Diner – I Can’t Promise You Will Get This Burger

Posted on 03/03/2011 by Rev

Diner
http://dinernyc.com
85 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY 11211

THE CONQUEST
Once you open a bar in Manhattan you end up befriending a lot of people in the industry. Your rolodex expands to include brand managers, distributors, other bar and restaurant owners, regulars and all kinds of people. As the person behind the craft beer menu at Idle Hands, I’ve become buddies with a lot of brewery reps and from time to time, there will be such a cool beer event at another bar, that they will invite you to come out. That’s how I ended up at Barcade’s East Coast vs West Coast event featuring Victory and Smuttynose vs. Ballast Point and Lagunitas and punk rock music from each corresponding coast. That’s also how I got a little sauced up and ended up with the munchies at Diner in Williamsburg.

The simply named “Diner” can be found at the base of the Williamsburg Bridge on the Brooklyn side. It’s a refurbished 1920’s dining car that’s been lovingly restored and filled with food from Marlow and Son’s Caroline Fidanza. It’s also filled late night with drunk and hungry, thrift-store dressed hipsters who may or may not be more interested in being scene than eating on tasty vittles. The eclectic and culinary adventurous menu changes daily and every morning, it’s hand written out on a long piece of register receipt paper. If you didn’t know, you wouldn’t go. If you don’t know, learn before you go. This place requires guess work, faith and a sense of adventure. The accommodating staff will walk you through it, if you can get a seat.

Thankfully for my grumbling belly, there was one empty stool right on the corner of the counter that was calling out my name.

THE BURGER
I thought the concept of the hand written menu was pretty cool and unique but in the case of Burger Conquest, it was almost pointless. Have a look, you won’t need a long one.

Had several of my friends not heavily recommend the Burger here to me, I might’ve been a little perplexed at a menu item that simply said “Burgers w/ Fries.” I thought to myself it must be that good if they don’t even feel the need to describe it! I settled myself into a beer and waited for the “Burger” to arrive, which actually was pretty quickly.

The Diner Burger is about as juicy as they come. After only a few bites, a large puddle of juice had begun to form from the drippings of the Beef. Tonight’s “Burger” was served in a crunchy and sweeter tasting Bun with pickled onions, lettuce and melted cheese. The rather thick patty makes for a large sandwich that for sure will fill you up, craft beer induced munchies or not! The pickled onions add a great taste the overall profile of the “Burger.” I strongly encourage you to dip the REALLY tasty, full-skin Mini Fires into the juices. Yeah, that’s a “win.”

So if I had to sum up the “Burger” at Diner with one word, I think it would have to be “good.” Beware of Hipsters.

8 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

THE BURGER COUNTQUEST
339 Burgers

Feb. 11, 2011 – 11:44 PM

Posted in Best Burger in New York, Burgers, Gourmet Burgers, New York | Tagged brooklyn, burger, cheese, ciancio, conquest, diner, french, fries, great, hamburger, hand-written menu, new york, ny, nyc, rev, review, the, williamsburg | Comments Off

Burger Conquest Breakfast Meatballs With Maple Drizzle Recipe – I’m An Awesome House Guest

Posted on 03/01/2011 by Rev

Burger Conquest Breakfast Meatballs With Maple Drizzle

My friends Austin and Dimara host an event called the “annual excuse to have people over Brunch!” The actual excuse is their pooch Warsaw’s birthday. I opened up my facebook account one morning and found the following invite;

“Always looking for an excuse to feed our friends and Warsaw’s birthday seems as good an excuse as any, plus we need to get rid of some bacon. So come over for good eats, puppy love, and most importantly BACON!”

To me it also sounded like an excuse to do two of my favorite things, cook and feed my friends! But I am not one to take cooking lightly, in fashion or in dishes so the challenge was on. What to make that would be tasty, impressive, easy, makes a lot and most importantly, was easy to carry all the way out to Brooklyn. Then it came to me.

Burger Conquest Breakfast Meatballs With Maple Drizzle

INGREDIENTS

2 Pounds Spicy Breakfast Sausage
2 Pound Ground Beef
6 Eggs
4 Tablespoons instant Minced Onion
1 Pound (4 Cups) Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Bottle Grade A Maple Syrup

Yields 100 Meatballs

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly.

Roll mixture into 1 to 1/2 inch balls or drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet or baking pan

Bake 20 to 22 minutes

Lightly drizzle with Grade A Maple Syrup

These salty, sagey and sweet little appetizers will impress your friends by putting your balls into their mouths, again and again.

Feb. 13, 2011 – 12:00pm – 3:00pm

Posted in Recipe | Tagged breakfast, breakfast meatballs, burger, cheese, ciancio, conquest, french, fries, great, hamburger, meatballs, new york, ny, nyc, recipe, rev, review, sausage, the | 2 Comments

Thrillist’s East Village “EVILL” Craft Beer Crawl

Posted on 02/27/2011 by Rev

Thrillist’s East Village Craft Beer Crawl

When I was 16 years old my Dad put it into my head that the coolest thing a man could do was own a bar and serve cool beer. It turned in a romantic dream that we would one day own a father-son bar that served beer and burgers. My Pops passed away before making that dream come true. After his passing I told my Step-Mother that I intended on keeping that promise to my Dad. Then, in September of 2010 I achieved that long time dream when I and two of my good friends, opened Idle Hands.

Since moving to the NYC area in 1996, I’ve spent a significant amount of time hanging out at bars in the East Village. Whether it was Z-Bar, Korova, 7B, Manitoba’s, Croxley Ale House, Lakeside Lounge, B-Side, HiFi, 7A, The Arrow, Angels & Kings, Drop Off Service, Death & Co, Niagara, Doc Holidays, 2B, The Library, Nice Guy Eddie’s, Double Down Saloon, Jimmy’s No. 43, Burp Castle, Professor Thom’s, Zum Schneider, Royale, The Sunburnt Cow, Destination, Black Iron Burger, McSorley’s, 3 of Cups, Ace Bar, Poco, Octavia’s Porch, Good Beer, Duck (RIP), The Cherry Tavern and many, many, more, there has never been a shortage of cool bars to hang out in the East Village. So when the opportunity to become on of them by opening a bar on Avenue B, I was filled with nostalgic joy. Being a part of this awesome community, along with our partners Billy Hurricane’s, is a pleasure and an honor.

Flash forward a few months into opening the East Village’s bourbon, beer and rock speakeasy to a meeting with the folks from Thrillist Rewards. They, along with Greg from Untappd & Dan from That Burger Tent, came down to Idle Hands to see if we couldn’t come up with a cool idea for an upcoming Thrillist Reward. To keep a long story short, I proposed the idea of a neighborhood branding bar crawl that would tie together some of the neighborhood’s best bars, all centered around craft beer.

