Schnipper’s Quality Kitchen – Getting Stoned With an Idol

Posted on 10/28/2009 by Rev

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

THE STORY
When I started Burger Conquest, it was merely with the intention of sharing my love of burgers with my friends and creating a journal of our burger eating exploits. As the posts went and up and my obsession for burgers grew, I learned of a man, some might call him a legend. His name is George Motz (pronounced Moehts) and he is considered the foremost expert on burgers. How did George earn this level of notoriety? As an award-winning Director of Photography, while looking for a new project to film, George decided to make a film documentary about 8 of his favorite places to eat his favorite food, the hamburger.

In 2005 the film “Hamburger America” debuted on the Sundance Channel. Not one to sit still, George combing his 2 passions, then co-created the NYC Food and Film Festival. Shortly thereafter came the book of the same title but this time with 100 different burger joints reviewed within. He’s taught a burger course at NYU and even designed the burger at the NY Water Taxi Beach, appropriately named, the Motz Burger. As burger joints come and go, the book and movie are just not enough to keep the burger community appeased, so George runs a regular blog to keep his fans up to date on his burger adventures. Motz, as most people call him, is the definition of “dedication to a craft.” As far as I’m concerned, he is the Indiana Jones of burgers.

So when Adam Kuban, founder of A Hamburger Today, email introduced me to George, I got kind of giddy. When George suggested we get a burger together, I almost became unhinged. The opportunity to meet the lord of the burger was just too damn excited. He suggested we meet up at Schnipper’s Quality Kitchen. Jackie and I couldn’t wait.

Schnipper’s is the creation of 2 brothers named Andrew and Jonathan Schnipper. You may have heard of them as they were the force behind Hale and Hearty Soups. Selling the company off in 2006 left them ready for new pursuits and to quote them; “soup is good food, but when you get right down to it, nothing really beats a quality burger, right?” After what sounds like an amazing road trip, eating food in all 4 corners of the US, they returned back to New York and opened their Quality Kitchen right across from the Port Authority and next to the New York Times. For those of you not familiar with either building, it’s the same one that 2 people scaled before getting arrested back in 2008. Although the focus is on burgers, SQK also serves all sort of comfort food like mac and cheese, hot dogs, shakes, sloppy joe’s, chicken sandwiches, fish and more. And on this rainy Wednesday, we were about to meet a burger icon inside their restaurant.

THE BURGER
After George arrived and pleasantly greeted us, he approached the the counter and asked if the Schnipper’s were in. They were not so George walked us over to the counter and suggested the Hickory Bacon Blue Burger. George also threw a nod towards the Green Chile Burger but I wanted whatever he was going to get. Along with my burger, I ordered the Southwestern Mac & Cheese with roasted poblanos and green onions. George is bursting with excitement and stories and as we played the get to know me game while waiting for our Schnipper’s buzzers to go off, we were barely able to complete stories without getting side tracked into other stories. The buzzers went off and we all raced over to the counter to grab our vittles.

The Hickory Bacon Blue Burger comes with bacon, blue cheese, crispy onions, hickory BBQ sauce, lettuce, tomato and Schnipper sauce. A veritable cornucopia of toppings if you will. I was mighty shocked to see George order it as many of his reviews in the book beg readers not to over adorn your burger with toppings and he is constantly claiming favorites to burgers that have nothing on them other than a bun or onions. But in this case, burger monkey see, burger monkey do. When I saw George remove the tomato from his burger, much like I always do, I was stoked. I knew were more alike than I had thought.

A bite or two into the burger and a perplexed looked came across George’s face. Mine was tasting pretty good so I was a little weary of what was happening. “They forgot the onions. You gotta have the crispy onions,” George proclaimed right before he got up and walked over to the counter to ask for crispy onions. Just as he made his approach, Andrew Schnipper walked into the restaurant and witnessed what was happening. George returned to the table with the onions.

A few moments later, a VERY apologetic Andrew Schnipper came to our table with 2 new Hickory Bacon Blue Burgers. Not one to waste a great burger, I finished the first one before ripping into the 2nd. The 80/20 chuck blended hand-pattied burger was bursting with greasy juices and cooked absolutely perfectly. The measurement of bacon to cheese to crispy onion to meat to sauce to bun was clearly something the Schnipper’s had spent hours and hours concocting. This was no ordinary burger, this was an American classic gone to the tastefully extreme.

