THE CONQUEST
I recently got a new toy – a hand-held ZOOM Q3. It’s like a Flip Cam but has a great condenser microphone on it for picking up high quality audio. It’s pretty rad and I plan on using it for video footage of Burger Conquests. I got it just in time for a little adventure some of my friends and I named the “Metal Road Trip.” This adventure began in Indianapolis where some of my NYC metal brethren and I met up with our burger buddy, Mark. Mark was able to procure us a “bandwagon.” This revolutionary new vehicle has the front end of a small truck with an 8 passenger sleeping capacity, fully-loaded RV on the back. The key is that you do not need anything other than a standard driver’s license to drive it. Here, take a quick tour of what we nick named the “SlayRV”:
The road trip route took us from Indianapolis to Columbus where we attended the Scion Rock Fest and then continued on to Austin, TX for the South By South West Music festival. The road trip ends there but is still going on, even though I jumped off. Follow the adventure on the Metal Road Trip Twitter.
However, before we hopped aboard the “SlayRV,” we took the time to have a Burger at the brand new Weber Grill restaurant in Indianapolis. We all love a good BBQ and we all know that Weber is the king of the outdoor grill. They invented the Weber Charcoal Kettle Grill that we all have come to know and love. To prove their grill-abilities, the Weber company started to open up restaurants where menu items were cooked on a classic Weber Kettle Grill. It’s about this time of year we all get the itch to get in our backyards and start up the grill season. In fact, I recently did just that myself, creating the Bourbon Soaked Bacon Beast, which has a shot of getting onto Bobby Flay’s Grill It! TV show. But I digress…
THE BURGER
Mark, Rich, Nick, Marc and I started off with the best move we could, “The Weber Sampler” (serves two) with a sampling of Rib Fingers, Beer Can Chicken Tenders, Steak Skewers and BBQ Shrimp. Make no mistake, these were all extremely delicious and I highly recommend ordering it. You came to the Weber Grill and you might as well get a great idea of what they are capable of doing. We also ordered an appetizer of the Applewood smoked bacon and that is when the line of the night came out. Our server took a brief pause and replied to our request, “here at the Weber Grill, bacon is ALWAYS free!” You could’ve cut the collective excitement at our table with a pickle spear!!
The burger at the restaurant has received high praise from his beef-all-mightiest, Nick Solares from A Hamburger Today and had my mouth watering before it even arrived a the table. While I ordered the “Wisconsin Burger,” which is served with Applewood Smoked Bacon and Cheddar Cheese, there are other options, including a veggie alternative. It’s all stacked inside an egg based bun which was similar to a brioche. The patty is made from 100% U.S.D.A. Black Angus beef which creates the quality base to built around a tasty sandwich. It was cooked to a picture perfect medium rare, which isn’t quite the easiest thing to do on a charcoal grill. The bacon…OH MAN THE BACON!! With hints of cinnamon and apple flavors, it was just pure pork beauty. The cheddar added to the over all savory appeal of the burger. All it took was one bite to confirm, this burger was incredible but of course, I devoured the whole thing!!!
For the reading challenged, here is the video review;
While I was basking in the afterglow of a beef touchdown, a server appeared at our table, looked at me and asked “we heard it was your birthday!” It indeed was NOT my birthday but having pulled this prank on others, I went with it. “Yes it is and I just celebrated with your amazing burger!” She then placed down in front of me, a slice of cheesecake, perfectly positioned between the same bun that the burger was served on. It was all Marc’s GREAT IDEA and a pretty funny one at that. I picked it up, just like I would a burger and chomped down. It was some DAMN GOOD cheesecake (please note; the Weber Grill does not cook cheesecake on the grill) and much like the entire experience, highly suggested.
THE CONQUEST With 8 prior Conquests on the site for the Shake Shack… 1. Walk-Thru Only 2. Cure the Common Hangover 3. Welcome to the Hood 4. Upper West Side Morning After Burger 5. The Bloggers Gone Wild Games 6. Guest Blog From the Bacon Jew 7. Shake Shack Citifield – The Wright Stache, Metal Sucks and Genghis Tron join forces with Burger Conquest 8. The Polar Brrrger Club …I wasn’t really sure if an 9th one was needed. What was I going to do? Tell you again that the meat used was a 25% brisket + 25% chuck + 50% sirloin? Repeat that the place has out door seating only and is notorious for long, long lines of people queuing up to get their hands on the west coast style (ALA In-N-Out Burger) and believe me, it’s well worth it? Describe the taste yet another time while also laying out that 3 available locations by saying, yet again, “The Shack delivers a juicy burger in a soft potato roll with a delicious west coast style sauce. It’s so good and there is no need for any other condiment on these hot little numbers. They’re savory, their oozing with grease and cheese goodness and bursting with flavor. I will say that in comparison, the 2 Manhattan locations are better and my burger was a little over cooked but that didn’t change my feelings, this is an awesome burger.” Or reiterate that the Shack is open rain or shine and that on the snowiest of days, the Shack will not let you down.
