Burger Conquest

Cafe D’Alsace – Meat-tastic Meal for a King

Posted on 01/08/2012 by Rev

Cafe D’Alsace
http://www.cafedalsace.com
1695 2nd Avenue
New York, NY 10128

THE CONQUEST
Every first Saturday of the year, for 7 years now, my buddies Jim, RAM & Matt all meet up for dinner and a night out on the town. Until last year we had always gone to Baltimore to visit Matt. On that trip we had Burgers and Beers at the Belgian themed Abey Burger Bistro. Last year, Matt picked up Jim & RAM in Philly and brought them to visit me in NYC. We crushed Burgers & Sausages at DBGB that night. As we started to plan the 2012 reunion, the guys wanted to come back to NYC and therefore dinner plans were on my back. We’re all a bunch of serious eaters, especially Jim, who hosts a gourmet food club, so I knew I had to nail this one.

Alsace is a region of France that borders on both Germany and Switzerland. It’s a center for European politics and International organizations. It has a long history of being part of the Roman Empire, fought over by the Spaniards and was for a time conquered by Germany. All of these cultures, especially German had influence on the culture and cuisine of this famous wine region, all of which are the inspiration for the Tour De France Restaurant Group’s Cafe D’Alsace. Their Chef, Philippe Roussel, has created a vast modern interpretation of the region’s cuisine, most known for Sauerkraut, Sausages,Pork and Potato dishes. Not only does the restaurant have an intense and unique Food menu but it’s matched by an equally diverse and lengthy bottle list of Wines and Beers. The entire menu can be professionally paired with drinks by their in house sommelier, Gianni Cavicchi. Don’t hesitate to ask for suggestions on pairings, you won’t be lead astray. It’s perfect for serious eaters, Wine geeks and Beer nerds. All of it comes together with a touch of class, presentation from a true appreciation for a finer dining experience.

Thanks to my attendance at the Tour De France Sausage & Beer Festival, I knew Cafe D’Alsace was going to be a winner. Before they even got into town everyone was emailing me with what they wanted to order off the menu!

THE BURGER
Now I know this is a Burger blog but this meal was so freakin’ epic that I want to briefly roll through it dish by decadent dish.

Merguez Sausage with Sauerkraut d’Alsace & assorted Mustard’s – Fully flavored and a little spicy. One of the best I’ve ever had.

Cassolette d’Escargot sauteed with Garlic, Parsley & Butter – I won’t eat Snails but I did try the sauce and it was fantastic, almost Pesto-like.

French Onion Soup – Perfectly made, very savory.

Crispy Gruyere Cheese Gougeres, Creamy Gruyere in a flaky pastry made with Onions and Potatoes – It was as good as it sounds.

Classic Steak Tartare, Chopped Sirloin with Capers, Shallots & Dijon Mustard – Considering all the ingredients of this dish are very flavorful, this was light and more about the subtleties in the tastes. It was supreme.

La Moelle, Bone Marrow with Fleur De Sel & Country Toast – If there was even a speck of Marrow left on these bones once we were done, I’d be surprised. We practically sucked them dry!

Moules Frites, Alsatian Beer braised, fresh Basil Pesto & Fries, Apple Curry, White Wine, Apple, Spicy Curry & Fries – Again, not something I would eat but Jim told the waitress they were the best he’s ever had!

Braised Lamb Shank, wild Mushroom Risotto, Root Vegetables & Lamb Jus – Matt’s eyes almost popped out of his skull when this arrived at the table. It was absolutely juicy & succulent and much like the Bone Marrow, not a single bite left on the bone when he was done.

Seafood Risotto – RAM devoured this in about 90 seconds!

Chocolate Tart, Fleur De Sel, Creme Anglaise & homemade Caramel Ice Cream – I’ve been quoted as saying “why save room for Dessert when there’s still Meat to be eaten.” That being said, this was AMAZING! A perfect mix of salty and sweet, hot and cold. I seriously recommend it.

Creme Brulee, traditional Custard with Tahitian Vanilla Beans – Perfectly done with a crispy coating and very creamy filling.

La Galette Des Rois AKA French King Cake – A light Puff Pastry Cake only served in January, usually with a toy or trinket inside of it. Whomever gets the slice with the goodie gets to be the King. Cafe D’Alsace doesn’t add that to the mix for safety and health code reasons, but they definitely tell you the story. If this is the Cake that Kings eat, I could be happy being a King!

You know a restaurant is serious about their Burgers when they have a separate section of the menu reserved for them. Cafe D’Alsace offers a Lamb, Grilled Duck, Free Range Chicken, Veggie and the star of tonight’s show, the Burger D’Alsace. It’s a 10 Ounces Patty made of freshly ground Sirloin with Caramelized Onions & choice of Gruyere, Cheddar or Alsatian Munster Cheese. (I went with the latter.) It’s all action packed on a a sweet and sturdy Brioche Bun that has the difficult task of supporting this hearty Sandwich. The Patty was perfectly cooked, bursting with an intense Beef flavor that has a slight hint of sweetness mixed throughout it’s otherwise salty profile. It’s light to the bite due to it’s loosely packed preparation that you can tell was done with care and as minimal handling as possible. The expertly Caramelized Onions when mixed with the tangy Alsatian Muenster form what I would almost liken to a French Onion Soup.

SacreMoo!!! Cafe D’Alsace’ Burger D’Alsace is robust, juicy, intensely delicious and by far, one of the best Burgers in New York City!

With that, CONGRATS Cafe D’Alsace, welcome to the Burger Conquest TOP BURGERS IN NYC list! But to be honest, not only is this one of the best Burgers I’ve ever had here, it’s one of the best restaurants. I actually ate here the night prior to this and had a 4 course Venison meal that absolutely blew my mind.

Follow my Best Burgers in NYC list on Foursquare & Foodspotting.

9 out of 10 Ounces
-Rev

THE BURGER COUNTQUEST
470 Burgers

Jan 7, 2012 – 8:47 pm

The Rev Meter for Social Community
“The Rev Meter” is a social community meter for assessing how optimized a bar or restaurant is with social networking. By taking what I consider to be the 10 most important social networks and creating a point system, I can accurately asses how well your business is using social networking as a tool. My goal here is to educate and assist great business to better effectively use these tools.

Cafe D’Alsace scores a 6 on The Rev Meter.

SCORING:

4 points or less    You’ve missed the 5 basics and are less than optimized
5 points                 You’ve covered the basics, which is better than most but far from optimized.
6 to 9 points        You’re doing better than most and on your way to becoming a well respected social community whiz.
10 points              Congrats on a perfect score! Are you hiring?