While the magic flavors of my 2nd burger were doing the happy dance in my mouth, Andrew returned with 3 samplings of their new tomato cheddar soup. I don’t like tomato soup but I kind of felt obligated to have a taste. I ATE THE WHOLE THING! It was great, very thick and tasted more like a cheesy Italian pasta sauce then the watery version of tomato soup I am familiar with. As I was putting the finishing touches on the burgers and soup, Andrew returned again with 3 hand-crafted shakes for us to try. The chocolate shake was extremely rich and syrupy, the black and white was decent but not really my bag but the brand new pumpkin spice was from another plane of existence.

While everything we ate was darn-tootin, I am sad to say that the mac & cheese was pretty forgettable. I was hoping for a deeply rich and thick cheese with a nice spicy bite but instead it was watery and the peppers had little to no flavor. Sorry guys, I feel overwhelmed with the desire to ONLY say great things about the place because I loved it, but have to be honest. Everything else though, you need to eat!

Quote of the day goes to Motz. As the meal was coming to an end, George paused, looked up at us and said “I think I’m burger stoned.”


8 out of 10 ounces
-Rev





Posted in Best Of, Burger Famous, Burgers, Hamburgers, New York | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

brgr – Tng Brgr Wth Rn Gllsp Frm Ndrth / Th Lmst

Posted on 10/26/2009 by Rev

brgr
http://brgr.us/
287 7 Ave
New York, NY 10001-6285

Confused by the title of the blog? Here it is with the vowels included;
brgr – Eating A Burger With Aaron Gillespie from Underoath / The Almost

THE STORY
Eating burgers doesn’t pay the bills (yet!) so I day light in the rock and roll biz as an artist manager. Most of you loyal readers already know but I like to preface. When I recently discovered that Aaron Gillespie from the bands Underoath and The Almost has his own serious food blog, I asked his manager Randy if we could go out on a Burger Conquest together. Aaron is a great guy with 2 kick ass bands and a massive appetite. They both replied with an emphatic yes! We’ve all known each other for years but never in the food capacity, so Jackie and I were damn excited to join them.

As Aaron is a gigantic god of rock, we had to adhere to his very busy press schedule which meant choosing a burger near his record label’s offices in NYC’s Flatiron district. I wanted to pick a spot that none of us had been before. Enter the highly rated brgr. Grass-fed beef is the name of the game here, which is, as brgr says, “higher in Omega-3 Fatty Acids and vitamin E. Our grass-fed beef is also free of artificial hormones, antibiotics and other things that don’t belong in burgers.” Grass-fed beef has a much smaller carbon footprint, so it’s healthier for both you and the Earth. brgr uses fresh produce, hormone, antibiotic and additive-free milk and they make their own sauces from scratch. You can choose from their suggested burger creations or you can build your own. There is of course a 3rd option…both! Being a cake and eat it too type of guy, that’s exactly what I did.

THE BURGER
Aaron and I both ordered the “Blue Sky BRGR” with Roquefort, Bacon, Sweet Onion Marmalade, Lettuce, Tomato and Pickles. They gave us a # and we sat down when only a few moments later, our food arrived. Before I could really get in the obligatory food blogger photos, Aaron had me on camera talking about “The Glorious Pursuit of Delicious Burgers.” While I was trying to sop up the messy, messy burger, Marty, brgr’s operation manager, came over to say hello. The Roquefort was warm, runny and over powering my sandwich. It made it impossible to actually taste the difference that grass-feeding makes in beef . The bacon and Sweet Onion Marmalade flavors were lost in the quicksand of cheese. The last few bites were just one big soggy blur. Thank god for on-table napkin dispensers!

