2nd Ave Deli vs Kat’z Deli Food Wars – Who Eats Pastrami at 8 in the Morning?

Posted on 04/21/2010 by Rev

2nd Ave Deli
http://www.2ndavedeli.com
162 East 33rd Street
New York, NY 10016

Katz Deli
http://www.katzdeli.com
205 East Houston Street
New York, NY 10002-1098

THE CONQUEST
Back in early March I got asked to participate in the taping of the new Travel Channel show, Food Wars featuring my good pals in the Grill ‘Em All Burger truck. The episode has yet to air but will very soon. Since the taping, other episodes featuring battles between famous food landmarks all over the US have gone down. Yesterday’s episode finally had the show come here to NYC for a battle of pastrami sandwiches. The war pitted Katz’s Deli against 2nd Ave Deli for the title of best pastrami sandwich in New York.

Katz’s Deli, opened in 1888 and achieved world-wide fame from a scene in featuring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan in the movie “When Harry Met Sally.” Katz’s is the original and the place that created and defined NY Deli pastrami sandwich. Using a recipe that’s over 121 years old, they dry cure their meat, preparing every single thick-cut slice by hand. The process creates a smokey, juicy, pepper rubbed slice of delicious pastrami.

More than half a decade later, the 2nd Ave Deli popped onto the pastrami scene in 1954 about 12 blocks away in NYC’s Greenwich village. Unaffordable rents caused them to move in 2007 to their current location at 33rd St Street and 3rd avenue. The 2nd Ave Deli serves their specially seasoned pastrami thinly sliced like you would get deli meat for sandwiches. They’re recipe does not call for a pepper rub like Katz’s, choosing to focus more on the natural beef flavors. While the 2 delis are no longer “close” the rivalry is still hot.

While watching the 2 deli’s battle it out for the title, a hunger began to grow deep in my belly. During the broadcast I tweeted “Watching NYC Pastrami battle on @Food_Wars & said to @hellskitten “I would get in a cab right now if you wanted Katz.” I was absolutely serious. Thankfully Cara was able to keep me planted in the house.

But we all know, you can’t keep a hungry man down!!! So, while out on my early morning bike ride (AKA “revrides2010”) I decided to stop by both for a Burger Conquest signature “left hand grab,” “Bike Famous” photo. Katz’s was unfortunately closed at 7:45 AM but 2nd Ave Deli was open. My hunger got the best of me and let curiosity killed the cow.

THE PASTRAMI
Let me start by saying, if you want to get a great deli meal without being bothered by anyone else, hit 2nd Ave Deli in the AM. I was the ONLY person in the place, allowing general manager, Steve Cohen to not only wait on me but strike up some friendly conversation.

I had intended to get a pastrami omelet since it was early AM but there was no denying my fave order – 1/2 pastrami sandwich and chicken motzoh ball soup. Moments later Steve returned with a piping hot bowl of soup complete with noodles, carrots, dill and one big honking matzoh ball. The soup came in a metal ladel which Steve poured over the contents right in front of me. With no delay I began to slurp up the overflowing bowl of hot goodness. All the flavors in the soup were very mild but danced nicely around each other so as not to overpower any one particular taste. Without a doubt, some of the best Matzoh soup I’ve ever had in this great city.

Steve asked if I wanted to finish it before he brought out the sandwich. I told him to please not delay…I wanted my pastrami! In less than a New York moment, a large pile of thinly sliced pastrami between 2 slices of fresh rye bread arrived accompanied by a vat of 2nd Ave Deli mustard. As much as I love mustard on my pastrami sandwich, I made sure to try a bite without. The rye was fresh and soft with a sturdy yet not too hard crust. The meat was so thinly sliced that it looked like Irish bacon. One bite revealed a naturally juicy, cured-beef flavor. As much as I tried to go it slow, I plowed through the sandwich in only a few bites. It’s a damn good sandwich well worth it’s weight in channukah gelt.

While I made my way through the food, I had a chance to chitchat with Steve. We talked about the difference in my neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen now and back in the 60s. We did the same for my hometown of Detroit. Steve inquired about my profession and when I told him I was in the music business, his eyes lit up. “You have to check out this local group Ravens and Chimes. They’re very hard working, handle all of their booking and are quite a good group.” He went as far as to write down the band’s name next to his own on a 2nd Ave Deli business card that he handed to me. Thanks Steve, I did check them out and I dig it. By telling me about them, you just made Ravens and Chimes Burger Famous!

I had never been to 2nd Ave Deli before so this was a first. However, I am a huge fan of Katz’s. It’s a New York staple and one I try to hit a couple of times of year. I pulled out pictures from my last visit this past January 29, 2010 so you could have a side by side photo comparison. Unfortunately the picture quality is not the same as I have since upgraded my blackberry.

Left = 2nd Ave Deli pastrami sandwich / Right = Katz’s Deli pastrami sandwich

Left = 2nd Ave Deli Matzoh ball soup / Right = Katz’s Deli Matzo ball soup

So who has the best pastrami sandwich in New York? They’re both fantastic and worth your staging your own Food War over. You can also tune into the episode of “Food Wars” on the Travel Channel to see which “officially” won. If you’re asking me who I think wins…the answer is ME!

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Yankee Stadium – 27 Victories, 5 Burgers, 3 Steak sandwichs and 2 Opening Days

Posted on 04/14/2010 by Rev

Yankee Stadium
http://www.yankees.com/
Johnny Rockets
http://www.johnnyrockets.com

44 E 161st St
Bronx, NY 10451

THE CONQUEST
Something amazing happened in 2009. The New York Yankees went on to win their 27th World Series Championship and we celebrated with burgers. Prior to that victory, I went on a conquest to find the best burger in the new stadium. 4 burgers later and the season had come to end. Thinking I had come to the end of my journey, I returned for the 2010 season home opening game NOT expecting to eat burgers.