Posted in Bar, Beer, Best Burger in New York, Burgers, Gourmet Burgers, Hamburgers, New York | Tagged alsation, best burger nyc, burger, cafe d'alsace, cheese, ciancio, conquest, craft beer, french, fries, gianni, great, hamburger, new york, ny, nyc, Philippe Roussel, rev, review, sommelier, the, the rev meter for social community, wine list | 3 Comments

The Pint of No Return – Sliding Into Victory

Posted on 01/08/2012 by Rev

The Pint of No Return
http://thepintofnoreturn.com
504 6th Avenue
New York, NY 10011

THE CONQUEST
Magazines, TV, friend’s recommendations, blogs (like this one!), online city guides, there area all kinds of ways people find out about restaurants and bars to check out. I use all of these and more and as it pertains to this post, I recently used a Taxi. Yeah that’s right and if you’re in New York, I’m not talking about an add on the TV screen. I was riding in one on the way home when we passed a new restaurant I had never heard of. The name was so interesting that I instantly Googled it and when I saw Burgers on the menu along side craft beer, my curiosity was up.

The Pint of No Return is right on the border of both Chelsea and the West Village, just West of Union Square and proudly boasts “Classic American cuisine, Comfy living-room style seating, Best craft beer selection in NYC.” The lengthy bar & restaurant also has a couch filled lounge for a more relaxed experience. The Pint’s bar menu offers a number of Beers on draft as well as a long list of bottle beers and even a few Beer made cocktails. Food wise, they have a selection of traditional American pub fare including a decent list of Burgers and Sliders.

When I noticed the “Victory Black Velvet,” cocktail on their website, made with Victory Brewing Co’s Storm King & Prosecco, I instantly reached out to my friend Sean who works for the brewery. I LOVE Victory Beer, especially after visiting their brewpub on the first BROH’D TRIP. In fact, my favorite beer of 2011 was their Otto, a smoky-sweet and delicious Smoked Belgian Dubbel. Sean suggested we catch up there over a Burger and just like that, the first Burger Conquest of 2012 was on the books.

Sean, being the super rad mofo that he is, brought me a little gift, a bottle of Dark Intrigue. To make the Beer, they age their Storm King Stout in Heaven Hill and Jim Beam Bourbon barrels.

THE BURGER
Unfortunately The Pint of No Return wasn’t offering their entire menu at lunch and all they had was their Classic Burger with Cheese. It’s a thick pub style Burger served on a sturdy Sesame Seed covered Bun that was toasted very well. It’s a good thing because it has a very important job of soaking up the very juicy Patty. It was cooked with a nice pink center and held up well through the entire Burger. The Burger was good but damn, the French Fries were awesome.

Sean however, ordered a trio of Sliders; Sirloin, Pulled Pork and a Turkey topped with Cinnamon spiced Cranberry Relish and a grilled Apple. After tasting both the Pulled Pork and Turkey, I realized Sean was the day’s winner. I’d like to point out however, that The Pint of No Return’s Sliders are technically Mini-Burgers, very tasty Mini-Burgers.

7 out of 10 Ounces
-Rev

THE BURGERCOUNTQUEST
470 Burgers

Jan, 5 2012 – 2:10 pm

The Rev Meter for Social Community
“The Rev Meter” is a social community meter for assessing how optimized a bar or restaurant is with social networking. By taking what he considers to be the 10 most important social networks and creating a point system, The Rev can accurately asses how well the business is using social networking as a tool. His goal here is to educate and assist great business to better effectively use these tools

The Pint of No Return scores a 2 on The Rev Meter.

SCORING:
4 points or less    You’ve missed the 5 basics and are less than optimized
5 points                 You’ve covered the basics, which is better than most but far from optimized.
6 to 9 points        You’re doing better than most and on your way to becoming a well respected social community whiz.
10 points              Congrats on a perfect score! Are you hiring?

Posted in Bar, Beer, Burgers, Hamburgers, New York, Sliders | Tagged brewing, burger, cheese, ciancio, conquest, craft beer, dark intrigue, french, fries, great, hamburger, new york, ny, nyc, otto, rev, review, storm king, the, the pint of no return, the rev meter for social community, victory | 1 Comment

Bill Thomas’ Halo Burger – Christmas Traditions

Posted on 01/08/2012 by Rev

Bill Thomas’ Halo Burger
http://www.haloburger.com
800 South Saginaw St
Flint, MI 48502

THE CONQUEST
Visiting Santa Claus, decorating the Christmas Tree, Christmas dinner with the family, gift giving, opening presents…common Christmas traditions that many people associate with the holiday. We do these in my family but we have another one that’s not so common. I grew up loving Hamburgers, not a real shocker there but so did my Mom. We would always go out for Burgers for special occasions and most of the time they were sliders or some form of flat top griddled Hamburger. Now that I moved to NYC from Detroit, I don’t get to see my Mom as often so when we get a Burger, it’s extra special. That’s why when I go home for the holidays, we try to go out for a Burger.

Michigan has a rich history of Burgers, many of which are still serving today.
Miller’s, Bray’s, Halo Burger, Hunter House, Motz Restaurant, Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger, Red Coat Tavern, Loose Meat sandwiches at your choice of Coney Island diners and even White Castle still command a demand audience of Burger lovers. While visiting home for the holidays, my wife and I joined my Mom on pursuit for a Burger we haven’t had in a long, long time.

Back in 1923, the Kewpee Hotel Hamburgs restaurant opened in Flint, MI by Samuel V. Blair. The business exploded and eventually around 400 Kewpee’s existed. As of today there are only 5 left, 2 in Michigan and 3 in Ohio. 10 years later William “Bill” V. Thomas started working at a Kewpee in Flint, MI. He eventually took over the license and until 1967 he operated as such. It was then that Bill re-opened as Bill Thomas’ Halo Burger. The full story and some amazing historical pictures can be found on their website. Halo Burger has since expanded to 10 locations all in the Flint, MI area.

The Halo Burger menu keeps it simple offering Hamburgers, Chicken Sandwiches, Strips & Nuggets as well as Fries / Tots & Coney Dogs. All their Burgers are made fresh to order from 100% fresh ground Beer and served on white squishy Bun. Their most popular Burger, the Q.P., a 1/4 LB Burger, photogenically spelled like it’s predecessor. The one thing Halo does that is not like the others, an Olive Burger which comes topped with it’s namesake & Mayo.

I fondly remember eating Q.P.’s when we would stop at Halo Burger on the way up North and couldn’t wait to return.

THE BURGER
We hopped in the car and drove up to the original Halo, still located in downtown Flint. My order, very simple; a Q.P. Burger, Cheese & Lettuce only, French Fries and an order of their Chicken Nuggets, which are shaped like dinosaurs. The Burger was just as I remembered it, fresh, hot & tasty. The small handful brought back all kinds of great memories of childhood road trips that were made even more special by pulling off the road and eating a Q.P. Burger. The Burger isn’t just good, it’s a piece of American history.