Marty explained the process through which brgr obtains their meat and the cleanliness of the beef. Grain-fed beef makes for bulkier and fatter cows, whereas grass is the natural diet of a cow and brings forth a natural taste in the beef. Then the questions started. “Did you try the sweet potato fries?” “How about the homemade horseradish dip?” “People claim to love our bacon. Did you get a good taste in the Blue Sky brgr?” The answers to all of the above were a sad “no.” Marty, being a man after my own heart, was not going to take “no” as an answer. He and the VERY friendly staff marched out a sampling of each.

Onion Hay – tasty
Fries – good
Fries in herb Mayo – really good
Fries in Horseradish Sauce – great
Sweet Potato Fries – great
Sweet Potato Fries dipped in Horse Radish Sauce – AMAZING!!!
Apple Smoked Bacon – wow! Wow! WOW! – so freaking good!!!
-Aaron was super stoked on this claiming it as “real campfire bacon.”

After all that, I felt like I had to give brgr another chance so I marched back up to the counter and ordered a brgr with American Cheese and Lettuce, cooked medium-rare on a whole wheat bun. A good bun is essential to a good burger and whole wheat almost always hit the mark. A much better choice this time as I could get take in the actual flavor of the beef. Their flat top griddle delivered me a very greasy burger with a nice pink inside. I could see how most people would be turned off by the gaminess of their beef. We’re used to a salty mix of grain fed beef here in the USofA and to the unfamiliar palette, this could be too different. Me, I liked it. The patty’s flavor is more natural and although still juicy, isn’t as savory. Bottom line, it’s good, go eat one or whole bunch!

When you come to a stop sign, you stop. When you see a sign to yield, you should yield. When you see the sign that says “Signature Blueberry-Pomegranate Shake – Voted Best Milkshake In New York By New York Magazine,” you should get a Signature Blueberry-Pomegranate Shake! Too full? Get it in the 5 oz “Shake Shot” size. The idea of a post burger shake makes me think I will instantly need a pillow and a bed in the corner of the restaurant. Normally, I would skip but in this case, you should not. It’s creamy but not too thick and bursting with delicious milky-fruity flavor.

“brgr is one of those places that makes you feel good, but it still holds this “gimmicky” feel. They are shooting for something between old world grease shack and an organic, grass fed NYC-goers palace. I liked it, not love like. It’s totally fine for lunch, but don’t take your mama”
-Aaron Gillespie, Underoath / The Almost

FOODISM MEETS BURGER CONQUEST

Foodism Meets Burger Conquest! from I Surrender on Vimeo.

Foodism Meets Burger Conquest! from I Surrender on Vimeo.

 

Click here to check out Aaron’s food adventures.


Blue Sky BRGR – 6 out of 10 ounces (left photo)
Cheese BRGR on Wheat – 8 out of 10 ounces (right photo)
-Rev




Posted in Burgers, Hamburgers, New York | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Melt Bar & Grilled – An Orgasm Stuffed Grilled Cheese

Posted on 10/25/2009 by Rev

Melt Bar & Grilled
http://www.meltbarandgrilled.com/
14718 Detroit Ave
Lakewood, OH 44107

THE STORY
After not 1, but 2 burger let downs on our weekend at Cedar Point, I woke up this morning A. wanting burger redemption B. not wanting another burger but with the promise of a grilled cheese sandwich stuffed with a burger inside, there was no denying it. Chris from the band Chimaira heavily suggested we stop in at Melt Bar & Grilled to eat before returning home. Derek, Lara, Cara and I drove into town where we met our friend, card carrying member of Melt’s “Big Cheese Club“, Jason Pettigrew from Alternative Press and his wife.

With a 90 minute wait for a table, Jason claims this is standard, we sat at the bar drinking beers from the amazing selection offered. Not a beer drinker? Melt has a full bar and an impressive selection of sodas, including 2 different kinds of grape soda! Jason gave me the oral history on Melt, explaining how the place had become the punk-rock, artsy, hipster, foodie, beer-drinking, counter culture hang out. Adorning the walls of Melt are all kinds of local art, sports memorabilia, and photography. These guys love Cleveland and have made sure you know it. They even have local artist create poster art to help advertise their monthly specials . The decorations and old school wood tables and chairs give this an old-timey tavern appeal.

