The Grill ‘Em All Truck, fresh off their victory in Food Network’s GREAT FOOD TRUCK RACE is doing a “Victory Lap” to thank New York City!

Posted on 10/14/2010 by Rev

The Grill ‘Em All Truck, fresh off their victory in Food Network’s GREAT FOOD TRUCK RACE is doing a “Victory Lap” to thank New York City!

LA’s favorite mobile burger makers, Chef Ryan and Matt from The Grill ‘Em All Truck, are coming back to N.Y.C. – with a vengeance! Armed with their famous burgers, and new N.Y.C. exclusives, this is set to be one of the hottest food events all year. From October 21st to Sunday October 24, Grill ‘Em All will be taking the city by storm!

At each location, Grill ‘Em All will be offering a limited number of burgers, and a changing menu. Be sure to get to each location before they run out! In addition, they will be selling their official Grill ‘Em All merchandise – so you can eat in style.

All burgers will be made using an exclusive blend from Burger Maker Inc (http://burgermaker.com), the same company who provided the patties for the victory winning services in N.Y.C. on “The Great Food Truck Race.”

On Thursday October 21, the guys will be hosting a release party for their new “Mosh Pitt” BBQ sauce in conjunction with www.metalinsider.net ‘s Mosh Potatoes; “The Rock and Roll Cook Book” (http://www.moshpotatoescookbook.com/) release party, at Idle Hands Bar (25 Avenue B, Downstairs) from 5-7 PM (http://idlehandsbar.com)

On Friday, October 22nd, Matt and Ryan from Grill ‘Em All will be hosting a special late night service at Idle Hands Bar / Billy Hurricane’s (25 Avenue B) from 11 PM – 1 AM (http://idlehandsbar.com) where they will debut 2 new food items being made only for the N.Y.C. “Victory Lap” only”. They are taking their famous “Behemoth” burger and making a cocktail meatballs version in addition to truffle tater tots! Taking place at the same time, will the debut screening of “Madness in Manila” a new live DVD from Grammy nominated metal band Shadows Fall (http://shadowsfall.com) due out on October 25th

GRILL ‘EM ALL TRUCK N.Y.C. “VICTORY LAP” SCHEDULE

Thursday, October 21

Duke’s (99 East 19th Street)
(www.dukesnyc.com)
8-10PM
Menu: Hannah Montana, Blue Cheer, Waste ‘Em All & truffle fries
*Limited to 100 burgers
Reservations can be made at (http://opentable.com)

Friday October 22

Duke’s (560 Third Avenue)
(www.dukesnyc.com)
12pm-2pm
Menu: Hannah Montana, Blue Cheer, Waste ‘Em All & truffle fries
*Limited to 150 burgers
Reservations can be made at (http://opentable.com)

Big Daddy’s (1596 2nd Ave at 83rd Street)
(www.bigdaddysnyc.com)
7-10PM
Menu: Hannah Montana, Blue Cheer, Behemoth & truffle fries
*Limited to 200 burgers
Reservations can be made at (http://opentable.com)

Idle Hands Bar/ Billy Hurricane’s (25 Avenue B, downstairs)
(www.idlehandsbar.com)
11PM-?
Menu: Hannah Montana, Behemoth Meatballs & Truffle Tots
*Limited to 50 burgers

Saturday October 23

Rub BBQ (208 West 23rd Street)
(www.rubbbq.net)
1PM-3PM
Menu: Hannah Montana, Blue Cheer, Behemoth & Truffle Fries
*Limited to 150 burgers

Thunder Jackson’s (169 Bleecker Street)
(www.ThunderJacksons.com)-
7PM-10PM
Menu: Hannah Montana, Blue Cheer, Molly Hatchet & Truffle Fries
*Limited to 200 burgers

Sunday October 24

Whisk (231 Bedford Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn)
(www.whisknyc.com)
1-4PM
Menu: Cooking Demo and “Meet and Eat.” Learn how to make the signature Grill ‘Em All Beer soaked onions and the FAMED Grill ‘Em All seared fennel sausage gravy served with pierogies

Traffic (986 2nd Avenue between 52nd and 53rd)
(www.trafficbarnyc.com)
5 pm – 7 pm
Menu: Hannah Montana, Blue Cheer, Witte & Truffle fries
*Limited to 200 burgers
Specials: NFL package on all 23 TVs & $12 Pitchers & $18 Bucket of Beers (5)

– ABOUT GRILL ‘EM ALL –

Heavy Metal and cult culture fill your head with so many visions and ideas. They make your soul glow with the unholy light and create the sensations to the senses. But still they leave your stomach empty and sad. Take heed heshers: Grill ‘Em All is here to fill the void that music and mayhem cannot. Enter the realm of the burger.

Grill ‘Em All is steadfast in the belief that the heavy metal and culinary worlds were bound to collide one day in a victorious marriage of massive meat and riffage. Where better for this battle to commence than the city of fallen angels? Los Angeles, your cries in the night have been answered. Cry no more!

Grill ‘Em All is led into battle by the team of chef Ryan Harkins and Matthew Chernus. The two have been allies and band mates for over twenty years. Ryan has paid his dues as a veteran of professional kitchens for over a decade strong, having worked in Chicago, Los Angeles, St. Louis and Cleveland, Ohio. The combination of his fine dining background and strong Midwestern roots has left him a desire to place a gourmet take on his first love, the hamburger. Dare to stop him! Matthew also beckoned as the future of America is an ex professional wrestler and he owns a megaphone. Need I say more on his behalf? I dare not in fear of being Liger Bombed through a barbed wire board with black windows and broken forties of King Cobra beneath.

Together they are ready to turn the key, they are ready to hit the streets, and they are ready to… GRILL ‘EM ALL!

– N.Y.C. “VICTORY LAP” MENU –

BURGERS

MOLLY HATCHET – seared fennel smoked sausage gravy, applewood smoked bacon, maple drizzle

WASTE ‘EM ALL – marinated green chilies, pepper jack, beer soaked onions

BEHEMOTH – grilled cheese buns, smoked cheddar, applewood smoked bacon, beer soaked onions

BLUE CHEER – cranberry gastrique, maytag blue spread, munchos potato chips

WITTE – California cream cheese, deep fried bacon, beer & sriracha soaked onions & garlic aioli

HANNAH MONTANA – American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, ketchup

SIDES

Double Dipped Frites – with truffle oil

Grill ‘Em All Behemoth Balls – served in the Grill ‘Em All signature “Mosh Pitt BBQ” sauce with onions, cheddar and bacon. (These have never been served before and will be launched during the “Victory Lap.”)

The Grill ‘Em All Truck N.Y.C. “Victory Lap” is being presented and run by Rev. Ciancio from https://burgerconquest.com with assistance from Burger Maker and Whisk.

Chef Ryan and Matt are available for interviews over the phone and in person. Please contact therev@burgerconquest.com to schedule and for all inquiries.

www.grillemalltruck.com
http://twitter.com/GrillEmAllTruck

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Shake Shack, Bobby Flay and the Hurricane Club Victories at the Blue Moon Burger Bash presented by Pat LaFrieda Meats, hosted by Rachael Ray

Posted on 10/08/2010 by Rev

The Food Network NY Wine & Food Festival Blue Moon Burger Bash presented by Pat LaFrieda Meats, hosted by Rachael Ray.

Last night marked the annual “Burger Bash” event for the NY Wine & Food Festival. A veritable cornucopia of the best and most revered burgers in the all the lands. It’s far and above the hottest ticket of the festival and sells out in a flash. It’s easier to get the Pope on the phone than it is to secure a ticket to this ultimate burger throw down. I would like to profusely thank the festival organizers and Robin Insley Associates for granting me a staff pass to what I would consider to be the crown jewel of eating events. All I do is write this silly blog which was never intended to be more than a laugh but I just keep getting more and more Burger Famous every day!

