burns' greatest poem has bequeathed his name to an old-school restaurant and public house that has become an historic landmark.
The Tam O'Shanter Inn (or "The Tam") is on the east end of Los Feliz Boulevard in a neighborhood now called Atwater Village. The establishment is so rich with Los Angeles history, I barely know where to begin. Let's start at the start. In 1922 Lawrence L. Frank and Walter Van de Kamp decided to open up a bar and restaurant on a dusty strip on the Eastern outskirts of Los Angeles. Just a few years later, they'd turn to a Sottish theme and a menu of numerous hamburger steak options to save the ailing eatery. The current look and theme of "Scottish Inn" was born. At the time, the neighborhood was an almost-countryside landscape and the traditional-looking Anglo Inn seemed to fit right in. Today it sits across the street from a Costco and a Best Buy. Ah, progress.
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Chicago Tribune reviews the first Five Guys in the Chicago area in Oak Park, which just opened on Monday. "Cheeseburger Bureau Chief" Kevin Pan loved the Cajun spice-dusted fries the most, followed by the hot dogs and cheeseburgers.
Posted by Nick Solares, November 18, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Ziggiz
333 3rd Avenue, NY NY 10010 (at 25th Street; map); 212-683-3662; ziggizonline.com
Cooking Method: Griddled
Short Order: Decent burger hampered by use of frozen beef, somewhat redeemed by pleasing balance of flavors and textures
Want Fries with That? Maybe; showed potential but a tad too greasy
Price: Single $3.95, double $6.25, triple $8.25, Home Run $10.25, w/cheese +$0.60, w/bacon +$1.20
Notes: Open 24/7 including delivery
Ziggiz serves what could best be described as Pan-American fast food. The menu is populated with such culturally and geographically diverse comforts as Philly cheesesteaks, Buffalo wings, the more obvious Tex-Mex staples—burritos, tacos and quesadillas—and, for our purposes, hamburgers. If you're wondering why pizza is missing, they actually did at one time—it was recently stricken from the menu. What was it that they said about a jack of all trades?
To be frank, Ziggiz is a little run down and seems somewhat at odds with its neighbors, which include an upmarket wine store, a quaint Irish pub, and the chic Bar Milano. Its not that the confines are that old—in fact the white tile and dark wood looks quite new—but the place is in serious need of some upkeep. The floor is strewn with leaves, errant french fries, and deflated packets of ketchup. The tables look as if they get cleaned about once a day, if that, as they are invariable streaked with salsa, hot sauce, or ketchup.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, November 12, 2008 at 5:00 PM
Photograph by Nick Solares
Irene S. Virbilia’s review of the new Father’s Office location at Helms Bakery in Los Angeles is more a primer on how to navigate the complex rules and regulations for eating there than it is a true review. And, she doesn’t even like the burger:
I’m not the biggest fan of that burger. It’s more like a beef patty sandwich. The beef is nice and juicy, but the bun is more like a sandwich bun than a classic burger bun, and spongy to boot. I don’t like the sweetness (and sliminess) of the caramelized onions or the embellishment of the blue cheese. No lettuce, no mustard, too rich—and greasy. But I’m definitely in the minority. Fortunately, that’s not all there is to eat. With this second location, a real kitchen means Yoon has been able to expand the menu and get creative with the specials, scratching his itch to do something more than burgers.
Having never had it, I can’t really blab about whether she’s on or off here, but I would say that all that crap the place is piling on the burger doesn’t sound all that appealing.
Nick has had the thing and says that, while it’s delicious, it’s more a “haute cuisine sub sandwich” than a burger.
Father's Office
3229 Helms Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90034 (map)
310-736-2224
fathersoffice.com
Posted by Damon Gambuto, November 12, 2008 at 2:00 PM
The Oinkster
2005 Colorado Boulevard, Eagle Rock CA 90041 (map); 323-255-6465; theoinkster.com
Cooking Method: Griddled
Short Order: A fine dining chef's take on the fast food leads to an excellent burger
Want Fries with That? Yes, please. The twice-fried, Belgian-style fries are a superior value at $2.25
Notes: Sun. to Thurs., 11 a.m - 10 p.m.; Fri. to Sat., 11 a.m. - 12 a.m.
They serve beer and wine so you can make it a night out!
Eagle Rock is what I grew up dreaming a suburb was like. For a boy living in a cramped Manhattan apartment, there was nothing more fantastical than having a home with a backyard and a neighborhood of kids with whom to share it. It sounds strange to narrate it now, but growing up I never really experienced the American suburb—not even an overnight visit to a friend’s place during a summer vacation. My life was a mix of New York City’s impossibly urban landscape with occasional sojourns to the beach or a rural farmscape. It was nothing like the lives of those kids inside my television who populated the quiet bedroom communities built on the back of a post-war boom. They lived a magical life of mid-sized cars, big families, and little leagues. To me, it was all perfectly sized, and even though I could gaze across the river to its edges, it seemed far, far away.