The idea would be to get a one day pass that allowed you to try a cool craft beer and a paired food item at a number of bars and restaurants in the East Village. The idea would be to form alliance with our neighbors to broadcast the message that the now deemed “EVILL” was THE New York City neighborhood for craft beer enthusiasts. Dan, excitedly agreed to partner with Idle Hands to serve his delicious burgers, while Greg would create an Untappd badge and all of it would come packaged together and promoted through Thrillist Rewards.

With A LOT of help from S.K.I. Beer, one of NYC’s premier craft beer distributors, I was able to coordinate with 10 of our fellow neighborhood craft beer destinations and come up with the Thrillist Rewards East Village Craft Beer Crawl. For only $25, purchasers would receive 1 – 8 ounce pour of craft beer and a paired appetizer redeemable anytime on Saturday, February 26th from 1 to 6 pm. Good at all of the following great places:

Billy Hurricane’s
Croxley Ale House
Destination Bar
Drop Off Service
Good Beer
Idle Hands
Jimmy’s No 43
Octavia’s Porch
Poco
Professor Thom’s
Zum Schneider

When the EVILL Craft Beer Crawl went live on Thrillist Rewards, the 500 available tickets sold out within hours with requests for for another 5-6 times of that of requests for more!!

On the day of, every single purchasing Thrillist Rewards member had to file into Idle Hands and Billy Hurricane’s to collect their “tip card.” This allowed them to redeem at each location their beer and appetizer. With some help from the Thrillist Rewards and What’s On Tap people, we were able to distribute and serve 500 people with cards, beer and burgers!

Idle Hands
25 Avenue B, Downstairs
New York, NY 10009
http://idlehandsbar.com

Beer: Coney Island Albino Python
Food Pairing: Sliders from That Burger Tent

Billy Hurricanes
25 Avenue B
New York, NY 10009
http://billyhurricanes.com

Beer: Modelo Especial
Food Pairing: Cajun Tater Tots

With 2 hours left of the crawl, Mike from Thrillist, Bari from What’s On Tap, Kyle from Billy Hurricane’s and Rob, Marc and I from Idle Hands set off out on the crawl ourselves!

Zum Schneider
107 Ave C, corner E. 7th St.
http://zumschneider.com

Beer: HB Traunstein Zwickel/Pilsener/Dunkel
Food Pairing: Bratwurstsemmel or Brezn

Jimmy’s No. 43
43 E. 7th St
New York, NY 10003
http://www.jimmysno43.com

Beer: Founders Double Trouble
Food Pairing: Heritage Bacon-Grits

Professor Thom’s
219 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10003
http://professorthoms.com

Beer: Harpoon (Thom’s) Ale
Food Pairing: Buffalo Wings

Destination Bar & Grille
211 Avenue A (at 13th Street)
http://destinationbarnyc.com

Beer: Destination Lager
Food Pairing: Home Baked Soft Pretzels

Drop Off Service
211 Avenue A bet. 13th & 14th St.
http://www.myspace.com/dropoffservice

Beer: choice of Stone Arrogant Bastard or Radeberger Pilsner
Food Pairing: Mini Australian Meat Pie or Sausage Roll from the Tuck Shop

Poco
33 Avenue B (@3rd Street)
New York, NY 10009
http://PocoNYC.com

Beer: Estrella
Food Pairing: Mushroom Truffle Croquettes

Octavia’s Porch
40 Ave B
http://Octaviasporch.com

Beer: Coney Island Lager
Food pairing: White Bean , Olive and Eggplant Caponata Shmears

Croxley Ale House
28 Avenue B
New York, NY 10009
http://www.croxley.com/

Beer: Olde Saratoga Lager
Food Pairing: Boneless Buffalo Wings

Unfortunately by the time we got to Octavia’s Porch and Croxley, the crawl had already passed the 6 pm mark and we were not able to redeem. Which for me, is not a problem as I’ve been to both several times and they are both fantastic! Plus, they are across the street from Idle Hands!

For the social networked of those on the EVILL Craft Bar Crawl, there were 2 ways to discover more about craft beers. For those of us users who are on Untappd, the so called “Foursquare for beer drinkers,” bar crawlers were able to unlock a special event-only badge by checking into the beers of the crawl at each of their pouring locations.

If you’re not on Untappd yet, believe me, it’s fun AND addictive! Plus it allows you to discover new beers, new bars and see what your friends and social connections are out there sipping on. If you already have a profile or sign up for one, be sure to friend me! FYI, 10 check ins at Idle Hands unlocks a badge that gets a FREE taste of ALL of our beers on tap!

Enjoyed the crawl or wished you could’ve participated? You’re in luck! You don’t need a Thrillist Reward to find great craft beer in the East Village when What’s On Tap has already done that for you! What’s On Tap is “the first iphone application in New York City that gives you real time information about local craft brew bars and your favorite beers.” Every bar on the Thrillist Rewards EVILL Craft Bar Crawl is featured in the app as well as many, many more of the other great bars in the best NYC neighborhood for craft beer drinking.

Many, many, many thanks to all of the people who helped to put this amazing event together, especially all of our fellow bar and restaurant owners who worked VERY hard to make sure all 500 people who bought the Thrillist Reward and their friends that came along with them, have an amazing experience. It’s no small feat to serve 500 people in a matter of hours and still serve great craft beers and quality foods. A Burgerific salute to Dan from That Burger Tent for once again serving some of the Best Burgers in NYC at Idle Hands! Thanks for Untappd for making yet another AWESOME reason for people to share with each other the word of craft beer. Mucho gusto to What’s On Tap for helping us to run the event day of and make sure every Thrillist Rewards member was able to quickly and smoothly check in and collect their tip cards. Much appreciation to ALL of the Thrillist staff members who put in a TON of man hours in organizing, promoting and ensuring a smooth and fun event. But moreover, on behalf of the entire EVILL, thank you for helping us to expose the best NYC neighborhood for craft beer enthusiasts to a ton of great people. If you aren’t signed up yet for Thrillist Rewards, I suggest you get off your lazy patoot and do it now! (Trust me, I know what is coming next!)

That was awesome and we would hope to be offering a ton of more great events with our neighborhood.

If you missed it, come on down, there’s a ton of great beer waiting for you.