Once we were finally seated, the VERY friendly and accommodating waiter handed us the menus which were affixed to the back of album covers. Although gourmet grilled cheese is the name of the game here, Melt offers a up all kinds of comfort foots from pierogis, to tomato soup, salads, crab cakes, chili, waffles, eggs and more. I almost cried a tear of joy when I found out that all bowls of soup come with a snack sized bag of Goldfish Crackers.

THE BURGER
Cara and I split an order of the Melt Pierogi; “locally produced potato & cheese, pan fried, grilled onions, fresh napa vodka kraut,shredded cheese and sour cream.” They were simply divine. If you have never had a pierogi before, get off your computer and get some from your local grocer’s frozen section. If are not a pierogi virgin, get on a plane or in a car and get to Lakewood, OH immediately, these are the best pierogies I have ever eaten.

How anyone is ever able to choose a sandwich from the insane menu, I have no idea! Technically Melt does not serve burgers, here they are Grilled Cheese Burgers; a Grilled Cheese Sandwich stuff with a Hamburger Patty. I narrowed down to the either the “Fat City” with honey ham, salami, crisp bacon, Swiss and American cheese or the waiter suggested Breakfast Burger stuffed with 2 Amish farmed fried eggs, crisp bacon & American cheese. I got the latter. All the grilled cheese sandwiches at Melt are served on delicious, buttery Texas toast with fries and sweet slaw.

When my Grilled Cheese Breakfast Burger was placed down in front me, I got lost in the moment. This was one of the most appealing and appetizing sandwiches I have ever laid eyes on. If photos speak a thousand words, the first 2 here are “holy crap!” I was barely able to wrap my mitts around this sucker but I wasn’t going to let anything hold me back from mowing down. The burger was cooked perfectly and covered in oooey-gooey cheese. The mix of flavors from the toast to the beef to the eggs and the stacks of bacon came together to create an orgasmic food explosion in my mouth. As I slid the last amazing bite into my pie hole, I looked at Jason and said “I am so glad I don’t live close. I would never eat anything but this!” You need to eat this burger.

Congrats Melt! Not only did you earn the title “first t-shirt I have ever bought on a burger conquest” but more importantly, you are now in our “BEST OUTSIDE NYC” list.

9 out of 10 ounces
-Rev



Posted in Beer, Best Of, Burgers, Gourmet Burgers, Hamburgers, Ohio | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

TGI Fridays at Cedar Point – Be Afraid, Be Very, Very Afraid.

Posted on 10/24/2009 by Rev

TGI Fridays at Cedar Point
http://www.tgifridays.com/storeLocator/FindUs.aspx?address=44871⪫=41.4486000&lng;=-82.7084000
1 Cedar Point Dr
Sandusky, Ohio 44871

THE STORY
I love burgers but I also love a good story and sometimes I place value of the story a little higher than I should. This is the first time it’s failed me and I have to admit being REALLY angry with myself. Let’s start over.

Party chain restaurant TGI Friday’s promoted self-proclaimed #1 fan “Woody” to be a spokesperson for the restaurant. He challenged them to give away free burgers if he could get 500K fans on his facebook page. They succeeded and yes indeed, fans received a coupon for a free Jack Daniel’s burger at the TGI Friday’s of their choice. Pretty respectable if you ask me. Unfortunately I was not able to make it out on the allotted days for the coupon redemption but somehow, even though I live in NYC, the capital of food, I ended up at a TGI Friday’s location 3 times in the month of October. The first 2 times, I did not get the burger because I knew I wouldn’t be happy with it.

Every fall, my wife Cara and I, as well as our friends Lara and Derek meet up in Sandusky, OH to ride roller coasters at Cedar Point. CP has more roller coasters than any other amusement park in the world. They also have more world’s record setting coasters than any other park. This is the mecca of roller coaster worship. Originally opening in 1870, Cedar Point is the 2nd oldest amusement park in the world.

In the fall, to celebrate the Halloween season, Cedar Point re-fashions the park for “Halloweekends.” During the events, several rides and walk-ways are turned into haunted houses and fright zones. The entire park is dressed with skeletons, graves, ghouls, ghosts and other things reminiscent of Halloween. It’s a really, really fun way to enjoy the amusement park, even if you are a big fraidy-cat like me and have to use your wife as a shield from the baddies.