Warned that the bash can turn into a bit of a madhouse due to a high attendance, I planned to arrived early for the VIP hour which would allow only a small amount of people through the gates before the full event began. I travelled in with my burger bro Jamie from Burger Maker and Burger King of King’s George Motz from Hamburger America thus forming a magical trio of Burger Royalty. We nabbed our passes and made our way into the lovely Tobacco Warehouse in just underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. It’s an amazing open air building with spectacular views of Manhattan and was the same location where George hosted the Brooklyn Beer and Burger and Beer Garden party at the NYC Food and Film Festival. While we took a car service out there, the Wine & Food fest organizers offered attendees rides to and from Manhattan on their “Burger Bus.”
The burger bash is brought to us through the magic of beer, in particular, its Colorado’s Blue Moon that is the title sponsor. I’m sure you’ve had one before but if not, its a very smooth, drinkable, American version of a Belgian Witbier from the makers of Coors. It’s creamy, spicy and wheat and while not heralded as an amazing beer by beer nerds, is often times the gateway for macros drinkers to become beer-curious about the microbrew world. It’s also the very first thing we put down our throats! Once libations were secured we started off on our burger way. I am going to refrain from my normal 10 ounce rating system, opting instead for just my thoughts and photos.

BOBBY’S BURGER PALACE
Chef Bobby Flay
http://www.bobbysburgerpalace.com/
Burger with crunchy blue corn tortilla chips, creamy cheese and pickled jalapenos.

Bobby Flay, the star of food and TV was standing behind his booth cooking, serving and greeting customers with a massive smile on his face. You could’t not want to approach say hi and grab a burger. It was almost like a burger combined with ballpark nachos and it was fantastic! The juicy, juicy beef literally melted on contact with my tongue while riding a creamy cheese wave. The intensity of the pickled jalapenos really pierced through the mild flavors of the cheese and beef. This one was going to be tough to beat!

On the way in Jamie reminded us not to eat the whole burger for risk of becoming too full and not being able to sample all the burgers. 2 bites into Bobby’s burger and I knew this rule was going to be thrown out the window. I sucked down the whole damn thing.

BILL’S BAR
Chef Brett Reichler
http://www.brguestrestaurants.com/restaurants/bills-bar-burger/
The Fat Cat – Griddled and pressed burger with caramelized onions and American cheese on an English Muffin with Crispy Tater Tots with Asiago and Rosemary.

Bill’s is a personal fave and the home to the first ever Burger Conquest Costume Burger Ball. These guys make a classic small patty burger and I was excited to see what they brought to the Bash. While I am a fan, George is a fanatic and almost ran over to the booth to get his clutches on their burger.

For a small patty, Bill’s has mastered the art of keeping a smaller patty very juicy. The burger was really good and I was glad to see they didn’t create some insanely topped burger and just went with an American standard, a cheese burger. Normally, I would do back flips for an English Muffin burger but the bread on this one was dense and a little too chewy. The tots however were pure carbohydrate bliss and I can not wait to get them again on my next trip to Bill’s.

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R.U.B. BBQ
Chef Scott Smith
http://www.rubbbq.com/
Burnt end burger with cheese, lettuce, onion, pickles and mustard on a roll with BBQ beans.

For a long time people would ask me “what’s your favorite burger in Manhattan” and I would ramble off anywhere from 3-10 different burgers that made the cut. Then I tried the R.U.B. Burger and my life changed. It is without a doubt, my favorite burger. I don’t know what kind of black magic Andrew Fischel and Scott Smith are using to create this ultimate treat but I don’t care. It’s only served on Monday nights starting at 6 and they have a limited quantity so don’t be late.

Andrew, always one to make sure to include laughter in his food had all kinds of punny R.U.B. signs and even a masseuse so burger eaters could “Rub one out.” Andrew, all smiles, jumped out from behind the table to give us all a warm greeting … and a burger!! HELLO GAME CHANGER! It was a juicy, fresh, hand made, freshly ground masterpiece that exploded in your mouth like a Cuban Missile. This was Jamie’s first R.U.B. BBQ and I watched his eyes pop out of his head and roll across the floor after his first bite.

THE DUTCH
Chef Andrew Carmellini
http://www.andrewcarmellini.com/site/the-dutch/
Chipotle Bacon Cheeseburger with Secret Sauce. All beef burger with chipotles, glazed bacon, cheddar cheese and tomato on a toasted bun. Server with a Maple Stout Float.I love me some bacon, I love me some spice and I love me some cheeseburger. I also love beer and stouts are the most treasured style in the beer-niverse. I was filled with food electricity and excitement to bite into a burger I had heard so much about. It would’ve been amazing but the stout float spilled in the tray, washing my burger in the float. It was a bold move that ultimately did not pay off. I saw this happen to several others after I experienced my own tragedy. I did like the flavors of what i was able to salvage but couldn’t really fully pass judgment.




MICHAEL’S GENUINE FOOD AND DRINK
Chef Michael Schwartz
http://www.michaelsgenuine.com/
Thick cut cheese burger with multiple slices of aged cheddar, thick bacon, lettuce and tomatoes.
While chatting with Motz and the controversial Josh Ozersky, 2 lovely folks from Michael’s walked up with a tray of their burgers. They were trying to hunt down Josh to get him to try their burger. Josh slid out the side of our convo and Michael’s Genuine was left holding burgers. Josh’s loss, our win. This was THE beefiest tasting burger I’ve had in a long time. The bacon could easily be described with one word; awesome. So good were the multiple slices of cheese that halfway through the burger, I had to stop and ask again what it was.
HAMPTONS BURGER BLOODBATH WINNER
Chef Mo Koyfman
http://www.mokoyfman.com/
The Momo Burger; American cheese, local tomato, and lettuce with bread-and-butter pickles. Served with hash browns.
It was the first I had ever heard of the Hampton’s Burger Bloodbath, a private, invite-only burger party held in on Long Island with celebrity chefs and judges. Next year, please invite me! Thank you.
For some reason, these guys had one of the most energetic and upbeat presentations at the party. Curious to try the burger of a champion, I grabbed one. Of all the burgers I had, this was the one that most tasted of grill flavors, a key taste element in backyard burger making. It was pretty good and I will need to do some more investigation into this party that I hope to attend next year. The hash browns were crunchy and greasy…a total win.

67 BURGER
Chef Jeffery Maslanka
http://www.67burger.com/
Beef patty grilled medium rare, crispy onion hay, garlic creamed spinach, with a horseradish sauce on a toaste bun. Served with Sweet Potato Fries.

Jeff is a rock and roll burger genius and makes one fantastic burger at his other restaurant, the Black Shack on Lex. It’s the only restaurant in the world that has a secret menu item that I conceived, the “Mayhem Burger.” 67 however, was the father restaurant to Jeff and Ed Tretter’s Black Shack. I’ve never eaten there and was curious to see the difference. Jeff is a certifiable madman in all the totally balanced and nothing to worry about ways. He is a super food nerd, beer can lover and rock and roll junkie. Hanging with him is just pure fun and it’s reflected in their restaurants.

Leave it to Ed and Jeff to serve the biggest, most rare, juiciest, softest and most outlandishly dressed, without going overboard, steak burger of the evening. If their was an award for the Manliest Burger at the Bash, this burger would’ve dominated the category. I don’t even like creamed spinach but after one bite, I couldn’t wait to get another. Damn. I love that they were the only participants, at least that I noticed, to include the burger temperature in the description of their offering. It was like watching a baseball player call his home run. The fries were the crispiest and warmest ones I had all night.

Goodonya guys, this was superb.
LURE FISH BAR
Chef Josh Capon
http://www.lurefishbar.com
Bash Burger, Griddled patty with caramelized onion, bacon jam, shaved pickles and secret sauce on a sesame seed bun. Served with Homemade Salt & Vinegar Chips.