-Rev

THE BURGER COUNTQUEST
347 Burgers

Feb. 26, 2011 – 1:00 – 6:00 PM

Posted in Bar, Beer, Burgers, Event, Sliders | Tagged bar, beer, best nyc bar, billy hurricane's, bourbon, cheap drinks, Croxley Ale House, Destination Bar, Drop Off Service, east village, Good Beer, hands, happpy hour, idle, Idle Hands, idle hands bar, Jimmy's No 43, new york, ny, nyc, Octavia's Porch, Poco, Professor Thom's, rewards, rock, thrillist, Thrillist's East Village Craft Beer Crawl, Zum Schneider | 7 Comments

Foodspotting The Burger Conquest Best Burgers in NYC

Posted on 02/27/2011 by Rev

The Burger Conquest Best Burgers in NYC

Despite the fact that my top 7 favorite burgers in NYC are listed just over there, to the right of this post, for all of you to see, I get asked nearly every single day, “Rev, what is the best burger in NYC?” Clearly this is not only important to everyone in the burgerverse but it is also crystal clear, that all of you trust my opinion…and I thank you. So with that, I am going to tell you but there is one thing to note first, this list is subject to change and although I highly doubt that it will, remember that the Glorious Pursuit of Delicious Burgers NEVER ENDS!

Now, before you head off and eat all of these, i’d like to share something with you. In fact, I’d like to give you something as well. If you’re a foodie like I am, you LOVE to share photos and reviews of what you are eating with your friends. Chances are you, you are also plugged into and using several social networks to share. I’ve found a new one to obsess over and it’s made just for people like us. It’s called Foodspotting and it’s awesome.

“Foodspotting is the easiest way to find and share the foods you love: Instead of reviewing restaurants, you can recommend your favorite dishes and see what others have recommended wherever you go.”

One of my favorite features is the multiple social networking abilities when using the Foodspotting app. Not only can you upload a picture and review to your profile but you can also send it to and checkin on Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and Flickr. It’s a great tool for sharing, discovery, making new friends and socially networking. Speaking of Foursquare, Foodspotting uses a similar method of game theory to make using the app more fun.

By spotting certain foods and eating at certain places you can unlock badges as achievements. As a new and avid fan of Foodspotting, I’ve been able to create my very own badge. If you Foodspot each burger on my Best Burgers in NYC list, you will unlock The Burger Conquest Best Burgers in NYC. If you do unlock the badge you will not only have the satisfaction and bragging rights to say you’ve done it but I will also buy you a FREE draft beer at my bar in the East Village, Idle Hands Bar. Here is the badge:

And with that, I give you “The Burger Conquest Best Burgers in NYC” list.

THE BEST BURGER IN NYC

Rub BBQ
http://www.rubbbq.net/
208 West 23rd Street
New York, NY 10011

THE “Rub Burger” is THE BEST burger I have EVER had. I Every Monday, beginning at 6 pm, Rub BBQ starts serving them but doesn’t put them on the menu. You need to know to ask and while you’re at it, there is one more thing you should know. There is always more than 1 burger. Each week Rub offers up THE “Rub Burger” which is Burger Conquest fave but they also put forth a different specialty each week. Ever since this burger ritual began more than a year ago, Rub BBQ has NEVER repeated a special burger.

WHAT TO ORDER
Rub Burger
Specialty Burger
Frito Pie
Pastrami Burnt Ends
BBQ Beans or Onion Straws
Shiner Bock

Full review: https://burgerconquest.com/rub-bbq-thrillist-rewards

*****

THE OTHER 6 (alphabetical)

Burger and Barrel
http://www.burgerandbarrel.com
25 W. Houston
New York, NY 10012

Puebla Burger made with Roasted Chili & Red Onion Relish, Queso Fresco. This might be the juiciest Burger I’ve ever had and that’s NOT in anyway to imply it was greasy.

WHAT TO ORDER
Meatball appetizer with Ricotta Cheese
Puebla Burger
ANY Craft Beer on tap

Full review: https://burgerconquest.com/burger-and-barrel-a-juicy-welcome-to-the-top-of-the-list

*****

Old Homestead
http://www.theoldhomesteadsteakhouse.com
56 9th Avenue
New York, NY 10011

Best Steakhouse burger in NYC. No need for Kobe, get the regular burger and an appetizer of bacon.

WHAT TO ORDER
Chef’s Special Bread Preparation; Garlic Bread in a Parmesan Sauce
Kobe slab Bacon
16 oz. Steakhouse Burger
Sauteed Broccoli
Red Wine (something spicier and new world)

Full review: https://burgerconquest.com/corner-bistro-dont-believe-the-hype-vs-old-homestead-aka-old-faithful

*****

Schnipper’s Quality Kitchen
http://www.schnippers.com
620 8th Ave
New York, NY 10018

The Schnipper’s Classic is the clear fave but you can’t go wrong with the Hickory Bacon Blue either. The Green Chile burger is the best you will EVER have outside of the state of Mexico.

WHAT TO ORDER
Green Chile Burger
The Schnipper’s Classic Burger
Green Chile Hot Dog
Sweet Potato Fries with Maple Dipping Sauce
Salted Caramel Milkshake

Full review: https://burgerconquest.com/schnippers-quality-kitchen-if-i-had-a-burger-for-every-time-i-have-seen-ozzy-live

*****

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

There’s a reason for the hype brothers and sisters of the burger, and it’s even better in a blizzard!

WHAT TO ORDER
Double Shack Burger
French Fries with American Cheese Sauce
Your choice of Custard or Shackmeister Ale

Full Review: https://burgerconquest.com/shake-shack-the-2nd-ever-polar-brrrger-club

*****

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

Go on a Saturday or Sunday and get the burger with the lot along with the all you can drink “endless brunch.”

WHAT TO ORDER
Burger with “The Lot” – Lettuce, Tomato, Fried Onions, Cheese, Bacon, Beet Root, Pineapple and a Fried Egg.

Full Review: https://burgerconquest.com/the-sunburnt-cow-birthdays-burgers-and-beer-oh-my

*****

Trailer Park Lounge
http://trailerparklounge.com/
271 W 23rd St
New York, NY 10011

Home to the best char-grilled burg in the city. Tots and Mac n Cheese on the side are a must. Wash with can of beer or an island cocktail in a freshly pared pineapple. Repeat.

WHAT TO ORDER
Burger with American Cheese
Tater Tots
Mac N Cheese
Can of Schaefer or Porkslap Beer

Full review: https://burgerconquest.com/trailer-park-lounge-a-million-dot-commers-can-be-wrong

As with ALL of these places be sure to tell ’em Rev from Burger Conquest sent you!

