Custom Burgers for Flyers Only

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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.