Josh’s burger was the recipient of the coveted “People’s Choice” award at the 2009 Burger Bash. There was a lot of hype around this burger that comes from a seafood restaurant. Kyle and Brett from Burger Bedlam (http://www.bestburgernyc.com/) swear by this burger giving it the highest rating on their site, 98 out of 100. We have been threatening to get a burger together for some time now, so I thought it would be most appropriate to meet them at Lure.

Toppings were a little sour. The burger itself was a nice and thick patty. I had to 86 the pickles and the sauce was a little too sweet for me but the bacon jam as really unique. I don’t think I have heard those 2 words together before but they sound like the ultimate pork meets rock and roll party. The chips were buttery and crunchy. I loved them and I am one of those people who doesn’t really like potato chips with his burger. I’m gonna need to go get this at the restaurant.

HURRICANE CLUB
Chef Craig Koketsu
http://www.thehurricaneclub.com/
Their proprietary blend of chuck, brisket and short rib served on a toasted cheese bun with jack cheese, pickled jalapenos, labneh yogurt and their special fire eater sauce. Served with Sweet Potato Waffle Fries with Spiced Maple Cream.

At this point in the evening, all the censors in my stomach were sending “please stop” signals to my brain. I was full to the max and really just couldn’t put down another beefy treat. It was then that I ran into my pal Perry who was raving about the Hurricane Club burger. “Rev, you have to try it!” Suddenly, I found a burger pocket in my stomach that I could wedge a couple of bites into!

I’m glad I did! It was the most unique burger I had at the Bash. It was like eating Texas 2-alarm chili in burger form made from fresh and juicy high quality beef. It’s a spicy one and not for the weak! While Bill’s Tots, 67’s Sweet Potato Fries and Lure’s Potato chips were all darn tootin’ the Hurricane Club’s Sweet Potato Waffle Fries were my favorite side item of party. This is without a doubt going onto my burger radar for further research.
I had reached my tipping point and the thought of eating even one more burger bite sounded like the most dangerous of ideas. I walked around a bit hob-nobbing, meeting people and getting compliment after compliment on my Burger King gold chain. I pounded another beer while waiting for the awards ceremony to begin. Lee Schrager took the stage calling all chefs up to announce each of them to the crowd.

WINNERSHEINZ BEST DRESSED BURGER AWARD

 

(for the most creative use of toppings)
THE HURRICANE CLUB 

THE LAFRIEDA MEATS BURGERMEISTER AWARD
First place – SHAKE SHACK
2nd place tie between THE GREENHO– USE TAVERN and HAMPTONS BURGER BLOODBATH WINNER
3rd place – THE DUTCH 

Video of the presentation

THE BLUE MOON PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD

BOBBY’S BURGER PALACE
Video of the presentation

Which was my favorite burger? While 67 and Bobby had to phenomenal burgers, I have to say that once again, R.U.B. BBQ served up the best god damn burger one could ever hope for. IfI could’ve given the Burger Conquest Award for Most Glorious Burger, Andrew and Scott would walking out with a trophy.

It was a real treat to attend this Glorious Burger Event of the highest magnitude. My only complaints: not enough napkins, trash cans or bathrooms. I can’t wait to do it again next year…when I am even more “Burger Famous.” HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

I overheard people complaining about the award winners which is just plain silly. Every single burger at this party was a cut above the rest. It was a gathering of the greatest burgers in the the greatest town. Anyone who was in attendance was lucky to be eating all this fantastic food. The Shack is without a doubt one of the best burgers in NYC (and now in Miami too) and all the world. I have never been to Bobby’s Burger Palace but his burger offering was pretty damn good. As for The Hurricane Club, no one had better even try to argue that victory as they earned every single ounce of it.

WANTS TO EAT THIS!

-Rev

Posted in Best Burger in New York, Burgers, Gourmet Burgers, Hamburgers | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

4Food – Pee-Wee Herman Growing Boy Burger

Posted on 10/08/2010 by Rev

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

THE CONQUEST
When somebody tells me about some amazing fast food concoction like the Grill ‘Em All Truck Behemoth, served with grilled cheese buns, smoked cheddar, apple wood smoked bacon and beer soaked onions, the Vortex’s “Elvis,” a burger topped with bacon, cheese, fried bananas and peanut butter or even the KFC Double Down, two 100 percent all white meat chicken filets topped with cheese, bacon and the Colonel’s Sauce, well I get all excited and start to figure out when I can go eat these super-hero like mutant food concoctions. That is what they are meant to do. In fact, I can honestly say that an experience like this has never once inspired me to make the food I crave become more healthy. Such was not the case with Adam Kidron.

The story is best told by Adam himself in this animated short.

4food Promo from Adam Lukas on Vimeo.

With a daunting 140 million possible burger combination’s and a promise of de-junked fast food that was “fresh, nutritious, delicious, reasonably priced, made from natural ingredients and customizable to our taste,” my curiosity was certainly up on 4Food. On my first attempt at dining there, I learned something very, very quickly, if you are indecisive by nature, 4Food is going to confuse and intimidate you. As I approached the counter, my mind went blank and I couldn’t remember a single ingredient that I had wanted in my sandwich. Thankfully the counter servers are extremely patient and helpful.

I along with my co-workers John, Jason, Jessica and our clients, Bambino and Jason, carefully selected our burger and toppings in a calm fashion, remembering to breathe and take breaks where necessary. With so many customizable choices and a party of 6 our receipt ended up looking more like a mini-scroll, several feet in length!

A few moments later, our name was called “Burger Conquest your order is ready” and we were carrying our food down into the dining room, stopping only to see our Foursquare check ins and tweets @4FoodNYC displayed on their electronic wall.

THE BURGER
After much trepidation, I pulled my act together and ordered a breakfast sausage patty, Mac n cheese, lettuce, onions, sweet chili, pancetta and mozzarella on a whole grain bun, AKA the “BurgerConquest” bomb. While I was extremely tempted to go with a more traditional beef but the allure of a breakfast sausage burger was too enticing. Every item that was used to make the burger was as fresh and filled with flavor. I have to pat myself on the back in my selections as no one item dominated over the others. I mean seriously, could remove half the items and it would probably still be really good. My two favorite elements were the sweet and hot chili sauce and the creamy scoop of mac and cheese in the middle. Because it was only in the center of the sandwich, where the burger munchkin had been removed, it turned it into 2 sandwiches in one. The sausage patty had a sweeter, spicier and juicier than a beef patty would’ve have been and added to the uniqueness of the taste.

Curious about the munchkin burgers, I opted in to a 4Food slider as well. Sliders come with your choice of meat, 1 condiment with 1 scoop and 1 side as a side. Here was my chance to try the beef at 4Food! I ordered it topped with horseradish cream. The sliders come on tiny little bun and aren’t any bigger than 2-3 bites. Its certainly an interesting concept but truthfully, not the reason to come here. The tiny little patties are well done and a little dry but it’s tough to server such a small patty any other way. They aren’t bad but definitely play your hand with the full size burgers.

On the side I got both veggie chili and square roots. Square Roots are “4food’s French fry alternative. Idaho potatoes, sweet potatoes & purple potatoes are all diced into 1 inch by 1 inch cubes. Boiled in water seasoned with herbs, fresh garlic and spices then roasted for a very crunchy and tasty alternative to a deep fat fried French fry.” Man, do I love me some french fries but there is always an air of guilt in shoving and order of them into my mouth. With the Square Roots, that is gone and the best part, they taste great! The boiling process allows you to actually taste the potatoes unlike with french fries where you are really tasting the oil and frying process. By the time I had eaten through the 2 burgers and the roots, I didn’t have any room left whatsoever for veggie chili.


8 out of 10 ounces
-Rev


THE 2ND CONQUEST
About a week later after our visit to test drive out 4Food something interesting happened there. Renowned comedian and bizarre children’s TV show host Pee-Wee Herman walked in their front doors and had lunch. Pee-Wee most known for his “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse” TV show, was in NYC to promote the return of the Playhouse as a live Broadway show. Pee-Wee was walking around the city, saying hello to the locals, joining in pick-up basketball games , riding the NY Subway, and hanging out with fans. Suddenly the webiverse was crazy with twitpics and Pee-Wee sightings.