When I reached my college years and finally ventured into the planned community landscape that was home to so many of my new friends, the fiction television helped me write was shattered by the facts of their lives. Suburbs could be just as—if not more—stultifying and limiting. The grass, it seemed, wasn’t any greener in their backyards.
Los Angeles offers up a third option: the suburb masquerading as a city. (Or is it the other way around?) In either direction, Los Angeles seems like it can be all things depending on how you look at it. This comes into sharp focus when you first get a sense of the varied landscape of Los Angeles and realize that its many neighborhoods have been passing for Anytown, USA, or Anycity, USA (even my New York City!) throughout television and movie history. It’s a bit uncanny, the sense of driving though a neighborhood for the first time and feeling like you’ve seen it before. The truth is, often times, you have.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, November 12, 2008 at 10:30 AM
In his latest New York City restaurant review, Ed Levine reviews the burger at West Branch. He says,
The fancypants burger ($16) is a fine, fine burger specimen, though it strikes me as the one discordant, out of step with the times-priced item on the menu. It's made with ground in-house chuck with a secret ingredient divulged to me with the promise that I would never reveal it. All I can say is that the secret ingredient adds a fine, funky tang to the burger. The fries that come with the burger are of the excellent, not-too-thick-not-too-thin variety, and the housemade pickle is a lovely touch.
Check out the autopsy shot, after the jump.
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Posted by Nick Solares, November 11, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Cassell's
3266 W 6th Street, Los Angeles CA 90020; map); 213-480-8668
Cooking Method: Double broiled
Short Order: Classic LA burger spot using a unique method of preparation. USDA Prime beef is ground daily in house and served on a world class bun.
Want Fries with That? Yes, they are crispy and golden, but don't miss the horseradish potato salad either
Price: Cheeseburger 1/3 pound, $6.75; 2/3 pounds, $7.95, Fries $1.95
Notes: Mon. to Sat., 10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Cassell's has been serving USDA Prime burgers cooked with their unique double broiler system since 1948. The beef is ground fresh daily in a Hobart grinder that sits proudly in the front of the store, gleaming in the Southern California sunshine. It is just about the only thing that gleams within the weathered and worn confines of the nondescript single-story edifice tucked away on 6th Street in Korea Town. The daylight that floods in through Cassell's windows provides a stark contrast to the dull, spartan decor that doesn't look like it has changed much—save perhaps a layer or two of paint—since the 1940s. The yellowed walls, tarnished stainless steel, and tired signs are evocative of a school cafeteria. There is nothing romantic or charming about the room, unlike, for example, the Apple Pan and its impossibly idealistic preservation of its agrarian roots. Cassell's represents a grittier, urban, almost dystopian continuation of tradition.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, November 6, 2008 at 2:45 PM
The beefy center of Irving Mill's burger hypnotizes you.
New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni praises the burger at Irving Mill made by chef Ryan Skeen, formerly of Resto:
In his Irving Mill burger the beef cheek and fatback are back, but what they’re rounding out is flap steak from Niman Ranch that’s been aged for five weeks. It’s seven ounces of meat, while Resto’s was six.
And it’s another winner — juicier than its Resto forebear, and tucked wisely into a fluffy potato roll that’s just substantial enough not to disintegrate as the burger’s juices seep into it but not so heavy and intrusive that it muffles the burger’s thunder
As you can see from the photo above, the burger has a very course grind. Skeen told Bruni that he grinds the burger differently from what he did at Resto: "The burger has a better texture, almost like a hand-chopped burger."
Bruni doesn't say much about the rest of the menu, apparently not as into praising the lard as Serious Eats' Ed Levine, but they can both agree that the burger is delicious.
Posted by Damon Gambuto, November 5, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Carney's Restaurant
12601 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City CA 91604 (map); 818-761-8300; carneytrain.com
Other location: 8351 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood CA 90069 (map); 323-654-8300
Cooking Method: Griddled or flame broiled
Short Order: A Hollywood landmark misses the mark with its burgers and fries
Want Fries with That? They'll cost you an extra $1.60 and I'd pass
Price: Double cheeseburger w/o chili: $3.95; w/chili: $4.60; 1/2-pound cheeseburger: $5.10
Notes: Studio City: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
West Hollywood: Sun. to Thurs., 11 a.m to 12 a.m.; Fri. to Sat., 11 a.m. to 3 a.m.
It won’t be news to any of you that Los Angeles is a culture of cars. What isn’t always as obvious are the symptoms of the sickness attendant to seeing the world through your windshield. I can remember walking the streets when I first moved here and feeling as though none of the signage was designed for me. It wasn’t until I began navigating the sprawl in my aging Mitsubishi that I realized that a world passing by at forty miles per hour demands a visual language that is enlarged and elevated. The signs get bigger, taller, and more attention grabbing. You can find doughnut shops with twenty-foot representations of the fried treat adorning the roof. Fast food signs climbing forty feet into the air. You can even spot gigantic hands holding a car above Ventura Boulevard signaling the carwash below. To be fair, the last iteration went through a city ordinance battle that resulted in the loss of twenty feet of height (or a giant forearm).