Well, I guess just did.
But, on this 9th review, I’m coming with a story. Only 2 weeks ago a MASSIVE blizzard rolled into Manhattan. Many opted to stay home, remain indoors and avoid the cold precipitation. BUT NOT BURGER CONQUEST! We formed the First Ever Polar Brrrger Club, eating burgers in the park during a blizzard wearing only Hawaiian shirts. The food, as always was top notch. It was only matched by the fun of eating in the snow. When we returned to the office we were practically bouncing off the walls with excitement.
Flash forward less than 2 weeks later and my co-worker Jason asked if I would mind taking him for his first Shake Shack experience. We grabbed Josh and Nick and headed over. The weather was so nice that no jackets were needed. The sun was out and the temperature was in the mid 50s. All in all, a beautiful early Spring afternoon in the city. So beautiful in fact, that I really couldn’t believe it was only a few days prior that we were doing the same thing in a blizzard.
So rather than giving you a historical and a review, we’ll give you a side by side look of the Shake Shack from only 2 weeks ago. You won’t believe the difference.
Waiting in line to order:
Waiting at the table for our orders to come up:
The Beauty of Madison Square Park with the Empire State building looming in the back ground. THE BURGER Last time a single, this time a double. Twice as much meat and just oh so delicious. While last time I took the opportunity to imbibe a Shackmeister Ale, this time, I went for the Harpoon Celtic Ale as an attempt to start my St. Patty’s Day celebration a week early. The burger, the beer, the good friends, the beautiful weather … only in New York City my friends.
Bobby Flay’s Grill It! TV show reached out and asked me to submit a burger recipe. They loved my recipe so they asked me to make a test-pilot video. It’s now on the Grill It! site.
Please watch the video and if you wouldn’t mind, give it 5 a star rating.
If it does well, I will be picked to be on the show grilling with Bobby Flay!
Much thanks to my pal Steve “Buckshot” Seabury for hosting, filming and editing. He has an awesome book coming out this fall called “Mosh Potatoes.” It’s cook book filled with recipes from Metal and Rock bands.
3 TBSP Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Handmade Whisky
1 pound ground sirloin at least 20% fat
1 TBSP brown sugar
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 TBSP crushed garlic
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt to taste
1 package of smoked Gouda cheese
1 package of bacon
Pretzel Rolls
*Optional – pre-made or mix your own herbed butter (basil, oregano, chives & garlic)
DIRECTIONS
First you fry the bacon. Don’t throw away the bacon grease yet. Once the bacon has cooled down, chop it up into small pieces.
Hand mix all ingredients in a bowl.
Get out a cookie sheet and spray it with a little non-stick cooking spray or spread a small layer of olive oil on it.
Fashion half the meat into an even number of patties and place them on the cookie sheet.
Place a good sized sprinkle of smoked Gouda on top of each patty.
Cover each of them with the chopped bacon pieces.
Make another equal amount of patties and place one on top of each of the bacon-smoked Gouda topped patties.
*Optional – add 1 pat of herbed butter.
Take each of the double patties and seal up the edges by gently pushing the sides of the burger together. When you are done, they will look like big fat burger patties and no one will see the surprise hiding inside.
Place the burgers in the fridge for at least an hour. This will allow the patties to harden a little which will keep them held together.
Preheat grill to medium.
Shape mixture into ½” patties.
Grill burgers about 5 minutes a side, keeping lid closed where possible.
Butter potato rolls before lightly grilling them to toast.
THE CONQUEST It was a Saturday like any other Saturday. I slept in late, ordered breakfast from the diner and was sitting at my computer updating this website. Then I got a call from Ryan Harkins, one of the 2 owners of the heavy metal themed Grill ‘Em All Truck. “What are you doing this week?” he asked. I responded “the usual, work, meetings, the gym, shows, etc.” “Is there any way you could get to LA?” Ryan asked. “Absolutely not” was my immediate response. They had gotten a call from the producers of the new Travel Channel show “Food Wars” and were asked to battle against another LA burger truck for the title of best burger truck in LA. I couldn’t believe it and neither could Ryan!! The truck is only about 3 months old and to be asked to do something so big was just mind blowing. I congratulated the guys and said I wish I could come out because I know it’s going to be awesome. “No, you don’t understand,” said Ryan “we want you ON the show! You’re our burger expert.” “NO WAY!” was my immediate response. “YES and get this,” he replied “we’re filming in the parking lot of Century Media Records!”