The entire day was a marketing tie in to Foursquare where devoted Pee-Wee fans, like myself, could friend him on the social network and then earn a “Pee-Wee Herman Show” badge by checking into the same locations as Pee-Wee himself. All you had to do was keep an eye on his twitter account as he was announcing his current location. Unfortunately I have one of those, what do you call them?? Oh yeah, day jobs, so I couldn’t jump up from my desk and go meet the man myself. Pee-Wee kept uploading photos of his adventure to his facebook account and when I saw the picture of him with the staff of 4Food, I was particularly bummed I couldn’t hop into a cab at that moment and have a Burger Conquest with one of my childhood idols.

Instead, I did the next best thing…using the burger menu at 4food.com, I created the (drum roll please…)

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.

THE BURGER
The sweet whole grain bun really draws a flavor perimeter around the whirlwind of tastes contained with. The starchy potatoes, the spiced chorizo and the tasty sopressata combine in a savory “I know you are but what am I?” battle around the saltiness of the smoked mozzarella cheese and the sweet heat from the chili sauce and onions. It’s actually a little surprising how much the mild potatoes really contribute to the taste sensation. The patty while having a clean, natural flavor is small. This means the patty is cooked to a medium well and a little more dry than I would prefer but nothing that would leave Cowboy Curtis hungry.

It’s truly a wonder to behold and certainly filled with enough protein and grains for a Growing Boy. This burger concoction runs the the gamut of tastes with a little from every column. It may sound a little like this burger was created by haphazardly picking toppings and garnishes when actually “I meant to do that.”

I ordered MultiGrain rice as my side, “brown rice, red rice and black rice are all cooked separately and combined in the amounts of 50% brown rice, 25% red rice and 25% black rice. Each rice is cooked in homemade vegetable stock, bay leaf and whole garlic. Salt and black pepper seasoning is added at the beginning of the initial cooking process so the end result is grains of rice that are seasoned from the inside out due to the flavorful seasoned liquid they are cooked in. Fresh chopped parsley is added on top as garnish.” I found it to be a little dry and slightly chewy but you can’t argue, bland is something it’s not! I loved the way it tasted. The truly unique and refeshing part of the meal was my beverage. I ordered a hibiscus soda and it was fantastic! Bubbly, sweet and not bad for you. If I had this growing up, I probably wouldnt be so addicted to soda!

My final thought on 4Food, it’s like all the most awesome burger toppings going at it in an old school WWF battle royale and your tongue is declared the winner.

THE NEXT BEST THING TO FINDING YOUR BIKE
Not only can you design your own burger on their website but you can also market and promote it. If your burger becomes a crowd pleaser, it is added to the suggestions menu at the restaurant. What exactly does that mean? You can go to 4Food yourself and get yourself The Burger Conquest Pee-Wee Herman “Growing Boy” Burger! Just ask for it by name or order online. Pee-Wee may not be willing to sell you his bike for all the money in the world. Not for a hundred million, trillion, billion dollars but this burger will only set you back $6.5o.


8 out of 10 ounces
-Rev


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Meatball Madness – Food Network New York Wine & Food Festival 2010

Posted on 10/07/2010 by Rev

Meatball Madness – Food Network New York Wine & Food Festival 2010
Winner announced!
http://www.nycwineandfoodfestival.com/2010/event_detail.php?id=1

The Food & Wine Festival is one of those things that sets the world’s biggest and busiest cities on it’s ear…or mouth! 2010 marks the 3rd annual run of this festival that donates 100 percent of the net proceeds from the string of events directly to benefit the hunger relief organizations Food Bank For New York City and Share Our Strength. I am told this year that they raised nearly 1 million dollars for food relief. Pretty spectacular. You can read more about the festival by visiting their website.
With more than 100 tasty events happening in 4 days I could see how difficult it would be to plot your eating adventure…unless you are me. Chances are I would probably enjoy every single event and talk about each of them for years and years to come. But I am a busy mofo and I have to pick and choose. I narrowed it down to only 2 events, the first of which is “San Pellegrino’s Meatball Madness presented by Eater.com hosted by Giada De Laurentiis” (the other is the Burger Bash but more on that later.)
I LOVE MEATBALLS!! Who doesn’t? So to say I was excited was a gross understatement. I arrived at la.venue, a for rent warehouse event center on the West side, just after the event had kicked off. After a quick check in at the press tent for my pass and a MASSIVE thank you to the super-fantastic folks at Robin Insley Associates for the hook and invite, I charged inside ready to shove hot balls into my mouth. (That’s what she said.)

I took a look at the event map only to realize that there were 44 meatballs being served that evening! I had to catch my breath. How the hell could I possibly eat that many meatballs or even narrow it down to choose? As I scanned the offerings one name kept appearing next to restaurant after restaurant, Pat LaFrieda Meats. Pat and family are the rock stars of the meat scene here in NY and by simply putting their name next to your restaurant, you are guaranteed patrons. That was enough for me! I set off on a mission to try and compare ALL of the LaFrieda made meatballs. I knew that would guarantee that every meatball I ate was in competition to be the winner.

KEY
Restaurant name
Meatball served
My thoughts

Let’s go!

Northern Spy Food Co
http://www.northernspyfoodco.com/
Fleishers Northern Heritage Pork Meatball with Marinara and Aged Sheep’s-milk Cheese.
A little sweet but really hardy and with a pepper accent. Great way to start!


Salumeria Rosi Parmacotto
http://www.salumeriarosi.com/
Meatballs
The most natural tasting meatball. Sauce very subtle. Sauce was equally creamy and subtle.

Peasant
http://www.peasantnyc.com/
Veal Ricotta Meatballs with Creamy Polenta.
You can really pick up the taste difference veal makes. Creamy polenta was worth serving on it’s own! The fresh spices tasted like came from a garden only moments before use.


Mia Dona
http://www.miadona.com/
Meatball Slider on Potato Foccacia with Cacciocavallo Cheese, Regular or Spicy.
Spicy! Heat actually intensifies after the bite slides down your throat. Cheese sauce is light and used very sparingly.


Ciano
http://www.cianonyc.com/
Roasted Veal Meatball with Black Truffle Glaze and Hermes Polenta.
Holy Moses! of course the meatball that’s practically named after me is amazing. Really deceiving the way its spiced. The polenta had a real down home comfort food goodness.

A Voce
http://www.avocerestaurant.com/
Ricotta Filled Meatballs with Calabrian Chili and Fennel.
Cheese lovers rejoice!! This one will knock your block off. Real beef flavor, great spices. Light sauce compliments and leaves breathing room.



Porter House New York
http://www.porterhousenewyork.com/
Sicilian Meatball with Pinenuts & Raisins.
Nothing wrong with a classic. This is he meatball your Grandma fed your parents and they now feed you. Didn’t taste the raisins and although the potato roll is one of the best, totally unnecessary.


Felidia
The “Naked” Ravioli Meatball with Spaghetti Squash.
They ran out so I did not get to sample.

Pulino’s Bar & Pizzeria
http://pulinosny.com/
Pepperoni Meatball
Oh my! That’s one intense meatball! You could order this on a pizza and hit two hunger birds with one ball!

Giada De Laurent
iis“
http://www.giadadelaurentiis.com/“
Meatballs La Pizzaiola served with Tomato-Basil Sauce.
Smaller sized meatball than most. Good taste but a little standard. I mean you wouldn’t be mad if you got it but after tasting all these other meatballs, you would understand.Winner!