It makes sense. Or should I say, there is perverse logic to it. Things go by too quickly from your car to simply rely on the normal business (sign) model. Customers need time to brake when they spot an oversized representation of their heart’s (or belly’s) desire. It’s this logic—and a Hollywood-sized love of spectacle—that has turned many restaurants in Los Angeles into replicas of something else. We’ve seen landmark eateries that were constructed to look like (brown derby) hats and diners shaped like bulldogs. While these examples, like so many of their kind, have become museum pieces, there is a restaurant that carries the torch of this tradition.
The Burger Train
Carney’s first opened its doors in 1968. John Wolfe Sr., a local radio executive, decided to build his burger joint from two aging Union Pacific rail cars. Carney’s quickly became a landmark on the Sunset Strip. The menu offers little more than the standard carhop, although burgers and dogs have been joined more recently by soft tacos. It’s easy to see why people were drawn to the place: The rail cars are truly beautiful and the effect of having them perched along a commercial strip is…well, spectacular. While I’ll come for the spectacle now and then, I am always more interested in staying for the food.
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Posted by Nick Solares, November 4, 2008 at 2:00 PM
Olives
201 Park Ave South, New York NY 10003 (at E 17th St; map); 212-353-8345; toddenglish.com
Cooking Method: Flame grilled
Short Order: Uninspired burger seems to be an after thought on an otherwise inventive menu
Want Fries with That? Comes with "Bistro" fries
Price: $16
Notes: Only available during lunch and brunch
When it comes to hamburgers there are two types of chefs: those who put hamburgers on their menus because they want to, and those who do so because they feel that they have to. The former, despite the misgivings I may have about the end result (truffle oil anyone? How about foie gras?) are at least driving burger craft forward by redefining the genre in a deliberate and reasoned manner. The latter chefs feel compelled to placate unadventurous diners or children, or feel that having a burger on their menu is expected because their restaurant is located within the confines of a hotel. The results are invariably uninspired.
The fact is that there are some menus on which a hamburger simply does not belong. Such menus treat our favorite sandwich as a mere afterthought, an obligatory nuisance like sales tax, and shoehorn it in alongside menu items to which a burger has little relation. Such a menu can be found at Olives, Todd English's Mediterranean-inspired restaurant located in the W hotel.
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Posted by kenjialtci, October 30, 2008 at 6:00 PM
Editor's note: If you're a regular reader here, Kenji Alt needs no introduction. But here's one anyway: He's the dude who made the awesome Blumenburger and who went on the 8-burgers-in-12-hours marathon. He also blogs on Good Eater.
I'm firmly on the "thin and griddled" side of the great grilled-griddled burger divide, but I have to admit to a bit of local Boston pride in when chef Michael Schlow of Radius. Last year at the South Beach Burger Bash, his horseradish-slathered, crispy-onion-topped creation took the prize from my main squeeze (the salty, crusty, perfect-in-its-simplicity Shackburger).
One year later, still curious as to how this upset occurred, I emailed Schlow to see if I could get a firsthand look at the burger that bested my beloved.
If you've never been to this Boston landmark, Radius is no burger joint. It's at the high end of the high-end restaurant scale, and the burger is only available at the bar (at which it accounts for more than 30 percent of sales). You come here to eat Asian-tinged fancy French food like ponzu-glazed hamachi with summer truffles or day-boat scallops with morels and yuzu. But every extravagant restaurant these days needs its signature burger, and Radius is no exception—the exception being that Radius' burger actually ain't that fancy. In fact, you can even make it at home with barely more effort than it takes to make your regular old burger. It's all in the technique.
Watch as chef Schlow takes us step-by-step through the process.
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University of Georgia's newspaper The Red and Black says Clocked serves the best burgers in Athens. Their menu offers more than ten specialty burgers.
Posted by Damon Gambuto, October 29, 2008 at 2:00 PM
The Hungry Cat
1535 North Vine, Hollywood CA 90028 (b/n Selma Ave and W Sunset Blvd; map); 323-462-2155; thehungrycat.com
The Short Order: A foursquare, seafood eatery defies the odds and its location to deliver a great burger
Cooking method: Grilled
Want Fries with That? Definitely. They come with the burger and they'll leave in your belly
Price: The Pug Burger $16; add a fried egg for $2
Notes: Mon. to Sat., 12 p.m. to 12 a.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Over past few years Hollywood has been undergoing a gentrification of housing bubble proportions. From my living room window I can see a huge crane looming over the rapidly changing landscape below. For a while it was sort of exhilarating—new businesses opened at a fever pitch and created the most vibrant club and restaurant scene in Los Angeles. Of course, reality soon set in as real estate developers jumped at the opportunity like bankers to a government loan.
