Entries tagged with 'SF'
Posted by Hamburger America, July 30, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Editor's note: Burgermeisters! I'm totally psyched about this. This is the first in a series of excerpts from George Motz's book Hamburger America. George and his publisher were kind enough to allow us to run them here, along with George's beautiful photos. We'll be running one every other week. Eat up! —The Mgmt.
The meat grinder is in the window. What more can I say? "It's there mostly for dramatic reasons, but it's there so the customer can see what they are getting," says Joe Obegi, owner for over forty years and the man responsible for some of the freshest burgers on the west coast. The grinder is only five feet from the huge flattop griddle.
Joe takes his burgers very seriously. Don't look for 1/2 pounders and other fractional designations here. Joe prefers to use what he calls "actual sizes," 4, 6, and 8 ounce "fresh ground beef steaks." The burgers are cooked medium-rare unless specified. The menu explains, "Order your beef steak the way you would like your steak cooked."
About halfway through my "beef steak," Joe made a strange but characteristically brazen move. He grabbed a fork and delicately pried loose a small portion of meat from the center of my burger. "Eat that, just like that with no bun or other stuff." My burger experience had been altered and I had seen the light — Joe's burgers really were ground steaks.
Continue reading »
Posted by Adam Kuban, January 25, 2007 at 2:00 PM
Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles ... and a half-inch metal screw?
That's what Angela Faubert of Vallejo said she found in her Big Mac on Sunday afternoon, and, she said, she's not lovin' it.
Posted by Adam Kuban, December 18, 2006 at 11:55 AM
After a brief hiatus, ladies and gentlemen, Grilled is back. This week's installment is Peter Meehan, who has discovered and relayed the news of some of New York's finest burgers in the pages of the New York Times. Because he wishes to retain his anonymity for the purposes of his reviews, we do not have a photograph—apologies to those of you who enjoy rating the relative hotness of each new Grilled subject as compared with my sister. Without further ado, let's get Grillin'! —The Mgmt.
Name: Peter Meehan
Occupation: "$25 and Under" columnist for the New York Times
Location: New York City
How often do you eat burgers?
Once or twice a week at most. Back before I was reviewing restaurants, I probably ate three or four burgers a week.
Where did you eat your most recent one?
BLT Burger. I’ve taken a short burger break after bingeing at BLT.
Cheese: American, cheddar, other?
American, I guess. Seems like the patriotic answer. But I am open to almost any melty cheese on a burger. I have more specific feelings about what cheese choices I object to: I love blue cheese and mozzarella, but I don’t think either belongs on a hamburger; and I don’t like burgers blanketed in any outré or overly pedigreed cheese.
Ketchup or mustard?
Mustard on the burger, ketchup on the side. I think a truly great burger needs no ketchup. (But I have a very strong affinity for ketchup, so there’s a good chance I’m still going to eat at least part of that truly great burger with it.)
Sesame-seed or plain?
That’s tough. Sesame-seed buns do seem like the platonic ideal of hamburger bun-ness. But there are many seedless buns on burgers I like. Seedless potato rolls are perfect for the Shake Shack burger. The choice of ciabatta for the smaller burger at DuMont burger is inspired. The English muffin as a burger bracket has always struck me as a pointless East Coast affectation, but it serves Gabrielle Hamilton’s lamburger [at Prune] well. Before eating at Royale, I would have said “absolutely no brioche” because every hamburger I’d eaten on a brioche bun up to that point was way too rich. Not theirs. Plus it had sesame seeds. So I’m waffling, but ultimately going sesame. Final answer.
Grilled, griddled, or broiled?
All of the above. Didn’t George Motz teach us that burgers can be steamed and deep-fried, too? Is there even a verb for what they do to the burgers at Louis’ Lunch in New Haven? I find grilling and broiling to be the surest approaches to properly cooked patties, but I have no allegiance to any one style.
And how would you like that done, sir?
Medium-rare. Bonus points if the thing gets a chance to rest for a few minutes before it’s served, though I can’t think of a single restaurant where that happens.
