AlwaysInformed: August’s Best RUB Burger
Arthur Bovino — September 01, 2010
The Donut Burger, a special Monday night burger at RUB BBQ (August 2nd).
Those who know, eat RUB BBQ’s special Monday night burger. Those who don’t, rhapsodize about Five Guys. Seriously, don’t take our word for it, as weekly Monday night burger regulars, Jonathan Burr and Andrew “Goose” Gussman will tell you, Scott Smith and Andrew Fischel’s weekly special is more than a shtick. The afternoon announcement is a great what’s-the-special-gonna-be-today moment almost powerful enough to make you think Monday’s closer to Friday than it is. Rather than a weekly update, here’s a month’s roundup of the Monday burgers, including our pick for August’s blue ribbon winner.
AlwaysStrong: Pretzel Burger and Lobster Roll at Friendly’s
Arthur Bovino — August 09, 2010
The Reese’s Pieces Sundae and the Soft Pretzel Bacon Burger at Friendly’s.
Restaurant: Friendly’s Restaurant
Address: 2640 Merrick Road, Bellmore, NY 11710
Contact: (516)221-2286
Hours: Sun-Thur, 8:00am-12:00am, Fri – Sat, 8:00am-1:00am
Grade: C-
Recommended Dishes: Ice Cream.
The Friendly’s sign, there it was, a double-sided beacon of wonder in the night, one side demanding passers-by to “TRY OUR NEW SOFT PRETZEL BACON BURGER,” the other side proclaiming, “MAINE LOBSTER ROLLS WITH FRIES AND SLAW ONLY $11.99.”
That’s not quite a swerve your car to the side of the road situation, but it’s too tempting not to investigate. Friendly’s has been around for 75 years, they must be doing something right, right?
Pretzel Burgers, Lobster Rolls, and Grilled Cheese Burgers at Friendly's >>
Featured Dish: RUB BBQ’s Donut Burger
Arthur Bovino — August 03, 2010
RUB BBQ’s Donut Burger.
At the risk of writing about all things RUB BBQ, all the time, we bring you last night’s regional burger special: the Donut Burger. That’s right. They went there. A classic RUB Burger featuring cheese, pickles, and onions, but on a donut. As it was sans bacon, it wasn’t quite a Luther Burger (named for the late Luther Vandross), but it was damn tasty.
The last Krispy Kreme donut shop in New York City, the Penn Station branch, has a sign up that says, “Temporarily Closed,” so RUB’s owner, Andrew Fischel, went with Glazed Donuts from Dunkin’ Donuts. It started us thinking about the next step, a double Luther Burger: donut half, burger, bacon, donut half, burger, bacon, donut half. What? Why are you looking at me funny?
AlwaysInformed: RUB BBQ Burger Bash Update
Arthur Bovino — July 27, 2010
RUB BBQ’s Green Chile Cheeseburger, cross, and owner Andrew Fischel with Pit Master, Scott Smith.
Every week we’ve been saying we want RUB BBQ to open a burger joint. We’re not there yet, but last night, the owner, Andrew Fischel noted something to us that we haven’t seen any coverage about: RUB BBQ’s burger will be going up against some of the gastrosphere’s big burger players at the New York City Wine & Food Festival’s Blue Moon Burger Bash this fall.
If you’re going, “RUB does a burger?” you can’t call yourself a self-respecting New York burger aficionado— they’ve been serving burgers every Monday night since November. (If you missed it, check out this interview with RUB’s Pit Master, Scott Smith.) Given that in addition to their standard burger, Fischel and Smith have done a different regional burger every week since the beginning of the year, the next question of course is: which burger will they choose for Burger Bash? We have the scoop.
AlwaysInvestigating: Jimmy’s Burger Shack
Arthur Bovino — July 21, 2010
Clockwise: No. 9 Burger (Fried Egg, Bacon, and Cheese) and “Shack Sauce” at Jimmy’s Burger Shack.
