Hamburger America

Amazing Gift From Glenn at Solly's

2012-01-25T19:13:00.000-05:00

We are in production on a hamburger television show (details coming soon, and Eater broke the story back in November). Without giving away the show, one of our 'subjects' was an old friend of mine, Glenn Fieber from Solly's in Milwaukee. He was happy to be included in the first episode and created for me this one-of-a-kind chef's jacket.

Thanks Glenn! Love the American flag touch. I'll wear it with pride.

Another Classic Burger Joint Is Gone

2012-01-21T19:43:00.006-05:00

I hate having to report this but one of the burger joints in my book has closed, possibly for good. I've recently learned that Pak-A-Sak, the nearly 60-year-old Oklahoma burger institution, shut off its flattop over a year ago. I received the unfortunate news from an Enid, OK native and confirmed the story Friday with a call to Enid City Hall.

It was hard to beat the Bible passages, romance novels, and sliders at Pak-A-Sak. And the cheese tots (one of America's greatest gifts to the world). Simplicity and tradition was the name of the game at this Northern Oklahoma burger joint. The burger to get was the regular with cheese and onions, a small smashed patty burger that shares DNA with the original American hamburger. It was an oniony cheese-and-beef bomb that melted in your mouth. I can taste it now and will miss it dearly.

I'm not sure of the details of its demise but this is exactly the type of American institution that needs to be saved. The importance of the American burger joint is rarely contemplated and I hope it is not too late for places with similar predicaments. Once again, the idiom, "You don't know what you've got 'till it's gone" rings true.

Here are a few photos of Pak-A-Sak, as I saw it the last time I was there, July 22nd, 2010:

Steak 'N Shake is in NYC

2012-01-11T21:56:00.005-05:00

As if the burgerscape in NYC couldn't get any better one of the best all-fresh-beef burger chains in America decided to open a tiny outpost in the big city. I've always been a huge fan of Steak 'N Shake but had to find myself in the Midwest or Florida to enjoy their smashed doubles with cheese. Now, all I need to do is hop on the subway.

But the new Steak 'N Shake is more than just an urban version of their successful 78-year old burger concept. The new Steak 'N Shake 'Signature' introduces two important menu items that will not be found at any other location: Fresh-cut fries and the Signature Organic Burger. That's right, fresh ground organic beef in a thick-ish 6-ounce patty that is a bit of a departure from the classic thin, smashed patties that I love so much. Regardless, it was a great burger. I was skeptical of the origins of the organic beef (so much comes from overseas). I asked and found out that the powers-that-be spent a lot of time and energy sourcing organic beef in the US. We should all be thankful that a burger chain in the US chose to stick to American beef.

You can still get the classic double cheeseburger with patties smashed gloriously thin and they taste EXACTLY like the ones I've eaten in Ohio, Florida, Indiana, Michigan and Georgia. You can also indulge in their amazing shakes at this location. Hand-dipped shakes, not the kind squeezed out of a soft-serve machine. And true to NYC form, booze will be available. Look for Brooklyn Lager and an impressive wine dispenser filled with bottles of 2007 Ridge.

The location for the new Steak 'N Shake is fitting. Not just because it's positioned to take full advantage of the Times Square onslaught, but because the Indianapolis-based burger company is next door to NYC's most famous displaced Son-of-Indy - David Letterman. My guess is it won't be long before Dave is talking about the taste of home that is just a few steps from his front door.

Steak 'N Shake Signature opens tomorrow at 10am. I'll be there to cut the ribbon (seriously!).

Roadfood Cover Looks Eerily Familiar

2011-12-17T06:35:00.000-05:00

A few months back friends and EBTs started sending me cell phone shots of the Stern's latest edition of their classic food tome 'Roadfood'. Turns out, their new cover bears a striking similarity to the cover of my new version of Hamburger America. Coincidence? Has to be. I helped to design our cover way back in 2010 before the book was even written. Even stranger is that the pub dates are identical.. I guess it's the cover to have, or there was some weird synchronicity going on.

The pic above was one that I took just the other day at a Midtown Manhattan Barnes & Noble. Seems like this strange similarity was not lost on the people stocking the shelves.

Hamburger Holiday Gift Ideas 2011

2011-12-13T06:10:00.000-05:00

Looking for a few last minute gifts for the burger nut on your gift list? I present to you my annual list of burger-centric goodies:

In-N-Out Post-It Pad

Need I say more? I have them all over my house and office. At the In-N-Out Store.

Smashburger Tee Shirt

Love the double entendre. In black and/or white at the Smash Gear Store.

2GB Hamburger Flash Drive

I know this was on the list last year, but come on, this is a great one! I wonder if they'll make a larger one with more patties - 2GB is almost too small these days. At Amazon.

Burger GPS App

How does one give a free app you may ask? Easy. Anytime you see someone who owns an iPhone or iPad ask to borrow it and download the app for them (or do it when they are not looking assuming you know their password). It's the (free) gift that keeps on giving, all year long. The link to the app is here.

Hamburger America, Revised and Updated!

The newest version of my book is available now and includes an additional 52 burger joints with updates on the burgers from the first edition. Published by Running Press, May 2011 and available at Amazon and (and just about any place where awesome books are sold).

Chili Peppers Drummer Is One Smart Dude

2011-12-10T17:45:00.003-05:00

A Double with onions at Hunter House

Chad Smith loves burgers, but not just any burgers. I've heard it before that his hometown favorite is Hunter House Hamburgers just north of Detroit, one of my faves and one of the 150 featured in my book. On the Saturday after Thanksgiving he was home visiting family and stopped in for a few. He posed for this picture (below) with one of my hamburger heroes, owner Susan Cobb (on the left). The Observer and Eccentric reported that he brought in family members for burgers, signed autographs, and even took a spin on the griddle. Chad hits those drums pretty hard, hope he took it easy smashing those burgers..

photo: The Eccentric

No Buns at the Apple Pan!

2011-11-01T18:06:00.002-04:00

That's right, Los Angeles EBT Dan just happened to walk into the Apple Pan today during the SEVEN MINUTES that the iconic burger stand was out of buns. Turns out, the baker was running late and a number of patrons were served their burgers on toast. Dan reported, "The crunch of the toast definitely fought the crunch of the iceberg lettuce but it's still an Apple Pan burger, still phenomenal!" Order was restored but Dan managed to snap this rare shot of his Steakburger on toast.

Nice Piece in Washington Post Express

2011-09-28T21:57:00.002-04:00

The Washington Post Express ran a good piece today on me and the new show I'm hosting, Made In America. The photo is from our visit to a Krispy Kreme store in North Carolina and yes, they made me tuck my shirt in, probably the first time in 2 decades..

The piece focuses on food, but in the show we visit 39 factories, everything from Silly Putty to jet engines.

To read the article, click here.

Hamburger America at National Archives

2011-09-12T21:55:00.003-04:00

You read that right, the film Hamburger America will be screened at the National Archives in Washington DC. It's the same building that houses the Big 3 American Charters of Freedom (the Declaration, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights for those that failed political science). Needless to say, I'm extremely honored and very much looking forward to the screening. I'll be there for a quick introduction to the film and a Q&A after, followed by a book signing. And then I'll be knighted (oh, wrong country).

If you happen to be in the area, the screening will take place in the William G. McGowan theater at the Archives next Wednesday, Sept 21st at noon and admission is free, open to the public. Click here for info. Sadly, no burgers will be served but I'm sure I'll be at the Five Guys a few blocks away after the screening...

Tookie's Is Reopening!

2011-07-30T07:58:00.003-04:00

Tookie's Hamburgers & More, the home of the Squealer, is reopening after years of being shuttered following 2008's Hurricane Ike. The iconic burger joint and Texas roadhouse south of Houston sustained substantial flood damage and owner Jim Spears struggled to reopen. Recently however, a guy named Barry Terrell bought Tookie's (which was pretty much gutted following the storm and damage from looters) and has brought back the original menu. Spears had woes beyond the damaged structure, like the future widening of the road where Tookies sits, being subject to new building codes and piles of insurance paperwork from the storm. Not sure how Terrell pulled it off but he did apparently.

Tookie's was in the first version of Hamburger America but I pulled them out of the completely revised edition since there was no word of its reopening at press time last December. Looks like any day now you'll be able to enjoy the one-and-only Squealer, the burger Tookie's made famous by grinding bacon into their patties. The process is so secretive that competing restaurants have sent busboys to apply for jobs at Tookie's in an attempt to steal the recipe. I've tried myself and failed. The only way to truly enjoy a Squealer is to get one at Tookie's.

I applaud Terrell for being crazy enough to reopen this iconic burger joint. Chalk up another win for nostalgia!

Hamburger America at Urban Outfitters

2011-07-12T09:24:00.003-04:00

Check this out! Urban Outfitters recently purchased a bunch of copies of the revised edition to sell in that cool little book section of their stores. I'm totally honored. Also, take a look at the selection of authors I'm sharing table space with (Jay-Z, Tina Fey, and Banksy).

My Burger Roundup for Edible Queens

2011-06-29T13:59:00.002-04:00

Edible Queens asked me to write about my 5 favorite go-to burgers in Queens and the piece is in their Summer issue, on streets now. The standouts, for the most part, were pretty easy to spot and not surprisingly 3 of the 5 had only been open for under a year. The list? Burger Garage, Donovan's Pub, Custom Burger, Astor Bake Shop, and Hollis Famous Burgers. Pick up a copy of the mag at these places in Queens.

Joe DiStefano published this companion piece yesterday, a pretty straightforward interview with me..

Grease Fire Closes Tune Inn in DC

2011-06-26T09:31:00.006-04:00

I've just learned that the Tune Inn in Washington DC suffered a fire last Wednesday and closed. The Washington Post reported that the fire started in the kitchen and that the bar area in front, the part loaded with years of dusty taxidermy, survived. Third generation owner Lisa Nardelli told the paper that the bar could be open within a week to serve drinks but it sounds like their famous burgers won't be back for a while.

photo: Tim Carman/WASH POST

For years, the Tune Inn has made a basic, beautiful, uncomplicated bar burger served on a white squishy bun that I put in my book. But in the past few years, a burger that the chef created as a special that involved deep-frying became the subject of an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins. Its popularity surged, the burger became a permanent menu item, and it sounds like there was a lot of deep-frying going on back there...

I'm looking forward to the Tune Inn's return, especially since I'll be down there soon.

French Cheeseburger Chips

2011-06-10T21:12:00.004-04:00

My good friend Seth brought this bag of chips all the way back from France just for me today. 'Max Craquantes' translates basically as 'super crispy' and they are. I opened the bag and it farted out a cloud of pickle/ketchup flavoring that almost turned me off. I soldiered on though and ate a few. They do taste like 'cheeseburger', just not necessarily one that I would eat. And they are loaded with M.S.G. so I think I'll avoid eating the rest of the bag. Those French are crazy.

Smashburger is in NYC!

2011-06-09T11:14:00.004-04:00

The Denver burger chain that has expanded throughout much of the country has made landfall in NYC, opening today at its first location in Brooklyn. Smashburger has won me over because of its use of fresh ingredients but the methodology behind the griddling of the patties is what really gets me going. True to their namesake, there's a lot of smashing going on.

Two days prior to opening, I was invited to check out the first NYC location on Dekalb Ave near Long Island University and Flatbush Ave. The owner surprised me by having Smashburger founder Tom Ryan on-hand for a meet and greet. Tom is a true fast-casual visionary and led us on a tour of the kitchen with a full demo of the smashing process. I'll avoid the details of my visit to avoid spilling any trade secrets, but let's just say these dudes have smashing down.

Tom talked me into ordering an item from their 'hidden menu', the Sin City Burger (pictured above). Created as a stunt and served first in Vegas, the Sin City is a decadent pile of crisped and sauteed onions, cheese, bacon and Smashsauce on a 1/3 pound patty, topped with a fried egg. "We imagined a burger that involved breakfast and dinner," Tom explained, "since you never know what time it is in Vegas." The Sin City is downright awesome and no longer on any written menu (as of Feb 2011), that is unless you know to ask for it (and apparently available 'secretly' at every location).