Posted in Best Burger in New York, Burgers, Gourmet Burgers, Hamburgers | Tagged badge, burger, burger and barrel, check in, cheese, ciancio, conquest, foodspotting, foursquare, french, fries, great, hamburger, new york, ny, nyc, old homestead, quality kitchen, rev, review, rub bbq, schnippers, Shake Shack, sunburnt cow, the, trailer park | 13 Comments

South Houston – A Bulldog By Any Other Name is a Meat Sword

Posted on 02/22/2011 by Rev

South Houston
http://www.southhoustonnyc.com
331 West Broadway
New York, NY 10013-2265

THE CONQUEST
Making friends is great. Making friends who have hook ups is an added bonus! My new buddy Mike is the guy who knows the guy. It’s great, because I am that guy too and now that we have joined forces, we are the guys who know the guys. The newest guy that Mike has been able to introduce me to is Michael Carpiniello, owner of the restaurant South Houston in SoHo NYC. Mike hit me up one day, claiming I needed to meet Michael and try their burgers. Doesn’t take much more than that for me to reply with an eloquent response such as “when?”

South Houston was created by Michael Carpiniello on the heels of Lusso, known for it’s experimental Italian cuisine. Taking his curiosity and creativity to a new level, South Houston serves up a Southern-style comfort food menu for the foodie intensive. With dishes like Vegetarian Chili that include Fennel, Squash, Parsnips and topped with Guacamole or the “His Eggcellency,” a Egg and Pepper Cheese made with finely sliced Sirloin Steak and the always popular Chicken and Waffles, the food is as intense as Michael’s passion to serve it. For fans of craft beer, South Houston offers several interesting selections, all of which are available to be taken away in Growlers. Pop a seat in in the brick walled, wooden-floored dining room that is decorated by local artists on their overly sized chalk board and get ready to be blown away.

The entire menu is prepared and created by Chef Omar Drammeh, whose story only adds to the allure of the restaurant. At age 19 Omar stowed away on a ship leaving his home of Gambia and once caught was put to work in the vessel’s kitchen. It was there that he found a passion for cooking and stayed aboard the ship for 3 years where he was eventually anointed as the head chef. From there he spent some time in London and France gaining some formal training before eventually moving to the US in 1993. Chef Omar was the executive chef at the popular Hell’s Kitchen foodie hangout, Chelsea Grill until he returned to Africa for his wedding. He and Michael eventually met at Lusso and now you can taste his Thyme Scented Grilled Pork Chop, Andouille Mac ‘n’ Cheese & Cornmeal Crusted Calamari at South Houston.

A few days prior to our “lunch date,” I actually ended up meeting Michael at the Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival where he too was serving food. As if I wasn’t already pretty pumped up to eat at South Houston, Michael put me in a tizzy when he told me he had some surprises in store for Mike and I. He wanted to try out a couple of potential new menu items on our palettes but wouldn’t say exactly what. Yeah baby, that’s what I call “access.”

THE BURGER
Knowing I am a beer nerd, Michael offered me a beer and without hesitation I responded with “River Horse Unfiltered Lager please!” It was a weekday lunch, so what?

Michael started us off with a bucket full of the South Houston Bacon Bourbon Popcorn. Believe it or not, the tastes here are a lot more subtle than one would expect. Michael, Omar and team believe in base food dominating the flavors of the item and in this case, the popcorn, well, it tastes like popcorn but with a light sweet and smoky accents from the toppings. It’s damn good…especially with a cold draft beer.

What happened next, well to be really honest, was hard to put into words. In fact, I’ve been thinking about this for weeks and I don’t believe the written word will do the “Bulldog” justice. So let’s start off with Michael’s description and then take it to the Burger Conquest iJumbotron for the rest.

“The Hotdog witch we’ve dubbed the Bulldog starts with the bun then gets layered with a Fried Egg, Hash Browns, American Cheese, our house-made deep Fried Hot Dog, Beef Chili, Sour Cream then everything bun and all gets wrapped in Bacon and then baked until crispy.”

The Dog itself was amazing and that’s coming from someone who likes, but doesn’t really love Hot Dogs. It’s got a great smoky and meaty flavor that comes from being made with care from real Beef. The skin South Houston is using to case the bad boy gives each bite that real snap that Dog lovers pine for. The rest of the experience, well, it was as amazing as you think it is. While eating it was a challenge, that I gladly accepted, I had to stop myself from polishing off the entire “Bulldog,” as Michael had more surprises in store.

Next up, another potential addition to the South Houston menu and the reason for the blog, a hamburger. It’s made from house blended Sirloin and Short Rib beef and topped with Maytag Blue Cheese, Pear Salad, Chicken Liver Pate and Madeira wine reduction. How the hell do they think of this stuff?!?! The patty was cooked just the way I like it, a perfect medium-rare and was ridiculously delicious. I mean, how can you possibly make a bad burger with 2 cuts of great steak? I would normally shy away from Chicken Liver Pate but I felt like the spotlight was on in front of the two Mikes. Boy am I glad I did not hesitate as arguably it was the most important part of the topping in the overall presentation of the sandwich. The Cheese, Greens and Pate create a really unique sweet and sour accent to the savory ground beef that is really unlike anything I have ever had. With all of the goodness stuck between the Bun, I expected it to give out and crumble underneath the weight. Much to my surprise, much like a great piece of NYC architecture, this bun held it’s ground throughout the entire Burger.

Kudos to Michael and Omar for the amazing food and horns up to Mike for taking me at South Houston. If and when these items make it to the official South Houston menu, I will be there and if are a Thrillist Rewards member, the word is so will you.

Last but not least; Michael, I am serious about the River Horse Lager. I will pay you $30 for the last pint in the keg!!

8 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

THE BURGER COUNTQUEST
336 Burgers

Feb. 3, 2011 – 1:30 pm

Posted in Bar, Beer, Best Burger in New York, Burgers, Gourmet Burgers, Uncategorized | Tagged bacon bourbon popcorn, bacon wrapped, bulldog, burger, cheese, ciancio, conquest, french, fries, gourmet, great, hamburger, hot dog, house made hot dog, liver pate, meat sword, new york, ny, nyc, rev, review, rewards, saber, south houston, the, thrillist | 1 Comment

Rub BBQ – Thrillist Rewards Exclusive Off-Menu Burger Bash

Posted on 02/19/2011 by Rev

Rub BBQ
http://www.rubbbq.net/
208 West 23rd Street
New York, NY 10011

THE STORY

There’s an old saying that goes “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Here in 2011 that statement needs a little updating and I am happy to do it for you. “If you know Thrillist Rewards, it’s all about who the Rev knows.” Let’s take it from the top. Thrillist is the free daily email that finds the best of what’s new in your ‘hood & on the web. If you’re an urban warrior with an appreciation for the newest, coolest, craziest reasons to keep your address inside the city walls, Thrillist is a great way to have access to insider information. Go sign up for the email, you’ll love it.