Summer rolls around and I want to get the hell out of Dodge, Malcolm X-style— JFK, LaGuardia, I-95, the Port Authority, and Penn Station— by any means necessary. And when you’re at Penn with time to kill, one of your best options (lest you want to brave oysters and bread bowls at Tracks) is New York Pizza Suprema. But travelers cannot live on pizza alone. Sometimes you have to shake things up. You wonder, “Can Jimmy’s Burger Shack be all that bad? It’s still there three years after opening, right?”
Featured Dish: RUB’s Ham and Brie Burger
Maryse Chevrière — July 13, 2010
Ham and Brie Burger at RUB BBQ.
Yesterday was definitely an important day in the annals of New York burgerdom. After all, the hotly anticipated Shake Shack Theater District finally opened— three new awesome concretes, hello! But, it was also a Monday, which means these weren’t the only new burgers to anticipate. That’s right, we’re talking the RUB BBQ weekly burger special, and on last night’s menu: the Ham and Brie Burger.
What’s so exciting about a ham and Brie combination? After all, as far as sandwich stuffers go it’s pretty standard. Then again, who could have anticipated Goober and Butter Burgers being such big hits? Chef Scott Smith seems to have a predilection for funky, robust cheeses (the Bacon and Roaring Forties Blue Cheese Burger), because this was Brie with a presence.
The gooey, rind-on cheese was paired with house-cured ham that could easily pass as prosciutto—soft, salty, with a little pull. It’s a reminder that pork can indeed exist on top of a burger in a form other than crunchy bacon. All that and you still didn’t lose the flavor of the meat. Leads us to a familiar question: when can we anticipate the announcement of a stand-alone RUB burger joint? (Please?)
AlwaysTraveling: Good Stuff Eatery (Washington, DC)
Arthur Bovino — July 07, 2010
Clockwise from top: Prez Obama Burger, a sign inside Good Stuff Eatery, and the Good Stuff/We the Pizza sidewalk café.
Restaurant: Good Stuff Eatery
Location: 303 Pennsylvania Ave, SE, Washington, DC
Contact: (202) 543-8222
Hours: Mon-Sat, 11:30am-11:00pm; Closed Sunday.
Grade: B
Recommended Dishes: Prez Obama Burger, Uncle D’s Chili ‘N Cheddar, Spike’s Village Snack Fry, Toasted Marshmallow Shake.
Spike Mendelsohn’s new pizzeria, We, The Pizza is supposed to open to friends and family tonight. This past weekend, plywood was up at the pizzeria adjacent to Mendelsohn’s burger joint, Good Stuff Eatery, but the door was open. Inside was a glistening dining room with pizza boxes stacked from floor to ceiling. We, The Pizza should make a run at the dominance of Capitol Hill’s nearby pizzerias, Matchbox and Seventh Hill. At least, the opening solidifies this stretch of Pennsylvania as Spike’s block.
Inside We, The Pizza.
With the U.S. Pizza Team appearing at tonight’s “Red Carpet Opening” of We, The Pizza with Mendelsohn, Chef Michael Colletti and a DJ, it figures to be a scene. But July 4th meant burgers. So, we stopped in to test out the Prez Obama Burger along with some of Spike’s other good stuff.
More from Good Stuff Eatery >>
AlwaysPartying: Happy 4th of July!
Maryse Chevrière — July 02, 2010
Patriotic Cupcake Flag from Baked by Melissa.
Freedom! Fireworks! Independence! Sure the 4th of July is all about celebrating our soverignty, but it’s also about spending time with friends and family with lots of good food. Consider, according to the Census, 76 million Americans said they took part in a barbecue in 2009. And supposedly, in this week leading up to July 4th we’ll have bought 700 million pounds of chicken, 190 million pounds of red meat and pork, and about 63.5 million cases of beer. Head swimming yet? We figure to eat 150 million hot dogs this holiday, a few of them at the 95th Annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.
From left: Pork Ribs from Checkered Pig at the 2010 BABBP, Melone cocktail from A Voce, Cheeseburger from All-American.