7 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

Bronners Christmas Wonderland
http://www.bronners.com/
1515 S Main St
Frankenmuth, MI 48734

After our Burgers, we hopped back into the car and drove about 27 miles North to experience another piece of American history, Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland. Bronner’s is the world’s LARGEST Christmas store. It’s located in Frannkenmuth, MI, a Bavarian style vacation village most famous for Bronner’s and the Chicken served at it’s various restaurants. Every day is Christmas in Frankenmuth and it’s all centered around the mega sized complex known as Bronner’s.

Wally Bronner originally opened the store in 1945 and is now open 361 days a year, hosting nearly 2,000,000 visitors annually. The entire store is the size of 5.5 football fields and offers almost ANYTHING you can imagine in the form of Christmas decorations. Whether it’s Trees, Ornaments, Snowmen, Mangers, you name it, Bronner’s probably carries it. After coming the store looking for 1 item in particular I found ornaments shaped like Pizza, Space Aliens, Hawaiian Shirts and even round ones emblazoned with the words “I Love My Gerbil.” The diversity in offerings is absolutely stunning and almost unending.

But leave it to me, I want the one thing they didn’t have, a Hamburger Ornament. Kudos to Bronner’s though, after I tweeted about my experience, they hit me back with: “@yeahman So sorry you missed our hamburger ornament bit.ly/wuWRts Stock is getting low but will be reordered.” Now you know what to get me for Christmas next year!

THE BURGER COUNTQUEST
469 Burgers

Dec, 30 2011 – 3:11 pm

Bill Thomas’ Halo Burger scores a 1 on The Rev Meter.

Bronners Christmas Wonderland scores a 7 on The Rev Meter.

Posted in Burgers, Hamburgers | Tagged bill thomas, bronner's, bronners christmas wonderland, burger, cheese, christmas tradition, ciancio, conquest, dino nuggets, flint, frankenmuth, french, fries, great, halo burger, hamburger, kewpee, michigan, new york, ny, nyc, rev, review, the, the rev meter for social community | 2 Comments

12 Days of Burgers – The Best Burger Conquests of 2011

Posted on 01/06/2012 by Rev

I don’t even know what to say. It’s been 3+ years since I randomly started this blog and I have since documented 470 Burgers on it. I’ve eaten them in my house, at restaurants, festivals, VIP events, in my very own bar and even on 7 different TV shows! When I started my Glorious Pursuit For Delicious Burgers, I couldn’t have possibly imagined all the crazy places I would go, crazy people I would meet and moreover, crazy Burgers I would eat. Every bite I’ve had (except for that one Burger at T.G.I. Fridays) & every Burger buddy I’ve made were absolutely worth the countless hours spend in front of a computer screen typing about food & fun. I’m unbelievably honored to do this for you and I still can’t believe it’s all real…really delicious!!

What does it all mean to me? Well I covered that in my post about Burger Conquest’s 3rd birthday at Foodparc. Click to read.

150 Burgers eaten in 2011

At the end of 2011, THE BURGER COUNTQUEST is at 470 Burgers.

So, in the tradition of “12 Days of Christmas” I give you the final tally in my “12 Days of Burgers,” the 12 best Burger Conquests of 2011.

12. You’ve seen them in LA, you’ve seen them in NYC on their “Victory Lap” and you’ve seen them on TV but until now, you’ve never seen a Week In the Life of the Grill ‘Em All Truck.
Day 1 – Serving at The Other Door
Day 2 – Shopping at Charlie’s Fixtures, French Dips at Philippe’s & Serving at Verdugo Bar
Day 3 – Serving at Century Media Records
Day 4 – Grill ‘Em All vs. Nom Nom Truck & the BanHemoth
Day 5 – Gus’ Drive-In, Shopping on Olvera St & Paris Hilton

11. All the Sixpoint Beer you could drink, a ton of local chefs and all the Cookout & Country Fair food you can eat & a ferry ride to an Island, in NYC. Cookout NYC – An Awesome Day on Governor’s Island.

10. Sometimes you want a tasty Burg’ but you don’t want to leave your house. Sometimes the company that makes that easy to do, asks for my opinion and you get the Best Seamless Online Delivery Burgers in NYC by Rev, Burger Conquest.

9. Only 1 Burger I ate in 2011 was so good that it had to be added to my Best Outside NYC List; Second Bar + Kitchen – What You Should Eat During SXSW.

8. You know him as Zach Carothers, the bassist for the band Portugal. The Man. Me, I know him as “Hammburger,” the author of “Dear Cheeseburger,” the only column on Burger Conquest. After writing for this site, the band went on to get their own Burger on the menu at the Hard Rock Cafe. I talk about being Burger Famous all the time & this year, like a Vampire turning it’s victim, I made helped him to go from famous to Burger Famous. It all started at The Jackalope – Dances With Wolves, Burgers and Portugal. The Man.

7. A year ago this time, I was full-time immersed in a career in the music biz. Fast forward to today, I am working for Thrillist as the Partnership Development Manager for Thrillist Rewards. It’s an e-commerce marketing and sales role in business development for an Internet company. It all started with an amazing event at the home to my favorite Burger ever, that sold out in less than an hour; Rub BBQ – Thrillist Rewards Exclusive Off-Menu Burger Bash.

6. Road Tripping is a time honored tradition, but no one has ever done it like this before! The Brohd Trip – 3 Burgers, 3 Brews, 5 States & 3 Bro’s.

5. They say a cluttered desk means a cluttered mind and now I know, a fresh new shave means a fresh new idea. I grew a beard, got a shave, ate a Burger and “The Rev Meter” for Social Community was born. It’s a social community meter for assessing how optimized a bar or restaurant is with social networking. By taking what I consider to be the 10 most important social networks and creating a point system, I can accurately asses how well your business is using social networking as a tool. It came to me at the Bierhaus NYC – The Rev Meter for Social Community.

4. I was honored when George Motz and the Food Film Fest crew asked me to host the opening night of this year’s NY Food Film Fest 2011 – Cheers To Burgers and Beers. There, a movie called “The Good Beer Seal” made about me and my bar, Idle Hands, debuted to a sold out audience, twice. If that’s not crazy enough, Mayor Mike Bloomberg showed up and made an official proclamation that Oct 13, 2011 would be officially recognized as New York Food Film Festival Day! Next thing you know, I am asked on board as the festival Beer Sommelier and executive staff member of the festival. NY Food Film Fest 2011 – I Tasted What I Saw On the Screen.

3. In honor of National Hamburger Month I pledged to celebrate by eating 31 Burgers in the 31 days of May. The idea was to eat 1 Burger every day for the month. Well, as I like to say, “if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” and I ate 47 Burgers in 31 days. The best part, was all the fun I got to have with my friends.
The Best of National Hamburger Month 2011.

2. I start a silly blog, eat a bunch of Burgers all around the world, tell some crazy stories & pledge to eat 31 Burgers in 31 days to celebrate National Hamburger Month. Then I get a phone call from TLC’s “Cake Boss”, Buddy (the “Cake Boss”) from Carlo’s Bake Shop in Hoboken saw my National Hamburger Month challenge and wanted to make me a gigantic Hamburger Cake. Next thing you know, my friends, my bar and I are all on the Cake Boss – Buddy Makes Me A Burger Cake, I Make TV Better.