The Meatball Shop
http://www.themeatballshop.com/
Spicy Pork Meatball with Spicy Sauce
This is one of 2 non-LaFrieda meatballs I ate. The Meatball Shop absolutely rules and is my absolute favorite place to eat when drunk. I probably go once or twice a month and have practically become part of the restaurant’s decor. The Spicy Pork / Spicy Sauce comb is a must upon every visit to the restaurant and that is exactly why they chose to serve it at the penultimate meatball party. Read an in depth review of the Meatball Shop on Burger Conquest.

I Trulli
http://www.itrulli.com/
Polplettine Wrapped in Pork Belly
This was the juiciest one so far. A very succulent meatball done in a very classic way. Great use of cheese. Mmmmmnn nummy.


Locanda Verde (Last year’s winners)
http://locandaverdenyc.com/
Lamb Meatball Sliders with Caprino and Pickled Cucumber.Really coarse meatballs which causes the flavor to have an impact like a punch in the jaw. There’s a reason they won last year. Yowza!


Accademia di Vino
http://www.accademiadivino.com/
ADV Meatballs
I don’t know what “ADV” stands for but I might take a stab with a delicious very! (I’m not serious, I know it’s the initials of the restaurant.) Big and thick meatball cooked in onions and peppers. A little chewy but nice flavor. (Sorry, I forgot to get a picture of this one.)


Quattro Gastronomia Italiana
http://www.trumpsohohotel.com/Food-And-Wine/Quattro.asp
Meatball Fingers
This wonder of meatball mystery is covered with a Foccacia Crust and stuffed with Prosciutto di Parma. This is the meatball that did me in! Truly awesome and not simple in anyway. This is a meatball for meatball nerds!

As much as I wanted to devour every other meatball offering in the room, my insides were having a full on protest. As the meatballs began to disappear and the evening began to wind up, it was time to announce a winner of the best meatball. Each patron of the event was given one wooden token from Eater for you to place in a plastic bin at each restaurant’s table, thus placing your vote. It was without a doubt a ridiculously hard decision to make because not one of them was bad. In fact, I thought for a moment that I had died and gone to meatball heaven!

It was the moment of truth, the crowning of the meatball champ. The votes were in, the judges made their final debates and a winner was named…

MIA DONA
Check out this fantastic video and photo from WorldRedEye

We’re they good? Most definitely. There is no way you could have possibly eaten them and not thought they were fantastic. But who did I vote for? You can probably guess this one.

THE MEATBALL SHOP
They were robbed. Every time I walked by their stand it was rammed packed with hungry eaters. Most of the competition here came from fancy restaurants with acclaimed, popular chefs who took one small item of their menus and specially made it for Meatball Madness. The Meatball Shop is more like the rock and roll band at a jazz concert and they were there to server the only thing they serve in their restaurant, meatballs. If you have eaten there, you agree with me, their meatballs are no freaking joke. If you don’t agree, I suggest you take your tongue to the doctor to be tested as it might be dead!

I thought for a moment about starting a micro site off this one called Meatball Conquest. I even spent some time researching and eating meatballs around NYC. After only a few times meatballing it up around the city, I realized one very important thing sure, I could do a meatball blog and probably never run out of great meatballs in NYC. BUT every single review would end the same way “…but it’s not as good as the Meatball Shop. So just take my word and go get some.

44 artisan meatballs. Each one as unique and different as the last but alas, not one of them went for what I would call the “gold,” a venison meatball. C’mon NYC!! That is a a formal challenge!!

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Grill ‘Em All Returns to NYC – Your Help Needed

Posted on 10/07/2010 by Rev

Brothers and Sisters of the Burger,

I’m proud to announce that Burger Maker and Burger Conquest are bringing Chef Ryan and Matt from The Grill ‘Em All Truck to NYC Oct 21-24 during the CMJ Marathon. As you all know, the guys just won “The Great Food Truck Race” on the Food Network. Their services in LA have been at a fever pitch since the show has aired. We are bringing them back to the city that won them the competition!

They are going to set up at several locations around the city and make their signature burgers for NYC. We aren’t bringing the truck as it’s a massive expense so that means we need kitchens! I’m looking for bars and restaurants that would want to participate in a pop-up celebrity chef burger service with Grill ‘Em All guys.

Know any bar, grill, restaurant or kitchen that would want to participate in what is going to be a media sensation? Any time of day is good especially nights.

Any takers or suggestions?

The buzz on this trip has been immense and we are bringing on a publicity and marketing company to help promote the events.

We are also looking for food supply, media ties and financial sponsors for the tour. We’ll make sure you get the bang for your buck! We will do whatever you want.

bookgrillemall@burgerconquest.com

Thanks. Hit me back and then let’s eat some amazing burgers from…

http://grillemalltruck.com

MOSH!!!!

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Snacky Tunes Interview – The Origin of Burger Conquest

Posted on 10/04/2010 by Rev

I had the pleasure of speaking with Greg from the Heritage Radio Network, Snacky Tunes radio program. Greg is one of the two people behind Finger On The Pulse NYC.

They have a fantastic 1 hour radio show, based in NYC that focuses on my 2 favorite things; food and music! The show runs every Monday at 2 pm EST but you can download past podcasts on iTunes or listen to them direction from the Snacky Tunes webpage. Check out episode #52 here to hear about the origin of Burger Conquest, Greg’s favorite burger, Ann’s Snack Bar in Atlanta, GA and more.

In the show I mention that I will be attending the New York City Food Network Wine & Food Festival, specifically the Blue Moon Burger Bash presented by Pat LaFrieda Meats with host Rachel Ray. The event is this Friday night and if you plan on attending hit me up so we can meet and eat!

-Rev

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Wing-Off 14 – The Finals – Wogie’s vs. Lansdowne Road vs. Bar-Coastal

Posted on 09/25/2010 by Rev

WING-OFF 14
THE FINAL WING-OFF!
WOGIE’S vs. LANSDOWNE ROAD vs. BAR-COASTAL

From the same people that bring you Burger Conquest, we bring you the New York City Wing-Off. A crew of men on a search for the best wing in NYC. Wing-Off judges solely on quality of the Medium and Hot wings only. Service, ambiance, beverage selection, price and other menus have no factor but they sure do count for a good time! Also, NO WOMEN ALLOWED!!

In January of 2007, 2 men had an argument over where to get the best hot wings in New York City. The debate grew intense and while an audience watched, they agreed to battle it out, wing vs. wing, to see who was right. Some rules were established, some friends were invited and some wings were eaten. In the end, everyone had so much fun that we decided to do it again, and again and again. Thus, the NYC Wing-Off was born.

It’s been years in the making with only one goal in mind, find the best medium and hot wings in NYC. Along the way we have had some fantastic wings, we’ve seen amazing wings be defeated by slightly more amazing wings and we were even invited into a kitchen to design our own wing recipe; “Don’t Stop Believin” sauce, we’ve donated to cancer research and now we can say, we have found the best hot wings in New York City.

The bracket challenge to crown a champion for the best medium and hot wings in the city was finally coming to a close. In the last 2 NYC Wing-Offs, we saw Croxley Ale House be defeated by Bar-Coastal and old favorite Lansdowne Road tie with Wogie’s. This meant a 3 way battle for the title. To commemorate the victory, the winner of the NYC Wing-Off was going to be awarded with the Burger Conquest Hot Golden Cock Trophy.

WING-OFF 14: Saturday, September 25, 2010

Wogie’s
http://www.wogies.com/
39 Greenwich Ave
(btwn Charle’s & Perry)
New York, NY 10014

Lansdowne Road
www.lansdowneroadnyc.com
599 10th Ave (Btwn 43rd and 44th St)
New York, NY 10036-3008

Bar-Coastal
www.barcoastal.com
1495 1st Ave (at 78th St)
New York, NY 10075-1355

WOGIE’S

Wogie’s beat out Town Tavern in WING-OFF 7 to advance into the final round where they placed on par with Lansdowne Road in WING-OFF 13. Today, there would be no room for ties as a winner had to be named. Aaron Hoffman, the owner and wing magician behind Wogie’s joined us for this momentous occasion. It was a beautiful Sunny afternoon and we decided to take up the entire Wogie’s outdoor patio.