Sonny, Omar, Eddie, Hector, Maggie, Cara, Dawn, Paul and I began our visit to The Bronx started with a couple of beers at the world famous Stan’s Sports Bar. A mainstay of the Yankee’s fan, Stan’s is located just across the street from the stadium and is guaranteed to be jammed to the rafters on game day. Not for the rainy day fan or weak of heart, chants like “Red Sox Suck” will erupt out of nowhere at Stan’s. While at Stan’s on game day, remember, New Yorkers may be aggressive but we’re also polite so be sure you are too!



We hurried into the stadium as this being the Yankee’s home opening game, the team was going to hold their championship ring ceremony before the first pitch. Assisted by baseball legends Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford, Yankee’s manager Joe Girardi handed out a 2009 championship ring to each member of the team. The last man to receive a ring, Hideki Matsui who was the World Series MVP but now was a member of the games visiting team, the Anaheim Angels. Despite no longer being a part of the club, Matsui was cheered on by the fans in what was an amazing standing ovation. It was an amazing event to be a part of and truthfully, I did get a little teary eyed.



Once the ceremony was over, it was on to my favorite part…THE FOOD!! As I said earlier, I had assumed my burger conquesting of Yankee stadium as over but I was incorrect. When it comes to burgers, I love it when I am wrong. Right behind out section there was a Johnny Rockets. More commonly known as 1950s Americana throwback burger diner, Johnny Rockets has locations all over the world, including Yankee Stadium. Now Johnny Rockets claims that all burgers are fresh and hand pressed although that seems like a pretty difficult notion for a baseball stand, we’ll grant them the benefit of the doubt for now.

THE BURGER
The burgers served at the Johnny Rockets’ locations in Yankee stadium are not made to order, like they are at the regular locations. Something I had to keep in mind while eating and then reviewing my burger. With such high volume dealing, burgers are made, wrapped in foil paper and placed under a heat lamp where they wait to be ordered. They don’t sit for long due to high attendance of hungry baseball fans. After waiting in line for my burger, I unwrapped it and ate right away, finishing almost the whole thing before getting back to my seat. Sad to say, the burger was room temperature at best. The beef was juicy and had a good taste but it was well done. It’s hard to do anything less with such a thin patty and high volume dealing so I won’t hold that against the hamburger. The sesame seed covered white bun was soft, squishy and a decent option to hold it all together. While the bun to patty ratio was really good, the onion to burger ratio was way off. I felt like I was eating an onion burger with a beef topping! As much as I do love onions, it was way over board. The shining beacon of the burger was the slice of American cheese. I know that sounds funny but it was a full flavored, thicker than average slice and added some serious taste to the sandwich. If they can figure out how to serve them hot, I would most certainly eat another.


6 out of 10 ounces
-Rev



OTHER DIGESTIONS
Kosher Potato Knish – 7 out of 10
Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog – 7 out of 10
Carl’s Cheese steak wit, extra whiz – 8 out of 10
Nathan’s Famous Cheese Fries – 8 out of 10


ONLY IN NEW YORK
Passing in front of us to get to his seat was a man with a fistful of sauce. There was a serious debate between us and some others in our section as to what was this mystery condiment. I held steady that it was not liquid cheese and that it was mustard. Once the guy pulled out both celery and turkey slices to dip into it, I knew I was right. Some still stood in disbelief so I pulled out the camera and took some close ups.

A VISIT TO OUR SECTION FROM FREDDY SEZ
The Yankee’s un-official mascot, Freddy Sez has been on a mission to keep up the cheering by walking around with a sign and a frying pan you can bang with a spoon. Freddy’s spirits have been uplifting the team for years now. More info on who he is and how to find him at a game, check out his official website – http://www.freddysez.com

BIGGEST BEER FOR YOUR VALUE
I asked. They wouldn’t sell it to me.

FLAT STANLEY
We were paid a visit by the world renowned traveler known as Flat Stanley. A proponent of education, Flat Stanley brings the discovery of world culture by visiting different places around the world and bringing his story to people. Looks like Stanley got a taste of the Burger Conquest official “Left Hand Grab!”

I woke up the next day feeling a little bloated and hungover but with a ton of great memories. I went into my office, stared up my computer and began my work day. Shortly thereafter my buddy Jim sends an email asking if anybody wanted his company tickets for today’s game…

NYY Steak
http://www.nyysteak.com
1 East 161st Street
Bronx, NY 10451-2100

THE CONQUEST SURPRISE
…I of course said yes, gathered up with Adam and Rob and headed up to the Bronx. What better way to bathe in my baseball season excitement then go to the first 2 home games of the season? besides, the weather was warmer, sunnier and there was more food I need to try. For those of you that read often or are acquaintances of mine, you know I am also a big fan of steak. As a founding member of the world’s #1 Steak Club; Steak Club 7, I am always on the look out for a great cut of beef. Yankee stadium has several options for steak eating fans in both Carl’s and Lobel’s steak sandwiches as well as their very own signature steak house, NYY Steak. Click here for the Steak Club 7 review on all 3. But the new season brings a new steak sandwich to the stadium from NYY Steak with an “express stand.”

Gods honest beef-eating truth, there isn’t a bad steak option in the stadium. The original 3 are great and if you haven’t had the Lobel’s Prime Rib sandwich, it’s well worth the trip to the stadium. NYY Steak obviosuly realizing the popularity, opened up a steak sandwich location of their own.