1. Before my Dad passed away in 1999 we used to talk all about the father & son Beer & Burger bar we would once own. On September 16 of 2010, with the help of some great friends, I opened Idle Hands Bar in New York City’s East Village. A year later, on the eve of our 1 Year Anniversary celebration, the 2nd half of the dream I shared with my Dad, came true with the help of my buddy Dan Petersen. That Burger Tent Takes Over Idle Hands and Billy Hurricanes.

THAT REV’S BURGER:

Meat marinated in Maker’s Mark
Grilled Pancetta
Crunchy Peanut Butter
Order it “Extra Blessing” style where the Patty is grilled with Hot Sauce

A Burger-riffic “Whoa Bundy” to all readers, my fellow Conquesters and all the fine places that made 2011 a Glorious Pursuit For Delicious Burgers. Here’s to total Burger domination in 2012.

Posted in Best Burger in New York, Burgers, Gourmet Burgers, Grill Em All, Hamburgers, National Hamburger Month, New York | Tagged 12 days of burgers, 2011, best of, burger, cheese, ciancio, conquest, french, fries, great, hamburger, new york, ny, nyc, rev, review, the, the rev meter for social community | Comments Off

Michigan Beer and Food Road Trip – Hoppy Holidays

Posted on 01/04/2012 by Rev

Michigan Beer and Food Road Trip – Hoppy Holidays

Looking for the “best” of anything is an art form, at least to those of us you trust to do that for you. You want to know where to find the best Burgers? You come asking me. I’ve clearly done the research. It’s a guaranty that if I don’t know the answer to “where can I get the best Burger in Tulsa, OK,” I definitely know the right person to ask. Part of the reason I moved to NYC is because I heard it’s the best. Well, that’s pretty much true. However, there is one major exception to the rule.

The best Beer in America is NOT in New York. Hold it right there. I don’t want you to get all into a kerfuffle. New York has it’s fair share of awesome beers and I do mean AWESOME but pound for pound, or hop for hop, it’s my home state of Michigan. Do the research. Google it. Taste the Beer. The Great Lake State is known for top quality suds.

Michigan is widely celebrated for having down right stupendous brews and from all parts of the state. Why is that? It could be the passion of the brewers. It could be long standing tradition. It could be access to better grains. It could, and probably is a lot of things but most importantly, and you New Yorkers listen up, it’s the water. People argue that you can take the Bagel maker out of NYC but you can’t take the Bagel. Why? “It’s the water.” Well that’s certainly true for Michigan but science backs up the statement, Michigan’s water is perfectly PH balanced to make Beer.

Beer can be made any number of ways, using any number of ingredients and unless you’re German, there are no rules. Wine tastes like Wine. Bourbon tastes like Bourbon. Tequila tastes like Tequila. Beer, well, Beer has the most diverse array of flavors of any alcoholic beverage available. The flavor wheel for Beer is like an artist’s easel with more colors and combinations than you could ever hope to use up. Beer is awesome.

As the Beer Sommelier at my bar, Idle Hands, I spent 2011 being absolutely obsessed with craft beer. So when I was planning my annual trip home to visit family & friends, I thought it might be fun for all of us to gather up into one vehicle and visit a number of Michigan’s fantastic breweries.

Quality Dairy
http://qualitydairy.com
Various Locations

Our trip began in Lansing where my friends Logg, Lynce, Adam, Michele and Pherf jumped into the rental van my wife and I had picked up at the Detroit airport. Even though I was still a little full from the Custom Burger by Pat Lafrieda Burger I had at Laguardia airport that morning, I knew I wouldn’t make it all the way across the state to our first brewery without a snack. First stop of our trip, Quality Dairy or as we call it “Q.D.”

Quality Dairy is a chain of 31 convenience stores located in the Lansing area of Michigan. Originally opened in 1936 by Gregory J. Martin and Harvey Mack, the original business was merely to supply fresh milk in a cash and carry retail store. A few years later they started making their now famous Ice Cream and the business was off to the races.

Q.D. now offers a variety of modern day convenience store items like Beer, Motor Oil, Potato Chips, Cigarettes, Lottery Cards and the like, but that’s not what sets the business apart. It’s all the fresh made Dairy Products, Baked Goods, Sandwiches, Coffee and the Donuts, especially the Long John! This Donut of mid-Michigan lore is a long, glazed donut, covered in various frosting’s and stuffed with various stuffing’s. It’s perfect in the morning with a cup of Coffee or as a late night snack on the way home from the bar. But for this occasion, it was best served as a road trip snack, washed down with another Michigan delight, Vernor’s Ginger Ale.

Founders Brewing Co
http://www.foundersbrewing.com
235 Grandville Ave SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503-4037

Started by Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers, Founder’s Brewery keeps one idea in mind, make Beer you love. Specifically, according to them, they want to offer up “complex, in-your-face ales, with huge aromatics, bigger body, and tons of flavor.” They’ve won all kinds of awards and accolades from any number of proven Beer organizations, which you can read about on their website. But more importantly than all of that, their Beers are truly delicious and I couldn’t wait to pull up a seat in their Grand Rapids Tap Room.

The Founder’s Tap Room offers a variety of whichever of their Beer’s are freshest along with a tasty and extensive Deli Menu. All of the Sandwiches are made to be washed down by tasty Beers and if you don’t know what to order next what what to pair your Food with, the incredibly attentive and friendly staff will guide you through a great suggestion. If they have it available, I definitely suggest a pint (or several) of the Tealow Chai Brown. It’s an amazing Beer that’s made with locally roasted Chai Tea Leaves that gives it a nice bright and spicy taste. Hell yeah brew dogs, it’s winner! Not playing the role of designated driver? Then point yourself right into a glass of the Bourbon barrel aged Backwoods Bastard.

I personally ripped through a couple Beers and a delicious “Charise’s Reuben” with Smoked Turkey, Dill Havarti, Baby Spinach, (hold the Tomato), Red Onion, Avocado, (hold the Slaw), and 1000 Island served on Sourdough. Do not and I mean DO NOT, skip out on the Founder’s Beer Cheese Dip, made with Cream Cheese, Smoked Gouda, Founder’s Pale Ale, Red’s Rye, Centennial IPA, Red Peppers, and Spinach, baked and served with Crostinis and Tortilla Chips. You may want to get a second order to pour down your pants.

After our delicious Beer and Food tasting was over, Founder’s director of sales, Michael Bell, offered to take us on an exclusive tour of the brewery itself. Sorry folks, it’s not open to the public but if you open a cool beer bar in NYC and serve Founders to the people, maybe you too can get a glimpse into what makes their Beer so awesome.