Burgers, metal and TV all coming together? This was it. This was one of those moments where you make a life changing decision. I told Ryan I needed a minute to think about it and I would call him back. I hung up the phone and told my wife. She took one look at me and said “YOU HAVE TO GO!” Within minutes I had flights, hotel and rental car booked. I called back Ryan and told him “Bro, I will see you on Wednesday. I just booked all my travel.” “NO WAY!” exclaimed Ryan, “I can’t believe you are going to fly all the way to LA just to support us.” My answer, “how could I not?”
When it comes to food and restaurants, people can get pretty territorial when defending their favorite. It’s an age old argument, found around the world as to who is the best. Be it Hot Wings in Buffalo, Italian Beef in Chicago, Coney Dogs in Detroit, Pastrami in New York, Market Style BBQ in Lockhart or the Jucy Lucy in Minneapolis, everyone has an opinion. But until now, there has been no driving force, no ultimate power of decision, no documented ranking to cut the mustard, so to speak, and tell the world, who is #1 (if you don’t count my opinion that is). Enter “Food Wars” on the Travel Channel. With host Camille Ford, they are on a mission to end the debates by pitting local faves head to head to see who really makes the best food.
The Grill ‘Em All Molly Hatchet burger is one of the most delicious and unique burgers I have ever had (click for story) so I could not wait to see this battle of the burger truck go down. They were going to be facing Baby’s Bad Ass Burger, a burger truck whose theme was pretty girls. Baby’s was started by an event planner, Lori Barbera and her partner, Erica Cohen a restaurateur. While sex certainly sells, I can’t say that I’ve heard that it makes great gourmet burgers but I was on my way to LA to find out!
GRILL ‘EM ALL SHOOT I arrived on set Wednesday around 10 am. They guys were already set up and filming in the Century Media parking lot. On this day, the production team was only shooting the Grill ‘Em All Truck. They interviewed the guys, me and a couple of super fans. “Food Wars” host Camille Ford had me tell the story of Burger Conquest, how I met Ryan and Matt and my opinion on their spectacular food. I don’t want to blow it for you, but I was an awesome interview! But you’ll have to watch when the episode airs to see me get Burger Fame on. I will be honest though, I took all the power I could muster to not totally freak out when I got to do a live Burger Conquest on camera. It was awesome.
The production staff for “Food Wars” were a blast to hang out with and made the shoot fun for everyone. Camille was really funny, engaging and as you can see below, definitely not too cool to get down with the burger brethren. The Grill ‘Em All guys served up a full lunch for the production team and the Century Media Records staff. We even had some random people walk up off the street to join in the fun.
THE BURGER Once the shoot was over, I was able to try out the latest Grill ‘Em All Creation named after the phenomenally talented Dave Witte – The Witte. Dave is an astounding skinsman (and a hell of a nice guy) who lays down the groove for metal bands Burnt By the Sun, Municipal Waste and more. With a diverse array of talents, this man deserved to be honored with a burger that matches his intensity and skill. One bite of his name sake burger and you will know that Matt and Ryan are big, big fans.
The Witte comes with California cream cheese, deep fried bacon, beer and Sriracha soaked onions and garlic ailoi. It sounds as intimidating as his playing! Once my interview was over, I walked over to the truck and begged to try one but with a swap out for the Pabst soaked onions instead. While Camille interviewed another super fan, I got some shade under a tree and sunk my chompers into this blast beat inspired burger. Grill ‘Em All use high quality, fresh and flavorful ground beef for the patties. They know that no matter how crazy you get topping a burger, the beef has to be good. The deep fried bacon was crunchy and bursting with salty pork goodness. The beer soaked onions were pure topping wizardry and although I wouldn’t have chosen cream cheese to make the magic come together, that is exactly what it did. Best part, they put the cheese on the bottom. The mix of flavors is pure intensity and it will feel like Dave is bashing away at some floor toms right in your mouth!
Reverend: These our witness, Cami. Us suffer bad. Want justice. We want Burgerdome! Cami Ford: You know the law: Two trucks enter, one truck leaves. Reverend: This Grill ‘Em All Truck! Twenty men enter, only it leave! Cami Ford: Then it’s your choice. Burgerdome.
The “Food Wars” staff chose to have the face off take place at the famous Santa Monica Pier. The two trucks parked up at the edge of the parking lot and the shoot began. Being the generous and caring guys they are, Ryan and Matt fed everyone working on the shoot breakfast. It was the toppings of the Molly Hatchet burger (seared fennel smoked sausage gravy, apple wood smoked bacon & maple drizzle) on top of french fries and eggs. Even with out the burger, it was still amazing. (Note to Grill ‘Em All – I would like a french fry and egg covered Molly Hatchet!!!!!)