THE BEEF
The NYY Steak Express sandwich is served on on Kummelweck bun (more commonly known as a “weck”” that is topped with salt and caraway seeds. I can’t tell you how much value I place on a good bun. In fact, I might say my desire for a good piece of bread is directly disproportionate with the amount of restaurants who really put the energy and focus on a gourmet bun. As for this sandwich, I would order it based on the bread alone! It really, really adds some awesome distinct flavors to the sandwich and holds up throughout the feasting. The beef itself is cut into thin strips and pulled onto the bun. It’s flavorful, succulent and delicious!! Add on the horseradish dijon dressing and really give it a taste boost. I used nearly the whole serving and still the beef was so tasty that the dressing could not over power it.

As for the best steak sandwich in the stadium…I LOVE Lobel’s!! It was an awesome move on behalf of the stadium to bring in a small New York city based butcher to server up a specialty item. It should also be stated that in general, I’m a fan of local and fresh food based eateries. I try to veer away from chains if it’s possible. Having said that, I have to be honest and let you know I would eat a Carl’s cheese steak first. Its the one item I get on every trip to Yankee stadium.

BUT – in closing, after eating the NYY Steak sandwich yesterday, I think Carl’s make have to step aside!!


8 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

OTHER DIGESTIONS
Chorizo sausage – 6 out of 10
Garlic fries – 8 out of 10 (the stand is next to NYY Steak Express. I heavily suggest the combo)


OLD YANKEE STADIUM
On our way back into Manhattan, Rich, Mike, Rob, Adam and I were able to have a moment of silence over looking the demolished old Yankee Stadium.

 

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KFC Double Down – I Was Drunk And My Blog Needed The Hits

Posted on 04/11/2010 by Rev

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KFC Double Down
http://www.kfc.com/doubledown
242 East 14th Street
New York, NY 10003

KFC_Double_Down_Burger_Conquest_Bacon_Cheese_Review_NYC_041010_003

THE CONQUEST
When life gives you lemons, you’re supposed make lemonade. So when KFC gives you a Double Down, you should make like a fat, disgusting, bloated bastard and in this particular case, drunken bastard and take one down!!

If you’re reading this and you have no idea what at “KFC Double Down” is then either…
A. You don’t live in the US.
B. You didn’t go to Yahoo! or Twitter today when it’s release became a trending topic.
C. Burger Conquest is your only source of news.
(I’m actually ok if “C” is the case!)

Regardless, in the name of good journalism, I will explain. KFC, the popular American-based food chain that primarily sells fried chicken, released a new product to the market today. It’s called the “Double Down,” – “two 100 percent all white meat chicken filets topped with cheese, bacon and the Colonel’s Sauce.” For those of you doing the math, that’s 540 calories, 32 grams of fat and 1,380 milligrams of sodium. You can order the chicken breaded and fried or for the “health conscious,” grilled 460 calories, 23 grams of fat and 1,430 milligrams of sodium.) It’s the KFC / Chicken version of In-N-Out’s “Protein Style” burger.

Monday, April 12th, 2010 was set as the date that the Double Down explode into the market place and your waistline. Somehow, not to be outdone, the KFC in New York’s East Village was serving them the night of April, 10th. As much as I would like to tell you that I am just that plugged into the NYC food scene, it’s just not the case. Truth be told I was out boozing it up at a local whiskey-tank and needed a breath of fresh air. I decided to pick up the night with an energy drink and as I rounded 2nd Avenue onto 14th St, heading for a bodega, I spotted it right the Double Down is here sign in the window. If This Is Why You’re Fat had a Bat-Signal to alert “Gotham City” that danger was a foot, THIS WOULD BE IT!!!

THE DOUBLE DOWN
The calling was too great and resisting was pure fried futility. I wandered in and ordered not only the Double Down, but also the accompanying meal of potato wedges and of course, a Diet Coke. Thus bringing my intake totals to 800 calories, 45 grams of fat and 2,120 milligrams of sodium!! I took a hold of the bun-less sandwich with my signature Burger Conquest Left Hand Grab and shoved it in my face.

The first couple of bites were pure magical discovery. The batter was crispy but not too heavy with a salted and peppered bread taste. The sauce was tangy like mayonnaise meets BBQ sauce and or ketchup. The two slices of cheese and 2 slices of bacon made for a very salty center. It was like a pile of crunchy sodium and grease with a gooey sodium center. By the time I got to the end of the sandwich, I couldn’t take a bite without immediately slurping down some Diet Coke after. The sandwich was overwhelming in every definition of the word. In fact, I was at a loss for words as a re-reading of my live Tw-eat revealed; ” http://twitpic.com/1ernm3 – #KFC #DoubleDown #Fat #HelpMe”

I can only imagine how pitiful I looked – sitting there by myself in a KFC, drooling over a sandwich, drunk and taking photos. I finished up the sandwich (but not the wedges), slammed my Red Bull and my 5 Hour Energy and walked back into the bar. No one had even noticed I was gone and no one had any clue. In less than an hour, the Double Down had taken it’s toll and despite the high levels of caffeine and liquid stimulants in my body, I was on my way home. My body felt like a battery that was quickly losing it’s energy. I slept for nearly 8 hours (I average around 5-6) and wasn’t hungry again until dinner time the next day.

It’s 2 days later and I pretty sure my veins are filled with strips of bacon riding around in a river of the Colonel’s sauce.