Soon, the new Brooklyn Smashburger will be serving beer too. It'll be a hard place for me to avoid..

Burger Bites, Episode 4 - Irv's Burgers, LA

2011-05-21T10:31:00.006-04:00

Thanks to everyone who came to the launch of the new Burger GPS app at the Apple Store last night. The afterparty at Idle Hands involved more burgers, thanks to Rev and upstairs restaurant Billy Hurricane's. The chef brought round after round of amazing mini burgers, each one better than the next. My favorite was the Hurricane Burger, which was topped with a Frank's Red Hot concoction. And Robin from The Land of Cake Believe (great name) brought her incredible bacon cheeseburger cupcakes to the afterparty.

Those who attended the Apple Store event watched the premiere of Burger Bites ep.4 about Sonia Hong and her West Hollywood burger joint Irv's Burgers. I showed the clip during the app demo to give the crowd an idea of what Hamburger America is all about. People like Sonia are what keep me going and remind us that classic mom 'n pops can survive if we care to save them.

Enjoy episode 4!

Nice Interview on Eater

2011-05-14T20:45:00.002-04:00

I'm happy with this piece on Eater. Paula Forbes totally got it right. Thanks Paula!

I Just Tested the New App!

2011-05-13T14:23:00.002-04:00

I just took the new Hamburger America Burger GPS for a test drive and it was awesome! The guys behind the new app have been working their asses off to get it done in time for the big launch at the Apple Store, Meatpacking, next Friday. As they were testing, hilariously incorrect GPS coordinates popped up like the one on the left which placed the Upper East Side Shake Shack on the tip of Antarctica. Who knows? They are moving to Brooklyn soon. Anything is possible..

The new app is really amazing and I for one will use it often. Having an interactive burger map in my hand is a dream come true.

George's Shoulda Been In The Book...

2011-05-02T08:21:00.005-04:00

I've been trying to get to a little-known burger joint in the Cochella Valley for years called George's Bar & Grill and man, they should have been in the book. George's meets all of the criteria to be included in Hamburger America so expect to see this place in HA3 one day (and in my new burger app, releasing May 20th!).

George is long gone but his son Ed has been large and in charge for many years. The sign out front proudly proclaims "World's Best Burgers and Insults" and he means it. Thank God Ed has an opinion on what makes a great burger (and yours is most definitely wrong). Ketchup graces the bar but it's there for the fries. Go ahead, just try to put some on your burger...

The patties are fresh ground, hand-pattied and cooked on a flattop behind the bar. A single works but the double, weighing in at around 1/2 lb, is better. Ask for grilled onion and there's a charge of $1.10 (go for it). The burger is served on a toasted white squishy and the result is heavenly, and a bit peppery. To round out your Whole Burger Experience take in the bar - authentic baseball memorabilia, comfortable leather stools and a tiny pool table complete the scene and an engraved plaque just below the television reads "Screw The Customers". Perfect. You know you want to be there.

Hours at George's are strange so check before you head out there. Even though it's a bar it's only open until 5:30pm weekdays and 3pm on Saturdays. Ed has better things to do so come down and get your drink on at lunchtime.

Hamburger America 2 is Out!!

2011-04-30T14:05:00.003-04:00

The completely revised Hamburger America, with 52 new joints, is out and shipping from Amazon as of yesterday. I'm assuming bookstores will follow soon. I'm very happy with the result and hope that you are too.

Burger Bites, Episode 3 - Miami Frita Crawl

2011-03-10T09:48:00.002-05:00

Burger Beast, aka Sef Gonzalez is the authority on excellent Cuban food in Miami. He asked me to join him on a tour of some of his favorite frita counters and I couldn't refuse. It took me a while to get back to Miami but I'm sure glad I made time for lunch.

Click here to see the new Burger Bites, episode 3 where Burger Beast and I power through 3 amazing fritas at El Rey, Morro Castle, and the one and only El Mago. If it weren't for the traffic we may have been able to fit in 2 more..

New Burger Bites Coming Soon

2011-03-08T15:33:00.003-05:00

I spent the afternoon with Burger Beast hitting a few great Frita joints in Miami last Friday and shot some footage of the journey. As we were approaching the first place, he offered to take me to an additional 4 or 5 places on top of the 3 we had agreed upon. Even I would have had a problem consuming 8 fritas for lunch. We stuck with El Rey De Las Fritas, Morro Castle, and El Mago. I probably could have fit in one more..

Stay tuned for the Miami Frita Crawl, Burger Bites episode 3, coming soon to this blog.

Custom Burgers for Flyers Only

2011-02-12T16:49:00.005-05:00

This was, by far, the best burger I've ever had in an airport. I'm working on a story about burgers in Queens and the newish Custom Burgers in Terminal D at LaGuardia was on the list. The people behind Custom took over an old Burger King and have done great things. The beef is supplied by none other than Pat LaFrieda and it's pretty obvious. You can customize your burger with an array of toppings or do what I did and eat yours with cheese only (I took that salad off, above, before eating..). The 4.5 ounce burgers are cooked on a flattop and served on supple, toasted, buttered Martin's Potato Rolls. What could be better?

Oh, and this burger is not for everyone (literally). You'll need a ticket on a Delta flight to enjoy Custom because this place is on the other side of security. I managed to get authorization though, without having to buy a ticket to Indianapolis (it's good to know people).

New Josh Capon Joint is Pretty Awesome

2011-02-07T07:46:00.003-05:00

This is a much-belated post. I think I visited way back in November.

After reports started coming back that the burgers at Josh Capon's newest burger outpost Burger & Barrel were amazing I made a point of getting there. Man was I glad I did. These burgers kick some ass.

Though they are relegated to the bottom of the menu, the burgers are the main attraction at this cozy new 'gastropub' (gag). I had the Bash Style burger, presumably the burger that won Josh top honors at the 2009 Burger Bash in NYC (though honestly, the burger at B&B was way better than the burger I ate at the Bash). The Bash Burger makes use of just a few key ingredients (and some of my favorites) - caramelized onions, bacon (bacon jam?), pickles and American cheese. It takes a big pair of nuts to use American cheese on an upscale burger in Manhattan and I love Josh for having the balls to do so. The beef used, of course, is a special Pat LaFrieda blend and it's cooked perfectly on a flattop and served on a super-soft fresh-made bun. A nice flourish is the stack of perfectly cooked jumbo onion rings balanced atop the burger bun.

Fun Book Signing

2011-02-04T19:13:00.003-05:00

Thanks to everyone who came out in the snow to Schnipper's for the last book event for the first edition. Hamburger America is now officially out-of-print with the new version coming out in May of this year. And thanks of course to the Schnipper Brothers for hosting the event and for creating great burgers. And of course congrats on making it to year 2. Only 18 more years and they'll be eligible for inclusion in Hamburger America. Keep it up! 2029 is just around the corner!

Pictured above, Andrew and Jonathan Schnipper, and me, looking like I need to lose a few.

Book Signing at Schnipper's

2011-01-21T12:15:00.004-05:00

The Brothers Schnipper have invited me to their 2nd anniversary party next week at Schnipper's Quality Kitchen and I'll be there signing books. They plan to give out a pile of Hamburger Americas for free and are celebrating the anniversary with $2 burgers all day. I can't believe it has already been 2 years.

I'll be there at 2pm (do you sense a theme here?), Thursday, Jan. 27. And from 2-4pm they'll be serving my favorite burger at Schnipper's, the Hickory Bacon Blue, for (you guessed it) 2 bucks. Maybe I'll eat 2 of them.

This will probably be the last time the book is seen in print. The first edition of Hamburger America goes out of print in February in preparation for the big May launch of the revised edition. The original version is only days away from becoming a collector's item.

Hope to see you there!

Burger Beast Has A Truck!

2011-01-10T12:30:00.003-05:00

That's right, South Florida burger blogger Burger Beast has either stumbled into genius or lost his friggin mind (or both). Starting this week, a huge food truck with his logo on the side will begin to host guest burger spins on a rolling griddle around Miami. The King of the Calle Ocho Frita - El Mago himself will be the first. The truck sounds amazing and even yours truly may make a guest spin on the flattop during promotion for the new book (out May). A green chile cheeseburger in Miami? Could be possible for one-day only..

New Burger Joint Coming to Santa Fe

2011-01-04T07:58:00.003-05:00

I have it on good authority that a star chef in Santa Fe is planning to open a burger joint in this shuttered gas station (below) very soon. I know the chef, and his success at his local restaurant coupled with his Wisconsin upbringing will undoubtedly result in an excellent burger joint. Stay tuned..

Great Burgers on Route 82 in Colorado

2010-12-30T19:08:00.007-05:00

What a difference a few months can make. The last time I was snowboarding in Aspen, only 8 months ago, the hamburger options were grim. It seemed as though no one between Glenwood Springs and Aspen really gave a crap about burgers. Then Edible Aspen magazine ran a piece on a tiny burger joint in Carbondale named Fatbelly Burgers and burger awareness in the valley was suddenly realized. The joint, which has no seating and a flattop griddle in view, serves simple 1/4 pound 'fast food' style burgers in the spirit of In-N-Out and Shake Shack. To me it is hamburger nirvana - no frills, no bullshit, great burgers.

I returned this year to find that not only is Fatbelly going strong, owner Shane Vetter has opened a second location even closer to Aspen in downtown Basalt. The Basalt location (named Fatbelly Eats) has an expanded menu that includes a handful of new signature burgers, a grilled Ahi plate, even salads. Most notable however is the long bar and bartender as you walk in on the right. The incredible beer selection trumps the wine and that's fine with me. Shane told me, "We are building a stage for live music back there." All of this fueled by burger money. Tasty, greasy, burger money. I was in awe of Shane's hamburger achievements over just one short year.

I arrived in Aspen to discover that the bleak burgerscape of this upscale ski town had given birth to a new burger concept, right at the base of Ajax. CP Burger, only open since October, is excellent. How excellent? I ate a burger there with my brother-in-law, left, then circled back 20 mins later for another.

CP Burger has taken a unique approach to dealing with the apres ski rush. I was shocked when my burger appeared in about 60 seconds, just about the time it would take to bun, load, and wrap a burger. Were the patties pre-cooked? The fresh-beef burgers at CP Burger are cooked on a flattop then transferred to a CVap to stay warm. Are you skeptical? Well don't be. Someone calling the orders explained to me that the CVap suspends the temperature of the patty for up to a half hour keeping the burger moist. It seemed to work because the burger was still very moist and tasty. I had a burger with blue cheese, bacon, and sauteed onions and 20 mins later had another. CP also serves my favorite Shiner Bock in cans, gotta love it. They've also taken a page out of the Bobby Flay playbook and are offering milkshakes spiked with booze, an idea worth drinking.

Ken Lassen Has Died

2010-12-27T10:11:00.005-05:00

I just found out from a friend in Connecticut that Ken Lassen, the grandson of the man that arguably invented the hamburger at Louis' Lunch, has passed away. You can read about it here. He starred in my 2005 film Hamburger America and will be sorely missed. Ken not only ran one of the most historically significant restaurants in America, he perpetuated the hamburger dream that his grandfather started over 110 years ago.

Fortunately, the future of Louis' is safe thanks to the dedication and hard work of Ken's sons Ken Jr. and Jeff Lassen.

Back to Bobcat

2010-12-24T14:16:00.000-05:00

We descended upon the tiny 22 seat Bobcat Bite this week with 11 people in tow. Not recommended unless you know when to arrive. The Bobcat normally opens at 11am and I somehow persuaded everyone to leave for a burger at 10:30 in the morning (they must trust me). We filled the counter and a table and there was no wait. Though by the time we left (45mins later) there were at least 30 people waiting patiently for their green chile cheeseburger fix. I'm sure the crowds grew as lunchtime progressed.

Wife Casey, the former vegetarian, ordered hers medium and devoured the thing in minutes. Bite for bite, she matched my usually unmatchable speed then exclaimed that she had just had an out-of-body experience. She did look dazed and told me, "That was amazing, better than I remembered." The burgers, now served on buns far superior to the original seeded white squishies, are always amazing and the new buns have enhanced the Bobcat burger experience tenfold. The burger that was off-the-charts has reached a new high. As we were leaving John Eckre was on the phone with his baker and told me, "We may run out today," and rolled his eyes. Check the holiday hours before you go.