As the shoot got rolling, many a bystander showed up to watch the burger battle. The Grill ‘Em All guys and I really promoted the taping on our twitter accounts and it showed. By the time they were ready to film the battle, the parking lot was filled with rabid Grill ‘Em All “Ghouls.” Among them was Rod from the Bootlegger’s Brewery in Fullerton, CA. He
brought one keg of their Old World Hefeweizen and one keg of their “Black Phoenix” Chipotle Coffee Stout. He quickly loaded them onto the trucked, tapped ’em and started serving. We were all enjoying the delicious brews until a life guard had to party poop on us and the kegs had to go away.
The Burger Battle bell had wrung and we were all assembled around 5 tables, 1 for each judge. The panel consisted of 1 super fan for each truck and 3 “celebrity judges.” Each judge is blind folded and handed a burger from each truck. No one is allowed to talk, including the judges, throughout the taste test. Once complete, each judge votes for their favorite. The vote gets tallied and Camille announces which truck is bestowed with the title “best burger truck in LA.”
But for more on that, you’ll just have to tune into the episode!!! Be sure to catch their season premier episode on March 9th at 10 PM EST where they will determine who has the best wings in Buffalo.
After a long day on the shoot, what did Ryan and Matt do? While they could’ve packed up and taken off, instead, they hopped in the truck and opened for business. While everyone cleaned up the set, they served up a full menu for everyone that had arrived and worked on set. Matt and Ryan know which side the bun is buttered on and much like a great metal band, would not let their fans down. Me, I snuck in another Witte!
“Ghouls” Gone Wild!
On a real serious tip, I want to thank the “Food Wars” staff, Camille Ford, all the Ghouls, Baby’s Bad Ass Burgers and especially Matt and Ryan from Grill ‘Em All. I am completely honored that you allowed me to be a part of what was your very special day. I had an absolute blast and regardless of the outcome, everyone involved acted like a champ. Matt and Ryan, you guys are the best and I couldn’t be more proud of you for making your dreams come true.
THE CONQUEST Some people do it for the money. Some people do it for the fame. Not Matt and Ryan from the Grill ‘Em All Truck, they do it for the love of burgers!! What the hell am I talking about? When I was out in LA for the taping of the Travel Channel’s “Food Wars” on the off day between shoots, Matt and Ryan asked if I wanted to go out for a burger (along with Ryan’s girlfriend Kevine.) I thought they must be kidding, either that or I was about to the victim of a prank by the Alpha Betas. But no, they were serious!!! These 2 are cut from the same slice of cheese that turned me into a burger obsessed, heavy metal loving, burger junkie. I of course said just that and asked one simple question – where?
New to the ever growing LA Burger, scene, “The Golden State Cafe,” was Ryan’s reply. In a town filled with angles, this place has a great one; use only locally produced ingredients. Be it the beef, cheese, beer, wine or produce, everything they serve was made in the state of California. While the menu is fairly simple with a 1 of each list of choices, they do offer special which are posted on their twitter. It’s a progressively modern way to serve a traditional menu made of sandwiches, salads, sausages and ice cream. Even their array of ketchup’s (including curry ketchup) and mustard’s are housemaid.
THE BURGER The menu only has one burger and that’s exactly what all 4 of us ordered. The burger at the Golden State Cafe consists of Harris Ranch Beef, Fiscalini Farms Cheddar, Glazed Applewood Smoked Bacon, Arugula, Housemaid Aioli & Ketchup. California! What’s up with the ketchup on burgers? It’s just unnecessary and therefore, I asked for it to be “held.” With no table service, you place your order at the counter where everything is made to order. Once our order was placed, we grabbed our table #, beers and waited for a table to become available. We slid into the window booth and were shortly there after, munching down.
Every bite of the burger revealed flavors made from the freshest ingredients. The cheddar had a mild sharpness to it and worked with, not against, the taste of the beef. The peppery arugula was a really nice choice over the standard romaine and worked in juxtaposition to the cheese. The bacon, while small in size, was big in taste. It was as though the flavor of 4 pieces of bacon had been condensed into 1 rasher. I got my aioli on the side as though I really enjoy that, I wanted to make sure it did not over power. (Plus, I wanted to dip the sweet potatoes fries in it!) The beef was clearly freshly ground and had a backyard BBQ like quality to it, mostly because the burgers are char-grilled. It left me happy, satisfied and feeling good.
As this was the first time I was eating with burger purveyors at another restaurant, I took a moment to get Matt and Ryan’s thoughts on The Golden State Cafe’s Burger.
Ryan: “The meat was a stand out. Even though the size of the bacon was little, it was very flavorful. Arugula nice touch over regular lettuce. I think these buns are from the La Brea bakery. They’re beautiful and they stay together. It’s a solid ass bun. Tasty. Not sure if I would be willing to go the 2 extra blocks past 8 oz Burger Again again. Its hard not to compare. In the realm of metal, The Golden State Cafe is like the Slayer to Metallica – Its a good brutal burger, but not in the same echelon of some other LA burgers.”