Big dreams and easy credit have begotten that most imaginative of development ideas: the mixed-use facility, where residences and businesses are built next to each other in a city. Imagine that. And so was born the bastard child of public urban renewal efforts and the private exurban aesthetic: the new Hollywood.
At the northwest corner of Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street can be found the current centerpiece of the Sunset & Vine Business Improvement District. It’s called—wait for it—Sunset + Vine. It’s about as creative as its name. Cookie-cutter condos sit atop standard issue chain businesses. Baja Fresh, check. Borders Books and Music, check. Smoothie King, Verizon Wireless, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and on and on.
Why would I be heading to this imitative space for an authentic burger? To visit The Hungry Cat, that’s why.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, October 29, 2008 at 10:00 AM
In his latest New York City restaurant review, Ed Levine praises the flap-meat burger at Irving Mill. He says,
If there is a tastier burger ($15 with fried potatoes) being served in New York, I haven't had the pleasure of meeting and eating it. Skeen mixes wet-aged flap beef, beef cheek, and, yes, some fatback and creates a wonderfully funky, almost gamey burger. At Resto he used hangar steak and brisket, and the result was a not-very-juicy but still flavorful burger. At Irving Mill the burger is juicy as hell and even more flavorful.
Stare into the heart of the burger with this autopsy shot, after the jump.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, October 28, 2008 at 2:00 PM
Alison Cook of the Houston Chronicle reviews burgers every Friday in her food blog, Cook's Tour. She points out the good, the bad, the prices, the meat quality, and the overall experiences of each burger joint, accompanied by plenty of photos. Houstoners should have no problem finding a good burger with six months of posts to sift through.
Cook's latest review awards Sparkle's Hamburger Spot with an "A" grade for its cheap, well-seasoned, made-to-order burgers, steak fries, wide-cut onion rings, and thick milkshakes. She points out the chili cheeseburger, describing it as "nothing short of awesome." [Tip 'o the hat to: Preston C.]
Posted by Nick Solares, October 28, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Father's Office
1018 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90403 (b/n 10th Street and 11th Street; map); 310-393-2337; fathersoffice.com
The Short Order: Fancy pants hamburger using premium ingredients that strays so far from the archetype that it is difficult for purists to even classify it as a hamburger
Cooking method: Flame grilled
Want Fries with That? Yes, they are very good, well worth the extra $2
Price: The Office Burger $12, with fries or sweet potato fries add $2 (prices include sales tax)
Notes: Mon. - Thurs., 5:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.; Fri., 4:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.; Sat., 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.; Sun., 12:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m
21 and over only
It is a hot day in Los Angeles, at least compared to what is going on back home in New York where my friends tell me the weather is quite inclement. I have a plane to catch in a scant two and a half hours, yet I am heading in the opposite direction from both my hotel and the airport. I am on a mission to eat what has been widely lauded as the best burger in L.A.
I arrive a quarter hour before opening. The sun beats down mercilessly on me as I stand in the street waiting for the clock to strike 5 p.m. and the doors of Father's Office to open. I am not alone—huddled parties of twos and threes lurk by the entrance, their eyes expectantly darting in the direction of the shuttered door at the slightest stirring behind it. When it finally swings open—an agonizing two minutes later than expected—there is a passive-aggressive stampede as the disparate parties conglomerate in an effort to funnel through the entrance first without appearing rude or pushy.
We spill out into the long, narrow confines of a room that is ensconced, floorboard to ceiling, in blond wood paneling and rush for the bar to place our orders. I have a distinct advantage here: I may not have arrived first, but since I know what I want, there's no need to peruse the printed menu or the chalk boards. I hasten to order the Office burger. The fact that "no substitutions, modifications, alterations, or deletions" are permitted leaves only two question. "Fries?" Yes please. When queried on my drink preference I instinctively order the most familiar label amongst the seemingly endless number of beers on tap and request Old Speckled Hen, betraying my English upbringing.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, October 27, 2008 at 4:00 PM
Marvo of hilarious product review blog The Impulsive Buy recommends the Guacamole Bacon Burger from Carl's Jr. and, in true, uniquely TIB-style, compares it to Ghostbusters:
This avocado lovin’ burger reminded me of the movie Ghostbusters because the guacamole is the same color as the ectoplasmic goo that made up the green gluttonous ghost, Slimer, and just like the ectoplasmic goo, the guacamole is messy and ends up everywhere.
It also reminds him of Christmas "because of its excessive use of red and green ingredients."
Of course, he also describes the taste of the burger. Overall, he praises Carl's Jr. for using ingredients most other fast food places wouldn't.
Related: Jack in the Box Nacho Cheeseburger
"Despite a pungent smell, lackluster service, and a confusing set up, Who's Who Burgers shows much potential," says Andoni Vossos of South Methodist University in his review of Dallas's Who's Who Burgers. While he likes the flagship Kobe beef burger, overall most of the food is mundane and the staff is impersonal. And then there's the Porta Potty smell.
