Featured Dessert: For the Love of Salted Caramel
Arthur Bovino — August 10, 2010
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Sundae: Salted Caramel Ice Cream, Candied Popcorn, Whipped Crème Fraiche & Chocolate Sauce at ABC Kitchen.
It’s not news that Salted Caramel is taking over the world. But the path to world domination must go straight through New York. There’s currently a trio of salted caramel high-flyers for the City’s dessert-lovers to check off their lists. Take the salted caramel quiz:
- Have you had Shake Shack’s Salted Caramel Custard? Yes? Good.
- How about Cake and Shake’s Salted Caramel Shake? Yes? Excellent.
- Lastly, the Salted Caramel Sundae at ABC Kitchen. Yes? Wow. You’re good, and excused.
Everyone else, read on…
Featured Dessert: The “Shacked-Up”
Arthur Bovino — July 13, 2010
“Shacked-Up,” an off-menu mash-up of three new concretes.
SHAKE SHACK THEATRE DISCTRICT
Starring Danny Meyer
OPENING NIGHT: A SHAKE SHACK LINE!
A musical about tourists and zealots alike!
The new Shake Shack in Midtown West has created opportunities for burger headlines, pun-ridden show titles, and at the least, the names for three new menu-standard concretes: the Great White Way, Pretzel! The Concrete, and Jelly’s Last Donut. Those new menu items have also created the opportunity for a new over-the-top off-the-menu option, a mixture of all three.
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?)
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: Pacific Burger Battle
Arthur Bovino — May 25, 2010
Left to right: In-N-Out’s Double-Double and RUB BBQ’s Pacific Northwest Burger.
You have to love RUB BBQ’s weekly burger special. As visits for the Peanut Butter and Butter Burgers and the Bacon and the Roaring Forties Blue Cheese Burger demonstrate, we’ve found it difficult to stay away. News that last night’s weekly special was going to be the Pacific Northwestern Burger, In-N-Out-style, sealed the deal for dinner, especially since last weekend was spent in Los Angeles downing Double-Doubles Animal-style. So, how did RUB’s stack up to the real thing?
AlwaysInvestigating: Peanut Butter Burger-Off
Maryse Chevrière — April 26, 2010
PB Shake ‘n Bacon Burger at Shake Shack UWS.
Reports that the Upper West Side location of Shake Shack would be offering its limited edition PB Shake ‘n Bacon Burger for a second Saturday in a row meant one thing: even more incentive to face that harrowing line.
And while a little out-of-the-box for the Shack, it’s actually the second time in the last two months that a favorite burger spot has featured a special peanut butter-slathered patty on the menu. If you recall, back in February, RUB BBQ offered a Goober Burger as part of their rotating Monday night regional burger promotion. Both burger were said to have been inspired by the Missouri-based Wheel Drive-In, so a comparison between the two New York renditions needed to be made.
Featured Dessert: Shake Shack’s New Flavors
Maryse Chevrière — April 06, 2010
Shack-uccino is the Monday special on Shake Shack’s custard calendar.
It may have still been a bit chilly out when the first Mister Softee jingle of the year was heard a little less than a month ago, but by now you should know: it’s officially ice cream weather.
A new month means new flavors on the Shake Shack custard calendar. With the promise of gorgeous weather, it seems as though the Shack has stepped up its game— Fluffernutter, Milk & Honey, and Gianduja all sound worthy of a special trip through the B-Line. Monday’s Shack-uccino was particularly good. Thick, creamy, with cinnamony coffee flavor. Of course, the real flavor of interest this April is the Saturday special, Pancakes and Bacon. Finally, the Shack does brunch!
On a related note, if you just can’t wait until this Saturday to sate your bacon-ice cream combo fix, word on the street is that after a one-day-only cameo on April 1st, the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck is making its official return for the season today (along with their Caramelized Bacon Ice Cream Sandwich, right ). Here’s where they will be. That said, if you are a true fan of creative ice cream flavors there a number of other great places to check out (you know, because sometimes on really nice days even the Shake Shack’s B-Line gets mobbed).
Always Hungry: Opening Day at Citi Field
Maryse Chevrière — April 05, 2010
Inside Citi Field.
Last year, the buzz surrounding the fare from the likes of Shake Shack and Blue Smoke at the Mets’ new Citi Field practically outshone the games being played there. With all the misfortune they faced last year, fans could definitely justify waiting on the Shack lines away from the action on the field. With first pitch of the new season at 1:10pm this afternoon, it is once again time to start thinking about the best food the stadium has to offer.