KFC_Double_Down_Burger_Conquest_Bacon_Cheese_Review_NYC_041010_002
90% of 100% arteries clogged
-Rev

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Grill ‘Em All Truck – Revolver Golden Gods

Posted on 04/08/2010 by Rev

Harley-Davidson Dark Custom Ride to the Golden God Awards Parking Lot Pre-Party
with the Grill ‘Em All Truck
http://www.h-d.com/darkcustom
http://grillemalltruck.com
Los Angeles, CA

Revolver Magazine Golden God Awards
http://www.revolvermag.com/golden-gods

Nokia Theater LA
http://www.nokiatheatrelalive.com
777 Chick Hearn Ct
Los Angeles, CA 90015

THE CONQUEST
I support my burger habits by working in the music business managing acts and helping bands to offer VIP / enhanced ticketing experiences to their fans. So when the music world and burgers collide, you will find me there. This is my battlefield and I watch over it like a hawk. Enter the Harley-Davidson Dark Custom line of motorcycles. Aimed at a younger consumer and the never ridden before motorcycle curious. I get an email from my friend Susanne who works there inviting me to their Ride to the Revolver Magazine Golden God Awards Parking Lot Pre-Party with the Grill ‘Em All Truck. How could I possibly say no? Moments later, flight, hotel and rental car are booked.

I arrive day of and find the party in a private parking lot in downtown Los Angeles, right across from the Staples Center / Nokia Live. It’s filled with Harleys, riders and one loud truck grilling up tasty burgers. Showing up to the event on your Harley-Davidson motorcycle got you free VIP parking, free burgers and a ticket to the Revolver Golden God Award show. Each rider was placed into a drawing to win a VIP pass and pre-show meet and greet with some of the rock artists attending the show as well. Not bad!

After a brief session of “hey how are yous,” “whats up bro’s?” “so-and-so meet so and-so’s,” and “Hi, my name is Rev. Its nice to meet you’s,” Matt from the Grill ‘Em All Truck introduces me to Barb, his mother. Barb, who was extremely kind and filled with joy, gave me a big hug and thanked me for helping the boys to promote the truck. After a great big “thank you” I asked her, “well have you had the burgers? They’re worth talking about!!” She agreed and that’s when Ryan handed me a “Reign In Bun.”

THE BURGER
So far I’ve mashed my jaw into the Grill ‘Em All “Molly Hatchet,” the “Cancer Bats’ Burger,” and the “Witte,” (click links for reviews / stories) but never the “Reign In Bun.” The name is a pun on the Slayer album “Reign In Blood,” which is highly regarded as one of the most intense and important record in the history of the genre. It would only stand to reason that the burger do the same – 5 pepper relish (its actually 6 pepper now, as Ryan added habenero since the event), pepper jack cheese & lemon pepper creme fraiche served on a fresh roll.

I’ve yet to have a burger from the truck that didn’t blow me away but this one blew me to the moon!!! The heat from the pepper relish and cheese, took resting comfort in the creamy, salty, sourness of the fraiche. Fraiche is an interesting using of cream as it will not curdle, which makes using it in a hot (temperature) and spicy sandwich a great choice. But where the lemon pepper cream fraiche really comes into play is cooling down the pepper relish as it does a hot little dance across your tongue. Slap that around a fresh grilled patty of high quality beef, slid between a fresh roll that is soft in the middle yet strong enough to hold together throughout the messiness of a Grill ‘Em All Burger and you have a sandwich worthy of an award.

It’s not like there is a bad choice on the Grill ‘Em All Truck menu but the “Reign In Bun” is the reigning champ! With words so strong, I convinced Susanne to try one herself and she loved it. (Both of our burgers were dedicated to the mighty White Balance.) After polishing off a burger, Susanne wiped her hands, fingers, face and any other body parts that were susceptible to the damage and prepared for the giveaway. Pulling names out of a helmet, 20 riders got VIP passes to the Golden Gods. Once they were handed out, Susanne and I made our way over to the black carpet.


9 out of 10 ounces
-Rev



Click here to see professional photographer, David Ungar’s black carpet and backstage photos.

THE AWARD SHOW
I attached my VIP laminate to my BK Gold Ice and made my way into the venue. The show went off with performances from “Slash, Lemmy Kilmister and Dave Grohl, who joined together to perform the Motörhead classic “Ace of Spades”; Slash, who also teamed with special guests Lemmy, Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother and Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge; Black Label Society leader Zakk Wylde, who performed a metal version of the National Anthem alongside United States Marines; Rob Zombie in his first show with new touring drummer Joey Jordison; Fear Factory, in their first LA appearance with their new lineup; As I Lay Dying; the Devil Wears Prada; and Brian Posehn’s all-star band featuring Scott Ian, Brendon Small of Dethklok and TV’s “Metalocalypse”, Brett Anderson, John Tempesta, formerly of White Zombie, and Joey Vera of Armored Saint.”

I spent most of my time milling around the VIP area, catching up with old friends, drinking beers and watching the show from the balcony. I watched almost all of Fear Factory’s amazing set and was just blown away by their blazing performance. As luck would have it, I had Burger Famous moments while hanging out and partying.

Burger Famous Moment #1:
While chatting with Matt and Ryan from Grill ‘Em All Truck, Rich Ward, the stupendous guitarist from Fozzy, came over with hugs and salutations. Rich, not only having amazing guitar playing and song writing skills, is a red meat fanatic and one helluva nice guy.

Burger Famous Moment #2:
While I’m chatting with my good pal Maria she asks if I would like to meet Alice Cooper. I almost jumped outta my shoes with excitement. Maria walked me over to Mr. Cooper and said “Alice, this is one of my good friends Rev. He is a HUGE fan and wanted to say hello.” “Nice to meet you” he said as he stuck his hand out for a handshake. “Nice to meet you Mr. Cooper. I am a fellow Detroit boy.” “Ahhhh. How great is our hometown?” Then he pointed to my BK Gold Ice and said “that’s funny. Do you like burgers?” And that right there was where the conversation took a turn…

“Yeah. I write a burger blog for fun,” I replied. “Oh man I love burgers! You know who makes one of my favorites? WHITE CASTLE! I love White Castle,” proclaimed Alice. I couldn’t believe Alice Cooper and I were talking about burgers!!!!! I expressed a mutual love for the WC and asked Alice if he had ever eaten at Brays Hamburgers (a small “belly busting” burger chain in lower Michigan.) “Yes! Brays is great” said Alice and the conversation about burgers went on for another 10 minutes or so.