Matt: “I liked it too.”
Ryan: “Single best sweet potato fries I’ve ever had.”
Matt “Yeah! They should make real dolls out of the sweet potato fries! They’re like the sweet caress of a jilted lover. Its like having sex with an ex. So naughty, but so right!”
Me, I think I enjoyed this burger more because I love hanging out with these two.
THE CONQUEST A long time ago, in a Burger Galaxy far, far away, Carl’s Jr. suggested we try their original Six Dollar Burger. Having been raised right and knowing when to do as I am told, I went to a Carl’s Jr. Jr. in Hollywood, CA and had myself a Six Dollar Burger. Click the link for the review but to tell the whole truth, what Carl’s Jr. actually tweeted was “If you’ve never had a Carl’s Jr. burger, try the Western Bacon Cheeseburger, a classic; also the original Six Dollar Burger.” While I do have a “get it done” type of personality, on that particular visit, I could not eat all of them at once. Hence…my return.
THE BURGER Real bacon is delicious. “Preach on, preach on Rev,” you say and so long as the bacon is real, we can all be satisfied. Carl’s Jr does indeed use 2 full strips of real bacon to top their Western Bacon Cheeseburger along with American cheese, BBQ sauce and onion rings. It’s all nestled between a large sesame seed bun. The beef itself is your standard frozen, fast-food patty. While I chose the original (as per instructions), they do offer a Six Dollar Burger version of the sandwich, which is made from 100% Angus beef. The rich flavors in the toppings vastly overpowered the burger and as for a late night, post bar cure for the munchies, it was great. Could you get a better burger in LA, yeah you definitely can. However when it’s midnight and needs to be walking distance from my hotel, probably not.
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!!
WING-OFF 11: Sunday, February 28th, 2010
THE WING BAR vs. BONNIE’S GRILLE
-Brooklyn Style!!!
Rather new to the scene, popping up in 2009, Brooklyn’s The Wing Bar has been making some waves with their hot wings. Located in the Cobble Hill section of the borough, they offer a small yet inexpensive selection of bar food, all centered around the hot wing. The Wing Bar is also known for lost but not forgotten liquid serving container that is almost extinct in New York City; the pitcher! Their open until 2 am and also have a back patio but on this particularly warm winter day there were 2 other reasons to be here – 1. Wing-Off 11, 2. USA vs. Canada Olympic Gold Medal Hockey game.
The place is small and tight so we all owe a big round of applause to Ashely who not only saved us a space right under the TV but also did a fantastic job as our server. With no delay and a game to watch, we ordered a selection of medium and hot wings with a various assortment of beers to wash them down. Kudos to The Wing Bar for having Captain Lawrence on tap (big fan.)
Holy crispiness Bat(wing) Man!! Both the mediums and the hots were cooked to a perfect crunchy outside while remaining nice and juicy in the middle. As meatiness, the wings were just right; not too skimpy, not too much. The flavor in the mediums were right on the money with a buttery – peppered taste. The hots were good too but could’ve used a little more in the heat department. A strong showing on both accounts.
Literally at the end of the 2nd period, the Wing-Off crew jumped up from our tables and high-tailed it across town to our 2nd location. Along the way we crossed the Carroll St Bridge. Not that this bridge crossing the Gowanus Canal has anything to do with wings but as an interesting pieces of history, it’s worth pointing it out. Erected by the Brooklyn Department of City Works in 1889, ” is one of two retractile bridges left in New York, and one of four left in the United States. A retractile bridge slides along a track to allow the bridge to move and ships to pass.” Thanks to Wing-Off member Leo F. for the education and link.
BONNIE’S GRILL
Bonnie’s Grill is a tiny little cafe located in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn. Offering counter or waited service at one of their very few tables, this grill was created by 2 sons of the town that invented the hot wing; Buffalo
, NY. Known mostly for their wings and burgers, Bonnie’s has a decently sized menu with quite a lot of options for such a small place. Some might even call it a hole-in-the-wall, but a really, really neat and clean one.
We piled in taking up every single table in the place, eyes fixed on the TV as the 3rd period began. While the only Canadian amongst our group, Adam ordered a Labatt’s Blue, the rest of us try to stick with American brewed beers. In the race against beer, Bonnie’s beats The Wing Bar not in the fact that they too offer beer by the pitcher but an actually glass pitcher! Drink up, we did.