A Louisiana Smash

2010-12-23T12:15:00.008-05:00

I love it when I come across a really satisfying burger. Smashburger, now with locations everywhere, creates pretty satisfying burgers. And even though they are a franchised chain I seek them out when I travel.

I found myself in Shreveport, Louisiana last week and had trouble finding a good local burger. I polled a few locals and came up with nothing (someone suggested the 'amazing burger at the Hilton'(?) and quickly realized that I was on my own). I did see that one of the local casinos had a place called 8oz. Burger but I did not try it. My sights were set on Smashburger.

Someone in Shreveport did suggest that I try the 'Louisiana Smashburger' and that's when I discovered that Smashburger is apparently working on regional spins to their burgers. The Louisiana Smash is topped with a kick-ass remoulade sauce which is basically a spicy mayo with paprika and Creole mustard. The combination of the smashed patty, perfectly toasted bun and the remoulade was pretty amazing. I'm looking forward to Smashburger's Brooklyn spin when they open in my part of the world in the new year.

Sorry the photo above is not more pro. The snap of the Louisiana Smashburger was from my crappy cellphone camera because I honestly couldn't wait to take a bite.

Made Possible Launches Today

2010-12-15T12:26:00.001-05:00

A super-cool online mag geared toward dudes called Made Possible launched today. My good friend and visual genius Mac Premo made the short film about me making a hamburger that is part of the website's launch and is aptly positioned in their 'health' section. I have a feeling I'll be contributing more to the site in the near future...

Miss Ann Mellows

2010-12-12T07:15:00.000-05:00

The NY Times spent some time down in Atlanta recently at Ann's Snack Bar to write a nice piece and produce a video. After watching, all I could think is how Miss Ann has really mellowed over the years. The Ann that I first met back in 2006 during research for the first book was pretty feisty (and threw me out of the restaurant just for wanting to write about her). Maybe I can go back now. I'd like one more Ghetto Burger before the place closes or changes hands.

New Hamburger America is Available for Presale

2010-12-08T07:06:00.000-05:00

I have not even seen the second pass from the designer and Hamburger America 2 is already available on Amazon. The presale has begun but the book will not be available until May 2011. The 'old' book is still selling but the new adds 52 more burger joints to the list (2 of the joints from the original Hamburger America have closed since that version of the book came out, The Yankee Doodle and Tookies. RIP.)

Hamburger Holiday Gift Ideas 2010

2010-12-06T07:40:00.004-05:00

It's that time of the year again, time to show your friends and family how much you love burgers. Here are a few of my latest faves that will most certainly make great gifts this holiday season.

In-N-Out Knit Cap

One of my favorite hats is back on the list. This one sold out before Christmas last year so get yours now!

2GB Hamburger USB Flash Drive

Do I need one of these? Not really. Do I want one? Most definitely.

Big Angus Poster

Really big. This FREE poster from the American Angus Association is almost 4 feet tall. I still can't figure out where to put mine. It's beautiful.

Lodge 15" Cast Iron Skillet

A great pan that I use daily. Requires two hands to lift, but man this thing cooks. Great for smashburgers.

Beveled Edge Burger Flipper

This is the one you need and it is no flimsy flipper. Totally rigid for the perfect smash every time. And at $2.90 each you should own a bunch.

Hamburger America

The first version of my book is about to become an out-of-print classic! Makes a great gift.

Beef Change at Schnipper's

2010-12-04T23:13:00.002-05:00

I stopped into one of my newish favorites, Schnipper's, recently for a quickie and noticed right away that something had changed about the burger. My default order there is the signature colossus, the Hickory Bacon Blue, which is just fantastic. Chase it with a killer shake and your day is set. I found out after my visit from one of the Schnipper brothers that they have made the switch to Pat LaFrieda ground beef. It's pretty obvious. How do Pat and Mark keep up with all of these new clients?

Also it has been rumored that Schnipper's is planning on opening another restaurant, this one on Madison Park just steps from the original Shake Shack. I wonder if the brothers Schnipper were getting back at them for opening a new Shack just 3 blocks from their flagship store...

Paula Deen Made Me Cry

2010-12-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

She made me cry tears of joy. This mashup has been on YouTube for a while now but good friend P2 Mike recently sent this note: "Hi Mr. Motz. Have you seen this? Paula Dean, dear god." Even if you've already seen the clip you need to watch it again. Don't worry, it's not the clip where her pants fall off during a live demo.

Chicago for Thanksgiving, and Burgers (of course)

2010-11-30T23:47:00.005-05:00

Although a recent trip to Chicago was all about turkey and eating massive quantities of food this did not deter me from paying visits to two of my favorites in town - Top Notch Beefburger and the newish MBurger. Pictured above is my regular order at Top Notch, a King Size cheeseburger (1/2 lb.) with sauteed onions. Pictured below is the glorious Double MBurger.

Every time I mention that I'm heading down (way down) to Top Notch I still get the same response from ALL Chicagoans. "Where is it again?" This decades-old burger joint/diner is unquestionably one of the best burgers in the nation and Chicago is basically blessed by its presence. Chicago just doesn't seem to appreciate the Top Notch. Sure, it takes about 25 mins by car to drive there at top speeds but the burgers are truly worth it. I guess heading all the way down to 95th and Western from downtown Chicago is like telling a New Yorker to head out to Flushing, Queens for a burger. Or better, telling a Los Angeleno to drive from Hollywood to Santa Monica for a burger. Me? I would drive hours for this burger, but that's just me..

I also managed to squeeze in a Double MBurger at the burger joint now attached to the kitchen of Tru. Thankfully, I showed up after 2pm and the place was empty (no large feat - MBurger would be filled with 4 people, 5 max). Love that Double M.

Missed DMK, Billy Goat and a new burger joint called Burger Bar (?) There's always next time.

Burger Bites, Episode 2 - Some Odd Griddles

2010-11-19T23:35:00.005-05:00

After over 9 months I've finally given birth to Burger Bites, Episode #2 - Odd Griddles and Techniques. I was on-and-off the road for months doing research for the completely revised Hamburger America (out April 2011) and learned a few new cooking methods for great burgers. In this episode you'll see some strange and amazing stuff, like burgers being poached at Pete's in Prairie Du Chien, WI. Click here to watch.

My New License Plate

2010-11-05T22:05:00.001-04:00

Check out my new plate! (not kidding)

Hamburger Photo Contest

2010-11-04T17:47:00.004-04:00

I just found out that a photo contest involving burgers is ending tomorrow at midnight. The folks at Photo Shelter are holding the contest and I'm entering. Here's the link to the contest.

Hamburger America 2 Almost Done

2010-10-13T22:25:00.007-04:00

I'm at the end of my rope and almost done with final manuscript for the completely revised edition of Hamburger America. 50 new (old) burger joints have made it into the new edition and I am completely wiped out. I've worked harder on this book than anything in my life and I can't wait to put it to bed. I've actually had a blast in the past 2 weeks checking in with the 100 burger joints that are in the book already. Not surprisingly, nothing has changed at these places and that makes me happy.

My love and appreciation of the Great American Hamburger has grown ever stronger and I've met 50 new hamburger heroes. I'm looking forward to sharing the fruits of my labors, soon, come April 2011. And starting next week I'll be able to get back to blogging.

Below is a shot from the new book. See if you can guess where this was taken. Could there be anything better than a beer and a burger at a classic drive-in? (comments are open for this post)

Chicago Food Film Festival - Special One-Time Burger

2010-09-18T22:50:00.002-04:00

Sorry I have not posted in a while. The book manuscript is due in a few weeks and all of my writing energy is going into the book right now. We are also gearing up for the 1st Annual Chicago Food Film Festival where we are throwing a burger party with Chicago burgerman, chef Michael Kornick and DMK Burger Bar. He'll be making all sorts of burgers and we'll be watching part of Hamburger America and Joe York's CUD. Kornick has also agreed to concoct a special burger for the event on Sept 25th using the cheese of one of our big sponsors - Jarlsberg. Festival Producer Seth Unger has already labeled it the JARLSBURGER. I like it.

Burger Garage is Open!

2010-08-18T23:03:00.003-04:00

The Burger Garage opened for lunch this week and I was there. Not just because the burgers are great but also because the 2 dudes behind Burger Garage are childhood friends of mine. Jim and Adam Pileski have a family restaurant pedigree (The Palm) so there was no question that they were going to get it right. Jim has been talking about opening a burger concept in LIC for years and it has finally, actually happened. And it is goood.

The patties, cooked on a flattop, are from LaFrieda, the ice cream for the shakes is from one of my faves Max 'N Mina's in Flushing, and the buns are buttered, toasted white squishies. I had a double (2- 4oz patties) with American cheese and sauteed onions. Melt in your mouth good. I want more good.

They've been open for lunch now only 3 days and I hit the end of the lunch rush (fortunately). "We had a line out the door, around the block on Monday," Jim told me. They can handle it though, and my order came quick.

Finally, a burger to compete with that other burger in LIC - the Motz Burger at Water Taxi Beach!

Burgers Are Good

2010-08-16T22:07:00.005-04:00

My super-genius friend, artist, and director Mac Premo just finished a short film on how to make a burger. The piece is running on the new madepossible.com and features me in my kitchen and is pretty damned good. Click here to see the 2 min piece and get yourself hungry..

An Appearance on Cooper's Kitchen

2010-08-11T22:59:00.004-04:00

The appearance I made on the new webseries Cooper's Kitchen back in early March is now airing. The star of the show is award-winning country music recording artist Cooper Boone and we had a blast. I actually got to grind a Pat LaFrieda brisket-and-clod combo on camera and it turned out well. Check out the part where I stick my fingers into the meat grinder without the use of the supplied 'stomper'. Kitchenaid will love this one.

Also don't miss my somewhat ridiculous backup guitar and singing on Ramblin' Man. I sort of forgot that the show ends with Cooper singing with his guests. I had fun though and actually don't look half stupid. (notice the grinder peeking into the shot below)

Minnesota/Eastern Iowa Trip Starts Tomorrow

2010-08-04T08:28:00.000-04:00

For the completely revised edition of my book I head out on another short burger jaunt into the Upper Midwest. There are a few burgers I need to check out from Duluth to Dubuque (not kidding) and this time the wife, the former vegetarian, is coming along. Follow the trip on Twitter@MotzBurger. Should be 7 burgers in 3 states, 40 hours.

Diablo Burger in Flagstaff, Very Local

2010-08-02T08:12:00.002-04:00

I found myself in Flagstaff, Arizona yesterday and had to stop into a newish, recommended burger spot called Diablo Burger. Tiny does not begin to describe the size. The restaurant may be 500 square feet if that, but manages to seat close to 20 at 'community' tables.

EVERYTHING about Diablo is local. The beef, the the pickles, even the hot sauce I noticed was made in Flagstaff. The organic ice cream for their kick-ass shakes is from Straus Family Creamery (in California, hmm, not very local but way good). Even their cash-only policy is technically local (the menu points out, correctly, that transaction fees go to a bank that is not very local at all).

The burger was great, cooked to temp (using a thermometer) on a flame grill with (local) lava rocks, and served on an English muffin that has Diablo's logo branded on top (above). I'm not a fan of the English muffin at all for a burger mostly because they taste sour and funky, and this one imploded under the juice of this perfectly cooked burger. A toasted white squishy would have been the way to go and I assume they chose the muffin as an excellent surface for their 'brand'. I asked for American cheese and was quickly reminded that there was no 'local' American. I settled for a local cheddar with local bacon.

If you are looking for a seriously local burger Diablo is no joke. Their beef comes from cattle raised 40 miles from Flagstaff. Just don't ask for American cheese.

Hamburger Rock

2010-08-01T00:14:00.005-04:00

I've been handed some pretty crazy burger-centric gifts over the years, everything from hamburger soap to the now-famous hamburger phone. Every year our Christmas tree is filled with an assortment of hamburger ornaments and my daughter just gave me a burger-shaped eraser from Japan. A recent gift from my father-in-law may have taken the prize however. On a trip to Bolivia last month he spotted this familiar looking rock in a riverbed. He told me, "I immediately thought of you." I wonder why?