However, it’s not going to be enough. Thrillist is an addiction that draws you in deeper and deeper due to a simple equation More information + more access = more fun. Eventually you’ll start thinking “I’ll bet the staff at Thrillist must be having the most fun there possibly is to have,” and you’re right. They have access but for those of you living in NYC, Thrillist is giving you their access. Enter Thrillist Rewards. To explain it in their words:

What is Thrillist Rewards?
- Thrillist Rewards is a special, weekly email featuring jaw-tremblingly cool, limited-time-only experiences that we custom-make with local businesses — all at a sweet discount.

Each of the rewards offered by Thrillist are road tested by the staff members themselves to ensure a high quality, enjoyable and (drum roll please) rewarding experience that makes any urban warrior feel like they have the keys to the kingdom and the best part, at a cheaper price. You’re going to want to sign up for Thrillist Rewards right now, go ahead…I’ll wait for you.

So what does this all have to do with me? One day the Thrillist fellas came down to my bar, Idle Hands and wrote up a little story about us. We learned about their plan to launch the Thrillist Rewards program and my mind started to explode. Suddenly I was coming up with rewards ideas all over the city. Already longer story short, Thrillist took my advice and now I am helping them to come up with Thrillist Rewards. Which means you can thank me for this:

Rub BBQ, home to the best burgers in NYC as well as some of the most amazing BBQ North of the Mason Dixon and the Monday Night Secret Burger. For those in the know, you’ve stopped into Rub on a Monday night after 6 pm and had one of Chef Scott’s crazy burger creations, NONE of which have ever been repeated…until now! Owner Andrew Fischel and Chef Scott decided to throw a one day only Off-Menu Burger Bash event for Thrillist Rewards subscribers. People who purchased the reward would receive 5 different specialty Rub Burgers, 2 booze- fueled milkshakes and choice of one side item…all for only $35!!!! The Thrillist Reward sold out immediately and with demand SO HIGH, Andrew decided to throw a second one, back-to-back with the first.

I got in a little early to help out before the masses rushed in to shove burgery-goodness into their mouths. While the dining room was still it was all frenzy in the kitchen as the staff was preparing to serve nearly 500 burgers in only a couple of hours. Each seat had the menu of the day placed as if only to tease and excite.

THE BURGER

Up first, the friendly and accommodating brought around drinks. I opted for the chocolate milk shake made with Abita Turbodog beer. It was a sweet and hearty tasting treat that was less thick than a shake but had more substance than a beer. Sounds like it wouldn’t go well together, became even more delicious together.

Burger #1. Deep Fried Bacon Mac-N-Cheese Burger
House-Ground Burger topped with Beep Bried Bacon Mac-N-Cheese (with the Rub BBQ house-cured bacon mixed in and Garlic Aioli.

If the name wasn’t enough to excite you, know that it’s as great as it sounds! The Deep Fried Mac unto itself was pretty amazing not only taste but also in theory. It was a carbohydrate heavy, calorie-laden, fat-filled bomb that was created to make mouths and tummies happy. Top that on an amazing piece of high quality ground beef cooked, as always at Rub BBQ, to a PERFECT medium-rare and you have a legendary burger.

As I sat with my Mom, wife Cara and Box from SteakClub7, so we were able to mix-n-match and share our side selections. We got the sweet and salty Onion Straws, the Rub BBQ spiced whole Fries and 2 orders of the BBQ Beans made with Rub BBQ’s famous Burnt Ends. Each of which was awesome but the BIG WIN came from letting the Fries take a ride into the BBQ Beans! Try as we might to not eat all of it, knowing we were going to be eating a pound of meat alone, we couldn’t help but polish nearly all of them off.

Burger #2. Butter Burger
House-Ground Burger topped with a healthy shmear of Butter.

Made famous by Solly’s Grille in Milwaukee, WI is EXACTLY what the name implies, a burger with Butter on it. What may seem like a scary prospect is actually a great Burger but it requires just a few moments of patience. Once pop you dropped jaw back into place, your instinct will be to take a bite but you should not. Instead, cap the Burger and wait. The true joy of a Butter Burger is once the Butter has melted all over the Sandwich, combining with the natural juices of the meat. I mean, done right, you’ll still have some thick Butter on top, but trust me, melting is the key that unlocks the savory joy.

Burger #3. Pimento Cheese Burger
House-Ground Burger topped with Cheddar Cheese, Pimentos and a Mayo blend.

If you haven’t picked it up yet, toppings or not, Rub Burgers are fantastic. That being the case, you’d have to try really hard to put something on top (or underneath) to ruin them. Which to me means, I am willing to try just about any version of them Chef Scott and Andrew create. The Pimento Burger, a Carolinian special, is one example, that actually didn’t have that much risk involved. You see, Mayo and me aren’t so big of friends and Olives are a definite no-no. But I’m a grown boy and this is Rub BBQ so there wasn’t really much choice. I’m glad to say I bit into this without hesitation! The creamy cheese and slight spice of the Pimento made for a zesty Burger topping.

Burger #4. Jersey Slider
House-Ground Burger topped with steamed Onions.

A slider is a form of burger made from a thin patty that is flat griddle along with onions, whose steam helps to cook the burger. It’s server on a squishy white bun with or without cheese and pickles. While NJ has the Slider claim to fame, Michigan gives them a pretty good run for their Burger money on the idea. My Mom and I are both from Detroit so this menu item was something we were heavily anticipating. But that’s not the only reason I couldn’t wait to try the Jersey Slider. Just before the event kicked off Chef Scott told me that he used a juicer to pulverize Onions and turn them into juice. When the burger went into skillet, it was then poured over it and the Onions to help really steam the onion flavor in. Made in a much smaller size than the previous 3, this burger was nothing short of AWESOME. In fact, if I could only use one more word to describe it, I would choose to use AWESOME again. The AWESOME AWESOME Jersey Slider, even at it’s tiny little size, was some how magically still cooked to an absolutely perfect medium rare and was BURSTING with sweet onion flavor. Topped up with a savory slice of cheese and served in an oh-so-squishy mini roll, this little bad boy was BIG on taste! The best part, if you’re a city dwelling Thrillist Rewards subscriber, you don’t need to cross any bridges or tunnels to get a great Jersey Slider.

Burger #5. Goober Burger.
House-Ground Burger topped with Creamy Peanut Butter.

Yeah, you read that right. It’s a Burger with Peanut Butter, which I consider to be the Bacon of the condiment world. Peanut Butter, much like Bacon, makes everything better, especially Burgers! Now the fun part of this making the menu for the event is that one year ago, almost to the date, my wife and I got to enjoy this Burger at Rub, just like we did today, to celebrate her birthday. I’m willing to guess that other than staff, Cara and I might be the ONLY people to have eaten one of these burgers at Rub before. If you think PB on a Burg sound wrong, it’s because you haven’t had Rub BBQ’s version of the burger made famous by the Wheel Inn in Sedalia, MO. The creamy and salty battle of tastes comes across, at least at this event, almost like a Burger Dessert!