Continue reading »
Posted by Adam Kuban, August 21, 2006 at 9:39 AM
Joe's Best Burger Double Cheeseburger vs. In-N-Out Double Double, blogged to AHT from the Flickr photostream of Slice
Went to Joe's Best Burger in Flushing, Queens, NYC, a couple weeks ago to compare its double cheeseburger to In-N-Out's Double Double. New York City-based Joe's has been compared favorably to the California-based chain, with people saying it comes pretty close to the INO formula. Both taste great and are as fresh as you can get for fast-food burgers. But In-N-Out is a little meatier, as seen above. You can get a better idea of the differences and similarities here:
Joe's Best Burger Double Cheeseburger
In-N-Out Double Double
Posted by Adam Kuban, August 9, 2006 at 8:12 AM
Relax. In-N-Out isn't going to change with the death of cofounder Esther Snyder. From the Los Angeles Times:
The new head of In-N-Out Burgers said Monday that the venerable restaurant chain would remain in family hands and stay true to its time-tested strategy — a simple menu and slow but steady growth — after the death of company matriarch Esther L. Snyder....
"The general perception in the industry is that it's under-developed — that there could be a lot more of them," said Randall Hiatt, president of Costa Mesa-based consulting firm Fessel International.
The trick, Hiatt said, is to achieve that growth without losing the In-N-Out mystique.
"Because of the way they have restricted growth, it still has that cult kind of buzz," he said. "Like Krispy Kreme had but lost when you started to see them at every gas station."
Loss of In-N-Out Founder Won't Change Menu Plan [Los Angeles Times]
Posted by Adam Kuban, June 13, 2006 at 3:48 PM
TAYLOR'S AUTOMATIC REFRESHER
Location: Ferry Terminal Building (northwest corner), San Francisco [map]
Phone: 866-328-3663
Website: taylorsrefresher.com
Getting There: BART to Embarcadero Station or by various streetcar and bus lines
The Short Order: I really wanted to like this place, but the burger was disappointing. (Think of it as the Whole Foods version of a BK Whopper)
You Want Fries With That? You don't, if mine were indicative of the typical quality. They were so overdone as to be fry-shaped potato chips. CRUNCH! (Ow! My teeth!) The onion rings were no better -- burned and overly greasy (see photo below)
Taylor's Automatic Refresher. The name alone is magical. It conjures up nostalgia, real or imagined, for Atomic Age burger joints or for the bygone automats of New York and Philadelphia. And I can't help thinking of the R.E.M. album Automatic for the People, which jolts my mind's jukebox into a loop of jangly college-rock ditties by Michael Stipe & Co.
The place came highly recommended by several commenters on AHT. And so, last Tuesday, before our scheduled ferry to Alcatraz Island, the Hamburgirl and I found ourselves at San Francisco's Ferry Terminal Building, where Taylor's had recently opened a second location (the first is north of the city in the Napa Valley town of Saint Helena).
The building's clocktower rang noon and we were worried about missing our prison ship as we took our place in a long, long line of shiny happy people (right). "Look at this crowd!" I said. "It's like the Shake Shack of San Francisco. I hope it's as good."
Famous last words. Both our burgers were disappointing, despite all indications to the contrary. Made from all-natural, hormone-free, grain-fed Angus beef from California, coupled with the famously fresh produce the state is known for, how could you go wrong?
Long story short, my cheeseburger (topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and secret sauce on a toasted egg bun; $6.49) tasted like the Whole Foods equivalent of a Whopper. That is to say, good (and good-for-you -- well, sorta) but nothing special. And, like a Whopper, which is often filled with limp lettuce, bland tomato, and a heaping dollop of oozing mayo, the Taylor's cheeseburger was lacking in the vital crunch-contrast department. This bun had been toasted? Really? ... If I'm in California, then why aren't the veggies crisp and refreshing? ... Where's the zing to the special sauce?
The only thing redeeming was that the patty (about six ounces, ground to a medium-fine grind) had a strong beefy flavor to it -- again, akin to the Whopper's, but not derived through the miracle of modern chemistry. But that wasn't enough, given the price and the Shoulda Been Better factor. It really left me longing for the In-N-Out Double Double I'd had the day before.
And so the girl and I wolfed down our burgers (more due to time constraints than deliciousness), practically ignored our fries and onion rings (both overdone), and then hightailed it like bandits to get into the prison.
One sly trick I'll leave you with, if you're planning a trip to this Taylor's location: Skip the line in the main dining room by going around to the corridor behind the restaurant. There's a Taylor's To Go counter that seemed to have fewer people queued up, even at 12:15 p.m. If the weather's nice, you can take your lunch box around the front of the Ferry Terminal Building and eat it at the picnic tables just outside the retro-elegant Taylor's dining room.