It ended when Alice said the following to me; “I want you to come to Phoenix and I want you to come eat at my restaurant Cooperstown. I want you to come try our burger. It’s really good and I would be curious to know your thoughts on it. Get my contact from Maria. On the outside, I was calm, collected and agreeing to come eat the Cooperstown Burger. On the inside I was jumping up and down repeatedly screaming ‘OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! I’M TALKING TO THE ALICE COOPER ABOUT BURGERS!!”

Burger Famous Moment #3:
I was celebrating the event over a beer with Ryan, Matt from the Grill ‘Em All Truck, along with Matt’s Mom Barb. A good time and a good laugh was being had when someone came up to Ryan and Matt and asked “Are you the Grill ‘Em All guys? I’ve been dying to try your burger!” He didn’t need to introduce himself, it was Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters!! “Mr. Grohl, I write a burger blog on the side. Would you mind taking a picture with all of us?” I politely asked. “Hell No! Let’s do it!”

The rest of the night was spent seeing bands, watching award presentations and playing metal high school reunion with the rest of my brothers and sisters in the metal music business. Be sure to pick up the new issue of Revolver on May 11th for pictures and the magazines recap. Also be sure tune into VH1 Classic on Saturday, May 22 to see the final show. Until then here are the list of winners followed by several pictures of some of my knucklehead colleagues.

Revolver Golden Gods Awards winners:
Metal Blade Golden God Award: Rob Halford (presented by Ozzy Osbourne)
Epiphone Best Guitarist Award: Zakk Wylde (presented by Kerry King of Slayer)
Ferret Music Best Underground Band Award: Dillinger Escape Plan (presented by Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie)
Liquid Metal Best Vocalist Award: Ronnie James Dio (presented by Jerry Cantrell and Mike Inez of Alice in Chains)
Samson/Zoom Best Live Band Award: Metallica (presented by Scott Ian of Anthrax and Allison Robertson of the Donnas)
Guitar World Comeback of the Year Award: Alice in Chains (presented by Phil Bozeman, Ben Savage, and Alex Wade of Whitechapel)
Roadrunner Records Honorary Headbanger Award: Robert Englund (presented by Kat Von D and Jim Rota and Emily Burton of Fireball Ministry)
Just Cause 2 Hottest Chick in Metal Award: Maria Brink of In This Moment (presented by Marta of Bleeding Through and Corey Parks of Nashville Pussy and Chelsea Girls)
Drum Workshop Best Drummer Award: Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan of Avenged Sevenfold, accepted by his family (presented by Vinnie Paul of HELLYEAH and Pantera and Joey Jordison of Slipknot, Muderdolls and Rob Zombie)
Splatterhouse Lifetime Achievement Award: Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead (presented by Dave Grohl)
BallHype Most Metal Athlete Award: Marc Colombo, Leonard Davis, and Corey Procter of the Dallas Cowboys and the band Free Reign (presented by Dave Mustaine of Megadeth)
Harley-Davidson Album of the Year Award: Alice in Chains (presented by Eddie Trunk, Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson of VH1 Classic’s “That Metal Show”)



Special thanks goes to Anthony and every at Revolver / Future, Susanne from Harley, Matt, Ryan and Barb from Grill ‘Em All, Maria, Keri Lee, Austin and anyone who bought me a drink or kept me out of trouble!

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25 Degrees – The Fight Club of Burgers

Posted on 04/07/2010 by Rev

25 Degrees
http://www.25degreesrestaurant.com
7000 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA, 90028

THE CONQUEST
Tyler Durden and I have 2 things in common. The first of which is my power to inspire others. All it takes is one small spark to start a fire and that’s exactly what Burger Conquest was for the B.E.U. Short for “Beef Eaters United,” the B.E.U. is made of my burger eating pals, Ryan, Stick and Cheapshot. Their mission is to plunder through the land of Angels, eating every burger in site while maintaining the highest of standards in selection and consumption. *It only took a few posts on this site for them to want to start their own LA-based, rogue Burger Conquest. Thankfully, they aren’t looking to rival or declare mutiny, so when I was last in LA, they were happy to join me for a burger.

With so many great burger choices in LA, it was hard to narrow down to just one but with all the great talk around 25 Degrees, we agreed to lock in. Unfortunately Cheapshot was not able to attend the feast but we were joined by my friends Daryl, Austin and Mat. 25 Degrees is the gourmet burger shoppe on the street level of the swanky, party-goer favorite, Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. If you know your Hollywood landmarks, it’s right across the street from the famous Grauman’s Chinese Theater. You can also find a 25 Degrees in Huntington Beach, CA, Phoenix, AZ and coming soon, The American Airlines Terminal LAX Airport (why can’t i be in the Continental Terminal!?!?)

25 Degrees is, thankfully, open 24 hours a day to fulfill all your burger craving needs. You can enter through the hotel or directly from Hollywood Boulevard. The self proclaimed “Moulin Rouge style diner” is designed to feel like a Bordello in old Hollywood with counter service and few very large leather booths. Not feeling a burger, first of all what’s wrong with you? then you can order from the breakfast menu. While 25 Degrees has several burger (and omelets) suggestions, you can also design your own. Choose from 3 different kinds of patties, more than 3 dozen cheeses, sauces and sides to fit your taste bud needs. If you’re a wine drinker, you’re in luck as 25 Degrees has small but decent wine list. Beer drinkers, not so much. A couple of standards but no worry, get the specially made 25 Degrees Red Ale. It’s on tap, made fresh and tastes great…kind of like the burger…

THE BURGER
A burger bud recommended I get the house special known as the “number one.” It’s a burger served with caramelized onions, prelibato gorgonzola crescenza, bacon, arugula & thousand island. Sounds pretty good but after a few saucy cocktails at the poolside bar, I was ready to get naughty with the burger menu. With so many options, it’s easy to go over board and pile up the toppings. Doing so, you run the risk of overpowering the beef flavors and there for taint the taste experience. After some careful taste calculations in my head I ordered a sirloin burger with jalapeno bacon, red hawk cheese, green chilis and fried egg. That’s a whole lot of savory flavors but I was pretty sure it was going to pay off.