With more than a pound of ground beef, accompanied by an array of other ingredients, in my belly, I was feeling more than full and not from just any old food. No, these were some of the best burgers ever and the only way to get them was through Thrillist Rewards. 2 sets of 50 people who are already in the know will certainly back me up.

Bummed you missed out? Well don’t be no fool and sign yourself up immediately and get discounted access to some of the coolest stuff in NYC and soon to be the world!

You can thank me later.

Feb. 19, 2011 – 1:00 PM

BURGER COUNTQUEST
345 Burgers

Posted in Bar, Beer, Best Burger in New York, Burgers, Event, Gourmet Burgers, Sliders, Uncategorized | Tagged barbeque, best of, burger, burger bash, butter, cheese, ciancio, conquest, deep fried bacon, french, fries, goober, great, hamburger, jersey, mac-n-cheese, macaroni and cheese, new york, ny, nyc, onions, pimento, rev, review, rub, rub bbq, slider, steamed, the, thrillist, thrillist rewards | 3 Comments

The Hurricane Club – Where Two Trains Meet After Leaving Different Cities

Posted on 02/15/2011 by Rev

The Hurricane Club
http://thehurricaneclub.com
360 Park Ave
New York, NY 10010

THE CONQUEST
Life is a series of train rides. You board somewhere with a destination in mind and along the route, you meet people headed to the same place. Sometimes you decide to get off and take a different train to a new location that may or may not just be a detour to your original destination. The best part is when you meet someone on that life train who just came from the same train as you and yet is going to the same place. Making a life train buddy is like making a new BFF. Such was the case with Seth Unger and me.

Seth, much like me, has been in the entertainment business for years. Managing artists, working with record labels, TV and putting on shows. Somewhere along Seth’s journey, his passion for food sent him in another direction. Long story short, Seth now manages burger-czar George Motz, author of “Hamburger America,” the 150 guide to fantastic US burger joints. Seth also works with George to run, organize and deal with sponsorships for the NYC Food Film Festival. Again, much like me, Seth ended up on the food train by no design. Seth and I recently met up to chat (and chew) about potential work we can do together.

If you spent a significant portion of your life in destinations like Disney World, Cedar Point, Universal Studios and Chuck E. Cheese, you’ve grown up enjoying themed experiences. Now you’re all grown up and other than taking your own kids or the regrettable visit to Dave & Busters, these experiences are a thing of your past. However, if you live in NYC, there is an option for adults, intro The Hurricane Club. It’s a Polynesian themed, tiki restaurant that could double as the set for a Broadway version of Casablanca. Before entering through their massive, double Gothic doors, be sure to read the legend of “The Hurricane Club” on their website as the story of “Goldbelly” and “Little Rose” is to long to re-tell here. Known primarily for their Pupu platter, the restaurant also offers up salads, skewers, seafood, ribs, noodles and of course burgers. While you are waiting for you order to come up, take a quick visit to the basement where, if you’re wearing leather shoes, you can get a “Rum & a Shine.” It’s a large place with several rooms available for private parties.

Ever since I tried the burger from The Hurricane Club at the NY Wine & Food Festival Blue Moon Burger Bash, I’ve been dying to pay a visit to the restaurant. This was my excuse.

THE BURGER
When it came to ordering, neither Seth nor I could pick between 2 of the burgers on the menu and did the only thing that 2 passengers on the same train should do, ordered both to split!

THE BIG KAHUNA – Pineapple, Honey-Glazed Ham, Avocado, Grilled Onions, South Shore Sauce

THE FIRE EATER – Jack Cheese, Pickled Jalapenos, Fire Eater Sauce AKA the NY Wine & Food Festival “Best Dressed Burger.”

These 2 hulking masses were some of the best looking and dressed burgers I have ever had the pleasure of gorging on. The award was clearly well deserved! I became especially excited with the single chile placed atop the Fire Eater. After a few mandatory photos and loudly exclaimed “whoas!” I decided to make it happen.

Picking up the Big Kahuna was more like grappling with it. The mass of the sandwich was matched only by it’s mess! This burger is not for the neat freaks or people with OCD! I tried my best to keep it some semblance of order as I ate it but that only became more difficult with every bite. Most burger joints will opt for a savory profile when building a burger full of toppings but this was clearly a stab at the sweet. Were the beef patty not so massive, it would’ve been lost in the sugary palette of the flavor combination’s. Honestly though, it was your friend the avocado that really served to draw it all together.

Before moving onto the Fire Eater, my hands and face required a full napkin wipe and discharge. I felt like a 2 year old in a high chair as if I was intentionally trying to rub food on my face. Of the 2 burgers, I preferred this one but that is not to say I didn’t thoroughly enjoy them both. It’s moreover, much like Buster Poindexter, I like it hot. The burger is no less messier than it’s sweeter brother, the Kahuna but with all the peppered elements, a completely different taste sensation. It’s not so hot that it warrants a waiver but it’s definitely not for the weak of tongue. The hot spiciness only adds to the savory nature of this juicy island monster.

Oddly enough, as unique as these two burgers may have been, neither of them were the star of my lunch. It was an unassuming side that ended up my favorite part of the meal. I ordered us the Chinese Long Beans with Sweet and Spicy Peanuts, think we could just use some greens and after only one bite, I thought Seth and I were about to enter a dog fight to finish them off. The beans were garden fresh and covered in an intense sauce that was equally sweet, sour and spicy. No taste is spared on these and honestly, I would go back to the Hurricane just to eat them by themselves!!! And, much like their burgers, this dish was placing itself equally on the messy scale.

Whereas a real trip to Polynesia might require sunscreen and sunglasses, the food at the Hurricane club requires patience and napkins…lots of them! It was the biggest mess I’ve ever made at a non-BBQ restaurant in my entire, train riding, adult life.

8 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

Feb 2, 2011 – 2:30 pm

THE BURGERCOUNTQUEST
335 Burgers

Posted in Bar, Burgers, Gourmet Burgers, Uncategorized | Tagged big kahuna, burger, cheese, ciancio, conquest, fire eater, french, fries, great, hamburger, hurricane, hurricane club, new york, ny, nyc, pupu platter, rev, review, rum, the, tiki, tikis | 2 Comments

Schnippers – 2nd Birthday Sashtiabdhapoorthi

Posted on 02/12/2011 by Rev

Schnipper’s Quality Kitchen
http://www.schnippers.com
620 8th Ave
New York, NY 10018

THE CONQUEST
The Hindu calendar follows a 60-year cycle and as a result, a person’s 60th birthday is their most celebrated. It’s known as a “Sashtiabdhapoorthi.” Hindu’s believe that on this night, the celestial bodies align in the same fashion as on one’s birth date. On such a night, the family gathers to give blessing and married couples renew their wedding vows.