Changes At Bobcat Bite

2010-07-31T22:38:00.003-04:00

Nothing to dramatic here, but since I was at the Bobcat Bite last summer they have made the change to a more substantial bun. Obviously, it saddened me to see the white squishy go away but this large, juicy burger managed to disintegrate the bun in seconds. The new bun actually works. And another change - the burgers are now larger, weighing in at 10 oz. before they hit the griddle (making them a full ounce larger now and the change is noticeable.)

There's one more change that is making John Eckre's life crazy at the grill. They have added the Bacon Green Chile Cheeseburger to the menu (above). I indulged, the bacon was excellent, but something was not quite right. After all of these years eating Green Chile Cheeseburgers I've come to love the simplicity of the burger, the cheese, and the hot green chile. I'm glad to hear the addition of bacon is popular but for me the GCC is king.

Oh, and they have a new website!

Video Clip From El Reno

2010-07-26T11:43:00.003-04:00

The trip through North Texas and Oklahoma was wild and I will eventually get around to posting a few highlights from the journey. Thanks to my commitment to tweeting on the road someone from El Reno Oklahoma's Onion Fried Day found me at Sid's Diner just after I had finished my last glorious bite of an onion fried burger. He had a camera with him and shot this:

Wow, Mburger in Chicago Hits It

2010-07-15T06:10:00.002-04:00

Before Mburger opened I received a few emails from its creator asking me to come check it out. I found myself in Chicago last week and thought I'd give it a shot. Only open for a few months I figured the place would still be struggling trying to find customers. Man was I wrong.

Mburger is on Huron a half-block off North Michigan surrounded by arguably the Midwest's most expensive real estate. The Apple Store, Brooks Brothers, and Tiffany are all just a few steps away and there are tourists everywhere. How could a tiny burger joint survive here?

I got my answer as I approached the miniscule burger joint - a line snaked out the door of Mburger and up the sidewalk, easily 40 people were waiting and it was barley 12:15. The line moved super-fast and was made up mostly of locals looking for greasy nourishment on their lunch break. I snuck in and found Chef Tim Hockett who brought me a burger and a shake to sample.

There are 2 reasons why there is a line out the door of Mburger: 1- there is no room inside, and 2- the burger is ridiculously good. The double Mburger is loosely based on an In-N-Out double-double and made with fresh-ground beef pattied in-house. So good.

Tim explained that the name is shortened to 'Mburger' because the place is so small that the 'Ha' wouldn't fit. They installed a few mirrors in the place to make it seem bigger but he told me regardless when three players from the Chicago Bears stopped in recently they took up the entire space. Tim admitted that he used my book for reference and that made me feel good. I'll be back for more in August and have been told I have to try the off-menu item, the Hurt Burger. No idea what it is but will find out soonly.

Finally, London Gets A Decent Burger

2010-07-08T16:24:00.009-04:00

Burgers have a bad reputation in London, deservedly so, and most of the ones I've tried there are pretty awful. That is, until Byron Proper Hamburgers came along and upended the game.

I was shooting a short job at Christie's London last week when an assistant at the auction house gave me a great tip on a burger. She was so effusive about this burger that I had to go and check it out.

We hit their Soho location and found an airy sitdown restaurant with a casual-hip crowd of 20-something Londoners. They were all drinking and eating burgers and I easily could have been at a new spot in Brooklyn had it not been for the British accent surrounding me.

I was shocked to find out that Byron serves Dixie Beer! I had not seen that in a while and found out why - turns out the brewery in New Orleans closed after Katrina and a brewer in England (?) is now making the beer under contract. It's a damn good drinkin' beer and I had another.

I ordered the Byron Burger which came with Byron sauce. The waiter was quick to tell me it was basically Thousand Island dressing which is what I suspected even before the burger hit my table.

If you go by the photo of the burger on their website you'd probably stay away. The bun looks like a dusty paving stone and the vegetables have no color. Thankfully, MY photo above is the real thing and it was damn good. Of course I pulled the goofy veggies off and the burger, cooked on an indoor flame, was pink inside. That's right, with the fears of Mad Cow now many years behind them, the Brits have finally stopped incinerating their burgers. The waiter told me that the beef comes to them from small farm grass-fed cattle in the Scottish Highlands. I'm not a fan of the taste of grass-fed beef but this was some of the tastiest I've had. Cheese and bacon completed the flavor profile and the bun was actually very soft.

So thank you Euthumia (Thymmie) from Christie's London for being the only person in that country to steer me in the right direction.

Burgers For Mayor Mike

2010-07-06T20:52:00.002-04:00

I was invited to Gracie Mansion today to show the catering and kitchen staff my favorite way to make a burger. Naturally, I wanted to show them the smash method after Mayor Mike ate a few burgers at our Brooklyn Burger 'N Beer Garden (as part of the NYC Food Film Festival). It was 102 degrees on the upper east side and the staff wanted to make the burgers outside (even though they had a beautiful flattop in the air-conditioned kitchen). I think they wanted to compare griddled to grilled burgers so they threw two Lodge flattops right onto the grill. It actually worked.

I thought I was just making a few burgers but ended up making close to 30 sliders of varying sizes. It was a real workout and the heat was unforgiving. We tested burgers without any seasoning, save salt on the patty and butter on the toasted buns. And since it was my lunchtime I had them pick up a Vidalia onion so I could make one of my favorites - the Oklahoma Onion-Fried burger. They were a hit, though some complained that they were 'greasy' (which they are of course - that's why they are so good.)

Hopefully I changed their minds. They plan to replace their outdoor flame grills with rented flattops temporarily. Let's see what happens when someone complains that they want their burger 'flame-grilled' at the next 800 person Gracie Mansion cookout. I may take a guest spin on the griddle at the next cookout too..

To Chicago, More For The Book

2010-06-30T00:09:00.003-04:00

Finally, after a brutal month making the NYC Food Film Festival happen I'm back to blogging. Tomorrow, I head to Chicago to plan the 1st Annual Chicago Food Film Festival and eat more burgers for the book. Charlie Beinlich's is part of the plan for this week as well as 2 undisclosed others.

More to Come

2010-06-10T00:07:00.003-04:00

I have not posted a damn thing in weeks and I apologize. We have been busy preparing for the 4th Annual NYC Food Film Festival (of which I am its director) and have not had time to update the blog. I still owe the awesome trip I took to Texas back in May. Meet two of my new friends from the tiny town of Washington, TX, pictured below...more to come.

To South Texas For More Research

2010-05-12T08:48:00.002-04:00

I'm off to Houston and San Antonio for research. Follow me for the next 3 days on Twitter..

A Wild 48 Hrs in the Heartland

2010-05-03T20:13:00.006-04:00

48 hours, 12 burgers and 750 miles of driving, that's basically what it turned out to be. The route for this stretch of research took me on a round trip starting in Cleveland. Follow this route - Cleveland to Columbus, Columbus to Urbana, Urbana to Fort Wayne Indiana, Fort Wayne to Detroit and then back to Cleveland to catch a flight out (I tried to time the trip to the airport with a quick stop at the Rock 'N Roll hall of fame but that never happened.)

I'm not going into too much detail since most of these joints are going into the book but I'll give a brief account of my wild ride.

In Cleveland I drove South to Akron to give Swenson's (above) a try based on many recommendations. It was excellent and the drive-in culture with carhops is alive and well in Ohio. I got the Galley Boy, which was a double on a very soft, yeasty bun with '2 special sauces'. I think the sauces were tartar and a ketchup thing and it hit the spot. I ate 2 of them.

I drove down to Columbus to visit Johnnie's and was joined by local EBT (expert burger taster) Jim Ellison (who brought me awesome vegan cookies from a local bakery - thanks for thinking about my health on the road Jim!). There's only one burger to get at Johnnie's but you choose your cheese. I chose the spicy pepper jack, apparently the fave among regulars. No one told me the burger was close to a pound! It was actually closer to 3/4 lb but what a beast..yum.

Next I dropped into Crabill's in Urbana just to say hi. I was headed to Sidney, OH and since Crabill's was on the way I had to stop. Marsha Crabill (above) was at the griddle (which is more like a tank full of glorious grease) and I had to have a few.

A short and picturesque drive through Ohio farmland brought me to the tiny city of Sidney and the vintage burger joint The Spot. A complete throwback with a burger on the menu that kicks some butt, the Big Buy (above). 2 patties, lettuce, pickle, cheese, and tartar sauce. The owner graciously offered to show me the square patty maker and I accepted. Fresh beef is basically extruded thru this vintage patty former, not pressed, making for a loose, crumbly texture.

More countryside and I crossed into Indiana headed for Fort Wayne. There I found a gem of gems - Powers Hamburgers. Situated near two stately downtown structures Powers was a perfect specimen of the Golden Age of the Hamburger, right down to the crispy waitstaff. Locals were treated like family, I was treated like a party crasher (maybe I asked too many questions). The burgers, true sliders to be exact, were phenomenal. Goes to show, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

On to Detroit and the upscale suburb of Birmingham where the well-preserved 1950s Hunter House also serves excellent oversized sliders. I started with a single for breakfast before realizing that the double (above) was the way to go (ordered one of those too, which was piled with steamy onions). Behind the counter were hanging signs of record holders that all seemed to be under ten years old, records for the number of burgers consumed in a single seating. Start 'em young, that's my kind of burger joint.

My last stop kinda freaked me out. Motz's Burgers in Detroit was a surefire failure right? Wrong. Not only does the place exist in a defunct White Castle and share my name, the burger is absolutely dreamy. Coincidentally, it's the pressed onion slider (above) that I make at home. How could this be? What are the chances? I was so relieved that Motz's delivered and they have a true spot in my book.

Next trip will be to Houston and San Antonio. Again, I'll be tweeting the trip so stay tuned.

Ohio For Research

2010-04-28T09:14:00.001-04:00

I'm headed to Ohio/Detroit tomorrow for a few days for hamburger research for the revised edition of my book. The plan is to hit 9 burger joints over 3 days. Follow me on Twitter to see how the trip goes.

New Burger At Bill's!

2010-04-24T15:51:00.004-04:00

When a burger joint adds a burger to the menu it's usually a change in toppings, a new flavor to an existing menu. When Bill's decided on change, they actually added an entirely new burger method to their short menu.

"Don't worry," executive chef Brett Reichler told me, "the original burger is still on the menu." Whew, that was a close one. I love this burger which is an authentic nod to the great Midwestern smashburgers. Bill's has purchased a few of those top-down griddles, a sort of over-engineered George Forman grill, to cook their 'new' burger concept with speed. Bill's has decided that they needed to add a classic pub-style burger to the menu. They are obviously trying their hand at a thicker patty, Corner Bistro-JG Melon-type burger with decent results. The burger is served on the classic toasted white squishy bun but I'm not the one to ask about its greatness. I prefer the thinsmashedgriddlecrunched wonders and there really was no room for improvement. I'm assuming this burger is for those who walk into Bill's, order a burger, and then say, "That's It?" In other words: The ones that just don't get it, the ones that require a burger with a little pink inside and think the thin patty is not substantial enough (which it most certainly is). Bill's is now covering all the bases. Very smart!

Now here's a weird one: Bill's has also moved to a different bun for the rest of the older burgers on the menu. The old burgers get the newer bun and the newer burgers get the older bun (?). The new bun is fresh-made and damn good. It's nice to know however that if you require the old bun with the older burgers you are in luck.

El Mago, Again

2010-04-07T22:06:00.005-04:00

I found myself in Miami briefly again last week and knew exactly where I was headed for a burger. Outside of some of the incredible hamburger experiences I've had all over the country in the past decade, this place (and this burger) are still knocking me over. You will not find an experience like this anywhere else in America.

I love the frita and El Mago's impossibly good flan and added a batido this time for fun. A batido is basically a cross between a smoothie and a milkshake and is damn good. I ordered the mamey batido because it sounded the most exotic and wow was that a good call (pictured with my first frita of the visit).