Winner, winner, burger dinner!! My creation was DELICIOUS! The salty egg and bacon mixed with the spice and heat from from the chilis and jalapeno bacon while the creamy red hawk provided a mild cooling blanket to cradle the tastes. The patty was thick enough to bring a real dominance to the over all sandwich. It was fresh, juicy, cooked to a perfect medium-rare and made my mouth very, very, very happy. Not only was this burger a winner but so was I…as Stick opted for the safety in ordering the “number one” and I got to play the halfsies game with him.

If you aren’t adventurous with food choices or do not have the mad genius flavor genes, this is a choice you won’t regret!! 25 Degrees knew exactly what they were doing when they assembled this burger. I wouldn’t have chosen it over my magnum opus burger but I was very excited to be able to try more than one burger. It cemented it what I was thinking all along, this is one of the best burgers in the LA / Hollywood area. Don’t skimp out on the sides either! The fries, onion rings and sweet potato fries were all top notch and well worth sharing. Much like Fight Club, 25 Degrees awards individual thought and dedication to a cause with a path to burger enlightenment.

I almost forgot! What’s the other thing I have in common with the master of Fight Club?
2. *Many of the things that come out of my mouth are made up, embellished or in the very least, seen in their own unique light. Thanks to the B.E.U. for having us join in their bun…I mean fun.


9 out of 10 ounces
-Rev


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The Counter – Idioms From the Idiot

Posted on 04/07/2010 by Rev

The Counter
http://www.thecounterburger.com
2901 Ocean Park Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90405-2952

THE CONQUEST
I’m a cheesy guy. I like bad jokes and I make a lot of puns. Much like Ron Burgundy and the famous “when in Rome” quote, I also love to misuse and abuse cliches . Combine the two and you have a joke I that will have me “laughing all the way to the giggle bank.” I’m still chuckling over my 2nd chance visit, “If At First You Don’t Succeed, Fry, Fry Again” to the most over-hyped burger in New York City, the Corner Bistro. So with a return visit to The Counter in LA, I found the perfect opportunity to take another “punny liberty”… “One Good Burger Deserves Another.”

The Counter is a rapidly growing burger chain based in Santa Monica, CA. On my original visit, I hit the Marina del Rey location. With time to kill after a meeting ended early, I realized I was in the vicinity of the original Santa Monica location. I sparked up the GPS and headed over. Once in the restaurant, just for the sake of being meta, pulled myself up to a counter seat at The Counter. To combat the difficulty of choosing from 312,120 possible burger combination’s, I started myself off with a tasty beer and began to get my mad burger scientist on.

THE BURGER
While I would normally think “It’s better to have one safe way than a hundred you can’t choose from,” I was not about to be burger bested. Especially since on my last visit to The Counter I went “all over the map” with toppings. With this burger I planned to “build a better meat trap so the taste world will could beat a path to my door.” I took a breath, remembered that “slow and steady wins the race” and began to customize my sandwich without just “grasping at onion straws.

I finally “circled in” on a turkey burger with grilled onions, fried egg, sliced pepperoncinis, chipotle aioli and horseradish cheese on a honey wheat bun. It looked so good that I didn’t know whether to eat it or frame it, so I did both, in the opposite order. One bite confirmed that “cooler heads prevail” and my combination was a winner. The sweetness of the bun made for an amazing pillow around the milder turkey burger. This gave the spiciness of the horseradish cheese and the pepperoncinis and the smokiness of the aioli to “stretch our their proverbial sandwich wings.” The grilled sweet and peppery onions along with the salty egg helped to round out this “well oiled machine” of a burger. The tasty burger didn’t last too long and I was reminded “time flies when your having food between a bun.”


8 out of 10 ounces
-Rev


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In-N-Out Burger – A Burger Flaps Its Wings

Posted on 04/06/2010 by Rev

In-N-Out
http://www.in-n-out.com/
1891 E. “G” Street
Ontario, CA 91764

THE CONQUEST
The Butterfly effect, a specific dial down of the Chaos Theory, states that small changes or actions can have large effects on other scenarios. It’s kind of like the physics version of subliminal advertising. Case in point; comedy website Collegehumor.com pulls a prank on NYC, leading New Yorkers to believe popular West coast burger chain In-N-Out will be opening in their town. A week later, a plane lands at the Ontario, CA airport with a traveler who deplanes with a need for caffeine. He gets into his rental car, pulls out of the airport and spots an In-N-Out Burger and decides to pull in for a Diet Coke. He gets a burger along with his soda. Spur of the moment craving or scientific theory proven correct!?! You decide…

THE BURGER
me..I decided to get a single with onions, no tomato and a large Diet Coke. I don’t care what Doctor Emmet Brown or Ashton Kutcher have to say about the butterfly effect, I just not know that In-N-Out is fresh, fast, delicious and good on the go!! They’re also thoughtful enough to offer you a place mat to keep your car seat from getting all greasified.

For our full In-N-Out review, click here.