We placed the standard order for mediums and hot wings and waited for them to arrive. Bonnie’s wings were cooked well and meaty with a crispy outside and juicy inside. The wings were just slightly less crispy than The Wing Bar’s wings and done right on the money. The mediums had good flavor and enough bite to remind you that these are “hot” wings. The hot on the other hand, were no joke. Their peppery flavor danced across the tongue leaving a blanket of heat that lasted a good 2-3 minutes. This was hot done right. Although we don’t judge on them, we also order the “hotter” wings. These spicy little numbers were as intense as the game tying goal scored by Zach Parise of the NJ Devils with only 24 seconds left on the clock. There is not a single member of the Wing-Off who I would call a “sissbag” but these wings called for a glass of milk after 5 minutes of lingering heat.
WING-OFF 11 OFFICIAL WINNER – BONNIE’S GRILL! While Bonnie’s won the Wing-Off and Canada won the Gold Medal the real winners here were the baker’s dozen of us that had a fun afternoon filled with hot wings, cold beer, history and using our bitterness to make a tasteless, yet funny joke at Canada’s expense.
WING-OFF HISTORICAL
WING-OFF 1 January 28, 2007
Scruffy Duffy’s vs. Atomic at Down the Hatch WINNER: SCRUFFY DUFFYS
Scruffy Duffy’s www.scruffyduffys.com
743 Eighth Avenue
(between 46th & 47th)
New York, NY 10036
WING-OFF 2
June 3rd, 2007
Scruffy Duffy’s vs Blondie’s WINNER: SCRUFFY DUFFYS
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 DUFFYS
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 DUFFYS
Lansdowne Road www.lansdowneroadnyc.com
599 10th Ave (Btwn 43rd and 44th St)
New York, NY 10036-3008
THE CONQUEST
SNOWMAGEDDON has struck NYC! With 10 + inches of heavy, wet and still falling snow, I woke up and thought “what a great day to go eat burgers at the Shake Shack!” The lines at Shake Shack are notorious long and I say it all the time, the best time to go to the Shack is during bad or cold weather. If you just aren’t the outdoors type, you can always try the Upper West Side location that happens to be inside. But not me, I am from Michigan and I enjoy the elements.
After a quick weather check, 10″s on the ground and more to come, I dropped a line to the Shake Shack to see if they would be open. Moments later General Manager, Vernon Patterson replied “We are definitely open. Come on down. We are giving out free hot chocolate all day!” I quickly put on a Hawaiian shirt and sent out an APB via Twitter, Facebook and email – “1230pm today @shakeshack MSP; #PolarBrrrgerClub. Hawaiian shirts encouraged but not necessary. Who’s with me?!?!? Free hot chocolate all day. I will be the guy in the WHITE CAMO VISOR.”
Around 12:30 I was met by 10 other burger hungry snow birding friends including Nick “Beef Aficionado” Solares & J. Kenji “Good Eater,” Lopez. both from A Hamburger Today. As we walked up to the Shack, I was pleasantly surprised to see a decent sized line. Nothing like a true blizzard to kick up a case of the Shack Shakes amongst New Yorkers. Standing in the shadows of the Empire State Building, Madison Square Park was actually quite busy. There were kids making snowmen, people play with their dogs and of course, a long line of bundled up burger fans. We got in line, placed our orders and waited under the heat lamps for our personal burger alert buzzers to go off.
THE BURGER
The Shake Shack burger has a spot in our top faves, just like everyone else who has tried it. The burger is just superb. They use a high quality mix of beef, that is freshly ground, hand pattied and cooked right there. Served with fresh lettuce, savory cheese and the oh so tasty Shack Sauce. It’s all gloriously held between the beauty of a soft potato roll. One bite and you’ll know, only a burger this good would incite people to remove clothing and stand in the cold just to eat one.
8 out of 10 ounces
-Rev Ciancio
So with that, let the photos tell you the story of the First ever Burger Conquest Polar Brrrger Club. Kenji definitely gets an award for outstanding journalist bravado for inciting rabid squirrels in the park with free hot chocolate and hot french fries.
Burger King http://bk.com
255 West 34th Street
New York, NY 10001-2803
THE CONQUEST We don’t do this professionally. In fact, there may be actually nothing definably “professional” about this blog. But we do love burgers and we do love writing about them. The View, The NY Post, Rachel Ray, Daily News, Gawker, FOX News, Thrillist and A Hamburger Today, they’re all professionals. So how the hell we got invited along with them to the unveiling of Burger King’s new “secret weapon,” and corresponding tasting party, well that’s the power of passion.
But why they felt we were important enough to send a limo to pick us up, well, that’s because of you, our readers. On this particularly rainy day, we thank you for your readership as it’s warmth and shelter helped guide our mission.
So what was this party all about? The “BK Lounge,” as it’s affectionately called, is launching a new series of burgers known as the “Premium Steakhouse XT™ Burger Line.” The Answer to McDonald’s Angus Third Pounders, these 7-oz. bad boys are the latest maneuver in the fast food burger battle. But more on that later.