After a couple of warm up drinks, the wings came out. Wogie’s is famous for their salt & pepper wing and it is crispy and awesome. Ask for a side of the hot and dip those suckers in for extra yum factor. You all know by now that we only judge based on medium and hot wings but that doesn’t mean we can’t order other flavors! But onto the competition

Wogie’s wings are very buttery which most certainly defines the flavor. They are crunchy, hot, savory, really good quality wings. The difference between mediums and hots was very little and was possibly going to hurt them in the tournament. None the less, Wogie’s definitely put their best foot forward and it was obvious that this was not going to be an easy match to call.

LANSDOWNE ROAD

Scruffy Duffy’s had the Wings that started the war. When they closed down, newcomer sports bar, Lansdowne Road picked up the tradition adding “Scruffy’s Wings” to their menu. They were the reigning champ of Wing-Off and were even retired from the competition. It seemed as though they could not be bested.

We grabbed a table in the back, asked for some beers and placed the wing order. The friendly staff at Lansdowne Road were happy to accommodate and the wings came up form the kitchen faster than any of us expected. Scruff Duffy’s wings were definitely spicier than those at Wogies. However, the wings were a little on the dry side. It was a meatier wing indeed and the heat from the hot definitely lingers on the tongue, a sign of a great wing. Unfortunately there was a bad distribution of sauce, leaving some saucier than others. No doubt this would handicap these otherwise delicious hot wings.

BAR-COASTAL

Bar-Coastal, a late comer in the Wing-Off bracket challenge has dominated in every battle they have taken on. When Bar-Coastal went head to head with. Brother Jimmy’s BBQ and The Back Page Sports Bar in WING-OFF 10, no one saw it coming. 2 NYC Wing-Off’s later, Bar-Coastal bested the East Village’s Croxley Ale House. Their Atomic Wing origin proved the name still meant quality to the NYC wing market.

Bar-Coastal’s wings were cooked appropriately; not too crunchy, not too chewy and with a lot of savory meat. They are also well bathed in wing sauce. Both the hot and mediums have a nice tang to the bite. There is a reason Bar-Coastal made it to the finals and it’s attention to detail in making quality wings.

We also munched down on the very popular “Kerry’s Way” wing, a mix of honey mustard, BBQ and traditional buffalo sauces that is just tantalizing. Another crowd favorite, the amazing and spicy Jerk sauce wings. Even though we were full to the brim, Jason, the owner of Bar-Coastal, insisted we try the newest addition to their wing family, “porkers.” Had I not eaten them myself, I would’ve never believed a pork wing was a real thing. Prepared in the Kerry’s Way sauce is makes this already unique food time amazing. But again….we only judge on hot and medium!


WING-OFF 14 OFFICIAL WINNER
– HOME OF THE BEST HOT WINGS IN NYC
– BAR-COASTAL!
Burger Conquest is proud to announce Bar-Coastal as the best medium and hot wings in NYC. The vote although very hard to make was unanimous. Owner Jason Catlin was awarded the Burger Conquest Hot Golden Cock trophy to signify their victory. Jason is what makes this place so good. Every single wing that comes out of his kitchen is made with precision, care and love. Serving an amazing wing is something intrinsically important to Jason. It’s the reason Bar-Coastal is always so busy.

On behalf of everyone that has participate in the NYC Wing-Off, we are proud to say Bar-Coastal has the best medium and hot wings in NYC.

So now what? This battle has taken place for many years and there is no way we are going to stop having the NYC Wing-Off, we are just going to reinvent it. So stay tuned until next time when we up the Wing-Off ante.

A massive, massive thank you to all the restaurants and bars that have stuffed us full of wings for years now. There wasn’t a bad wing in the bunch and we’ve enjoyed every single bite. On behalf of all my fellow Wing-Offers, we tip our hats off to all of you.

WING-OFF HISTORICAL

WING-OFF 1
January 28, 2007
Scruffy Duffy’s vs. Atomic at Down the Hatch
WINNER: SCRUFFY DUFFY’S

Scruffy Duffy’s
www.scruffyduffys.com
743 Eighth Avenue
(between 46th & 47th)
New York, NY 10036

Atomic at Down the Hatch
http://www.nycbestbar.com/downthehatch/
179 W. 4th St
New York, NY

WING-OFF 2
June 3rd, 2007
Scruffy Duffy’s vs Blondie’s
WINNER: SCRUFFY DUFFY’S

Scruffy Duffy’s
www.scruffyduffys.com
Scruffy Duffy’s 743 Eighth Avenue
(between 46th & 47th)
New York, NY 10036

Blondies’s
www.blondiessports.com
212 W 79th St
(Between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway)
New York, NY 10024-6225

WING-OFF 3
September 11, 2007
Mudville 9
http://www.mudville9.com/
126 Chambers St
(Btwn Church and W.Broadway)
New York, NY 10007
Phone: (212) 964-WING

WING-OFF 4
January 20, 2008
Scruffy Duffy’s at Lansdowne Road vs. Texas Arizona
WINNER by disqualification, SCRUFFY DUFFY’S

Lansdowne Road
www.lansdowneroadnyc.com
599 10th Ave (Btwn 43rd and 44th St)
New York, NY 10036-3008

WING-0FF 5
June 27, 2008
Lansdowne Road vs. Croxley Ale House vs. 1-2-3 Burger Shot Beer
WINNER: SCRUFFY DUFFY’S

Lansdowne Road
www.lansdowneroadnyc.com
599 10th Ave (Btwn 43rd and 44th St)
New York, NY 10036-3008

Croxley Ale House
www.croxley.com
28 Avenue B
New York, NY

123 Burger Shot Beer
www.123burgershotbeer.com
738 10th Avenue
New York, NY

WING-OFF 6
October 6th, 2008
Scruffy’s Retirement Party at Lansdowne Road

Lansdowne Road
www.lansdowneroadnyc.com
599 10th Ave (Btwn 43rd and 44th St)
New York, NY 10036-3008

WING-OFF 7
TOWN TAVERN vs. WOGIE’S
WINNER; WOGIE’S

Town Tavern
http://www.towntavernnyc.com/
134 West 4th St
(at MacDougal)
New York, NY 10012

Wogie’s
http://www.wogies.com/
39 Greenwich Ave
(btwn Charles & Perry)
New York, NY 10014

WING-OFF 8
BLIND TIGER ALE HO– USE vs. THUNDER JACKSON’S
WINNER; Both DQ!

Blind Tiger Ale House
http://blindtigeralehouse.com/
281 Bleecker St (@ Jones St)
New York, NY

Thunder Jackson’s
http://www.thunderjackson.com
169 Bleecker St (@ Sullivan St)
New York, NY 10012

WING-OFF 9
Tuesday, August 4th
Johnny Utah’s VS. Point Break (formerly Nation)
WINNER: POINT BREAK
EX-PRESIDENTIAL RUBBER MASKS ENCOURAGED!