Posted by Damon Gambuto, October 22, 2008 at 3:45 PM
Editor's Note: Please welcome the newest member to the AHT family, Damon Gambuto! He'll report with a Los Angeles-area review every Wednesday. Learn more about him in his Grilled interview or read on for his first review.
Bill's Hamburgers
14742 Oxnard Street, Van Nuys CA 91411 (b/n Kester Ave and Cedros Ave; map);
818-785-4086
The Short Order: Two 2.7-ounce griddled patties stacked for maximum enjoyment
Want Fries with That? They don't serve fries
Price: double cheeseburger $4.45
Notes: Mon. - Fri., 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
When pondering which Los Angeles burger destination I would make the subject of this, my inaugural post, I took a moment to contemplate the vastness of the landscape of my adopted home.
The borders of this metropolis stretch to almost five hundred square miles. It is the only city in the U.S. that is bisected by a mountain range. There are over two hundred languages spoken here. Neighborhood hopping can feel like a transnational adventure. The car culture and traffic further fragment the population. If cities make you think of tall buildings, imagine being in one in which you can drive for miles and not see a structure over four stories tall. And drive we do.
Millions of us making our way past one another with nary a turn signal to acknowledge our shared space. It often feels like a bunch of small cities got together and decided to marry for the money. If we don’t keep our eyes trained on the road ahead, we’ll find that the life(style) we agreed to is a city that traffics in decisions that turn into accidents.
A City United by Hamburgers
Perhaps you’ve figured out what I am driving at. What unites this city full of people in cars? It’s where we stop, park, and eat. Together. We get out of our cars to do what humans have always done, usually together: eat. Eating here in Los Angeles is often all that gets us out of our cars and next to our neighbors. Privately owned restaurants are our public spaces. It’s how we get to know our city’s other residents. For this reason, eating is always more than an exercise in existing; it lurches into the existential. It’s a food experience.
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Posted by Nick Solares, October 21, 2008 at 10:00 AM
The Original Pantry Cafe
877 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA (at W 9th Street; map); 213-972-9279; pantrycafe.com
The Short Order: Eight-ounce griddle-cooked burger with great beef but on the wrong bread
Want Fries with That? Comes with excellent, crispy, skin-on fries
Price: The Pantry Burger $10.95
The Pantry is technically called The Original Pantry Cafe, but I refuse to call it that as I have yet to find another Pantry that is older than this one, which dates back to 1924.
Located in a rather dodgy part of downtown Los Angeles, The Pantry is the quintessential greasy spoon. Remarkably, it has never closed, remaining open every hour of every day since 1924. Even when they moved to their current location back in 1950 they stayed open by serving lunch at the old restaurant and dinner in the new one. There are no locks on The Pantry doors. My waitress told me that once during a blackout following an earthquake they continued to serve patrons by candle light—it was probably the closest any meal here came to being romantic.
Always Open and Never Changing
Being open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for over 80 years has its benefits and and its drawbacks. Certainly the restaurant's longevity is an indication that they must be doing something right, whether that is offering good value, good food, or a combination of both. A late night visit on a random weekday invariably finds the restaurant more than half full, and early on weekend mornings for brunch, a line forms down James M. Wood Boulevard.
But one of the downsides of never closing is that it becomes difficult to actually change either the decor or the menu much. The metal kitchen counters, which must have once gleamed with optimism, now bare only a dull sheen, betraying decades of wear and tear. So do the necessarily broad tables that line the dinning room—"necessarily broad" because the food portions at The Pantry are simply enormous, spilling off the plates and on to the tired, yellowing Formica. Even before you order your food, a loaf of bread so large that it could possibly feed the 5,000 is deposited on your table.
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The Prague Post rates nine of the city's burgers, telling you who has the best and worst meat, bun, and fries.
Posted by Nick Solares, October 14, 2008 at 11:30 AM
Primehouse
381 Park Avenue South New York, NY 10016 (at 27th Street; map); 212-824-2600; brguestrestaurants.com
The Short Order: Huge ten-ounce grilled burger in the classic steakhouse model
Want Fries with That? Comes with superb steak fries
Price: classic cheeseburger $12, steakhouse burger, bacon and blue cheese burger $14
Notes: The burger menu is available in the bar room from 11:30 a.m until closing (10 p.m. Sunday, 11 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 12 a.m. Thursday-Saturday) and in the main dinning room during lunch and brunch (11:30 a.m to 4 p.m., 7 days a week)
When Primehouse opened a year ago on the first of this month (happy belated birthday, Primehouse) I questioned whether we really needed another steakhouse in New York City. The three years preceding Primehouse's debut had seen an explosion of new steakhouse openings with the Zagat listings seemingly doubling during that time frame. Its not that I don't love steakhouses (far from it), but how many tired iterations of the same menu—porterhouse for two, creamed spinach, hash browns—does one town really need?