After savoring a second frita I bid El Mago farewell and headed straight for the airport (which is only a few mins away). El Mago told me that just before I walked in a woman picked up a few fritas to bring back home to California. I wonder how that turned out. You really need to enjoy them right there at the counter and know you'll be back again soon.

If you are in Miami, skip the gourmet joints and make your way over to this Calle Ocho outpost. You will not regret it.

The Burger Garage To Open Soon

2010-04-01T23:20:00.005-04:00

The paper is still up on the windows but I got a sneak peek today inside the soon-to-be-open Burger Garage in Long Island City. Brothers Jim and Adam Pileski are behind the new burger joint and say they'll be serving burgers in just a few weeks. The location couldn't be better for the thousands of employees of Citigroup seeking lunch since Burger Garage is just across the street from the familiar blue glass tower. Outdoor seating is also planned as well as beer and wine.

Coincidentally, Jim and Adam are childhood friends of mine and I know they know their burgers. Jim is obsessed with quality ingredients so I'm guessing these burgers will kick some ass. Stay tuned.

Taylor's Refresher in Napa Changes Name

2010-03-28T20:08:00.006-04:00

Taylor's Refresher, the Napa Valley drive-in burger joint that has been serving burgers for over decades (and is in my book), apparently made a big deal this week about changing their name to Gott's Roadside Tray Gourmet. It's a strange combination of words, but a good way around some legal crap the Gott Brothers were apparently going through. I have no problem with the new name as long as the burgers are still amazing. However, I'll bet the Taylor's Refresher brand will be a hard thing to shake.

Val's Is Amazing

2010-03-23T23:25:00.004-04:00

Somehow this classic burger joint in the Bay Area slipped through research for the first edition of my book. I'm sure there are many places like Val's Burgers that I missed but man, what a miss! The place serves excellent diner fare to a sea of happy locals in booths and sports one of the longest counters I've ever seen.

The burgers at Val's come in 3 sizes - the 1/3 lb Baby Burger, the 1/2 Mama Burger, and the 1 lb, Papa Burger. I of course opted for the, urp, Papa but it was way too big. I tried to compress the burger to fit it into my face and still couldn't ram it in. Next time, it's the Mama Burger for me. And it was so good, cooked over a flame grill on a toasted bun. I asked for sauteed onions and received a side dish with an entire onion's worth.

I was also coaxed into an amazing shake referred to by regulars as the 'Rootanana' - a root beer and vanilla shake with an entire banana blended in.

Research continues and the next big trip is just around the corner.

Hamburger America 2 Is On The Way

2010-03-11T10:41:00.004-05:00

It's official. The revised edition of my book is happening. After a little negotiating, my amazing agent has struck a deal for the next edition of Hamburger America that is due to hit stores in Spring 2011. The updated version will include an additional 50 burger joints bringing the total for the book to 150. The existing entries all need updating and unfortunately 3 are coming out. That means I have to visit 53 burger joints in the next few months...

The good news is that I've already complied a list of about 40 viable entries thanks to the endless string of email I've received in the last 2 years. I've also learned much from my new network of EBTs (Expert Burger Tasters) all over the country and I thank you all for your hard work.

The new list is a secret and consists of places that meet all of my criteria and need to be in the book. I'm still on the search for an additional 13 burgers so if you have a strong opinion about your favorite let me know. I've opened comments for this post so go ahead and sound off. Remember the criteria however:

The restaurant must make a burger with fresh-ground beef.
The burger has to have been on the menu for over 20 years (but the older the better).
Must be a great burger and be a place you can comfortably recommend.
Must be in the USA.

Let the madness begin! I hit the road next week and man have I got a lot of eating to do.

LA for Work, and Burgers

2010-03-06T21:09:00.005-05:00

I'm on a flight from LA the night before the Academy Awards and as you could probably guess the plane is empty. In the past few days I've been working (filming), but of course taking time to eat burgers. There was the obligatory stop at In-N-Out for a Double-Double Animal Style and a visit to my home-away-from-home the Apple Pan, but on this trip I hit Umami Burger for the first time.

More than 20 close friends and my father-in-law have urged me to check out Umami so there was pressure to get this burger in my mouth. The Umami empire has expanded in the last few months from a small, clean, mall-front store to a few large, hip restaurants (and a food truck is on the way apparently, and an outpost in the Fred Segal store). We visited the Umami way East on Hollywood Blvd, across from the old-school Cheetah's Exotic Dance Club. Our wait on a Friday night at 8pm was almost an hour. I was in for the ride and not going anywhere. I didn't care how long it took, I was excited, hungry, and was going to eat the burger that so many of my trusted burger compatriots have gushed over.

Did I like it? Well, yes, I did, though I couldn't help but think that it could be better. The burger (above) didn't live up to the hype, but that's the way it often goes, right? And to present your burger with a bun, toppings and an Japanese food theory that requires a flow chart takes a lot of balls (this isn't just any burger, it's an 'umami' burger). The skinny here was that my burger was raw, and so were the other burgers brought to the table. Much in the way April Bloomfield will err on the side of underdone for her vaunted pub burgers at The Spotted Pig, so too follows Umami. I could sense greatness, possibly achieved by an additional 30 seconds on the grill.

I won't get into the Hatch Burger (which didn't have a shred of green chile near it) or the tater tots (which were just deep-fried mashed potatoes) because I understand, I think, why people put there own spins on classics. It's just not my style.

I'll be back and will request the additional 30 seconds of grill time. It's the only way to order at Spotted Pig and the results are always amazing. The same should stand for Umami.

An Appearance on Coop's Kitchen

2010-03-02T16:02:00.005-05:00

Last weekend I was asked to be a guest on the new web series Coop's Kitchen hosted by country recording artist Cooper Boone. They asked me to come on the show and make burgers and they wisely chose to grind fresh beef for the cameras. Armed with my trusty KitchenAid grinding attachment and fresh beef from Pat LaFrieda we ground fresh chuck and brisket, scooped, and went straight to Coop's flattop griddle. The burger we decided to make was the Oklahoma Onion-Fried Burger, the burger I learned to make by watching Marty Hall at Sid's Diner in El Reno, OK.

Coop had a great time grinding beef and the burgers turned out well. He made a kickin' chipotle BBQ sauce with Grandma's molasses that we spread on the burgers. So good.

At the end of the show we played guitar and Coop sang the Allman's Ramblin' Man. I asked him before the show how his music was with NASCAR nation and he replied quickly, "I love NASCAR, sang the national anthem at Watkins Glen!" Yes he did (click here).

Look for the episode in a month or so.

RUB Nails The Guberburger

2010-02-21T16:10:00.007-05:00

"Is there mayo on a Guberburger?" Andrew Fischel from RUB BBQ called me last week to get some specs on the Midwestern peanut butter and beef treat served at the Wheel Inn Drive-In. "I think so, but you should just give them a call," I told him. And he did. Turns out mayo is served on the Guberburger 'only if requested'.

I did not request mayo on mine. I snuck into the kitchen at RUB last Monday and grabbed a Guberburger with hot, melted peanut butter only. RUB's Monday Night smashed burger, cooked on a flattop with a generous sprinkle of salt, and served on a toasted, buttered bun is phenomenal. The addition of peanut butter to this burger made me delirious. The beefy, salty, p-nutty flavor profile may have even been better than the original.

This Monday night's burger (tomorrow) will be RUB's nod to the Jucy Lucy of Minneapolis, a burger with a hot cheese surprise inside. Take a bite too soon and I can guarantee pain. I've tried to make the Jucy Lucy at home only to fail miserably. I'll be there tomorrow for sure and hope they are more successful than I've been.

Burger Bites, Episode 1 - Kate's First Burger

2010-02-17T00:03:00.003-05:00

Here 'tis, a short film about Kate and her first burger. Two weeks ago a girl I work with asked me where to go to have her first burger EVER. Not a vegetarian, Kate had somehow flown under the burger radar enjoying steaks and other meatthings. When she asked me my opinion of where to go I was amazed and honored. I wanted to choose a place that would be sensitive to the challenge of feeding a first-timer and a place that would allow us to film this monumental occasion. That place became the ever-accommodating and very new Bill's Bar & Burger. The shoot was a success. Not only did Kate enjoy her first, the film became Episode 1 of a new series I'm putting together called Burger Bites. And the exceptional burgers (my favorite: a smashed patty with nothing but sauteed onion on top) were prepared by Chef Brett Reichler.

Kate told me that her friends said that her first burger had to be from McDonald's. McDonald's?? I'm sure glad she had the sense to get a second opinion.

The awesome opening sequence was created by good friend Mac Premo and brother Ted helped with the theme tune. Kris B (an E.B.T.) shot the film. Also, listen for music by Toss, the band I was in for a decade, in my life before hamburgers.

Fatbelly Burgers, VERY local beef

2010-02-15T14:57:00.005-05:00

You'd think it would be easy to find great burger joints in beef country but sometimes in Colorado it ain't so easy. My all-time fave in Colorado is Bud's Bar, but outside of this tiny bar in a tiny town south of Denver I've never had much luck. That is until this past Saturday.

I spent a few days snowboarding in the Rockies last week and naturally had a craving for apres-ski burgers every day. The Red Onion of Aspen is closed (but soon to reopen, hopefully with better burgers) and Jimmy's is a decent standby. I haven't had a burger at Woody Creek Tavern in years (though they were unmemorable) and the closest Smashburger is in Grand Junction. But just last November a new spot called Fatbelly Burgers opened in Carbondale that definitely fits the bill. Owner and ex-New Yorker Shane Vetter is making classic thin patty wonders on white squishy buns with special sauce that taste fantastic. Shane rolls fresh balls of local grass-fed beef and uses the griddle-smash method to make his burgers. "That griddle is at 500 degrees," Shane told me after I had finished my usual volley of questions. After one bite of my 1/4 pound Standard burger I immediately placed an order for another. I could have eaten a 3rd.

When Shane told me the beef was local I imagined the lots at Greeley, CO which is certainly local. Then I learned that the beef comes from grass-fed cows from Carbondale. Now that's local! His cows may even be closer to the griddle than Joe Maranto's Texas longhorns, the grass-fed cows The Meers Store uses for their burgers.

Next time I'm out there I need to try another new burger concept - Larkburger. The good people behind this local chain have invited me to taste their burgers but it will have to wait until my next adventure.

Hamburger America at Javits

2010-02-08T12:51:00.004-05:00

If you find yourself at the Restaurant & Foodservice Show of NY at the Javits on Monday, March 1st I'll be there screening Hamburger America at 3PM. The screening is in association with the James Beard Foundation and tasty burgers will be served thanks to our friends at Burger Maker. And if you are at the Javits at 1:00, come by the Burger Maker booth (see above) where I'll be signing books before the screening.

Kate's First Burger

2010-02-04T16:37:00.005-05:00

I just completed a short film about Kate, a girl who chooses ME to have her first burger with. Yes, her first burger EVER. In the screen grab above I'm attempting to coach her though she needed no coaching - Kate was ready. Bill's Bar & Burger supplied the background for the film and the burgers were exceptional, really. Her first coincidentally was perfect. Her next had better be as good.

The film will be posted here next week and a story about Kate's first is supposed to run in the NY Times....Stay tuned.

Hamburger Love Leads To Wedding Bells

2010-01-20T07:58:00.005-05:00

A few months back a girl from Ohio emailed to say that after reading my book she and her boyfriend were moved to take this journey. I spent a week in Ohio eating and researching burgers and these two lovebirds hit all six of my faves in one day! That's correct, they managed to visit Hamburger Wagon, Crabill's, Wilson's, Kewpee, Thurman Cafe, and Gahanna Grill, all within 13 hours. And as if that weren't enough, they saved the behemoth Thurman Burger for last! I can't even imagine. These two really like burgers so naturally I really like them.

A few weeks ago I received another email saying that they were tying the knot (congrats!) and of course hamburgers were involved. They have decided to go on a 'Hamburger Honeymoon', most likely the first of its kind (c'mon Brides Magazine! Now there's a story..) and they have asked the food community for advice. Please take a minute and visit their Chowhound thread, check out their route, and make sure they have enough great burger joints to visit.

I think I'll suggest to my wife that we renew our vows, but only if it leads to our own Hamburger Honeymoon.