Posted by Adam Kuban, June 12, 2006 at 1:14 AM
IN-N-OUT BURGER
Location Visited: 333 Jefferson St., San Francisco CA 94133 [map]. Here are other locations
Website: In-N-Out.com
Getting There: Why not take a cable car? (Ding ding!) May I suggest the Powell-Hyde line?
The Short Order: Not the best burger I've ever had, but it is the ideal fast-food burger. Check out the not-so-secret secret menu
You Want Fries With That? Sure they're fresh-cut and what not, but so what? I didn't think they were all they were cracked up to be. I'd still take an order of perfectly done Mickey D's if given the choice. Maybe I should have ordered them animal style?
Double Double, blogged to AHT from the Flickr photostream of Slice
I just got back from my journey to San Francisco, a trip that afforded me my first opportunity to eat at an In-N-Out Burger. Some of you may be scandalized that the editor and publisher of A Hamburger Today had never had a Double Double before. Yeah, yeah, yeah: I'd never been to California prior to this trip, OK?
Having never been to San Francisco before, I did the requisite tourist stuff -- Alcatraz, Pier 39, a cable-car ride. Said cable-car ride stopped, conveniently, near Fisherman's Wharf, where there's an In-N-Out. (I love it when a plan comes together.)
The Fisherman's Wharf location was pretty much everything I'd heard an In-N-Out to be: clean, fast, and staffed with friendly workers.
The burger? Pretty much everything I'd heard it to be, too: fresh, never-frozen beef; crisp, fresh produce; well built. The double-patty, double-cheese variation hit the bun-to-beef ratio on the head. The bun was toasted perfectly -- a nice contrast of crunch and softness in and of itself. Easily the best burger from a fast food chain I've ever had.
Was it the best burger I've ever had? Mmmm, no. But it is exactly what a fast food burger should be, and it's a shame that the McDonald brothers' sandwiches, and not In-N-Out's, became California's burger ambassadors to the world.
Click through for an In-N-Out photo gallery ...
Continue reading »
Posted by Adam Kuban, June 6, 2006 at 2:11 PM
The
Musee Mechanique sits on Fisherman's Wharf these days, moved from its one-time home at
The Cliff House. While the setting is no longer as spectacular, the mechanical wonders inside are amazing.
From old zoetrope peep shows, to love-tester machines, to elaborate mechanical dioramas, the Musee Mechanique has one of the world's largest privately owned collections of early- to mid-twentieth century coin-op amusements.
But let's focus on this detail from a coin-op diorama of a fairground. This is "Harry's Hash House." Check out the grill. Along with hot dogs, you've got burgers. And what's the fat man eating? That's right: a burger. (And like a good dog, the lil' pup is salivating for it.)
OK. Gotta go. Taylor's Automatic calls.
Hasta la burgers,
Adam
Posted by Adam Kuban, May 30, 2006 at 4:37 PM
Twenty Bucks a Day, our favorite low-budget gourmand, details a trip to California and his first visit to In-N-Out Burger: "Many burger fans I know swear by the venerable California mini-chain “In-N-Out Burger,” claiming it to be the ultimate in ground meat sandwiches. Enough, in fact, that I became instantly skeptical -– I guess I just don’t believe that a fast food restaurant could be both extraordinarily popular and very good." Click through to find out if the famed Cali classic did right by Twenty.
I'm highlighting Mr. Bucks's trip because I'll be making a similar pilgrimage next week. The girlfriend's kid sister is all growed up and gradiatin' high school, and we're heading to sunny San Francisco to attend the ceremony.
I'll be making my first visit to In-N-Out, too, having only heard about its deliciousness via Hamburglar Hadley and other burger lovers. Needless to say, I'm stoked.
But what other burgers should I try? A coworker of mine recommends Absinthe and Zuni. And Burger Joint comes up on a lot of folks' Top 10 SF burger lists.
Readers: If you had only one other burger joint to hit in San Francisco besides In-N-Out, what would it be? Leave your suggestions in the comments. Thanks!