Here in America, we just aren’t that patient, so we eat cake, give gifts and throw parties every year. We also have more special birthdays like a sweet 16, 21, 30, 40+ and so forth. However, 2 year old birthdays aren’t really anything people go crazy over. In fact, the 2nd year is more commonly known as “the terrible twos.” It’s an age where toddlers become mobile and grow bored with activities at a faster rate. But why should that ruin a 2nd year old birthday for everyone?

One of NYC’s BEST burgers, Schnipper’s Quality Kitchen, recently celebrated their 2 year old birthday and instead of throwing a temper tantrum, they threw a rad party for all to enjoy. They invited burger historian, author and director, George Motz in with his roadside burger tell all book, “Hamburger America” to have a party.

George’s amazing book is about to go out of print to make way for the revised edition that features 150 different great burger joints around this great country of ours. Jonathan and Andrew Schnipper discounted George’s fave burger on their menu, the Hickory Bacon Blue, down to $2 just for the event on January 27th, 2011. Meanwhile George, who is one of the nicest people I have ever met, signed copies of the book, chatted with the burger-curious and of course, crushed burgers.

George’s book is the bible of burgers in America. I reference it ALL the time and if you haven’t read it yet, pre-order a copy of the revised edition now! It’ll cost ya a mere $13 and lead you to absolute burger glory.

THE BURGER
Not only do I love the Schnipper burger, but I love the Schnipper brothers. These guys are as nerdy as I am about burgers if not more. Having a conversation and a bite with them is ALWAYS worthwhile. When they invited me to join in celebrating their 2 year anniversary with George, there was no way I could say no. I also happen to conveniently, live only a few blocks away! The party was great and without fail, so was the burger!

Happy Birthday fellas!! Let’s make a plan for Burger Conquest’s 3rd birthday!

Click here for my full review of the Schnipper’s Hickory Bacon Blue Burger.

9 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

Jan. 27, 2011 – 330 PM

THE BURGER COUNTQUEST
331 Burgers

Posted in Best Burger in New York, Burgers, Event, Gourmet Burgers, Hamburgers | Tagged 2nd, birthday, burger conquest, burgerconquest, cheese, ciancio, french, fries, george, great, hamburger, hamburger america, hindu, kfc double down fried chicken colonel\'s sauce cheese review the great burger conquest hamburger cheese french fries new york nyc this is why your fat, kitchen, lafrieda, motz, new york, ny, nyc, pat, quality, rev, Sashtiabdhapoorthi, schnippers, the | 1 Comment

4Food – Social Media Week – Eats & Apps – A Food (App) Lovers’ Roundtable

Posted on 02/09/2011 by Rev

4Food
http://4food.com
286 Madison Ave
New York, NY 10016

THE CONQUEST
Are you familiar with the Slayer Affect? Whenever the heavy metal band Slayer plays a concert in any town, the Gods of heavy metal reach down and lift the rock where all the crazed metal fans live in wait until the next time Slayer plays a concert near them. They scurry out, pound some beers, mosh it up to Slayer and then return to the rock underneath which they live. If you’ve ever seen the band live, you’ll understand.

A similar thing happens when Social Media Week comes into town. All the bloggers, app developers, designers and social networking junkies come out from behind their computers and meet up to socially connect…offline. The only difference between this and the Slayer affect is more texting, less moshing. Social Media Week happens in 6 cities around the world and comprises a series of panels, discussions, meet ups, parties and events that all somehow tie together the world of social media. As “the world’s most socially connected burger blogger” and bona fide Foursquare, Facebook, Twitter, Utappd and now FoodSpotting junkie, I perused the event list and signed up for some that held my interests. There was only one burger specific event, held at 4Food, and although there was an entrance fee, I was happy to pay! Here’s the skinny:

EATS+APPS EVENT
http://eatsandapps.eventbrite.com/

Come join us for a mobile food app showcase featuring reps and founders of 8 innovative food and beverage apps.

Attendees will hear/learn more about the apps and interact with their teams in a social setting. This dinner will bring together those at the forefront of social food tech and food app enthusiasts for an evening of great food, drinks, and networking.

Our venue, 4Food, will serve as the backdrop for the gathering. 4Food generated accolades around its opening in September for its forward-thinking food model and interactive ordering system that lets diners create over 140 million combinations of burgers & fillings, save them for future ordering and then share their creation with their friends and networks via social media.

Ticket price includes:

Passed delectables (both veggie and meat) and sides from 4Food, wine and non-alcoholic beverages. [Note: curated full-size burgers from 4Food’s Menu will be available for purchase, as well.]
Access to, in some cases an exclusive preview of, the newest and most popular food and beverage apps
Networking with those at the forefront of social food tech and people like you who love food apps

Tickets are $20 in Advance.

Produced by:

Danielle Gould: Danielle Gould is the founder of Food+Tech Connect, a startup that connects innovators in the growing food and information technology movement. Say hello to her at @dhgisme.

Emily Cavalier: Emily Cavalier is the founder of Mouth of the Border, an online community for lovers of ethnic food and culture in New York City. She also consults on social media/event projects with food/food media brands and works as a project manager developing and executing integrated business development campaigns in the corporate event industry. Connect with Emily at @EmilysPearl.

Brian Quinn and Jonny Cigar of The Noble Rot, a traveling wine saloon: Dubbed “a new form of clandestine drinking” by Tasting Table New York, Noble Rot events re-envision the typical, conceptual wine tasting as a more social, informal experience in which guests are encouraged to interact with the wine, wine experts, and each other in an intimate setting. Follow the Noble Rot crew at @NobleRotNYC.

About the Venue, 4Food: (From http://4food.com) “We bring fast food that’s fresh, delicious, and nutritious to all ages, lifestyles, incomes, and ethnicities. No fads, fillers, or anything artificial. We’re revolutionizing counter culture, in real-time.

Our restaurants are designed to function as community hubs, as they satisfy local appetites in healthy, customizable ways.

Revolutionizing counter culture means:

Dynamic Menu Boards reduce waste and enable us to feature seasonal and occasional products.
Advanced, web-based technologies allow us to make personalized recommendations that meet our guest’s nutrition and lifestyle goals.”