New Burger Truck in Miami

2010-01-18T14:27:00.006-05:00

After inhaling 2 Fritas at El Mago De Las Fritas the day after Christmas I needed more. I told Miami blogger Burger Beast that I had to try the new burger truck he had been blogging about and we were off.

Latin Burger & Taco hit the streets of Miami in early December 2009 firing off tweets to alert followers to their location. When we found the truck they were parked in a not-so-convenient spot (on a stretch of Route 1 near Coconut Grove) but thanks to Twitter burger lovers were there. As we stood ordering burgers I asked the guy in front of me how he knew about the truck. "I read about it on a Miami burger blog." Beast was impressed, so was I.

The Latin Mucho, the only burger on the menu, is the creation of the chef behind Latin Burger & Taco, Food Network's Ingrid Hoffman. The patty is a riff on the Frita using a combo of chuck, sirloin, and chorizo meats. Served on a toasted white squishy, the burger comes with intense, slow-cooked caramelized onion and jalepeno and Oaxaca cheese. You can get yours with either the avocadolicious sauce (?) or red pepper mayo. I was in a bit of a haze after El Mago and have no idea what sauce I asked for. Whatever it was it was good. The burger is incredible and a unique take on both the traditional American hamburger and the Frita - a well-crafted taste explosion. And at $5.75 this double wonder is worth every penny.

I asked Ingrid's husband, the brawn behind Latin Burger, "What the hell is in this burger?" and he replied flatly, "The recipe is on the internet." Yeah, but you should head over to the truck before trying to make your own. These guys have it down.

They have tacos too. Tacos? I need another burger.

Wilson's of Findley is NOT Closing

2010-01-14T07:17:00.004-05:00

I received an email from a fan of my book who informed me that the 74 year-old institution Wilson's Sandwich Shop would be shuttered soon. The Courier (of Findlay, Ohio) reported that the economy was to blame and one of the owners Michael Fenbert was going to switch from grinding and pressing patties to outsourcing fresh patties to save money. Fenbert was quoted as saying, "I'm going to buy patties until we close down."

Thankfully the news is only partly true. I spoke to Vicki at Wilson's on Monday and she told me they are not closing. Whew. It was a misunderstanding. They will be outsourcing patties though. Turns out the good-old patty making machine they have been using for decades is suddenly not up to code. The paper reported that the machine had "the potential to pinch fingers." Duh. I asked Vicki if the patties would still be square and she replied, "Oh yes."

Wilson's is a historically significant burger joint whose square patties were most definitely one of the inspirations for the square patties at Wendy's (the other being Kewpee of Lima, OH just down the road.) To lose this place would be tragic.

Quick Stop At Top Notch Beefburgers Chicago

2010-01-12T07:24:00.004-05:00

I had exactly 1 hour to grab a burger before a meeting in Chicago last week and I chose to hit Top Notch Beefburgers way down in the neighborhood of Beverly. Why did I drive 35 minutes to spend 20 mins. cramming a 1/2 pound burger in my face? Because Top Notch never fails to deliver.

After I put Top Notch in my book back in 2008 my good friend and Tribune reporter Rick Kogan admitted that he had never been there. He too saw the light and was undaunted by the long drive down to 95th St. near Western. Kogan was so moved by the burger (and the admission that it was new to him) that he wrote a piece for the Trib about it. To this day whenever I tell a Chicagoan where I'm going I always get the same response - "Way down there? Have fun." And no one ever asks me to bring them one because it's so far away that the burger would be ice cold by the time they got it.

I met Chicago Expert Burger Taster Jay at counter and he told me, "It's a good thing Top Notch is not near my house. I'd be here all the time." But for me it's 700 miles away so I wish it were closer. We both ordered the Half-Pounder King Size with cheese and grilled onions. Just perfect. The meat is ground fresh from hanging beef in their walk-in cooler and the shakes are amazing.

If you have not been yet get yer butt down there already! And Top Notch is now selling red trucker hats for only 5 bucks..

The Miami Frita - An Amazing Burger Experience

2010-01-08T22:31:00.007-05:00

I had a layover on the way to a Caribbean vacation after Christmas and decided it was time to give the fabled Frita of South Miami a try. If I had only known how great it was I would have come sooner. This was an amazing hamburger experience.

I met the Miami blogger Burger Beast (friend and translator) at his favorite Frita counter in South Florida - El Mago De Las Fritas. It was a bright, clean place that was empty at 3pm but El Mago himself was there and he tossed some burgers on for us.

For the uninitiated, the Frita is a Cuban interpretation of the hamburger. Erase preconceptions about the classic America burger though - this version will knock you over. El Mago, translated as The Magician, takes a wad of fresh ground meat and smashes it thin on a flattop. He then reaches for an unmarked plastic bottle and gives the patty a generous squirt of a mysterious deep-red liquid. A handful of chopped onion is sprinkled on as the patty cooks in the bubbling sauce.

And then comes the moment where this burger becomes unique. The patty is slipped onto a soft, warm Cuban roll and topped with a generous heap of ethereal, stringy fried potatoes and a squirt of ketchup. The patty, which definitely contains some sort of spiced chorizo or the like mixed in with the fresh beef, explodes with flavor. Yes, I dealt with ketchup on this burger. I felt like I was in a foreign place with foreign customs and a language I do not speak. Who was I to decide that ketchup should not be on this burger? It was actually good and I reasoned that I put ketchup on fries anyway.

The amazing flavor of this burger must be consumed to be appreciated. After I inhaled mine I told El Mago how happy I was and he just smiled. I thought to myself, "When will I be back?" Tomorrow would not have been soon enough so I ordered another.

The second Frita I asked for with American cheese out of curiosity. A Frita with cheese is not traditional by Cuban standards but popular on Little Havana menus. Burger Beast chuckled and reminded me, "American cheese is not big in Cuba!" Oh yeah, duh. This burger needs no cheese though, infact the cheese only muddied the subtle balance of flavors.

Pictured above with my first Frita is a glass of cold watermelon juice. Yum. After my two Fritas El Mago produced a small plate of homemade flan. It could have been the best I've ever had.

Will El Mago be in the revised edition of the book? Hell yeah. I will never visit Miami again without stopping for a Frita.

DMK Burger Bar Chicago - Slick But Good

2009-12-31T07:30:00.002-05:00

The blizzard of Dec.19th had us snowed out of NYC on our return trip from Wichita so we ended up with a 7 hour delay in Chicago. Not one to sit still, I rented a car (for $19) and we hit the city for lunch. The plan was a Chicago Triptych - Wiener's Circle for a char-dog, Superdawg Drive-In for shakes, and the new DMK Burger for burgers.

I'll dispense with the dog and shake, which were excellent of course, since this is a burger blog. I had to get to DMK after many Chicagoans told me the burgers were solid. I was also interested in DMK because 3 separate friends in Chicago informed me that the new burger hotspot was looping my film on flat-screen tvs (though no one at the restaurant asked for my permission).

The place is slick, the crowd is young, and the staff unbelievably friendly. No film of mine was on the big screens when we took a seat at the enormous bar. The burgers? Really amazing. Someone did their research for sure. The menu contained a few odd burger concoctions that I avoided but I knew the burger for me was the No.4 - A Roasted Hatch Green Chile Cheeseburger. It's no secret that when it comes to green chile I'm a stickler for details. Outside of New Mexico and Colorado no one seems to understand green chile. A green chile cheeseburger is just that and nothing more - green chile and cheese on a burger. Would DMK get it right? The burger, griddled and loose-pattied (smashed burger?) was an interpretation of said burger that included a fried egg and bacon. I asked for mine sans-egg so I could taste that green chile (Kris B's burger is pictured above with an egg).

The burger was amazing, the green chile hot, but then I noticed chopped, stewed onions in the green chile. I asked the bartender if there were onions in the green chile and got a definitive 'no'. Really? Hatch Green Chile does not need any flavor enhancers. Like an apple or a lobster, its basic taste should not be improved upon.

I'll be back, but for a straight-up cheeseburger and a beer (DMK has the best selection I've ever seen in a bar.)

Wichita Is A Burger Town

2009-12-28T20:22:00.003-05:00

In advance of an official word that the revised edition of Hamburger America is in the works I took it upon myself to start poking around in some uncharted territory (at least by me). A filming job had me on a plane to Wichita last weekend so the research began. What I found shocked me. Small town, small burger culture right? Wrong. I had my work cut out for me.

Wichita, Kansas, the birthplace of the fast-food burger model through White Castle, is a burger town. I was totally overwhelmed by the options that Wichita had to offer. And worse, I'm embarrassed that not a single joint in the town made it into the first edition of my book.

At first glance Wichita had at least 10 good lookin' roadside burger spots but as I dug deeper the number was more like 25 or more. The 2 days I had for research would clearly not be enough. With a need to prioritize I selected 2 obvious winners (in taste and character) and one other that seemed to fit the Hamburger America criteria (fresh ground beef, 20 year+ burger on the menu, and a great place to visit).

Our first stop (Expert Burger Taster Kris B was along for the trip) was a Wichita classic - the Nu-Way Cafe. Just when I thought the loosemeat phenomenon was limited to Iowa along comes this gem. Since this 'burger' is a Wichita tradition anyone in town I mentioned my visit to said, "Oh, you have to have a Nu-Way." And that's exactly what what they called it, the NuWay, as in, "I'll have a Nu-Way." While in town I also heard it referred to as a "crumbly burger." There are 5 locations around town but we opted for the original 1930 diner on West Douglas.

At Nu-Way the options were strange and plentiful. Ask for the "original" and get the classic - a large scoop of crumbly, moist beef on a soft white bun with mustard and pickle. An "original deluxe" adds cheese. Other sizes were available like the "medium" which is served on a smaller bun and a "medium double meat" which adds more crumbly goodness (but wouldn't you just order an original at that point instead?). The beef is prepared the exact same way as their doppelganger in Marshalltown regardless of what you've read - it's just crumbled, steamed beef with nothing added.

After our stop at Nu-Way we stumbled up another great find, Jack's North Hi. Perfectly situated directly across the street from a huge high school Jack's has been serving up thin patty wonders since 1951. I had the most popular burger on the menu - the tasty double with cheese. Onions are standard, chopped and pressed into the patty. Unlike Town Topic in Kansas City or the great onion-fried burgers of El Reno, Oklahoma the onions are chopped square, not sliced thin. The result is a pile of grilled onion bits that don't really make it into the patty but add to the burger's overall oniony flavor.

We made it to one other burger joint before leaving, Bionic Burger. The kitchy old-timey interior was a turn-off but the tater tots a major turn-on. Bionic served up larger patties (below) than Jack's but used the same chopped-kinda-pressed-into-the-patty onions. A toasted white squishy was the prefect vehicle and the fresh beef sealed the deal. Damn tasty. We were the last customers of the day at Bionic and were accidentally locked into the restaurant, nearly a dream come true, then someone found the key.

A repeat trip to Wichita is imminent because we missed a few talked about greats like Ty's and Walt's. As I stood on the spot where Walt Anderson opened his first burger stand on Douglas Ave (which is now a parking lot) I felt the weight of hamburger history. I can guarantee that Wichita will be well represented in the revised edition of the book.

Merry Christmas from Hamburger America

2009-12-25T07:56:00.004-05:00

Don't end up like this guy. Happy Holidays!

Prime Meats for Juicy Burgers

2009-12-15T07:42:00.003-05:00

And I mean JUICY. The Frankies of Carroll Gardens have opened a new restaurant only steps from their awesome sputino and this one serves burgers. I probably never would have tried the burger had it not been for a goofy NY Times article about gourmet burgers. That's embarrassing since it's only 2 subway stops from my home.

The burger is a hand-formed ball of meat, not my beloved flat patty, but I could tell at first sight it would be a winner. The first three bites, I kid you not, sent hot juices shooting into my mouth. Sounds ridiculous (and gross) but true. Expert Burger Taster Kris B wasn't so lucky and his first three bites squirted all over his face. After that first bite I pressed the patty and a geyser of juice came forth. Keeping juices inside the patty while cooking is clearly job #1 in the Prime Meats kitchen, and a job well done.