Though the Rabbi Dog is reportedly no longer available, there is still plenty to choose from. If you’re heading over to the stadium check out Always Hungry’s food rundown from 2009 to get ready. There’s a dish by dish at the swanky Acela Club, and a breakdown of the food from all the top-notch vendors.
Hopefully Jason Bay, and a healthy Mets team will send the Mets to the World Series this year to face the Yanks, for a rematch of 2000. Let’s go Mets!
AlwaysInvestigating: Burger Square-Off (Philly vs. New York)
The Gluttoness — October 06, 2009
SquareBurger’s Classic Hamburger.
Restaurant: SquareBurger
Address: 200 N 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106 (map)
Hours: Through October 31st, Mon-Fri, 11am-2pm; Sat-Sun 11am-7pm.
AlwaysHungry Grade: A
AlwaysHungry Recommends: SquareBurger, The Cake Shake, Classic French Fries
The proliferation of Philadelphia’s restaurant scene can be partly attributed to Stephen Starr. After tackling New York City and Atlantic City, he seems to have found himself back in the City of Brotherly Love. As his empire grows to encompass everything from soul food to steakhouses, he unabashedly draws inspiration from his most revered peers. His recent venture, Parc, a French bistro on Rittenhouse Square, is an obvious interpretation of Keith McNally’s Pastis or Balthazar. Starr openly toured the top pizzerias in New York and New Haven for his own Neapolitan pizza joint, Stella. This summer, in an obvious replication of Danny Meyer’s celebrated Shake Shack, he opened SquareBurger (view), a burger stand in Philadelphia’s Franklin Square just off I-95.
The small SquareBurger shack is nearby the Franklin Square Fountain.
SquareBurger is next to a beautiful fountain, but it’s in an area devoid of local foot traffic, which may explain why there were only five people there on a sunny Saturday. While there are differences between Shake Shack and SquareBurger, both pay their due to burgers and frozen sweets. Ultimately, it comes down to a direct comparison between Starr’s Classic Cheeseburger and Meyer’s ShackBurger, between a SquareBurger’s Classic Shake and Shake Shack’s Hand-Spun Shakes and Concretes. The question is, can Starr top Meyer?
AlwaysInformed: Burger Poppin’
The Gluttoness — August 17, 2009
Champagne bottles from the ‘Quarter’ to the ‘Balthazar’ (courtesy nicks.com.au) & burger counterparts.
A recent nightclub outing brought us face-to-face with the Methuselah, an awesome and incredibly heavy bottle of champagne, equivalent to eight ordinary bottles. Bottles larger than magnums are generally filled with champagne that has been fermented in standard bottles or magnums, and are named after biblical figures. In terms of these epically-sized bottles, the Methuselah, a biblical patriarch said to have lived to the age of 969, only ranks as the seventh largest.
It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact reason why champagne bottles are named thusly. There is speculation that the names were selected “to evoke importance and even a certain extravagance.” One site, uncork.biz, claims the earliest recorded use of these names is 1725 when Bordeaux winemakers were using the name Jeroboam for the four-bottle size, “It’s presumed they selected Jeroboam, the biblical founder of Israel…because he is referred to as ‘a man of great worth.’” There are larger sizes: Melchior (24 bottles), Solomon (33 bottles), Primat (36 bottles), and the Melchizedek (40 bottles), but as you might imagine, seeing one of these is a pretty rare occasion.
In order to best comprehend the disparity between the smallest bottle, the ‘Quarter,’ and the granddaddy, the Nebuchadnezzar (a 20 bottle monster, not pictured above), we thought it best to relate the increase in bottle sizes to one of the things AlwaysHungryNY.com knows best: burgers. In this case, as with the bottles of champagne, the larger and more extravagant the hamburger, the higher the price-tag The beef and bun Nebuchadnezzar is as monumental and seldom-ordered as its bubbly brother.
AlwaysInvestigating: Cornbread Ice Cream
Arthur Bovino — August 13, 2009
A heaping bowl of Cornbread Ice Cream ($4) at Dante’s Southern Fusion in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
As fans of Sundaes and Cones and even Shake Shack can attest (it’s August’s Thursday flavor), Corn Ice Cream is a popular if not everyday flavor. Dante’s Southern Fusion (view site) in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, recently advertised an intriguing variation on their menu: Cornbread Ice Cream.
Dante’s cuisine is described as classic southern dishes made with “classic Asian, Spanish or French techniques and sauces.” As interesting as it sounds and as beloved as cornbread is, this flavor’s success was not predetermined. Would it have the flavor of cornbread and the texture? And if it had the texture, would there be cold, hard-kerneled chunks?
