NYC Link Roundup
Good question: Why are New Yorkers continually getting shafted when it comes to enjoying the best Goddamn burgers in the world? And according to Larry at blog thisiswhatwedonow.com, the "best Goddamn burgers" are Whataburger and In-N-Out.
The nearest Whataburger: 13880 US Highway 19 S, Thomasville GA 31792; 229-551-9377. The nearest In-N-Out: As the crow flies, it would be in Tucson, Arizona, but as a human flies, via a jet, it's in Phoenix, about 21.2 miles from Sky Harbor Int'l Airport: 21001 North Tatum Boulevard, Phoenix AZ 85050
At a time when almost every area of New York City has a name, Charles Isherwood whines about his as-yet-unnamed neighborhood in the New York Times. In detailing food options just north of Madison Square Park, he's got a take on—of course—the Shake Shack.
The Shake Shack, as it is famously and whimsically called, has now become an urban attraction of such renown that you could probably raise, slaughter and cook your own cow in the time it takes to get a burger and fries there. The last time I visited, I was offered one of those plastic gizmos that look like stun guns and was told it would throb when my order was ready. I stared disconsolately at it for 30 minutes before it made a peep, by which time I was nearly ready to give up.
Like many Brown Zoners, my feelings for the Shake Shack have progressed from enthusiasm and pride to distant affection and veiled dislike. I resent that it has relegated my adored Madison Square Park to being a backdrop to a fry joint.
The Shake Shack; southeast corner of Madison Square Park, 23rd Street and Madison Avenue
I missed this last week, but apparently The Artist Formerly Known as Prince Who Is Once Again Known as Prince had Pop Burgers served at a performance in the oh-so-tony Hamptons on Friday. Also from the same "We Hear ..." item in the New York Post was an aside that Pop Burger, the mini-burger burger joint in Chelsea, will be opening a location at Fifth Avenue and 58th Street in September. Seems like a gratuitous mention to me. Pop Burger; 58-60 Ninth Avenue, New York NY 10011; 212-414-8686