The patty was definitely salted and really was great. The house-made bun was large but soft and withstood those juices nicely (not that it needed to - the 8 oz burger was gone in 60 seconds). I probably should have gotten cheese but it didn't need it.

I spotted the chef afterwards and offered compliments. He told me the burger meat is ground in-house daily (you can tell) and that it's a combination of sourced Creekstone Farms Angus and the famous LaFrieda (ahh) burger blend. The bacon on top was also from Creekstone, thick cut and damn tasty.

If you are looking for a good, hot squirt in the face, and you are in Carroll Gardens, head over to Prime Meats. I'll be back next week for sure.

Steak 'N Shake's New 'Shooters' - Yikes

2009-12-13T07:04:00.005-05:00

On a trip down south a few weeks back I spotted a Steak N Shake and had to stop. As the tractor beams pulled us into the drive thru I noticed a new item on their menu - the Steakburger Shooters. Obviously this is an attempt by headquarters to join the ranks in the slider/mini burger revival. I was not buying it. On the other hand, the smash method employed at Steak 'N Shake is pretty true to the roots of the original American hamburger so maybe it had a chance?

Steak 'N Shake is one of my favorite fresh-beef burger chains just behind In-N-Out. As we rolled up to the drive-thru speaker I folded and fell back on an old favorite. It was the bacon double cheeseburger with onions for me but a brave soul in the car (a client of mine) saw promise in a bag of 5 Shooters. Boy did I choose correctly. The Shooters were awful. Dry and hard (yes hard, like cardboard) and tiny, smaller than a White Manna single slider (the Holy Grail of sliders). The buns were cute though, but what a mess if I liked the bun over the patty. My client only ate 2 of them and I tried a bite of one. What a wipeout. The bacon double did the trick however. Why these guys tried messing with a winning formula is beyond me.

Check out this photo from a Steak 'N Shake ad. Does my burger look anything like the burger in the ad? Not so much.

Hamburger America Blog Now Searchable

2009-12-12T07:34:00.000-05:00

After my 183rd post I felt it was time to make the blog searchable. Use the window on the right and search for words I may have used in a post (I just searched for 'squishy' and 8 pages came up, all mine). The search function only searches within the blog so it's finally easy to pull up old stuff. Dig it.

Jake's is Good

2009-12-09T08:41:00.001-05:00

I found myself near Newark, Delaware last week and stopped for a local burger favorite Jake's. Their Newark location is the original (I believe) in a chain that now has over 10 locations from Florida to Massachusetts. And they are growing. If you go to the website take a look at the original as compared to the recently-opened East Windsor, CT. location. Quite a difference, but I'm happy to see that Jake's is not one to erase their past. The Newark, DE location, geographically and aesthetically, is down-n-dirty and I like that.

The burger menu is very similar to another mid-east coast phenomenon and from what I understand both source the same fresh-ground beef. The burgers are cooked on a flattop using the smash method and the grill cook employs a smashing device almost identical to The ones used at Five Guys. The major difference though is that where the channeled smasher at Five Guys is clearly mass produced to accommodate their rapidly expanding empire, the smasher at Jake's is a crude, homemade device. It's basically a bacon weight that has 4 chunks of metal welded to its sides in order to smash the patty to a consistent thickness. This kind of home-shop ingenuity is the backbone of the burger business in America. I can't even tell you how many grill cooks I've met across the country that use non-traditional spatulas and other cooking apparatus they have fashioned themselves to create the best burgers in the world. It was great to see this a Jake's. I might add that this device was way sturdier than those used at Five Guys - theirs are made from aluminum and tend to bend after much smashing. The result is a channel smasher that smashes the burger too thin as the smasher bends. At Jake's I could actually hear the 'CLANK' of the smasher hitting the griddle, hard.

The burger options are few but Jake's goes one further than Five Guys to offer the Big Jake which is a burger with three 3.3 oz. patties. As tempted as I was I opted for the classic double and was totally satisfied. Another menu item that sets Jake's apart from it's closest competitor is their awesome selection of hand-dipped thick shakes and there are many flavors to choose from, including a 'Milkshake of the Month'. This month's flavor is Pumpkin Pie. Yum.

Below is some of my daughter's work, thanks to a Jake's coloring page...

Hamburger Holiday Gift Ideas 2009

2009-12-04T12:40:00.010-05:00

It's that time of the year again and I'm here to help you make a few decisions on burger-related gifts.

NAMP Meat Buyer's Guide - Use what the pros use. This thick guide, produced by the North American Meat Processors, sounds expensive at $70 but you'll be amazed by the detail. Chock full of photos showing every possible cut of just about every commercially available animal. Highly recommended.

In-N-Out Beanie - Hit the slopes this year with some West Coast burger pride! This hat is awesome.

Lodge Reversible Griddle - This is the larger size (20") that will comfortably span two burners on your stovetop. Make burgers on a cast iron flattop, at home, without the sides of your cast iron skillet getting in the way.

Roll-A-Grill Bun Butterer - I own one (yes I do) and it comes in handy during burger parties when you have to butter 10 buns a minute.

Of course there is also the book which makes a fine gift as well as the photography from the book. And there's always the solid standby - gift cards from Five Guys, In-N-Out, and Shake Shack.

Happy Holidays!

Black Shack Is Open

2009-11-25T08:02:00.002-05:00

Jeff and Ed have done it again. After opening 67 Burger in Fort Greene Jeff Maslanka has brought his less-expensive burger concept Black Shack to Midtown Manhattan. Though the name sounds like an amalgam of Shake Shack and Pat LaFrieda's Black Label blend, the idea for Black Shack was kicking around far before the two burger staples even existed. "I wanted to open Black Shack before 67," Jeff told me.

The burger at Black Shack is cooked the same way as at 67 (over a flame grill) but is half the size (and almost half the price). Although the burgers are cooked over a flame, the obligatory propane taste that most gas-driven restaurant 'grills' impart is surprisingly absent. That's because...well, I'm not telling you - this secret is too good. Some of you know that I'm not a fan of the gas-grilled burger and let's just say that Jeff's method made me a believer.

Where the signature 67 Burger is a beast (a glorious, blue cheese-and-bacon beast), the burgers at Black Shack are very manageable and depending on your appetite may require a second patty (offered at a cheap $2 extra.) There are three burgers on the menu (which I just noticed offers things like a chicken sandwich and something called 'tofu'.) Expert burger taster Kris B and myself opted for the Black Shack Burger and the Western Burger. The Black Shack is a tasty, straightforward, loaded burger and the Western is piled high with thin house-made crispy onions and a tangy BBQ sauce. Kris asked for the extra patty on his Western and the toasted white squishy was up to the task. The Western was a hit with both Kris and I, those onions...

After eating a signature 67 Burger a few months back my wife (a recently converted vegetarian) exclaimed, "This is one of the most amazing burgers I've ever had - I have to stop eating burgers." A ridiculous statement, I agree. Let's see if I can get her to Black Shack so she can swear off those too.

Monday Night Burgers at R.U.B.

2009-11-22T10:25:00.003-05:00

My good friends Andrew and Scott at RUB BBQ have been talking about their plans to create the perfect burger for years. The one item missing from their extensive barbeque menu was only going to get there after much trial and error in the kitchen. Every once in a while I'd get a call from Andrew saying, "Come on in tomorrow, we are doing a tasting of our new burger," only to be followed up the next day by, "We're not ready, yet. We'll call you." Fast forward to this past October when they suddenly started serving up the fabled burger without warning ONLY on Monday nights. I finally found a way to be there this past Monday and I'm sure glad I did.

The burger at RUB is made with a 'secret blend' that they are grinding in-house, smash-cooked at a super-high temp somewhere around 500 degrees on a plancha, and served on a toasted white squishy bun. The options are hamburger, cheeseburger, and an unnamed signature burger that is topped with cheese, pickles, sauteed onion, and a spicy mayo. I opted for the latter and was presented with a perfect specimen - a hot, oniony, soft, salty burger exploding with flavor that had ample griddle crunch.

Did I mention that the burger is NOT on the menu? Just shy of a secret handshake you'll need to be in-the-know to get a burger there, which is to say, only on Monday nights. "We sold a few on the first Monday, 40 the next, and 80 last Monday, all word of mouth," Andrew told me.

The reality is that Andrew and Scott are friends of mine. Honestly, if the burger was bad I wouldn't give it a bad review, I just wouldn't write about it at all. Fortunately, all those years of searching for the perfect blend and cooking method have paid off - this burger kicks some ass.

The Apple Pan in Men's Health

2009-11-19T10:23:00.002-05:00

The piece I wrote for Men's Health on the Apple Pan is in stores now. The article is part of a feature called 'America's Greatest Guy Foods' (and fits nicely between 'Read Her Dirty Mind' and 'Is She Really Just A Friend?'). If you can get past the 3 perfume tabs (yuck) make your way to page 118. There are seven other odes to favorites, 2 of them by friends Robb Walsh and Ed Levine, and others by Michael Stern, Jonathan Gold, and Jeff Steingarten. I think the feature should have had its own perfume tab that smelled like the steak pictured in the lead photo..

I'm very happy with this piece (and the 7 others) but keep in mind that although I chose to gush about the Apple Pan I'm not saying it's my favorite burger (only because I never play favorites, it's too hard to choose). It really is a great burger experience though and definitely one of my many favorites.

Bill's 'Bobcat' Burger

2009-11-17T09:43:00.006-05:00

I need to start by saying this is a great burger. That said, it ain't a Bobcat Bite Green Chile Cheeseburger. When I noticed the Bobcat burger listed on the menu at the then-yet-to-be-opened Bill's Bar & Burger I got excited. Assuming they were using real green chile from New Mexico (and using the name of the restaurant in NM that arguably serves the best example) they would be the first to present the beloved burger of the Southwest in NYC. But after consuming the Bobcat last Saturday at Bill's I can safely say they are making a great, spicy burger that is not a green chile cheeseburger. After close inspection I believe the spice comes from sliced pickled jalepenos. I've often described the difference between the two like this: A jalepeno hits you like a slap in the face whereas the green chile is like a punch in the gut - a stinging pain versus a deep, slow pain. I'll take the punch in the gut any day. And anyone who has had the good fortune to eat green chile before can attest to its powers.

Photo courtesy of Eating in Translation

A Trip To The Burger Maker Processing Plant

2009-11-10T10:21:00.026-05:00

At the last Burger Bash I saw a lot of familiar faces in the burger world and made a few new friends. After sampling a few of Bobby Flay's Crunchburgers and boozy shakes I was introduced to the ground beef supplier who just happened to be standing right there. One thing led to another and I was invited to check out their facility in NJ. I had never been to a meat processing plant so I jumped at the opportunity.

Burger Maker is a processing facility, not a meat packer (no feedlot and whole cows here). Cuts of chuck shoulder are shipped to their plant so they can do one thing and pretty much one thing only - make ground beef for burgers. It wasn't a huge place but they manage to produce over 200,000 pounds of ground beef a day. Whoa. That may be because one of their clients requires a lot of fresh-ground beef for their burgers, a place that just happens to be one of my favorite East Coast burger chains - Five Guys.

I'm not going to go into detail about the facility (because I promised) and because some of it was a bit gnarly anyway. Let's just say that I'm glad we visited Burger Maker before lunch and not after.

That said, the most important thing I took away from our visit was that this was one clean operation. There were basically three industrial meat grinders larger than 18-wheelers pushing out fresh-ground product into stainless steel bins at a rate of about 300 pounds every 5 minutes. It was freezing in the plant so we had to wear supplied jackets (pictured below, with Expert Burger Taster Kris B). We also had to wear hairnets and probably should have had beard nets too.

In addition to sending out bags of fresh-ground beef Burger Maker also makes patties of every size for a few other large national burger chains. Although I'm not a fan of them, the patty machines were fascinating. Another amazing piece of machinery we saw in action was the Fat Analyzer - a machine that gives a readout of the exact fat-to-lean ratio in the grind. The mix is tested often to ensure exact ratios.

After a whirl through the grinding floor we met the resident lab technician. He showed us some paperwork for tests he was working on and I was glad to see column after column of the word 'negative' under the word 'e-coli'. Testing is big here.