Thanks Mike. We loved it. My only regret? The parking ticket we got while taking the tour. We’ll chalk the $20 up to tour guide fees!

Bell’s Brewery Inc: Eccentric Cafe
http://www.bellsbeer.com/eccentric-cafe/
355 E Kalamazoo Ave
Kalamazoo, MI 49007-3807

I’ve been drinking Bell’s Beer since I could get into bars (notice I didn’t say since I was “of age.) Before I even knew what the term “craft beer” meant, I was sucking down pint of Bell’s Amber, Lager, Solsun and more at various Michigan watering holes. They make some of the best god damn Beer on the planet and for some reason, no matter how many times I have called and emailed them, founder Larry Bell will NOT ship his amazing suds to my new home of New York City.

Bell’s Brewery began in 1985 with a vision that still remains in tact today, create unique, flavorful, artisan Beer that challenges the tastes buds as well as the mind. Their Summer Seasonal wheat beer, Oberon, their intensely hopped IPA, Two Hearted Ale & their rich, chocolatey Kalamazoo Stout are well renowned brews. If you’re ever in their hometown of “K-Zoo,” be sure to set aside some time to hang out at the Eccentric Cafe and taste some of the Beer wizardry that goes into the crafting of their delicious product.

While we only had about an hour to do just that but were able to knock through a decent amount of tastes before we had to take off.

Christmas Ale – Using 100% Michigan barley, they’ve made a dry + toasty holiday Beer that you can drink all afternoon.
Smoked Stout – It’s easy for a smoked Beer to taste primarily like smoke. but not this one. You’ll mostly get good Chocolate and Coffee tastes with a light smokiness in the background. It’s like all the most awesome breakfast flavors in a glass.
Golden Rye – If this wasn’t 6%, I could drink this crisp and refreshing Beer all day long. I could see this being especially fantastic on a really hot summer afternoon.
Dagger Stout – Beware a dry hopped imperial Stout! This bad boy tastes sweet on the front end and has a lingering bitterness on the end. Then the ABV turns around and drives a knife through your liver!

Arcadia Brewing Company
http://www.arcadiaales.com/
103 Michigan Avenue West
Battle Creek, MI 49017-3605

Battle Creek, MI is a truly historic town as far as this great country of ours goes and certainly one of the more important ones in the growth of Michigan as a state. If Tony the Tiger, Snap, Crackle & Pop or Dig Em the Frog ever graced your kitchen table, you can thank the Kellogg company of Battle Creek. More than 100 years ago W.K. Kellogg created Corn Flakes right here and your breakfast hasn’t been the same since. But that’s not all, Post Cereals and General Foods are from the town as well and that’s why it’s nicknamed “Cereal City.”

Sadly, tours of Kellogg’s are no longer available but who needs ’em when you have Arcadia Ales? Founded in 1996, this brewery started with one goal in mind, to make handcrafted British-style Ales. From their process to their brewing equipment to the Barley that goes into the Beers, their is one commonality, it’s all sourced from England. You can stop by any time to TC’s Pub and try as much of it as you can handle. Enjoy a few pints, try some tasty in house food and do it all while watching them Brew the beer you are drinking right through the windows in the pub.

Pay attention to your beer calendar and try to visit Arcadia when you can try the Arcadia “Cereal Killer” Barley Wine or their delectable “Jaw-Jacker” Pumpkin Ale. Otherwise, all of their Beers are unique and tasty. Be sure to dip your lips into the “Loch Down” Scotch Ale. It’s one of their flagship brews and damned if it doesn’t taste a little like caramelized bananas. As for the Food menu, while there’s a lot to choose from, there’s two things TC’s is best know for. Their BBQ, which is all smoked in house and their selection of Pizzas. Steer yourself to one of the Pizza’s made with their own sweet Red Sauce, like the Tuscan Pizza. It’s Very garlicy but made with just the right amount of rosemary.

Michigan Brewing Company
http://www.michiganbrewing.com/
402 South Washington Ave
Lansing, MI 48812

Ever heard of Webberville, MI? Well they haven’t heard of you either! Even though I lived only a couple miles away from it, if it wasn’t for the Michigan Brewing Company, I wouldn’t have heard of it either. This small brewery started under all of our noses, making Beer and selling it right out of the brewery room floor in a small warehouse. Since then they’ve moved into a bigger facility, opened a brew pub in downtown Lansing, MI and inked a deal with one Bob Ritchie to make his signature Beer. Wondering who Bob is? Well, when I met him back in the 90s while he was Yodeling in the Valley, that was his name but you probably know him better as the Kid, Kid Rock that is.

Kid Rock worked with the MBC to create BadAss American Lager, a smooth, easy drinker that’s incredibly smooth and well balance. It’s the kind of Beer you can drink for hours on end and best served while you’re partying, rockin’ out or just relaxing with your friends. It would be easy for someone to point at the brewery and make all kinds of (silly) accusations. When you have drank as much MBC Beer as I, you realize something really quickly after just one sip of BadAss, just like EVERY Beer they create, it’s unique, incredibly well balanced and refreshing to drink.

We didn’t make it to the brewery but we did get a chance to table up in the downtown Lansing Pub and kick back a few coldies. One of the best parts about the MBC Lansing Brew Pub…the basket of fantastically roasted Peanuts in the shell that are waiting for you at the table. I triple dog dare you not to eat any. It’s impossible.

At this point, I was no longer in charge of driving us around. This created an opportunity to play one of my favorite games; Russian Brewlette. The rules are simple, I let the server (or bartender) choose my next Beer without telling me what it is or asking for any qualifiers. The only wrong answer, is something I’ve already been served on that visit. Our sever this evening decided to play a game back with me. She wouldn’t tell me what she brought and I had to guess after only a sip or two.

Celis Grand Cru – This Belgian Style Strong Ale is actually light, a little sweet and almost Pale. Like a house facing west, it’s bright in the front and easy times in the back.
High Seas IPA – Can you say “I-P-Hey-oh”?!?! At 7.6% this is way too easy of a drinker to be safe. Be sure to put on your floaties before taking this one out to sea.
Nut Brown Ale – Damn. For a hearty Browne Ale, this Beer is very effervescent. I might even say it’s the most drinkable Brown Ale I’ve ever had. No one thinks of Wheat Toast as being awesome until you have a Wheat Toast that blows you away. Insert MBC Nut Brown Ale.
BadAss American Lager – Sometimes you just want a Beer. Not a Barley Wine or a Strong Ale or Belgian Dubbel, just something that you can drink, enjoy and get drunk on. BadAss is that Beer. It’s a Pale Lager, and it’s not meant to be offensive, wreck your palette or send you off wondering which hop producer or yeast grower helped to make it. It’s as definably an American “Beer” as a Chrysler is an American car.

FYI – I batted a perfect game, guessing every single beer she brought!