If you’re still strategizing your holiday weekend food plans, here are a few things to consider:
- To get you in the grilling spirit, review Always Hungry’s regional hot dog and BBQ primers. And if you need an extra helping of ‘cue, revisit Always Hungry’s coverage of the 2010 and 2009 Big Apple Barbecue Block Party events. You can also check out some burger porn, and if you’re near Massapequa and feeling like a real patriot, visit All-American for a cheeseburger.
- Because a good backyard barbecue is nothing without refreshments, try Always Hungry’s fantastic Secret Sangria recipe or A Voce’s recipes for vodka infusion cocktails at your party this year. Of course, you could also draw inspiration from Pulino’s appropriately named Limoncello Sparkler or Pocha 32’s Watermelon Soju.
- Don’t forget, as suggested last year, you’ll have to order your Baked by Melissa Cupcake Flag (pictured above) by Saturday if you want to show off your patriotism with one of their epic Red Velvet, Vanilla, and Blueberry cupcake displays (150 to 630 cupcakes, $105.00-$409.50).
AlwaysInformed: Shake Shack’s Beat the Buzzer Game
Arthur Bovino — June 30, 2010
The Shake Shack’s online line game, “Beat the Buzzer.”
Are we the only ones who didn’t know about the Shake Shack game? If so, we haven’t been diligent enough about checking the Shack Cam before we leave the office for lunch. If waiting on line at Shake Shack doesn’t already slurp up enough of your day, you can wait on it in the office too. If you haven’t seen it, the online game on the Shack’s site, “Beat the Buzzer,” which launched a few weeks ago puts you on the line, virtually. You still get buzzers and burgers here, but it’s in exchange for points.
To play, you click on the Atari-looking joystick on the upper right corner. You get 30 seconds per level, and you need a certain number of points to proceed to the next level. You get points by clicking the buzzers when they vibrate— they’re each worth 50 points. “You’ll have to be quick, the Shake Shack line is always moving!” explains the site. Indeed, that’s the hope.
Shack icons (burgers, concretes, fries, etc.) equal bonuses. Funny enough, burgers only get you 75 points. Higher bonuses are reserved for the wine glasses (200), bottles (225), and dog bones (250).
There’s already a Shack HQ App out there for line updates and custard flavor info, but no Beat the Buzzer App as far as we can tell. Now that’s an app they really need to make so you can play the line game, on the line. Whoah, meta, dude.
AlwaysInvestigating: Sandwich Planet’s Napalm Burger
GutterGourmet — June 23, 2010
The Napalm Burger at Sandwich Planet, with a cross-section.
Recently, we profiled the Hellfire Slice. Today, we’re turning up the heat by reviewing Sandwich Planet’s Napalm Burger. Because of its location near the edge of the known solar system (the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel on 9th Avenue and 39th), stumbling upon Sandwich Planet can be like discovering Pandora. In lieu of Unobtainium, Sandwich Planet fulfills our species’ need for sandwiches and variety.
First Look: Whitmans’ Juicy Lucy Burger
GutterGourmet — June 09, 2010
Whitmans’ Juicy Lucy in the East Village with French fries.
“I find no sweeter fat than sticks to my own bones,” from Song of Myself, Walt Whitman.
Walt’s new namesake restaurant on 9th Street just east of 1st Avenue is still getting its bearings before the dining room opens downstairs where they will be sourcing fresh, local foods. Grass-fed beef, pickles cured in Brooklyn, pork, etc. Until then, the draw is the upstairs burger counter, which Whitmans’ chef, Chris Edwards, and owners have given some immediate cache with a Juicy Lucy.
AlwaysTraveling: Haute Dog at Umami Burger (Los Angeles)
Arthur Bovino — June 08, 2010
The Umami Dog at Umami Burger on La Brea in Los Angeles, California.
Restaurant: Umami Burger
Address: 850 South La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, CA
Hours: Mon-Sat, 11:00am-10:00pm; Sun, 11:00am-9:00pm.