Download the event program here for more info on the organizers and apps:
EatsandAppsProgram-Feb82011-SocialMediaWeek2011

FOODSPOTTING
Of all the apps and companies represented at the Eats & Apps event, the one that has my attention the most was FoodSpotting. Imagine Foursquare for food where you can not only check into the venue but also the food. Users can upload a picture of their food along with a review and have it publish to their various social network sites and even score a real FourSquare check in. For a food blogger like myself, this adds a layer of fun and excitement to my check ins. At the end of the day, Burger Conquest is a series of stories about my crazy life that all somehow ties back to burgers that is told with a heavy focus on pictures. An app like FoodSpotting allows me to do that while I am connecting with other eaters who have the same interests.

Check it out and be sure to send me a follow request.

THE BURGER
It wouldn’t be a proper Burger Conquest story without a burger and when I noticed that Foodspotting had created their own 4Food burger for the menu, I knew which one I was going to eat! “4Foodspotting” burger; Brioche, Beef, Potato & Chorizo Hash, Cheddar, Ketchup, Lettuce & Tomato. I’m no stranger to 4Food and have reviewed them before, but you can read about that here. So how was the 4Foodspotting burger? As I wrote in my check in, “How can you go wrong w beef burger, brioche & potato and chorizo hash?”

8 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

Well it wasn’t too long before Amy from Foodspotting answered the question; “That’s exactly what we were thinking. Figured it was like putting French fries in your burger…which is awesome :)” Well thank you Amy, you done figured good! Next time you visit my pals at 4Food you’ll have to have a Foodspotting of this…

The Burger Conquest Pee-Wee Herman “Growing Boy” Burger
A 4Food doughnut shaped beef patty topped with onions, potato chorizo hash, smoked mozzarella, sopressata & sweet chili, served on a multi-grain bun. I placed the order right there in the restaurant using one of their iPads at the internet station and anxiously waited for them to announce it’s arrival.

Feb. 8, 2011 – 8:08 PM

THE BURGER COUNTQUEST
338 Burgers

Posted in Best Burger in New York, Burgers, Event, Hamburgers | Tagged 4food, 4square, burger, cheese, ciancio, conquest, de-junking fast food, Eats & Apps, Food (App) Lovers’ Roundtable, foodspotting, foodtech, foursquare, great, hamburger, networking, new york, ny, nyc, pee-wee herman, rev, reviews, Social Media Week, the | 3 Comments

Rub BBQ – Thrillist Rewards Best of Burger Bash

Posted on 02/08/2011 by Rev

Rub BBQ
http://www.rubbbq.net/
208 West 23rd Street
New York, NY 10011

THE CONQUEST
I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, which is ironic considering my career in the music business, but NYC’s Rub BBQ has the best burger I have ever eaten. None the less, for the sake of making it easy, allow me to repeat myself, again, for your benefit.

Every Monday, beginning at 6 pm, Rub BBQ starts serving them but doesn’t put them on the menu. You need to know to ask and while you’re at it, there is one more thing you should know. There is always more than 1 burger. Each week Rub offers up THE “Rub Burger” which is Burger Conquest fave but they also put forth a different specialty each week. Ever since this burger ritual began more than a year ago, Rub BBQ has NEVER repeated a special burger. While I would like to tell you i’ve eaten them all, I haven’t but spend 10 minutes with owner Andrew Fischel and Chef Scott Smith and you’ll feel like you missed out on 60-70 of the most important burgers ever made.

Read up on these 5 that I’ve reviewed and you’ll understand;
Onion Burger
Guberburger
Burnt End Burger
Giovanni Burger
French Onion Soup Burger

Enough of you have heard me say it and enough of you have tried them and ALL of you agree, the burgers at Rub BBQ are as good as their BBQ, which is amazing.

QUESTION: What happens when I take my buddy Mike from Thrillist NY to to verify my opinion?

ANSWER: Y’all get the hook up!!!!

That’s right! Thrillist is now offering it’s Rewards members a 1 time only special engagement at Rub BBQ. Check out the details:

Saturday, February 19th at 12p
The place USA Today called “One of the Best BBQs in the Country” is throwing a 50-person private event to celebrate the grand success of their year-old off-menu program Monday Night Burgers. Grab a ticket, and you’ll get 5 big ol’ sample-sizers (like a slider whose cousin injected him with a substance he claims he had no idea was steroids) of their most wildly creative gut-grenades, including the:

Pastrami/Rueben Burger
Bacon, Egg, and Cheeseburger
Homer Simpsonic Donut Burger

But that’s not all you get, because your ticket also includes two booze-fueled milkshakes (or two beers w/o shake), fresh fries or onion straws, and a meet-n-greet with RUB’s owners and chef Scott Smith — who unlike Carolina receiver Steve Smith, wants to stuff your face with food, not punch it with fist.

You get all of this for only $35 and there is EXTREMELY limited seating. So if you want to try the best of the best, click here to purchase Exclusive Off-Menu Burger Bash at RUB now!

You’re all welcome and you can all thank me at the event.

THE BURGER
While I have your attention, let’s talk about one of the specialty Rub BBQ Monday Night burgers, the Chicken fried steak burger, with cream gravy on home made biscuits. Chef Scott steps to the plate and hits another winner out of the park!! They use the same beef as the Rub burger itself but a smaller, 2 oz patty cooked medium rare, as always! The patties are made smaller so as to not have to alter the standard size southern style biscuit we’ve all come to know and love. The biscuit is a warm, buttery, flaky and yet sturdy creation that will leave your lips a smackin! What really impressed me was the all cream based white gravy. That means there was no meat used in it’s creation. Normally white gravy of this sort has bacon or sausage in it to give it a stronger flavor. Chef Scott, a known burger loyalist, wanted to let the beef shine through and created a delicious gravy without meat that by itself is unreal but on a burger is just inhuman!

I guess that’s good considering I booked back to back dinners that night with 2 different sets of friends who wanted to eat them some Rub Burger!

9 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

Jan. 31, 2011 – 7 pm

THE BURGER COUNTQUEST
334 Burgers

Posted in Bar, Best Burger in New York, Burgers, Event, Gourmet Burgers, Hamburgers | Tagged bar, beer, best, Best Burger in New York, best of, boozy milkshake, burger, burger bash, Burgers, cheese, chef, chef scott smith, ciancio, conquest, french, fries, Gourmet Burgers, great, hamburger, Hamburgers, monday night, new york, ny, nyc, rev, review, rub, scott smith, secret menu, The World’s Most Socially Connected Burger Blogger, thrillist, thrillist rewards | 4 Comments

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Schnippers – 2nd Birthday Sashtiabdhapoorthi

Rub BBQ – Thrillist Rewards Best of Burger Bash

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