Fortunately and refreshingly, Primehouse managed to differentiate itself from its competitors both by virtue of a bold, contemporary decor and, more importantly, by offering some exceptional cuts of Creek Stone Farms beef from their unique Himalayan salt-lined dry aging room. In fact, Primehouse has quickly become one of my favorite steakhouses in the city.
A Ten-Ounce Bargain Burger
I don't usually consider a burger that costs over $10—let alone $14—a good value, but the one at Primehouse is actually a veritable bargain considering that it is a full ten ounces of beef and comes with what seems like two large potatoes worth of fries, plus a generous helping of very fresh lettuce, onion, and tomato. In a pound-for-pound comparison, a similar amount of food would cost more at Shake Shack because you would need to order two burgers and two fries to equal the mountain of food that Primehouse serves. Although I am sure it would not be appreciated, you could share this with someone and both leave satisfied.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, October 13, 2008 at 2:15 PM
In last week's Washington, D.C. City Guide on Serious Eats, Washington Post food writer Jane Black named Ray's Hell Burger as having the best burger in D.C.:
For $6.95, you get a 10-ounce burger made of hand-trimmed prime beef (including juicy scraps from nearby Ray’s the Steaks), corn on the cob, and a slice of watermelon. There are only a few seats and no fries here. But who needs 'em?
She also recommends Palena "for a more civilized experience."
Related
A Burger in the Nation's Capital: Ben's Chili Bowl
Burgering Through D.C.'s Georgetown
D.C.'s Best Burgers
The Boston Globe reviews Franky N the Boys, a 1950s-style burger joint in Brookline, Massachusetts. Praise is given to the burgers and shakes, but the fries and "veggie bun" need improvement.
Posted by Robyn Lee, October 9, 2008 at 4:00 PM
AHT reader Ben Kessler tipped us off to the Windsor Burger at the recently opened Pub & Kitchen, calling it the best burger in Philadelphia. The burger is topped with melted cheese, three strips of bacon, bibb lettuce, caramelized onions, and tomato. Kessler says:
The first bite reveals a flawlessly crafted patty, moist and fluffy and literally dripping with juices. ...Add the perfect crunch and saltiness of the pork belly, sweetness of the caramelized onions and soft, gooey cheddar and you will realize two bites in that this IS the best burger in Philly.
He adds that the onion rings are "some of the best I’ve ever tried," although there's nothing special about the fries. Has anyone else tried the Windsor Burger? What'd you think of it?
Related: Philly Burger Roundup
Posted by Adam Kuban, October 9, 2008 at 11:25 AM
Everything about Molly's seems wrong. The service is slow. When the cheeseburger hits your table, you're worried they've cooked it way beyond the medium-rare you've ordered, because the patty is black and glistening with grease. In fact, it looks like an oily, oversized hockey puck.
But, oh, is Molly's oh so right.
The exterior of the gigantic (10-ounce) patty has a crunchy-chewy char that complements the juicy yielding interior cooked perfectly to order. Though the Molly's burger could be a bit more flavorful (I still prefer nearby Shake Shack for its brisket-sirloin mix), add some bacon to this thing, and you've got a damn satisfying sandwich.
The coarsely ground and loosely packed beef comes served on a perfectly toasted white sesame seed bun. If you order a cheeseburger, that patty is topped with an appropriate helping of cheese—two slices of gooey American in my case (Swiss, mozzarella, and blue cheese are also options).
At $10, the cheeseburger comes with choice of fries, potato salad, mashed potatoes, or onion rings. This is one place where I'd opt for fries over rings. (The onion rings are greasy and have too much breading.) So basically, as my dining companion put it, you're paying a dollar an ounce for meat and getting some bread and sides for free. And you get to eat it in a sawdust-on-the-floor classic Irish pub setting, where the bartender greets you with a thick Irish brogue. You can't beat that.
Molly's Shebeen
287 Third Avenue, New York NY 10010 (b/n 22nd and 23rd; map)
212-889-3361
Posted by Nick Solares, October 7, 2008 at 10:30 AM
Delicatessen
54 Prince Street, New York NY 10012 (at Lafayette Street; map); 212-226-0211; www.delicatessennyc.com
The Short Order: A potentially decent burger completely ruined by a sugary brioche bun
Want Fries with That? Comes with fries but they are not very good
Price: cheeseburger $10
Notes: Open seven days a week, 7:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Almost everything about Delicatessen is a facade, starting with the name. Delicatessen is not a delicatessen at all. Aside from paying lip service to the name via the inclusion of a few traditional deli items—a riff on the Ruben sandwich and a Matzo ball soup—the bulk of the menu is self described as "international comfort food" and features such diverse items as fried chicken, fish and chips and, for our purposes, a hamburger.
The service is far from hospitable. The hosts, ostensibly the people who welcome and seat you, don't do much hosting. They mostly ignore you until you press them, at which point they'll give you a vague answer that a table will be available in ten minutes despite that almost half the restaurant is empty (or half full depending on your level of optimism). It's only when you express an intent on dining elsewhere that a seat will miraculously open up. The waiters are also misnamed: They don't wait on you, you wait on them. And wait and wait. Even the busboys need to be asked to actually clear your table.