While we only were able to hit 4 Michigan Breweries, there are a whole bunch more worth trying and honestly too many to list out after what is already an epic post. But trust me, go to Michigan and drink the Beer. You’ll start to understand why Michiganders have so much pride in their state.

Cheers!

Dec. 28 & 30, 2011

Posted in Bar, Beer | Tagged ales, arcadia, badass, beer, bell's, brew, burger, celis, cheese, ciancio, conquest, eccentric cafe, founders, french, fries, great, hamburger, kid rock, lagers, mbc, michigan, michigan brewing company, new york, ny, nyc, quality dairy, rev, review, road trip, the, the great beer state, the rev meter for social community, vernors | 2 Comments

Custom Burgers By Pat LaFrieda – Screw Barth, Fly Delta

Posted on 01/02/2012 by Rev

Custom Burgers By Pat LaFrieda
http://www.otgmanagement.com/concepts-and-locations/
Delta Terminal
LaGuardia Airport
East Elmhurst, NY 11369

THE CONQUEST
What do grade school cafeterias, Times Square and airports have in common? You’re guaranteed to have a frozen, never fresh, meal probably made from a dry mix of cardboard & sand, topped with a sauce that might be Catchup or quite possibly glue. It’s the kind of food that erases taste buds and binds stomachs, leaving with you with nothing but regret and sadness. It’s the antithesis of good food, the opposite of tasty treats, the antipodal of awesome food. Whats worse, in Times Square & airports, you’ll pay NYC Steak House prices for the same cold, dry and flavorless sandwich that only cost $1 back in your grade school cafeteria!!

It’s food like the aforementioned that, unbeknownst at the time, inspires a blog like Burger Conquest. We’ve all had those meals that make us appreciate the true value of a freshly made meal created with quality products and constructed with love by a Chef, who much like us, grew up eating this:

Alas!! Sound for the troops fellow Food Fanatics!! THE REVOLUTION HAS BEGUN!!

After years and years of suffering through the most generic, bland, reheated, garbage food we could possibly stand at America’s airports, the change has begun. Thanks to OTG Management, the Delta Terminal at New York City’s Laguardia airport has yanked the pin on the good food grenade. Welcome Custom Burgers By Pat LaFrieda! While the restaurant is not owned or operated by Pat LaFrieda, New York’s King of quality Meat purveying, they do offer a specialized blend of ground Beef that’s been hand selected to be served only at this airport counter restaurant. The menu is rather simple, offering a variety of Burgers, Sides, Shakes & Egg Sando’s for Breakfast. For those not afraid to get on the AM Burger Train, fear not, they are available during Breakfast hours. It’s all done made to order by selecting your order via a touch screen, or as some like to call it, Wawa style. A few minutes later, your Burger comes Shake Shack style, in a brown cardboard box with a sandwich wrapped in plastic paper.

Early AM flights unfortunately are a part of my reality, especially when I want to get where I am going right away. As a result, there’s been a lot of heat lamp Sandwiches, stale Muffins and bland Granola Bars in my past. This little discovery, on my way home to spend the holidays with my family and friends in Michigan was a bright and wonderful way to start off a nice little trip with Mrs. Rev.

THE BURGER
I don’t EFF around nor do I mess around, especially when it comes to Burgers. It can be the middle of the night, the afternoon or the morning and I will eat a Burger. Slap on some Eggs and you got yourself a great Wake Up Morning Burger. My order today; Hamburger with Pork Roll, Fried Egg, American Cheese, Bacon and Spicy Garlic Aioli. The Burger is griddle cooked and served on a soft and tasty Potato Roll. Let’s start with the negative; the Beef-t0-Bun ratio was a little off with a good 2-3 bites hanging out one side of the Sandwich. Not the biggest deal but worth mentioning. The patty, while made of great, fresh, quality Pat LaFrieda Beef was over cooked to a well done state, which I can understand being difficult to do less at A. an airport, B. a smaller sized Patty.

My last complaint coming from what one might consider false advertising. Pork Roll, or as it is also commonly known, Taylor Ham is a product most prevalently found in parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It’s a salty, smoky piece of processed Pork in a lunch meat like form. It’s absolutely fantastic on a hearty Breakfast Sandwich and a coveted local specialty. Cross the border into NYC and it’s as though the Meat is that of lore and can not be found. Seeing it on a specialty Burger menu at an airport in Queens, well that brings about a bit of excitement. Sadly I must report that the “Taylor Ham” at Custom Burgers is no more than steamed slices of Ham. I watched them prepare it and all excitement I had for a Pork Roll topped Burger was wiped out.

That aside, the Burger was pretty damn good, especially for airport Food! The Bacon was not like the skimpy, sad looking Bacon found on most fast Food Burgers but was hearty, think and smoky. The Fried Egg was actually cracked from a shell and cooked before placing a top the Beef, as opposed to a pile of preformed Egg cake, steamed or microwaved to room temperature. A nice slice of good old American Cheese was placed on top only to be followed by the tangy Aioli sauce, which replaced the need for the mix of Ketchup and Hot Sauce I would normally place atop a Egg Sandwich.

Overall, the freshly made, quality Hamburger at Custom Burgers by Pat LaFrieda will make the LGA your new favorite airport and Delta your new favorite airline.

7 out of 10 Ounces
-Rev

Dec, 28 2011 – 8:54 am

THE BURGER COUNTQUEST
468 Burgers

Custom Burgers By Pat LaFrieda scores a 2 on The Rev Meter.

Posted in Burgers, Gourmet Burgers, Hamburgers, New York | Tagged airport, burger, cheese, ciancio, conquest, custom burgers, custom burgers by pat lafrieda, delta, french, fries, great, hamburger, laguardia, lga, new york, ny, nyc, otg management, rev, review, terminal, the, the rev meter for social community | 4 Comments

Primehouse New York – Burger and Beer Power Lunch

Posted on 12/26/2011 by Rev

Primehouse New York
http://www.primehousenyc.com
381 Park Ave South
New York, NY 10016

THE CONQUEST
It’s the holidays and here in New York City, that means ‘Tis The Season for Boozy Power Lunches. We’re all so freaking busy and have so much going that it’s just about too much to take. But amongst the madness, we still have to eat so why waste that precious lunch hour on a greasy slice, an over-priced Deli Sandwich or a plastic tray full of reheated mix-and-match from the hot buffet? Call a meeting to talk year end review or call up some colleagues and cement the conversations to have a conversation about new business in 2012 and book up a table at that place you’ve been meaning to try and book yourself a Boozy Power Lunch.

That’s exactly what I did with my good buddy Mark this week. Mark is the New York area brand manager for the Lagunitas Brewery. Mark and I do a lot of work together you see and with a person as creative as Mark backing a brewery as special as Lagunitas, there’s always new and fun events in our horizon. Whether it was our Slayer Beer pairing event at Idle Hands, Kev and Rev’s Awesome Parking Lot BBQ at the Nassau Coliseum Warped Tour, the New York and Chicago Food Film Fests or most recently, the Get Real Beer Bar Fest, our professional paths cross quite often. With very little time left in the working year, Mark suggested we meet up to chat and power lunch over one of his favorite Burgers.