The real star of the show is the new state-of-the-art broiler Burger King is launching to enhance their signature flame-broiled flavor. So rather than me regurgitating the press release (in all its glory below) let these guys tell you.
And then the Whoppers started coming … I will admit I lost my focus for a minute and despite BK’s warning so did the rest of the room.
THE BURGER(S), ETC.
And with focus lost, we started to eat. Since they gave us the official professionally shot pictures of the items, I thought it might be fun to juxtapose them side by side with my “unprofessional” photos.
First the Whopper. Exactly as you know it. Didn’t seem any different than it’s tasted in the past. We’ve all eaten one (save Robyn from AHT … WTF!??!?) so you know the deal.
Up next, the “A.1. SteakHouse XT.” This ornately prepared fast food fiend has a 7-oz.beef patty that’s topped with mayo, crispy onions, A.1. Steak Sauce, American cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. We sliced them up (I removed the tomatoes) and dug in. It was good, I won’t lie. There is a whole lot of flavor happening inside of this and yes, as far as Burger King burgers go, this is a thick, juicy patty. I was impressed. I was also starving and rifled through my half-burger in about 17 seconds flat. Later, Jason, from Me So Hungry, and I split a 2nd one!
7 out of 10 ounces
The “A.1. Steakhouse XT” was followed by “BK Fire-Grilled Ribs.” Charred right in the broiler, just like the burger, these Saint Louis-style baby backs come pre-seasoned and with a side of barbecue sauce. They were not bad. They would never stand up against real, slow cooked, open-pit, Texas style ribs from the The Salt Lick, but for fast food – again, I was impressed. The ribs were a little dry with a smoky, almost slight taste of beef jerky. Definitely not something I thought I would ever see at a fast-food joint. And yes, you will soon see these on the menu at a BK Lounge near you! I guess it’s true, anything is possible. (Where’s that winning Lotto ticket already!??!)
It’s all cooked in this fancy piece of steel and innovation. It looks to me like some kind of rock and mineral gathering device designed for NASA’s lunar missions. I guess that’s why I am in the music business and not an engineer.
Not cooked in the broiler but served anyway, French Fries and “BK Fresh Apple Fries.” Neither of which any of us spent any real appetite space on.
That’s when the real fun began. Head BK Chef Jay Sullivan,
just to prove a point, showed us what this broiler is really capable of doing. Don’t let your eyes fool you, these are medium-rare Filet Mignon steaks “served with a Port Demi-glace and braised pearl onions with Baby Portobello mushrooms.” Jackie, Adam, Robyn & Jason dug in with eyes agape. While I can’t say it was the highest quality beef I have ever had, it was without a doubt, no question, cooked to perfection and that really is the point that BK is trying to make.
Not willing to settle on simply broiling up a steak, Chef Jay had a few more tricks up his sleeve. As if to say “Look Ma! Those years in culinary school were not wasted,” he busted out a mixed-grill plate. It had “Argentinean chorizo, rosemary-scented pork tenderloin, red wine-marinated prime rib eye, cilantro pineapple-infused organic chicken. served with romesco sauce and grilled asparagus.” The grilled meats were a little overcooked, but it still made for an impressive display of a machine designed to churn burgers out by the millions. The final move, a rich, thick, smoky tasting “Flame-Kissed” S’more. (Note: no one was willing to share a S’more and in fact, some of us walked out with an extra one!) Don’t expect to see any of these items on the menu at Burger King any time soon. There was even some fancy language on the menu reminding us of this.
All in all, it was a fun event and an honor to be included. While we’ve certainly walked away with some free food, this was the first time ever we got some free swag at a Burger Conquest. Check out Jackie and I in our fly-ass, pimp-style BK bling!
So there, take that Ronald, you silly clown.
– Rev Ciancio
Our thanks to John Schaufelberger, Chef Jay Sullivan, Kevin Houston, Kimberly Bratton and all at Edelman and Burger King for inviting us to share. Special “Yo-what-what” props to Robyn and Jason for helping us to look like we belonged there.
BURGER KING OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE:
News Release
BURGER KING CORPORATION FIRES UP GAME-CHANGING ‘SECRET WEAPON’ BREAKING NEW GROUND IN PRODUCT
QUALITY AND INNOVATION
Leading the Way: Premium Steakhouse XT™ Burger Line
MIAMI – Feb. 22, 2010 – Burger King Corporation (NYSE:BKC) today announced that
BURGER KING® restaurants nationwide are cooking with a ground-breaking new broiler that takes product quality and menu innovation to great-tasting new heights. This state-of-the-art equipment is the heart of BURGER KING® restaurant kitchens. The broiler, supplied by two manufacturers, features proprietary technology that allows restaurants to further enhance the brand’s famous flame-fresh taste and provides the flexibility necessary to explore a wider range of innovative, delicious, fire-grilled foods.