But it doesn't matter—no one goes to Delicatessen because they're looking for an authentic New York deli or service that is mediocre at best. In fact, I doubt anyone goes to Delicatessen for the food at all; the principle draw here comes down to two factors: location and avocation.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, October 6, 2008 at 4:00 PM
Crunchburger from Bobby's Burger Palace. Photograph by Nick Solares
Joan Starckey of the New York Times finds out who makes better burgers in Long Island: American Roadside Burgers in Smithtown or Bobby's Burger Palace in Lake Grove? The restaurants are similar for both being opened by successful restaurateurs and requiring customers to order at a counter. After judging burgers, fries, onion rings, and milkshakes from each restaurant, American Roadside Burgers comes out as the clear winner with its superior burgers and fries.
Related
Bobby's Burger Palace
All American Drive-In
Posted by Nick Solares, September 30, 2008 at 2:00 PM
This week I am taking a break from a full review to cover some variations on hamburgers found in New York City restaurants. The following are either foods inspired by the hamburger that are not themselves hamburgers, or hamburgers inspired by other hamburgers.
Lure Fish Bar
As Adam noted in his review of the Lure burger, it is probably counterintuitive to order a hamburger in a fish restaurant. I have to say, however, that the burger at Lure Fish Bar is impressive in almost every regard but two: It comes on a brioche bun and is nothing like the burger it is patterned after, namely the venerable In-N-Out Burger. The Lure Burger is quite tasty, made with quality loose-packed beef and topped with fresh ingredients. But aside from the Thousand Island dressing, the burger bears little resemblance to an In-N-Out Burger for being served on a brioche bun and having a far thicker patty than even an In-N-Out double-double has. It also comes topped with onion rings and is bisected by default, further extricating it from resembling a California-style burger. It's a good burger hampered by poor bun choice, but don't expect it to bring you any closer to California. 142 Mercer Street (at Prince Street; map); 212-431-7676; lurefishbar.com
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Posted by Adam Kuban, September 25, 2008 at 10:45 AM
The Bonbonniere cheeseburger special.
La Bonbonniere. Yeah, I had to look it up, too. It's a wedding favor—a crystal or porcelain trinket box that traditionally held a few sugar cubes back in the day when sugar was expensive and symbolized wealth.
Is La Bonbonniere a box? You could say that. Does it or its contents symbolize wealth? Not these days. It's a typical greasy spoon coffee shop with formica counters and padded vinyl stools.
Meg Hourihan first tipped me to its burger, saying, "I think what makes it so perfect is they put cheese on both side of the bun, so the juicy, flavorful meat is sandwiched between bread and cheese. I used to live nearby and went there often. Now it's not so convenient, so I don't just drop in for lunch. I really miss that burger." Meg and I made vague plans to visit but never did, so I finally went on my own yesterday.
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Posted by Nick Solares, September 23, 2008 at 11:30 AM
Shopsin's General Store
Stall 16, Essex Street Market, 120 Essex Street, New York NY 10002 (b/n Delancey Street and Rivington Street; map); 212-924-5160; shopsins.com
The Short Order: Amazingly authentic sliders that rival the nation's best, but Shopsin himself is the real star of the show
Want Fries with That? Comes with chips, fries are extra and untested by the reviewer
Price: sliders $9; burgers $7
Notes: Open Tues. through Sat., 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
"That's you?...You're wrong!" bellowed Kenny Shopsin when he discovered that I, occasional but passionate (and accepted, at least at the time of writing) patron of Shopsin's General Store, and the writer of Beef Aficionado who last year heaped lavish praise upon his sliders, were one and the same. It wasn't enough that I called his sliders the finest I have had in New York City and the closest one can get to White Manna, the appropriately named holy grail of sliderism in Hackensack, New Jersey, without actually leaving Manhattan.
"I see what they are doing," he said. referring to a video I had posted on White Manna. "They steam the onions; my sliders are better, I grill them," he stated definitively, as if that was the end of the discussion, which it actually turned out to be. "You'll see—try mine again and you'll eat your words."
I retorted that when it came to burgers I didn't mind eating my words one bit, and put in my order. I could have posited that the gooey, oozing onions on the sliders at White Manna add a particularly pleasing textural component—not to mention a sweetness that his onions lack by virtue of all the sugars being caramelized—but Shopsin had moved on, laying out a perfectly reasoned but expletive-filled diatribe against the city parking system. Of course, Shopsin's onions, like Shopsin himself, have their own particular charms. And while I still give the White Manna slider the slight edge, the ones at Shopsin's have one thing that Manna does not have: Shopsin himself.
Continue reading »
Posted by Matt Jacobs, September 19, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Editor's Note: We're happy to welcome back former AHT East Coast editor (and, of course, highly qualified burger fiend) Matt Jacobs! Here's the first of his monthly New York burger reviews.