The restaurant’s owner, Dante (“he just goes by Dante, like Prince,” said Chef Joseph Capozzi), recently bought an ice cream machine about a month ago. “We’ve just been coming up with all sorts of crazy ice creams,” noted Capozzi, who has his own cooking video site, theultimatebyte.com
Staff members have been encouraged to suggest flavors. Quirky ones currently on the menu are Chinese 5-Spice and Kentucky Twirl (Bourbon Ice Cream with a Raspberry Swirl). They haven’t all made the cut. Take the Rum with Blueberry Lemonade Mix, nicknamed ‘Bacardi Blue.’ The cornbread flavor was a creation of Dante, who according to Chef Capozzi, was inspired by the free cornbread they serve.
“It’s funny because he’s got a science background so he comes up with crazy stuff and different ideas,” said Chef Capozzi. “They call me the magic man because I make the ideas happen.”
It turns out there was some magic because the flavor is craveable. The cornbread has real corn and pimentos, which provided the ice cream with quite a substantial texture. But it was an enhancement—it was as if someone left a cornbread cookie in a bowl of milk, soaked it until it disintegrated slightly, then made ice cream with it. The bowl of five scoops disappeared in less than three minutes. The next step may be to invent suitable toppings— perhaps honey, bacon bits, maple butterscotch syrup or even chili?
HungryChefs: Chefs Love Lupa, Mixed on Hot Dogs
The Gluttoness — June 11, 2009
Roasted Pork Shoulder “Gyro” with Pickled Cucumber & Yogurt from Anthos at Street & Savory
Some of the country’s best chefs attended Citymeals-on-Wheels’ Street & Savory Tasting Event. We’ve already brought you pictures of all the dishes and rounded up our favorite plates, but we were also able to speak with the chefs.
Our questions were obvious: What are you AlwaysHungry for? Which New York City restaurant do you crave? And in keeping with the night’s theme: what would you serve if you opened your own street cart? Some chefs took the easy route, promoting dishes they had prepared for the evening, others were quite creative with their responses.
Always Traveling: Boston’s Best Chowdah
Spencer Gellman — March 12, 2009
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It started with one of those ridiculous Yahoo! Homepage teaser articles. You know the ones that usually talk about a dog who can bark the alphabet or an Icelandic woman who gave birth to her fifth set of octuplets. And while those articles are typically easily hurdled roadblocks between me and my fantasy football team, this one actually reached right through my heart strings and went straight for the decision making epicenter of my being…my stomach.
The article, entitled “It’s the Best Burger in America!,” described how the (read: horribly overrated) Shake Shack was dethroned at the 2008 South Beach Wine & Food Festival by some gourmet monstrosity hailing from Beantown known only as the Radius Burger. Intrigued and mildly aroused by the findings, I had no choice but to pile into my parent’s Toyota hybrid and go see for myself if this French Bistro known for their Duck Egg atop leeks could really bring the ruckus to the American classic.
Of course, to go all the way up to Boston just for a burger would be a perfectly good waste of time, effort and potential calories. If I was going to do this trip the AlwaysHungry way, which is pretty much how I do everything from brushing my teeth to petting my dog, I was going to make sure I checked a few more boxes off my culinary bucket list. Being in Boston, I figured there was no better objective than to figure out once and for all which local eatery yielded the best New England Clam Chowder.
After a solid 3 minutes of Googling, I compiled a list of 5 establishments in Paul Revere’s hometown that were said to have the crème de la crème of this creamy soup: The Union Oyster House, Legal Sea Foods, The Barking Crab, McCormick & Schmick’s, The Salty Dog Seafood Grill & Bar and Houston’s (yes, that Houston’s). With my food itinerary in hand, and a fresh domestic beer induced hangover in my head, I set out, determined to try at least a cup of clam chowder from each of the celebrated establishments.
AlwaysInformed: Danny Meyer Wants to Take You Out to the Ball Game
The Hungry Goat — July 09, 2008
Calling all Mets’ fans: if ballpark franks and ice cream served in a plastic baseball cap don’t quite measure up to your dining standards, then Danny Meyer has a solution for you. The renowned chef and restaurateur has announced that his company, the Union Square Hospitality Group, will be teaming up with ARAMARK and The Mets to provide fans with game-time grub from some of his most popular establishments. According to a press release, Citi Field will be home to new Shake Shack and Blue Smoke outposts, in addition to a taqueria and a Belgian fries concept. The USHG will also play a role in sprucing up the Sterling Club, which will now feature a casual cafe and market, a more formal dining lounge, and a bar complete with an impressive selection of international wines and specialty brews.
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