The SF Burger Thread [eGullet]
The burger, the myth, the legend... [Twenty Bucks a Day]
Posted by Adam Kuban, May 18, 2006 at 12:00 PM
Forget the gravy train, you've booked a ticket on the Burger Express. Next stop: Listburg, where the populace is obsessed with notations and rank. The latest resident to settle in our sleepy hamlet is Jason Perlow (left), founder of eGullet.com and publisher of Off the Broiler, where this list is also available. Mr. Perlow's list, he tells us, is in no particular order. Beefy thanks to Jason! —The Management
MY TOP BURGER LIST | Words and Photos by Jason Perlow
White Manna, Hackensack, New Jersey
Got to have it as a double with grilled onions and cheese with extra pickle. Your stomach is going to rumble big time after eating four or five of these, but the indigestion and heartburn is well worth it. They look unattractive, lopsided and smooshed up. But they'll kick the crap out of you if you disrespect them. Kind of like most people from Jersey.
Louis Lunch, New Haven, Connecticut
They got weird rules, the burger is bizarre, both in preparation and in presentation. It doesn't matter, it makes sense, in an almost proto-evolutionary way. Its like eating the missing link in burger anthropology.
O'Rourke's Diner Steamed Cheeseburger, Middletown, Connecticut
Connecticut is home to the strange burgers. While Ted's in Meriden is the steamed cheeseburger everyone has heard about, O'Rourke's really is the original. Make this place part of your lifetime burger pilgrimage.
NationWide Meats, Sacramento, California
Sacramento is hot as hell, but its also got one of the best burgers anywhere. The beef they use here is top quality, there's plenty of it, their burger dressing is outstanding and their super thick-cut fries are magnificent.
Burger Joint, San Francisco
The menu is minimalist. The neighborhood is weird. Don't miss this place.
Blue Smoke Jazz Standard Burger, New York City
Before there was Shake Shack, there was the Blue Smoke Burger. Can't think of a better burger to have when listening to Jazz and having a cold beer.
Shake Shack, Madison Square Park, New York City
Yes, the place is hyped beyond belief and the lines are infuriating. Doesn't matter. Go, go, go. Even if you have to camp outside overnight to get a place in line the next day.
McSorley's Burger, Greenwich Village, New York City
It's cheap, but its beefy, topped with raw onion, and it's the perfect accompaniment to some of the best beers in town, in the oldest, surliest Irish Bar in the city.
Johnny Rocket's #12 Burger, various locations
Something about the Red sauce they put on this thing, combined with the thin-style burger with crispy edges makes this one unique and worthy of mention, edging out the other Micro-chains.
White Castle Double Cheeseburger, various locations
Perhaps I have saved my favorite for last. Before there was Harold and Kumar, college students have been making late night inebriated treks to the Castle for over six decades. Its the ultimate working class burger, which proudly features grease as an ingredient. Don't forget the extra pickle, it brings everything into Zen-like balance.
Well, there's Mr. Perlow's list. Dig it? Got a beef with it? Leave a comment. Better yet, submit your own list and take up residency in Listburg.
Posted by Adam Kuban, May 10, 2006 at 5:00 PM
Here's a killer list we've mentioned on AHT but have never elaborated on. It's Alan Richman's top 20 from his July 2005 story "The 20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die" in GQ. Do click through to read the entire piece; it quickly made its way onto the Required Reading list at AHT HQ. Bon appétit! ...
Continue reading »
Posted by Adam Kuban, May 1, 2006 at 5:00 PM
AOL Cityguide has done it again. In late March, the good folks there brought you the best burgers in New York. Now they've compiled the "15 Burgers to Try Before You Die" (hmm ... strange echo of Alan Richman's piece in GQ last year, "The 20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die.") Without further ado, they are ...
- All-American Drive-In, Massapequa, New York
- Chris Madrid's, San Antonio
- CityGrille, Denver
- Dick's Drive-In, Seattle
- Goldyburgers, Chicago
- In-N-Out Burgers, Los Angeles [AHT's 2¢]
- Jack's Old Fashion Hamburger, Oakland Park, Florida
- O'Connell's Pub, Saint Louis
- Peter Luger, New York [AHT's 2¢]
- Roaring Fork, Phoenix
- Stanich's, Portland, Oregon
- Tessaro's, Pittsburgh
- Thurman Cafe, Columbus, Ohio
- Val's Burgers, San Francisco
- 96th Street Steakburgers, Indianapolis
15 Burgers to Try Before You Die [AOL Cityguide]
The 20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die [GQ]