Plunked down, right off Park Ave, smack dab in the middle of the Gramercy section of NYC, you’ll find Primehouse New York. This NY Steakhouse is a member of the massive BR Guest Hospitality Group, bringing you some of the most popular and favored restaurants, bars and hotels, especially in the NYC area. Most NY Steakhouse’s are filled with dim lighting, lots of rich wood paneling, fixtures and furniture and have a lounge-y type feel. This is where Primehouse New York sets itself a part. The dining room, separated entirely from the lunch crowd filled bar area, is brightly lit due to massive glass windows and white tiling that give it an elegant palatial feel. The menu is simple, especially a lunch, offering a some apps, a selection from the Raw Bar, Salads, Steaks and of course, Burgers.

THE BURGER
No proper business lunch between two mavens of the Beer industry would be proper without some malty fun stuff, so we both ordered a delcious Anchor Steam Porter to start off our power lunch. Both Mark and I ordered the Classic Burger, Charbroiled with Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion, Mark’s with Cheddar and mine finished off with Gruyere Cheese. All of the Primehouse’s Burgers also come with Steak Fries, but if you’re an insider like Mark, you know to order them with Asiago Cheese & Truffle Oil! The massive and hulking Burger came served on top of a soft yet very sturdy Bun, topped with Sesame Seeds and is toasted before it’s served. The Beef is cut from a lean side of quality Beef and packed together before Charbroiling. The Red Onion, which was fresh, crisp and tasty was actually a little too much taste for the Burger and after a few bites, had to be removed. What was left; Beef, Cheese, Lettuce & Bun was a a great Burger for a power lunch. The Fries, MASSIVE in size, were cut from a full Potato, Skin in tact, were fantastic.

Whether you’re looking for a good Steak, a good Burger or a good power lunch, Primsehouse New York is a good idea to fit the bill.

8 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

Dec, 22 2011 – 3:27 pm

THE BURGER COUNTQUEST
467 Burgers

Primehouse NY scores an 8 on The Rev Meter.

Posted in Beer, Burgers, Gourmet Burgers, New York | Tagged B.R. Guest, br guest, burger, cheese, ciancio, conquest, french, fries, great, hamburger, lagunitas, new york, ny, nyc, primehouse, rev, review, steak, steakhouse, the, the rev meter for social community | Comments Off

The Sunburnt Cow – Blow Off The Holiday Steam

Posted on 12/26/2011 by Rev

The Sunburnt Cow
http://www.thesunburntcow.com
137 Avenue C
New York, NY 10009

THE CONQUEST
When the end of the year comes a knockin’, the holiday cheer starts to spread and we all start looking to blow of some steam with family, friends & co-workers. Whether it’s a nice family meal, a bit of karaoke with your friends or hanging at a bar with your co-workers at the company’s holiday party, the holidays always need a little adult style libation to take off the edge. Well what happens when your “office” is the bar and your co-workers spend their entire year helping people to blow off steam? YOU DO IT TOO … at someone else’s bar!

At my bar, Idle Hands in NYC’s East Village, we’re open 7 days a week to make sure you have a location where you can unload from the daily doldrums with the largest selection of Bourbon in Manhattan and a list of 40+ craft beers that changes almost daily. It’s a fun time working there and all the people who are a part of it are fantastic, but hey man, we need to have fun too. Welcome to the Idle Hands 2011 holiday party. Seeing as Saturday afternoon is the only time we aren’t open, we gathered up to do what you do at our bar, at other bars!

Our day started off at the bright an early hour of Noon (hey, we’re open until 4 am on Friday’s) at Destination Bar & Grille. It’s a great bar with great drinks, great food and run by great people. Since we server drinks all night, our favorite time to imbibe is during the daylight, Destination is perfect as, they’re open at Noon. Not only do they serve Bacon Bloody Mary’s but also Jell-O shots, which makes for a perfect start to the holidays!

I’d rather drink with these people than the finest people on Earth!

From there, it was onto our “brunch” location which basically meant we had to eat some Foodstuffs to soak up all the drinking. We walked over to one of our neighboring bar / restaurants to eat of the Burger Conquest Best Burgers in NYC, the Sunburnt Cow.

The Sunburnt Cow (as well as Bondi Road, owned by the same people) is one of the few spots in NYC where you can chomp on authentic and tasty “Aussie Tucker.” Try the weekend “Endless Brunch“; your choice of entree (if you don’t get the Burger you suck) and unlimited drinks. Sit at the bar for a “counter meal” or ask to be sat on the back patio built to look like a cave. The menu is pretty simple, pick a dish, then pick a drink, then enjoy, all-you-can.

THE BURGER
What can I tell you that I haven’t told you before about the Sunburnt Cow? They serve their Burger Australian-style with “the lot.” For those of you unfamiliar with Aussie Slang, that means “everything” and specifically for a Burger, it means Lettuce, Tomato, Fried Onions, Cheese, Bacon, Beet Root, Pineapple and a Fried Egg as toppings. To Australians, it’s as normal as a Burger with Lettuce, Onion, Tomato. For me, it’s simply delicious! Fortunately for me, the waitress misheard my order and my Burger arrived sans Bacon. Why is that a good thing you ask? When I pointed out the discrepancy, she didn’t bring me just the Bacon that should come on the Burger, but instead a whole heaping plateful!

The Sunburnt Cow not only has one of the best and most unique Burgers in NYC but they’re ridiculously fun Brunch is a great excuse to blow of some much needed steam with your mates.

8 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

Happy Holidays everyone. Nick, Hayat, Josh, Jessica, Rob, Marc and I look forward to filling your 2012 with Bourbon, Beer & Rock.

Dec, 2 2011 – 2:54 pm

THE BURGER COUNTQUEST
465 Burgers

The Sunburnt Cow scores an 8 on The Rev Meter.

Posted in Bar, Beer, Best Burger in New York, Burgers, East Village, Gourmet Burgers, Hamburgers, New York | Tagged burger, cheese, ciancio, conquest, Destination Bar, east village, East Village, french, fries, great, hamburger, holidays, Idle Hands, new york, ny, nyc, rev, review, sunburnt cow, the, the rev meter for social community | Comments Off

Pat LaFrieda’s Big App for Meat iPad App – The Next Best Thing To Eating Meat Is Staring At Glorious Pictures of Meat

Posted on 12/18/2011 by Rev

NEWS FLASH!!