7 out of 10 ounces
-Rev


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Jim’s Steaks / PYT – Popping A Meat Boner in The City of Brotherly Love

Posted on 04/03/2010 by Rev

Jim’s Steaks
http://www.jimssteaks.com
400 South St
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19147

PYT
http://www.pytphilly.com
1050 N. Hancock St.
Philadelphia, PA 19123

THE CONQUEST
When the weather starts to get warm, I get on my bicycle and ride. It’s one of my favorite pastimes, great exercise and an amazing way to explore your town, especially when your town is NYC. A couple weeks back I sent out an email to my “bike gang” asking if anyone wanted to organize a big Saturday afternoon ride. A few moments later I get the following reply from my buddy Leo (the only other person besides me who uses their @burgerconquest.com email address); “I’m grabbing Bram and going to Philly Saturday for Easter Cheesesteaks at Jim’s. Yes, just in case you might ask, I have an open seat if you want it. hahaha” Say no more! The bike ride was called off and an 11 am pickup is scheduled at my apartment for Saturday morning

Excited and hungry, my wife Cara and I walk outside our apartment to find this…

…never a great start to a road trip! A couple liters in the cooling tank, a brief stop to pick up Bram and the 4 of us are on the highway, Philadelphia bound. Somehow I talked the 3 of them into not only getting a cheese steak but doubling up with a Burger Conquest. I guess everyone loves their beef. First stop, Jim’s Steaks on South Street.

Let’s talk a little background here. 2 things you need to know.

A. Rumor has it the guy behind some other cheese steak spot invented the sandwich but the truth is that Jim’s perfected them. I don’t care what anyone else has to say, they’re wrong and if they want to spend their life being wrong, fine with me. I’m happy believing in the truth. It says it right on the front of their website – “Jim’s Steaks has been serving the finest quality steaks and hoagies in Philadelphia for 70 years” and we all know the Internet doesn’t lie right!??!? Must be, because people (us) come from all over the world (NYC) and wait for hours in long, long lines just to eat Jim’s magnificent cheese steak.

B. Before there was Burger Conquest, there was Steak Club 7. Predating that, I started the NYC Wing-Off but in between I started my first food blog, cheesesteaks.ning.com. When I quickly learned the lesson above in point A. I realized it was time to move on to other food items for blogging subjects.

THE STEAK
A man by the name of “Humble” once took down 13 Jim’s Steaks in one hour. I once took down 2, that’s 24″ of cheese steak if you’re doing the math, and I tell you, I have never felt such intense pain. It was a “misteak,” pun intended. With the impending cheese burger to follow said cheese steak, Cara and I opted to split just one single cheese steak, wit fried onions and extra whiz. That’s the best way to have one and the only way I will ever order. Know your order before you get to the front of the line or face public consequence. The grill man is busy and the 100 or so people in line behind you want their cheese steak! He’ll serve it to you on a fresh Amoroso roll, the best in Philly. Wash it down with a tasty beverage but I suggest an Arctic Splash Iced tea or a nice cold Yuengling Lager. Take your steak to go or to the upstairs dining room and enjoy to the fullest. We opted for the latter as Leo’s friends Matt and Sylvia joined us for the tasty eats.

Burger Conquest TV review


9 out of 10 ounces
-Rev


With our bellies full of Philadelphia’s best, our regional native, Bram, took us on a walking tour of Philadelphia. We walked to the end of South Street, overlooking the Delaware river and taking a moment to enjoy the “beauty” of Camden, NJ just across the water. From there we walked back into town making several stops at landmarks that helped to define our country as it stands today. We reflected in front of Independence Hall. Got our photo with the Liberty Bell. Strolled across Independence Mall State Park. Stood in awe of the amazing power of good smelling breath at the Untied States Mint. From there, we made our way into the National Constitution Center where we learned a very important lesson: Freedom, my friends, is not so “free.” In fact, we learned the actual cost of “Freedom” and it’s $12. Well, that’s at least what they charge you to see the US Constitution. We decided to exercise our freedom on other pursuits (namely burgers), said good bye to our very welcoming pal, Ben Franklin and headed to the Northern Liberties.


THE CONQUEST
Located in Philadelphia’s BOOMING Northern Liberties section, PYT was built in the courtyard of an apartment building that used to the be the home to Schmidt’s Brewery. Driving by you would never know as the courtyard is located inside the triangle formed by the 3 buildings now named The Piazza at Schmidt’s. The courtyard serves as a meeting place for residents of the buildings complete with a giant flat screen TV and performance stage. The ground floor of each building holds various pubs, restaurants, lounges and coffee shops. While I’m certainly not planning a move to Philly anytime soon, this is definitely where I would want to live if I did!!

We put our name on the list at PYT and walked past the court side seating to the bar inside and ordered a couple of drinks. PYT prides themselves on serving a fine selection of Pennsylvania brewed beers and we sampled the menu accordingly. Eventually, owner Tommy Up rolled over to say hello. Looking a South Philly thug on an Island vacation, Tommy sat with us, talked up the menu, made us laugh, gave us the history and made appropriate beer selections.

THE BURGERS
Tommy Up ain’t no fool and he knows we work hard to earn our money. So why waste that loot pile on substandard burgers? At PYT, that’s not a worry as Tommy and crew use only the freshest and highest quality of ingredients to make their extremely far-from-ordinary menu of selections. The special of the day was a Cheese Steak Pretzel Roll Burger made with a 5 ounce patty and topped with cheddar cheese, in-house sliced Philadelphia cheese steak, Cheese Whiz and the PYT special sauce. How in the hell I resisted the urge to order it will always remain a mystery even though the temptation was mighty high. Probably because I wanted to try everything and 2 of the others had already ordered them.

Instead, as suggested by Mr. Up, I ordered the “BBQ Blue Cheese Burger.” It starts with a 7 ounce, fresh ground patty and then is covered with Apple Wood Smoked Bacon, Blue Cheese, Thin cut Onion Rings and PYT’s home made BBQ sauce. All of that gets slapped into a big ole sesame seed bun and served up for your pleasure.