Contact: (323)931-3000
Grade: B
Recommended Dishes: Umami Burger, Tempura Onion Rings.
You don’t go usually go to a burger joint for a hot dog, but when the staff says something has only been on the menu for two days you know the move: get both. That’s what happened recently in Los Angeles at the Umami Burger on LaBrea, where a visit meant an obligatory Umami Burger was eaten with the joint’s special, their Umami Dog.
If you haven’t heard about Umami Burger, it’s a chic, but comfortable, high-brow burger concept by Adam Fleischman— four joints that focus on making burgers that emphasize umami. Supposedly, Fleischman’s goal was to recreate the “craving he gets for his two favorite burgers: the In-N-Out Double Double, and The Father’s Office burger.” (Read for a full treatise.).
AlwaysPartying: National Hamburger Day
Arthur Bovino — May 28, 2010
Double-Double Animal Style at In-N-Out in Los Angeles, CA.
Main Entry: ham·burg·er
Pronunciation: \ˈham-ˌbər-gər\
Variant(s): or ham·burg \-ˌbərg\
Function: Fill your belly.
Etymology: German Hamburger of Hamburg, Germany
Date: 1884
1a: ground beef, b: a patty of ground beef
2: a sandwich consisting of a patty of hamburger in a split typically round bun
3: something that every chef thinks they need to have on their menu
4: something that when done right can be amazing whether eaten in a hole in a wall or in the most esteemed restaurant in the land
That’s right, today, May 28th, is National Hamburger Day. And however you define it, wherever or whoever you want to attribute its origins, whether you fuss it up or slap it between pieces of bread, the burger is wonderful. To celebrate it in all its glory, first peruse the burger archives— we’ve written about a lot of good burgers. Then check out two Burger Bash recaps, and burger-themed videos:
Amstel Lite Burger Bash Blue Moon Burger Bash Burgers in the Boardroom Inside LaFrieda Meats
But wait, there’s more! It’s also almost the end of National Hamburger month, so we’re going to send May out the right way. To inspire your Memorial Day Weekend burger-making, here are burgers Always Hungry, kitchen-sink style: an all-inclusive burger archive photo display. Lamb burgers, goat burgers, Indian burgers and Italian burgers, butter burgers, fast food burgers, mini-burgers, duck burgers. Burgers with eggs, chips, bacon, peanut butter, and corn. It’s all here. Burger-topia!
"I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today..." >>
Featured Brunch: Yerba Buena Perry
Maryse Chevrière — May 28, 2010
Sandwich Cubano at Yerba Buena Perry.
The brunch menu at Julian Medina’s Yerba Buena Perry presents you with that problem-you-want-to-have situation of too many good-sounding dishes to chose from. On it you’ll find brunch staples tweaked with Latin flavors— Cachapa Benedict with Serrano Ham over a Sweet Corn Cake, French Toast with Manchego Dulce de Leche. But, there are also familiar classics like Churros, Huevos Rancheros, and a Cuban Sandwich. The solution? Arrive hungry and over-order.
First Look: The Plaza Food Hall
Arthur Bovino — May 27, 2010
Left, Seared Tuna. Right, top to bottom: seafood display and dessert station at the raw bar in The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English.
First the Limelight Market, now The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English. The inexorable march to the Year of the Food Hall’s most anticipated opening— Eataly— continued last night with a preview of Todd English’s European-style tribute on the lower concourse level of The Plaza.
The 5,400 square foot space designed by Jeffrey Beers was packed with industry folk, there to eat sliders, examine the Todd English candy bars, sample sushi, and marvel at the school of fish on ice at the raw bar in the center of the room— a grand Alaskan King Crab surveying his domain.
Shelves were lined with high-end dry goods and sundries. And there were Wellfleets and Kusshis, macarons, cupcakes, tartlets, sliders, and more thin-crust pizza (quite decent though aggressively pushed) than you could imagine. Check out the slideshow below for a preview of the scene you will be able to see for yourself starting on the scheduled opening, June 4th.
Photographs at The Plaza Food Hall >>
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