Shake Shack – The 2nd Ever Polar Brrrger Club

Shake Shack
http://www.shakeshacknyc.com/
11 Madison Ave
New York, NY 10010

THE CONQUEST
“Snowpocalypse 2010” hit NYC again and with almost 2 feet of snow, stomachs begin to grumble. While most New Yorkers are content to stay bundled up at home, the brave and hungry reunite for the 2nd ever “Polar Brrrger Club.” It’s an event I host through Burger Conquest, that happens whenever massive snow falls descend upon the Big Apple.

The blizzard-triggered event happened Monday, December 27 at 1:30 p.m. EST. All fun-loving burger fanatics were encouraged to dress up in their best Hawaiian shirts and sunglasses and brave the snow to join together to eat a delicious burger from the Shake Shack. The Shake Shack is located at the corner of 23rd Street and Madison Avenue in New York, NY. It was easy to find me, standing just in front of the Shake Shack in a Louis Lunch baseball hat.

Why a Louis Lunch hat? Not just because I look good in it but also because this morning, the burgerverse suffered a terrible loss. Ken Lassen, son of Louis Lassen, the man who invented the hamburger in 1985, passed away. Louis was the man behind New Haven’s Louis Lunch. More than 100 years later, ketchup is still banned there and the burgers are made on the EXACT SAME GRILLS that the restaurant opened with. Rest In Piece burger brother.

The first ever gathering of the Polar Brrrger Club took place on Friday, February 26, 2010 drawing quite a crowd of burger fanatics ready to brave the elements just to get their burger fix. Several of New York’s most important eaters joined in the freezing cold burger fun.

“The lines at the Shake Shack are always ridiculously long but when the weather gets worse, the lines get shorter. I’m from Detroit and was raised in the snow so for me, a blizzard is the best time to get one of those delectable Danny Meyer fresh made burgers from Pat LaFrieda beef!” claims Burger Conquest founder Rev. Ciancio. “I can’t think of a better way to warm up then with a hot juicy hamburger!”

SECOND POLAR BRRRGER CLUB

FIRST POLAR BRRRGER CLUB

THE BURGER
What can I say here that I haven’t said in the 7 other Shake Shack reviews on this site ? Let the fact that the Danny Meyer created, Pat LaFrieda beef supplied stand is listed in our TOP BURGERS NYC list and that we have chosen this burger joint for our very speecial event speak for itself. You could also look below at the burger rating we give or read a quote from something I said that Adam from A Hamburger Today posted on their twitter:””Nobody would do this for a salad.”

By the way, kudos to Adam, who was the only Polar Brrrger Clubber bold enough to order custard on a cold day. I toast you brother, I toast you with my cold glass of Brooklyn Ales Shakemeister.

8 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

Thanks to Gothamist, A Hamburger Today, Channel 7 Eye Witness news, Dan from That Burger Tent and everyone else that came out to enjoying making an ass out of themselves in the cold.

THE JOURNEY
While it looks like running around a park in a Hawaiian shirt while eating burgers is just a party but it’s a lot of freaking work. Forget about the hours spent just making the plans, calling the Shake Shack, sending out a press release, organizing press requests, posting up all over the net, that takes work but the really hard part of an event like this is actually getting to the location. When “Snowpocalypse” hits NYC, NYC stops moving. No trains, no buses and no taxis. If you want to get somewhere, you have to walk there. And even though I live in Manhattan, walking 14 blocks and 5 Avenues in a blizzard is no easy feat. Here’s a photo pictorial of my journey to the Shake Shack.

Abandoned Hot Dog Food Cart on 37th Street at 10th Avenue. Redefines the words “free wieners.”

Corner of 37th St and 10th Ave, where minivans get stuck and bike deliveries are still made.

This billboard at 35th St and 9th Ave says it all.

I’m not at all advocating you go out looting but the cop shop on 35th St between 9th and 8th Avenue is having it’s own snow issues.

8th Avenue and 34th St. The famous New Yorker Hotel is blocked by snow. While normally people might use this as a location to snake cabs from unprepared tourists, the only thing you can catch there today is a cold.

They say violent crimes happend every 38 seconds in urban areas (another fact I made up for the sake of this blog) and the reason criminals don’t get away with anything is smart phones. Remember this when reading the post above about the po-po’s on 35th above.

34th Street betwen 8th Avenue and Park Avenue is arguably the busiest section of streets in NYC and in a snow covered, blizzard torn, NYC Snowpocalypse, its still the busiest section in the city. Lesson learned, it doesn’t matter, New Yorkers are still in a hurry.

Herald Square and Greeley Park are snow covered but not open for outdoor seating.

Broadway was practically a ghost town and unless you had a large shovel or a small elephant, you aren’t going anywhere.

If you can get to the ACE hotel on 23rd St, they are open for business.

Amazing view looking South down Broadway.

It pays to walk in this kind of weather and whichever restaurant ordered supplies from this company, will not be having a full dinner service yet.

You’ll rarely hear me pat myself on the back (I made that up too) but this might be one of the most awesome photos I have ever taken. Looking at the Flatiron Building from the North as the snow is blowing off the buildings around it.