“This new broiler is a game-changing piece of equipment and a significant point of differentiation for us,” said John Schaufelberger, senior vice president, global product marketing and innovation, Burger King Corporation. “Not only is the technology revolutionary to our industry, it is proprietary to the BURGER KING® brand. It allows us to up the ante in our product development across the board – from superior quality food and unconventional menu innovations to even more competitive value offerings.”
Burger King Corporation is currently testing a variety of products that can now be made on the new broiler, including fall-off-the-bone BK® Fire-Grilled Ribs, stuffed burgers packed with flavor from the inside out, and an array of one-of-a-kind offerings for breakfast, snacks and even flame-kissed desserts. Hot Off the Broiler: Steakhouse XT™ Hits the Spot!
The casual dining quality Steakhouse XT™ premium burger line that are flame-broiled to perfection are more than 30 percent larger than McDonald’s® Angus Third Pounders. The extra-thick, juicy steakhouse patty debuts at BURGER KING® restaurants nationwide this month and is among the first menu offerings made possible by the revolutionary new cooking system.
• The Steakhouse XT™ is a steakhouse dining experience from top to bottom. The premium sandwich features 7 ounces of seasoned ground beef topped with crisp lettuce, onions, red-ripe tomatoes, ketchup and mayo all on a corn-dusted bakery bun.
• The A.1.® Steakhouse XT™ features all of the ingredients on the Steakhouse XT™ along with A.1.® steak sauce, American cheese and crispy onions.
• The Smoky Cheddar Steakhouse XT™ is named for its smoky barbeque sauce, cheddar cheese and bacon.
For a limited time only, the Steakhouse XT™ is available at participating restaurants in the U.S. and Canada for a special introductory retail price of $3.99. The A.1.® Steakhouse XT™ and Smoky Cheddar Steakhouse XT™ are available for a suggested retail price of $4.49. Both the Steakhouse XT™ and the A.1.® Steakhouse XT™ are permanent additions to the
BURGER KING® menu, and the Smoky Cheddar Steakhouse XT™ is available for a limited time, while supplies last.
Ranging from a suggested retail price of $3.99 to $4.49, the Steakhouse XT™ premium burger offerings further increase the variety of high-quality, affordable menu items to
BURGER KING® restaurant guests.
Environmental Benefits
In addition to advancing the entire cooking process, one of the proprietary systems supports energy efficiency by reducing gas consumption in BURGER KING® restaurants by 52 percent and electricity consumption by 90 percent when compared to systems of the past. As of Feb. 1, virtually all BURGER KING® restaurants in the U.S. and Canada have installed the new broiler and the broiler’s rollout to international markets is expected to be completed over the course of 2010.
ABOUT BURGER KING CORPORATION
The BURGER KING® system operates more than 12,000 restaurants in all 50 states and in 73 countries and U.S. territories worldwide. Approximately 90 percent of BURGER KING® restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees, many of them family-owned operations that have been in business for decades. In 2008, Fortune magazine ranked Burger King Corporation (BKC) among America’s 1,000 largest corporations and in 2010, Standard & Poor’s included shares of Burger King Holdings, Inc. in the S&P; MidCap 400 index. Burger King Corporation was recently recognized by Interbrand on its top 100 “Best Global Brands” list and Ad Week has named it one of the top three industry-changing advertisers within the last three decades. To learn more about Burger King Corporation, please visit the company’s Web site at www.bk.com.
Through its BK Positive Steps® corporate responsibility program, the BURGER KING® system is committed to being a socially responsible brand in all areas of its business – food, people, the environment and corporate governance. To learn more about the BK Positive Steps® corporate responsibility program and view the complete fiscal 2009 report, visit www.bk.com/corporateresponsibility. For more information on Burger King Corporation, please visit the company’s Web site at www.bk.com.
We received this letter in the Burger Conquest Beef Touchdown Box unfortunately the author was unable to recall the name of said West London Pub. I am told it’s near Starbucks in Convent Gardens, London, UK. If anyone has a clue as to where to find this burger of international of mystery, please let us know.
Thank you
*****
Dear Rev
Let me tell you about a burger that could bring the world closer together.
I always have heard the food in England is terrible…the more I go there…the more I disagree with that statement.
Case in point…the wonderful…incredible…Big Ben Burger…served in a wonderful pub in the west end of london…the name escapes me but I promise to send it to you next time.
This wonderful burger is served with bacon and a fried egg…what a concept!
Enjoy it with chips and an ice cold Stella and try to get one before 11:30 am