Photographs by Robyn Lee
Rare Bar & Grill
228 Bleecker Street, New York NY 10014 (at 6th Avenue; map; another location at 303 Lexington Avenue)
212-691-7273; rarebarandgrill.com
The Short Order: Fantastically beefy steakhouse burgers with a slightly wimpy bun. Meat-o-philes can skip the condiments and should take notice
Want Fries with That? The sweet potato fries were good and the cottage fries were okay, but they're not a necessity
Notes: Mon.-Wed., 12 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Thurs.-Fri., 12 p.m. to 12 a.m.; Sat., 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Oh, hello there reader. If the clamoring for my return in the Serious Eats office is any indication, you were waiting with bated breath for this day. There is likely a party room decked out with red and yellow streamers, hamburger piñatas, and diced onion confetti waiting for me. While I appreciate the effort, I'd rather get straight to work. Let's talk meat.
Rare Bar & Grill has long been a formidable contender for top burger honors and has been on our hit list since it got noticed back in 2006. Rare straddles the line between fancypants and working-man burger, offering high-quality cuts (Ribeye, New York Strip) with high-quality toppings (truffle butter) at high-quality prices ($21, $26 with the truffle butter). On the other end of the burger spectrum is the simple Rare Classic ($9), made with an eight ounce patty of freshly ground chuck. This could have been a showdown between the hoity-toity and the hoi polloi, but we focused on the burger you're most likely to purchase—the Rare Classic.
Start with Mini Burgers
But before getting to the main course, we whetted our palates with the Burger Trio starter ($15) consisting of three mini burgers of the chef's choosing. One was covered in cheddar and the other two were topped with Swiss, mushrooms, sautéed onions, and apple-smoked bacon. These were served on a sweet brioche bun and accompanied by onion rings.
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Posted by Nick Solares, September 16, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Black Iron Burger Shop
540 East 5th Street, New York NY 10009 (b/n Avenue A and Avenue B; map); 212-677-6067; blackironburger.com
The Short Order: Potentially excellent burgers hampered by over cooking and a poor bun choice
Want Fries with That? Absolutely—they're golden, crispy and delicious. Don't miss the shakes either
Price: cheeseburger $7; fries/rings $4, milkshake $6.
Notes: Open 7 days a week, 6 p.m. - late night (call ahead, closing times appear to vary)
My father, a dapper and suave dresser, once told me that a gentleman should take a long time to dress, meticulously preening his tie and breast pocket handkerchief until they are absolutely perfect and then ruffling them impetuously to make them appear as if they only took a few moments to assemble. This sort of describes Black Iron Burger, whose opening was greatly anticipated here at AHT and across the blogosphere.
While, Black Iron Burger looks like the owners just stuck a griddle into an existing, possibly decades-old bar, the reality is that not much of what you see upon entering the place actually existed before the multi-month renovation began. Or if it existed, it was buried under years of prior renovations that had to be stripped away.
Irrespective of the time it took, the results are impressive. Black Iron Burger appears to have been open for decades, with its dark, worn wood interior complete with exposed rafters and brick. Tarnished mirrors hang behind the bar and on the adjacent wall, and the reflections of the warm lighting are amplified by the glass casting a golden hue over the room. Bottles of Heinz ketchup, Gilden's mustard, and Grey Poupon line the walls along narrow shelves, tall tables, and stools dominate the relatively cramped room.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, September 11, 2008 at 10:30 AM
Serious Eats intern-turned-obsessive-Chinatown-documentarian Gordon Mark reminds us that sometimes what we're looking for might be right before our eyes. His buddy Herman tipped him to the burger at the Antique Cafe, a coffee shop just a couple doors down from the AHT-Serious Eats office. "Best burger I've ever eaten," Herman said.
Then Gordon grabbed one and concurred, even starting his own food blog and documenting it on what he's calling Gordon Eats:
But what did it for me was the burger patty. It was quite a substantial chunk of meat. Also the cheese didn’t overpower the burger. Nice. I would get it more often if it wasn’t so expensive. It comes with salad and fries and costs almost $10 (9 dollars and 60 something cents).
This will be my lunch today. Look for another post on this place later today.
Antique Cafe
234 West 27th Street, New York NY 100001 (b/n Seventh and Eighth avenues; map)
212-243-2326
antiquecafeny.com
Posted by Robyn Lee, September 8, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Former AHT East Coast editor Matt Jacobs reviews three burger joints in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Nothing's perfect, but at least the veteran Bonnie's Grill gets 7/10 and newcomer Brooklyn Flipsters scores a 6/10, with the potential to get better. Other newcomer Corner Burger sadly only gets a 3/10.
Related
Openings: Corner Burger in Park Slope
Five Guys Park Slope, Opening Day
Posted by Nick Solares, September 2, 2008 at 10:00 AM
If it's Tuesday, it must be time for another review from Nick Solares. Nick is also the publisher of Beef Aficionado, his blog that explore