I love Meat! Whoa shocker, I know. Go ahead, take a moment to catch your breath while you look at this:

and this:

and most importantly, this one:

What do all these tasty looking displays of Meat have in common? They’re all made from a supply provided by LaFrieda Wholesale Meat Purveyors. Pat LaFrieda, a 4th generation butcher, whose family got into the business when his great Grandfather got into a fight at a butcher shop in Italy as a kid, owns and runs the most heralded Meat purveyor business in the nation. LaFrieda Meats is to what DefJam is to Hip Hop and here in NYC, that make Pat the Jay-Z of meat. Although neither of them invented the game, they definitely improved it all while helping to make New York an even better city.

I’ve had the distinct pleasure of housing a ton of great Burgers and other tasty pieces of meat all because of this man’s work. I even took an amazing Meat butchering course he conducted at Eataly. But wait, there’s more. At my bar, Idle Hands, located in the East Village, just about on our one year anniversary (2011) we re-opened as a Burger joint, courtesy of Dan Petersen and That Burger Tent. Dan gave up his sidewalk Burger stand and moved his business into Idle Hands, creating That Burger at Idle Hands. Proudly, all the Beef Dan serves is a secret proprietary blend that he custom created and sourced from Pat LaFrieda.

For someone I’ve never had a meal with or been to their office or house, you can say the fella is a pretty big part of my life. If you have an iPad, now he can be a part of yours too…

Zero Point Zero Whets Your Appetite with Pat LaFrieda’s Big App for Meat iPad App

Pat LaFrieda is a fourth-generation butcher whose family has run a wholesale meat business in NYC for almost 100 years. He provides the best quality meat to over 1000 restaurants and chefs including Mario Batali, Danny Meyer, Alex Guarnaschelli and others. Pat has revolutionized the burger industry by creating custom burger blends including the Shake Shack burger, The Black Label burger for Minetta Tavern, and Iron Chef and host of The Chew Michael Symon’s burgers.

The Big App for Meat, created and designed exclusively for the iPad, covers every cut of meat, with over 200 different cuts of beef, lamb, pork, veal and poultry, and with hi-res photography and detailed descriptions. There’s also over 50 minutes of premium video, where master butcher Pat LaFrieda demonstrates techniques you can use at home, and shares his 3 generations of butchering secrets. From sharpening your knife to what to look for in a dry-aged steak — Pat shows you how it’s done. Users can wirelessly stream video from the app to their Apple TV and big screen via AirPlay. You can test your meat knowledge with the Great Meat 101 Quiz, and challenge your friends via Game Center. And LaFrieda Meats will be selling directly to consumers nationwide through the app, via a one-click access to the online store where users can purchase the best steaks, chops and burgers — straight from the source.

“This app is a carnivore’s wet dream,” said ZPZ Executive Producer Jennifer Williams. “We spent 10 long days in a 35 degree meat locker filming Pat artfully butcher a bunch of delicious animals like a surgeon. If you like meat, you’re gonna love this app.”

Features of the app include:

BROWSE the over 200 cuts of beef, lamb, pork, veal and poultry with detailed descriptions and diagrams.
WATCH 50 minutes of premium video content where Pat demonstrates butcher techniques you can use at home, like how to french a rack of lamb or how to grind your own meat.
VIEW gorgeous photography of every cut of meat, so you’ll know exactly what your meat should look like when you go to the butcher counter
SPIN the 360-degree interactive rotating meat cuts. They’re really cool!
LEARN where your meat comes from with the interactive guide showing the cut location on the animal.
SEARCH for the best meat cuts to use in your favorite recipe.
PLAY the Great Meat 101 Quiz where users can test their butcher knowledge and compete against others via Apple’s Game Center. Fun for adults and kids!
SAVE cuts of meat or videos to your personal favorites list to help you easily remember what you want to get next time you go to the store.
SHOP online to purchase the highest quality meats directly from LaFrieda Meats. Always shipped fresh. NEVER frozen.
SHARE your butcher skills or new meat knowledge via Facebook and Twitter.
UPLOAD photos of your own meaty masterpieces for the whole community to see.

Pat LaFrieda’s Big App for Meat App is available for $6.99 from the App Store on iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore.

Check out this Steak Porn on how to cut Short Loin:

And lastly, some behind the scenes photos courtesy of ZPZ’s Jennifer Williams:

Pat LaFrieda’s Big App for Meat App is available for $6.99 from the App Store on iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore.

Posted in Best Burger in New York, Burgers, Gourmet Burgers, Hamburgers, New York | Tagged burger, cheese, ciancio, conquest, download, french, fries, great, hamburger, lafrieda, new york, ny, nyc, pat lafrieda, Pat LaFrieda's Big App for Meat iPad App, rev, review, the, the rev meter for social community | 1 Comment

No Apologies Rosemary Meatballs Recipe – Safety For Your Holi-daze

Posted on 12/16/2011 by Rev

Tis the seasoning for holiday parties. So before you leave the house in that ugly Xmas sweater with two deer going playing hide the Christmas Elf, fax pictures of your tail end to your bosses’ wife at the company party or upchuck spiked Egg Nog on your Aunt, you’ll want this. Nothing makes people happier, or in this case forgiving, than tasty vittles. Be sure to arrive with a tray of my No Apologies Rosemary Meatballs to soften the blow.

NO APOLOGIES ROSEMARY MEATBALLS

INGREDIENTS

10 ounces ground Beef (Chuck works best)
6 ounces Sweet Italian Pork Sausage, skin removed (in NYC, I suggest Esposito and Sons)
4 ounces Hot Italian Pork Sausage, skin removed
1 1/2 cups Panko
1 large Egg, lightly beaten
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh Rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
Coarse Salt and Ground Pepper
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
3-4 Strips Bacon

*Makes about 2 dozen Meatballs

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine Beef, Italian Sausage, Panko Bread Crumbs, Egg, Garlic, Rosemary, Lemon Juice, 1/2 teaspoon Coarse Salt, and 1/4 teaspoon Pepper. Mix just until combined.

2. Fry the Bacon in a pan and do NOT throw away the grease. I suggest the gourmet Boss Hog Country Bacon from Baconfreak.com.

3. Line a glass pan with the Bacon Grease & 1 Teaspoon of Olive Oil.

4. Form 1″ Meatballs and place into pan.

5. Bake for approx 25 minutes at 350 degrees in the oven.

6. Serve with your favorite Red Sauce. I’d give you my family recipe, but it’s a secret. If you really want to make a hit with these, make your sauce fresh and don’t use from the jar.

7. Enjoy a night of apology free holiday partying.

Want to take it up a notch? Try my recipe for The Single Best Spicy Pork Meatball Sandwich Recipe On The Entire Freakin Planet.

I dedicate this recipe one of the sweetest ladies the world has ever seen, my late Grandmother Helen. Her love of Family Food and Roses inspired me to create this recipe.

Posted in Burgers | Tagged burger, cheese, ciancio, conquest, french, fries, grandma helen, great, hamburger, holiday, meatballs, new york, no apologies, ny, nyc, recipe, rev, review, rosemary, the, the rev meter for social community | 1 Comment

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