Johnny Utah’s
www.johnnyutahs.com
25 W 51st St (Between 5th and 6th Aves)
New York, NY 10019-6902
(212) 265-8824

Point Break
http://pointbreaknyc.com/
12 W 45th St (Between 5th and 6th Aves)
New York, NY 10036-4202
(212) 391-8053

WING-OFF 10
Saturday, November 21st, 2009
Bar-Coastal vs. Brother Jimmy’s BBQ vs. The Back Page Sports Bar
WINNER: BAR-COASTAL

Bar-Coastal
www.barcoastal.com
1495 1st Ave (at 78th St)
New York, NY 10075-1355
(212) 288-6635

Brother Jimmy’s BBQ
www.brotherjimmys.com
1485 2nd Ave (at 77TH St)
New York, NY 10075-2001
(212) 288-0999

The Back Page Sports Bar
http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/7175125/new_york_ny/the_back_page.htm
1472 3rd Ave (Btwn 83rd and 84th)
New York, NY 10028-1967
(212) 570-5800

WING-OFF 11
Sunday, February 28th, 2010
The Wing Bar vs.Bonnie’s Grill
WINNER: BONNIE’S GRILL

The Wing Bar
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-wing-bar-brooklyn
275 Smith St (between Degraw St & Sackett St)
Brooklyn, NY 11231

Bonnie’s Grill
http://brooklyn.citysearch.com/profile/7356065/brooklyn_ny/bonnie_s_grill.html
278 5th Ave (1st Street)
Brooklyn, NY 11215

WING-OFF 12
Saturday, May 22nd, 2010
The Final 4, Part 1 – Bar-Coastal vs. Croxley Ales
WINNER; BAR-COASTAL

Bar-Coastal
www.barcoastal.com
1495 1st Ave (at 78th St)
New York, NY 10075-1355
(212) 288-6635

Croxley Ale House
www.croxley.com
28 Avenue B
New York, NY
212-253-6140

WING-OFF 13
Sunday, May 23rd, 2010
The Final 4, Part 2 – Wogie’s vs. Lansdowne Road
WINNER; DECLARED A DRAW

Wogie’s
http://www.wogies.com/
39 Greenwich Ave
(btwn Charles & Perry)
New York, NY 10014

Lansdowne Road
www.lansdowneroadnyc.com
599 10th Ave (Btwn 43rd and 44th St)
New York, NY 10036-3008

WING-OFF 14
The Finals – Wogie’s vs. Lansdowne Road vs. Bar-Coastal
WINNER; BAR-COASTAL

Wogie’s
http://www.wogies.com/
39 Greenwich Ave
(btwn Charle’s & Perry)
New York, NY 10014

Lansdowne Road
www.lansdowneroadnyc.com
599 10th Ave (Btwn 43rd and 44th St)
New York, NY 10036-3008

Bar-Coastal
www.barcoastal.com
1495 1st Ave (at 78th St)
New York, NY 10075-1355

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White Mana – What To Do When You Have To Go To New Jersey

Posted on 09/24/2010 by Rev

White Mana
http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/6671994/jersey_city_nj/white_mana.html
470 Tonnele Avenue
Jersey City, NJ 07307

THE BURGER
Much like most of the people who moved into NYC, I too got rid of my car years ago. It’s a pain in the butt, time consuming money pit and unless you are loaded with moola, it’s just too much to deal with to have a car here. That does mean however, that if I need to go somewhere that isn’t near a train station, I have to rent a car. With a wife, family upstate and a burning desire to get the hell out of the rat race every once in awhile, I end up with a lot of rental cars. For this, I prefer to use Hertz. They’re reliable, good cars and most importantly, the closest car rental company to my apartment. I also like their Connect By Hertz service which allows you to rent a vehicle by the hour for one price that includes gas and tolls.

I woke up on this day in particular to discover I had to make a mandatory trip into New Jersey. Having lived in NJ for nearly a decade before migrating into Manhattan, I am grossly familiar with the pros and cons of the state. Amazing how once you leave it, the balance tips even more towards the cons. One thing that makes a trip into NJ much more tolerable is the food. Being so close to a mecca like NYC, there are some decent eats out there in the Garden State. One of my favorites and only 10 minutes from the Lincoln Tunnel is the White Mana in Jersey City, NJ.

Nothing like an old standard. This is the burger that became a legend. Originally opened in 1939 at the NY World’s Fair, it was named after the Biblical food “manna” (sometimes spelled “mana.”) According to Wikipedia; “the name of a food that God provided for the Israelites during their travels in the desert as recorded in the Bible. It was said to be sweet to the taste. It is narrated in the hadith Sahih Muslim that the Muslim prophet Muhammad said “Truffles are ‘manna’ which Allah, sent to the people of Israel through [Musa], and its juice is a medicine for the eyes.” This is the original White Mana, not to be confused with the one on Hackensack, NJ with an unexplained extra “n” in it’s name.

The Mana is open 24 hours a day and while there is never a bad time to go there, 2-3 am is usually ram packed with people who have just been kicked out of bars and have the munchies. It can get really busy. I will say however, that the enjoyment one gets from eating the burgers here increases when inebriated, even a little bit. That was not the case on this Friday afternoon excursion into New Jersey where I just needed a little beefy reprieve.

THE CONQUEST
The sliders are served on a fluffy white bun, with 1 slice of American cheese and a small patty made from a smash ball of ground beef, flat griddled with onions. The crispy fries make nice appetizer as they usually arrive before your burgers. I heavily suggest a cup of grape drink to wash down your meal. I don’t really enjoy sweet beverages but there is something extra special about this one. It will remind you fondly of your childhood. There’s about a dozen seats all set in a semi-circle around the grill man.

One of the best parts of the Mana is watching the cook prepare the burgers. When they’re busy, he’ll have an army of burgers cooking in onion juices. If you can go at an off hour, you can get burgers right away, without the wait and carefully prepared sliders. However there is one advantage to a busy grill, the burgers cook in more juices and onions to give you that real slider experience. Unlike your A-typical slider, these aren’t greasy as the juices are sealed inside.

I will admit that it’s been awhile since my last visit to the Mana, and it seems they have changed buns. This felt bigger than in the past, creating a disproportionate bun to beef ratio, in favor of the bun. I also remember the patios being juicier but perhaps it’s the larger bun sucking up all the grease. Regardless, it’s still a classic, it’s a legend, it delicious and if you haven’t had them yet, head over and get 3, 6, 10 or as many as you can handle.


7 out of 10 ounces
-Rev


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Get Burger Famous Free Sonic Burgers and Blankets

Posted on 09/23/2010 by Rev

Sonic Drive-In
http://www.sonicdrivein.com

I love this website. It’s all one big hilarious laugh to me. It was never intended to be anything more than eating burgers with my friends and telling some silly stories. The fact that I get invited out to eat burgers, meet people and get to be on TV is a total gas. I joke all the time, and it comes more true everyday, I am becoming more and more Burger Famous.

But hey, my gain is your gain! I eat a burger and tell you if it’s worth your time or not. Once in awhile I get treated to something special that I get to pass it along to my fellow burgers eaters. I got an email this week from a representative from Drive-Thru burger chain Sonic Drive-In. Rather than paraphrase, I’ll give it to you just like it came to me.

**
Tailgating before a football game is an All-American tradition. SONIC is proud to introduce the bold Western Chili and Spicy Southwest Loaded Burgers to make any game day experience complete. These hearty, 100% pure beef burgers come loaded with toppings like crisp bacon, warm chili, crispy batter dipped jalapeño strips, fresh tomato and a perfectly sized bun.

We’d like to send you a $100 MySONIC gift card and an exclusive SONIC tailgate blanket so you can treat your fellow football fans to delicious pre-game fare at SONIC Drive-In.

To let your readers in on the action, we’ll also provide you some giveaway items:
* A tailgate package of a $100 MySONIC gift card and tailgate blanket
* A runner-up prize of a $25 MySONIC card and a tailgate blanket

In accordance with FTC guidelines and in the spirit of the Blog With Integrity pledge we encourage the bloggers we work with to fully disclose that the products they are reviewing and/or giving away were provided to them at no charge by SONIC Drive-In.
**

I replied with hell yes and a day later this arrived in my office:

It is a damn nice official Sonic Drive-In genuine pro-weave sweatshirt blanket and a $100 gift card to any Sonic Drive-In. Looks like its time for me to rent a car and head out to 1 of their 5 locations in New Jersey!

So here’s the deal. I’ll give two readers a little taste of Burger Fame but you gotta do something in return. “Like” Burger Conquest on facebook and make a wall post on the page telling me how much you love Burger Conquest.I will pick the 2 most creative posts to win the 2 prizes listed above.

You can score and automatic TRUMP VICTORY of either prize if you promise to pick me up and drive me out to a Sonic Drive-In. You can bring as many friends as you want and we can spend up to the entire amount of the card.