The burger was absolutely stupendous (much like everything we ordered) and although I liked mine the best, they were all quite tasty. While I did like the taste, I thought the BBQ sauce was unnecessary overkill on my burger. Some may disagree but I like to make sure the beef shines through. As for the cheese steak burger, it was pretty fantastic but as a fan of Jim’s cheese steak, I prefer mine chopped. PYT serves theirs sliced. Call me a nit pick, I like what I like. Either way, you aren’t going to upset with either burger.

Be sure to order the hand cut fries as your side as they are phenomenal. Missing out on them is a huge blunder. To be fair, the onion rings were pretty righteous as well, so split an order with friends. The PYT standard menu has a limited number of choice but Tommy Up and his mad burger scientist militia are coming up with new specials daily. Confused, if you aren’t, you will be so just ask for suggestions from the extremely friendly and helpful staff.

PYT – Welcome to the OFFICIAL Burger Conquest “BEST OUTSIDE NYC” list.

Burger Conquest TV review


9 out of 10 ounces
-Rev


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Shorty’s.32 – Don’t Make Me Have to Tell You Again

Posted on 04/02/2010 by Rev

Shorty’s.32
http://www.shortys32.com
199 Prince St
New York, NY 10012

THE CONQUEST
Back when the Burger Conquest began in October of 2008, I felt like nearly every burger I ate was amazing. Using words like “best,” “top,” and “#1” came out of my mouth frequently. No one took me seriously (actually they probably still don’t) but I didn’t care. I just wanted to be on the pursuit of delicious burgers. As time has gone on my palette has developed so it’s always fun to go back and eat burgers that were early favorites to see if they still stand up. Once such place was Shorty’s.32.

In my original review of the place, I named it “an instant entry into the top 10.” It’s been 14 months and more than one hundred burgers since I laid down the claim. When my friend Tom, a fellow meat enthusiast, came into town from LA and asked to be taken out for a great burger, I jumped at the chance to make a return. Cara, Mark, Nona, Bram and Tom, along with his friend Adam, met up after a few cocktails to give Shorty’s.32 a 2nd chance.

THE BURGER

It was the end of a long week and we were hungry. Everyone ordered a main course and a few of us got the EXTREMELY DELICIOUS macaroni and cheese to split as an appetizer. You gotta try this mac, seriously. We also got an order of the Braised Pork Belly, Cranberry Bean Salad, Honey, Sherry Vinegar which was quite the mix of tastiness. As if to challenge us or perhaps confuse our taste buds before the burger, the server brought out all of the following:

Fresh Cavatelli, Arugula, Wild Mushroom Ragout – UNREAL!
Cranberry Bean Salad – tasty
Toasted Quinoa Salad – very unique and highly recommended by the staff
Prosciutto appetizer with cheese and arugula – so damn good
Beet salad – admittedly not a beet fan but it looked great!
Green beans – fantastic. Could’ve eaten a plate of these alone.

Now you’ll have to please, please forgive me for not having all the details, the food came so fast and unexpectedly that I didn’t get a chance to write down all the details. Bad blogger (slaps back of wrist.) I do guarantee however, if you mention at least the descriptions above, you’ll get what you need. (Do any of the rest of you remember?)

But what about the burger!?!? Would it still stand up as a top 10 burger? I am happy to report, that yes, yes this burger is awesome. You can tell a lot about a person by eating their burger (that’s what she said.) By eating the Shorty’s.32 burger you know that it’s creator strives for perfection, demands fresh ingredients and wants to make their customers very, very happy. Go get this burger and again, do not forget the bacon!!


8 out of 10 ounces
-Rev




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Burger Conquest IS THE News

Posted on 04/02/2010 by Rev

Yesterday on my way to work, I just happened to pass by what turned out to be a Collegehumor.com April Fool’s Day Prank. They hired actors to dress up as In-N-Out Burger employees, had them stand in front of signs and hand out fliers announcing the NYC arrival of the west coast burger chain. Being the savvy blogger that I am (read – “media ham”) I stopped, took a photo and updated the Burger Conquest twitter with the picture.

The post got re-tweeted by my favorite food site on the web, A Hamburger Today. They also posted a story on the hoax with my photo. The timing couldn’t be better as this happened on the day that I played my Salad Conquest April Fool’s Joke. I sat back and laughed about the whole thing. The fact that the site has readers and people enjoy it, is really special and I am grateful, but it’s all just for fun. You see, I love writing this site and I love eating burgers but it’s nothing I take seriously. So when I get a message from NY1, the 24 Hour all New York news channel, asking for permissions to use my photos in their 11 pm newscast, I erupted with joy filled laughter. I without a doubt said yes, ran home and set my DVR to tape it.

Sure enough, there I was, alongside of THE most loyal Burger Conquester, Jackie, on the 11 pm NY1 newscast with the Burger Conquest URL clearly emblazoned across the screen!!!!

Watching NY1 is a New Yorker’s right and unless you live here, it’s impossible to understand how cool it is to be put on their channel. While it wasn’t the first time I made the news, it was definitely better than the last time. While being interviewed about helmet safety laws, I accidentally crashed a moped for a news report.

Yup, that’s a younger, dumber, accident prone version of me, complete with mullet and an inability to ride a simple scooter down the street. Since then, I got a haircut, bought a clue, moved to New York, started a burger blog and most importantly, got rid of the moped. Look at me now, I’m burger famous!

Jokes aside (which is a rare moment for me), I want to thank each and every person that has ever read a single word I have written, looked any picture of burgers I have ever taken or sat through a meal with me taking photo after photo. It’s an honor and a privilege to be able to do this and I want everyone to know how much I appreciate the support. With that in mind, if you need me, my email is at the bottom of the site. No autographs please. See you in the “Burger Zone.”

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