Not surprisingly we had burgers for lunch in their company kitchen. The chef was the lab tech we had met earlier (which was a little weird). We did not question the freshness of the product however. Burger Maker is working on a new ground beef blend to sell to higher end restaurants so we tried the new blend. It was good except it was a formed patty. Next time I have to try it as a smashburger. I also noticed a few boxes of fresh-ground beef in the refrigerated shipping area heading to Fresh Direct. Now you can order Burger Maker patties to your doorstep (in NYC).

After we left Burger Maker we headed over to nearby White Manna where we were underwhelmed by the sliders for the first time ever. I said to Kris about halfway thru my first double, "The onions taste weird, right," and he said, "Yeah, they do. I thought it was just me." We rectified the situation by heading over to nearby ice cream counter Bischcoff's for chocolate malts. They never fail to satisfy.

Burgers In Men's Health

2009-11-03T12:02:00.003-05:00

I was asked to pen an ode to a great burger for the December issue of Men's Health and chose the Apple Pan since it was the site of my life-changing burger epiphany way back in 1991. The magazine just sent me the page with my article and it looks pretty good! Look for it mid-November.

Triple XXX Family Restaurant - 24hrs and Tasty

2009-10-22T10:38:00.003-04:00

Way back in July I visited a burger joint that will definitely be in the next edition of my book but it has taken my 3 months to get around to posting about the place. If you've been to the Triple XXX you are probably already a fan. If you have not been yet you need to find an excuse to get there.

My excuse (other than burgers being my obsession) was a trip I took to Indianapolis to see a NASCAR race (my other obsession) at the famous Brickyard. I spent the day in the garages and pits during the race thanks to a ridiculous all-access pass that allowed me to be just about anywhere but in a race car (thanks Josh). To top off the perfect day I visited the awesome Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum then headed up to nearby West Lafayette, Indiana for some dinner and research.

Why I didn't know about this place when I was researching the book baffles me. Everything about the Triple XXX fits my criteria perfectly. They serve tasty burgers made from fresh-ground beef and have been around for decades. As an added bonus the burgers are cooked on a flattop griddle and served on toasted white squishy buns. And the place sports mismatched stools and horseshoe counters. I was in heaven.

I met owner Greg Ehresman who gave me the lowdown on the history (which I'll save for the book) and how they make their burgers. Grinding and pattying happen upstairs and they start with steaks from a local butcher. Like Steak 'N Shake the burgers start as a plug, a tall, cylindrical wad of beef , that is produced by their patty maker. The patty press spits out plugs for portion control and the burgers are pressed thin just before hitting the griddle. But there's a twist, something even I have NEVER seen before. As I watched Greg make a burger for me he nonchalantly tossed the patty into a bin of flour before plopping it onto the hot griddle. Perplexed, I asked him why. Like all stewards of tradition his only response was, "Because that's the way we've always done it." The result was predictable and amazing. The flour mixes with the cooking fat to create an even more pronounced griddle char. Why does no one else do this?

The burger I had was the Boilermaker Pete, a triple with cheese and grilled onions (pictured above). It sounds huge but the patties are thin and proportions perfect. I washed it down with some of their house-made Root Beer and the restaurant's namesake. The other 5 signature burgers on the menu looked amazing but unfortunately I was full. I now have an excuse to go back.

Oh did I mention that the Triple XXX is always open? That's right, with the exception of 8pm Sunday to 6am Monday the place never closes. How comforting is that?

The Wheel Inn's New Location

2009-10-20T09:14:00.000-04:00

A few years back the Wheel Inn Drive In of Sedalia, MO was in danger of closing thanks to a bit of eminent domain (the City of Sedalia, MO wanted to add a turning lane to the busy intersection the Wheel Inn used to occupy). But as all great heroism stories go, the Wheel Inn was spared at the last moment by a longtime employee (of 47 years!) named Judy Clark who moved the business down the street. The original structure is now gone as you can see from this excellent Google street view frame above but the famous Guberburger topped with hot peanut butter lives on. The Wheel Inn now occupies a defunct video store across from the state fairgrounds and thanks again to Google street view we can see that they are in business. The photo was obviously taken during Christmastime as evidenced by the large wreath near the door.

Like so many great burger stands in America they have moved, reopened, and soldier on. Now I need a Guberburger.

Bill's Bar & Burger - A New Classic

2009-10-16T22:43:00.004-04:00

Opening tonight, Bill's Bar & Burger is exactly that and (thankfully) not much more. The latest venture by restaurateurs B.R. Guest are wisely keeping it simple and living up to the name by pretty much only serving burgers in a bar setting for decent prices. Who's Bill? Who cares, the burgers are great.

Taking a page out of the Shake Shack playbook Bill's is serving an All-American original - the griddled smashburger. It's the burger Josh O, Adam Kuban, and myself have been pushing for years and the burger that started it all over 100 years ago (one which of course predates the fast food McWendyKings). It's the primary source burger we crave which can usually only be found in the Midwest. It's a burger that looks and tastes similar to Steak 'N Shake but one that is made with top-notch Pat LaFrieda ground beef. I'm not sure this burger has an equal in NYC.

Shake Shack finally has some healthy competition. Like the Shack, Bill's is employing a Mira-Clean flattop, a bun-buttering wheel, and a Pat LaFrieda burger blend. The focal point of the menu is their signature burger selection, one which caught my eye immediately - the Bobcat. That's right, a Green Chile Cheeseburger may have finally made it to the big city. Unfortunately, there was no green chile in the restaurant yet for the press preview and no one at Bill's had actually been to the Bobcat Bite to taste the country's best example. Hmmmm. Chef Paul Sale assured me that they were using authentic green chile and nothing else (the green chile that Bobcat uses is unadulterated and stewed, spooned on the burger hot, and damned spicy). I'll go back soon to make sure they are using authentic Hatch Green Chile.

The classic cheeseburger alone is worth the visit but the burger that really did it for Josh and I was the Fat Cat (pictured above), a double patty (2 - 5oz.) cheeseburger served on an English muffin with caramelized onions - truly sublime (after taking his first bite Josh actually screamed out, "OH MY GOD"). I'm not a big fan of the burger-on-a-muffin thing but this sort of worked. Next time I want this burger on a toasted white squishy.

Cheap, high-quality burgers are a rarity, especially in the trendy Meatpacking District. I'll be back for more. Imagine if you can actually get an authentic Green Chile Cheeseburger in Manhattan! I hope they get it right.

Motz 'N Martha

2009-10-14T11:15:00.001-04:00

Not that I should be blogging about bloggers but I thought this was a good one from AHT's coverage of the Burger Bash last week. Here's a shot of Martha and I at the bash (not in the same frame, though I did thank her for having me on the show just after these shots were taken by Nick Solares). The mini version of the Minetta Tavern Black Label burger was amazing and cooked perfectly. I didn't even know there was a pickle in that fry boat..

Here's a clip from the Bash of me enjoying a Minetta mini. So juicy, and not raw!

Hamburger America on TV in Hungary

2009-10-13T19:55:00.000-04:00

I was interviewed by friend and Kiss legal counsel Angus Vail for a Hungarian Television show he was hosting - subject: The history of the hamburger. The interview was wacky but fun, filmed out at Water Taxi Beach, LIC last month. I saw the tease the other day for their burger show (where they actually go to Hamburg, Germany to ask questions - I don't know of anyone who has gone that deep before). The show is nuts, in a good way. Looking forward to seeing the full segment.

Schnipper's - Wow

2009-10-12T15:14:00.002-04:00

What is it about this place? Every time I go I'm knocked over by these burgers. I need to get here more often. Jon Schnipper, the man behind the food decisions at the restaurant, is nuts. He's the kind of crazy the burger world needs more of. Every detail of everything on the menu is the result of Jon's intense attention to quality. Their signature burger, the Hickory Bacon Blue Burger, is a perfect balance of expertly sourced ingredients and a kick-ass piece of meat. Although there is bacon, blue cheese, a tiny squirt of BBQ sauce, and the just-right amount of crispy onions, you can still taste the beef in the burger. To me that is the sign of a great burger, when the beefiness is not hidden beneath a pile of overpowering condiments. "We just switched to a sliced blue cheese," Jon told me. That's right, no cheese sauce here. You get the real thing - a slice of actual blue cheese on your burger and it makes all the difference. "It's more expensive but worth it".

What I love about this place is not limited to the burger though. Schnipper's, unlike some of the other fancy-pants burger destinations all over Manhattan, is totally accessible and cranks out high-quality food (I would love to send everyone down to Minetta Tavern for a burger but you can't get a reservation). And the milkshakes are unreal. I still have not ventured into other parts of the menu. With burgers so great it'll be a challenge to stray.

Here's to Jon Schnipper losing sleep to benefit your hamburger happiness.

Burger Bash Was A Smash

2009-10-10T22:13:00.008-04:00

I didn't know what to expect from an 1800 person burger scrum and was pleasantly surprised when I had a great time. Friday night's Blue Moon Burger Bash was a blast. The beer flowed freely and the burgers for the most part were amazing. I tasted 14 of the 17 visiting restaurants and went back for 2nds and 3rds at the Minetta Tavern and Bobby Flay tents. They really were my faves by far. Seemed like too many burgers out there were downright RAW. I don't mind a lot of pink in my burger (Minetta had pink 'n juicy down) but cold and raw is just not my thing. I like the reaction the meat gets when it spends another 45 seconds on the griddle...

We ran the 250 image 'Never Ending Burger Slideshow' on one of the tent walls Friday night (the best of my burger research) and auctioned off a 30"x30" framed photo (from the book) of a Jucy Lucy from Matt's Bar in Minneapolis to benefit the Food Bank for NYC (pictured with Seth Unger, photo by Kelly Neal). There were old burger buddies there, meat celebs, and a few new friendships were born (I'm looking forward to a promised tour of the Burger Maker meatpacking facility in NJ). I also got to personally thank Martha for having me on her show last month and Rachel Ray commented that she loved my photography.

It was quite an event. Next year Lee Schrager, the promoter and mastermind behind the bash, plans to hold the 3rd annual Burger Bash followed by a Hot Dog Bash the next night. Pure genius.

Nashville For Burgers - Fat Mo's Hits The Spot

2009-10-05T09:30:00.001-04:00

Last weekend I was at a wedding in Nashville and worked a few burgers into the schedule. A stop at Rotier's to visit old friends was a must and lunch at the local favorite Fat Mo's was in order.

During the research for Hamburger America the book I visited a bunch of talked-about burger joints in and around Nashville. Rotier's and Brown's Diner made it into the book but one spot, Fat Mo's was cut because it failed on the 'must have a burger on the menu for over 20 years' rule. Opened in 1990, Fat Mo's is soon eligible so we'll see what happens. They make one helluva burger and I'd like to put them in the next edition of the book.

The nondescript box near the I-440 and I-65 interchange is the original location of Fat Mo's which has now spawned a 14-store mini-chain in metro Nashville. Fat Mo's has two drive-thru lanes, one on each side of the building. One of the lanes, it seems, you'd have to get your order through the passenger window. There is no talkback box so someone comes out to your car to take your order which you then collect at the window. It's a bit lo-tech but it works.

The burger menu is slightly confusing offering a 1/2 pound Fat Mo and a 1/2 pound Double Mo. A typo? Nope. The Fat Mo is one large 1/2 pound patty whereas the Double Mo is made of two 1/4 pound patties. It makes sense to offer different patties to customers with different tastes - The thick-patty people need to order a Fat Mo and the thin patty lovers (myself included) need the Double Mo. Simply put, the Double Mo is the same size burger with twice as much griddle char.

Served on a toasted white squishy the burger is an American classic with the exception of the seasoning. Fat Mo's owners Mo and Shiva Karimy hail from Iran so the burgers do have an unmistakable Middle Eastern essence. The patties are seasoned with a subtle mixture of pepper and another unidentifiable tasty spice.

As you can see from the photo of my Double Mo the ubiquitous golden arches loom in the background. But that's not all - the Southern burger chain Krystal is across the street and Checkers is just down the road. That said, you'd be a fool to get to this part of town and not choose Fat Mo's.