Winners will be chose on Tuesday, October 5th at 6 pm EST.

Got it?

GO!

-Rev

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brgr Upper East Side Launch – A Bittersweet Bite

Posted on 09/22/2010 by Rev

brgr
http://brgr.com
1026 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10065

brgr UES launch–sample grass-fed beef burgers and meet the farmers

THE CONQUEST
One of the reasons I got myself into the music business as my day job; I love working behind the scenes, helping artists and being the first to hear, see, meet, learn about new music. It’s a blessing and a curse for a music junkie. When I get to help out a band I love, like Alice In Chains, it’s amazing. However, it does ruin a little of the mystique and change the fan experience. Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do and wouldn’t trade it for the world.

I’ve been pretty careful not to let similar factors change my experience in the world of food. This is nothing more than a fun hobby and identity which pays off in delicious food. Let me very blunt about this, I have no shame in the food game. Promise me free food or give me a look behind the scenes and I will respond with positive reviews and updates. I’m not out to prove journalistic integrity or uphold some corporate responsibility to maintain secrecy in my approach. I am a press whore and will do anything for a restaurant that does something for me. Having said that, everything I write on here is absolutely, 100% representative of my feelings and all ratings reflect my real opinion.

..but I will always accept a free burger!

That’s exactly what happened on September 22, 2010. I received an invite from NYC local grass-fed burger specialists, brgr to attend the launch of their Upper East Side location.

“Who: brgr, the home of the 100% grass-fed beef burger, invites you to join us for the opening of our new Third Avenue Restaurant. Meet brgr CEO Steve Leicht, along with John Wood, the founder and head farmer of grass-fed beef purveyor U.S. Wellness Meats, and Rick Osofsky, farmer for New York State’s Ronnybrook Farms Dairy.

What: brgr is growing and we want you to celebrate with us! Our new Third Avenue restaurant has the same delicious grass-fed burgers and fresh milkshakes that have made our Seventh Avenue restaurant a Chelsea favorite. Sample the burgers, the milkshakes, and the fries; check out the new space; learn about the grass-fed difference; and meet the people behind the food

Why:
Because you’ll find out that grass-fed beef can taste good and be good for you. Because you’ll get to meet a couple of real, live life-long farmers who will talk to you about how their farming practices are better for you, for the environment, and for the animals. And, really, how often do you get to meet the people who actually made and produced your food? And drink while doing it?”

That’s good enough reason for me to come out and bring a couple members of the Burger Conquest “Team Burger.” I’ve reviewed brgr in the past on a visit I made with Aaron, from the band The Almost. It’s a damn tasty burger with a great concept. brgr serves grass-fed burgers because, according to them, they taste better, are healthier and better for the environment. Plus owner Steve Leicht is a damn nice guy and even once offered to send me burgers when I was laid up in the hospital. What brgr didn’t know is just how special this occasion was to me, but more on that later.

Due to traffic delays caused by dignitaries at the United Nations (grrrrrr), Jackie and I arrived 45 minutes late for the event where Bram and Buckshot were waiting for us. We walked in right as Steve, John and Rick were giving their heartfelt presentation about the care that goes into maintaining the quality of their products. I’ll skip the paraphrasing and deliver the message exactly as it was presented that evening.

“Our grass-fed beef brgrs aren’t just good for you and the planet, they’re also just plain good! Enjoy yours pure and simple or topped with such fresh gourmet toppings as Roquefort, Gruyere and Cheddar cheese, Haas avocado and herb mayonnaise.

Or try our equally great-tasting natural turkey brgr and garden veggie brgr. All pair deliciously well with sides of russet potato fries, sweet potato fries and onion hay. Top it all off with one of our award-winning milkshakes made with farm-fresh milk and ice cream that contain no hormones, antibiotics or additives. “

THE BURGER
That evening, at the private event, all menu items were available for free. We could have as much or as little as possible. While part of me wanted to order one of everything, I thought that would be wasteful and not at all in line with brgr’s concept. Instead I selected just 2 brgrs and 1 side to order;

1. THE RAINFOREST BRGR / Beef Patty + Gruyere + Avocado + Herb Mayonnaise + Lettuce + Tomato

2. THE FRESH MORNING BRGR / Beef Patty + American Cheese + Fried Egg + Thousand Island Dressing + Grilled Onions + Lettuce + Tomato

3. The Trio / Russet Fries + Sweet Potato Fries + Onion Hay

While I waited for the food to be cooked, I met John Wood from US Wellness Meats to learn more about his company’s beef prep techniques. I also got a chance to say hello to Steve who profusely thanked us for coming and spread his praise for our silly website. With little delay, the food order was up and I was ready to eat.

I started with the Fresh Morning brgr. Aside of cheese, my favorite topping on a burger is an egg and when I saw that on the menu, I had to try. After a bite or two, Steve came over and asked for my thoughts on the brgr. When I told him “its’ really good. You can taste the freshness in the beef and it’s distinct flavor is truly delicious. I love the egg. It was prepared just right! Most places over cook and fry the egg but this one was juicy and creamy without being runny.” “All of our eggs are organic,” said Steve as he began talking about how they make their brgrs. The guy has a lot of pride and its shows in the food. While I don’t love thousand island dressing, I will say the sweetness of the sauce and the grilled onions, compliment the saltiness of the beef and cheese. The leaf lettuce is fresh and crispy and if you love yourself like I love me, you’ll order your sandwich on one of brgr’s fresh, soft and tasty whole wheat buns.

Up next, the Rainforest Brgr. Using the same tasty beef patty and yummy whole wheat bun as the basis of the burger, leaving room for the toppings to work their magic. The avocado tastes as though it was picked that morning and is very fresh and creamy. The Gruyere is a very savory cheese that adds but does not take control of the sandwich’s flavor. I’m not a mayo fan but everyone once in awhile will add it to my burger when it’s a house specialty. I’m glad I did for this one because the dominant taste is the herbs, not the mayonnaise. They add a subtle taste difference to the brgr.

I love french fries. I also love sweet potato fries and onion rings. What I love even more is when I can order all 3!! Oh man, ask Jackie, these things are addictive! Hot, juicy, crispy and oh sooooo savory. Jackie was having trouble stopping herself from eating the entire basket. Be sure to get The Trio as the mix offerings all work to compliment each other.

Nothing say
s you care like attention to detail and that is most certainly the case with Steve and brgr. From the decorative walls telling the story to the extremely clean bathrooms and the floor made to look like grass, everything about brgr, beyond the food, calls attention to style, care and design. It’s great and you will love it. On the way out we were handed a gift bag containing a brgr shirt, $10 gift certificate and 3 of the most delicious cookies I have ever eaten in my life. If there is such a thing as grass-fed crack cocaine, it’s in these cookies. It’s a sweet, oatey, chocolaty and sturdy but not crunchy adventure in desserts. I brought them home where my wife Cara and I devoured every amazing bite.


8 out of 10 ounces
-Rev




Now, what Steve and crew did not know was the special nature of this Conquest. This was to be Jackie’s last Burger Conquest as she was moving to Los Angeles only a few days later. I have had the pleasure of working with Jackie and calling her one of my friends for 8 plus years. She is by far one of the nicest, most generous and fun loving people I have ever known. Jackie’s hard work and dedication helped to make our company, Yeah! Management, what it is today. Anyone who has ever met Jackie knows she is as high quality a person as a brgr! It is with a heavy heart that I wish Jackie all the best in her new life as she is one of my favorite people in the world. Other than my wife, Jackie has been on more Burger Conquests than any other friend of mine. You’ll be missed my burger eatin’ pal but the West coast better look out! The delicious burgers in South Cali have no idea what’s in store for them.

Jackioalltrades,

I love ya lots and look forward to eating with you in the burger capital of the West. May the beef be with you.

And now for a special announcement, meeeehhhhhh

– Rev
P.S. Handbook









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