To tie the whole story together, I was dying to talk about how much I love Cedar Point on the blog. I’ve gone nearly every year since I was a kid and the place holds a very special spot in my heart as it’s where my love of coasters began. However, this is a burger blog and I am always very careful not too go too far off topic or as they say in the blogosphere, “OT.” If I can involve a burger, then the story happens. When Lara suggested we eat at the TGI Friday’s on site at the park, it dawned on me how to talk about Halloweekends on Burger Conquest, eating the Jack Daniel’s burger.

THE BURGER
The TGI Friday’s is located in The Breakers Hotel, the only hotel on property. Located just behind Soak City (the water park), you can enter via the hotel or from the beach front. Even though the beach front on this very, very cold and rainy day was destitute, the restaurant was jam-packed. Rather than wait the 45 minutes for a table, we plopped down at the bar and placed an order. After a very delicious appetizer of fried green beans, (way to go TGIF. You figured out how to make really healthy food absolutely terrible for you!) the Jack Daniel’s burger arrived.

The patty was bland, flavorless and cooked to a dry well-done state. The bun was hard and had an unnatural flavor for a sesame seed bun. Neither of which are the worst part! I love drinking and Jack Daniels is definitely a fave but the so-called “Jack Daniels Sauce” at TGI Friday’s is disgusting. It’s has an odd chemical sweetness which leads me to believe that there is no JD in it all. It’s probably just fructose and chopped onions. It’s a huge let down to know a company that is world famous for their whiskey would endorse such a bad product. As I ate the burger, I just got more and more upset. It’s entirely possible that the burger was actually better than I am describing it but because I am still so mad that I ate it, the story is over ruling the burger.

The biggest let down? I took an AWESOME video of us riding the Magnum-XL coaster and accidentally deleted it. So even though I sacrificed my palette for a good story, I still failed the mission. Listen, go to Cedar Point. It’s awesome and there is no place like it on the planet but don’t get the Jack Daniels burger at TGI Friday’s.

Cedar_Point_TGI_Fridays_review_burger_conquest_cedar_point_jack_daniels_burger
3 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

Cedar_Point_TGI_Fridays_review_burger_conquest_cedar_pointCedar_Point_TGI_Fridays_review_burger_conquest_cedar_point_fried_green_beans_102409 045




Posted in Burgers, Hamburgers, Ohio, Road Trip | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Thirsty Pony – Fat Frosting

Posted on 10/23/2009 by Rev

Thirsty Pony
http://www.qualityinn.com/hotel-sandusky-ohio-OH279
1935 Cleveland Rd W
Sandusky, OH 44870-4308

THE STORY
Once a year, the wife and I, along with our friends Derek and Lara meet up in Sandusky, OH to ride roller coasters at Cedar Point. But more on CP in my next post. I’ve been going to the park since I was a wee little snapper. Right before you make the turn onto Cedar Point Causeway there is a Days Inn with a water park, bowling alley, arcade and a restaurant called the “Thirsty Pony.” Ever since I was a tyke, I have been attracted to the allure of this strange suburban playground…but have never been there. On this particular coaster mission we stayed at the hotel across the street and decided to stop in for a bite to eat while we waited for Derek and Lara to arrive.

“FAT BURGERS” If you saw that sign outside of a restaurant, would you not at least look at the menu, if not run in and find a seat as quick as possible? I DID!!! The Pony is a very strange place. It’s brightly lit, connected directly to the bowling alley, has a horse race betting lounge (simulcast), keno on the screens and lots of greasy fried food. It’s some kind of loud, wacky, middle of nowhere, Midwest, blue-collar den of offerings to forget about the world outside. With a Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat (one of my faves) in front of me and a page of burgers to choose from, I was ready to indulge. That’s when I came across this..

“The Thirsty Bam Burger: – our signature burger ground with a touch of horse radish and fresh garlic, seasoned with salt, pepper and steak sauce, topped with Swiss and mozzarella cheeses on ciabatta bread.” We ordered it along with some mild hot wings and a side of sweet potato fries.

THE BURGER
While we waited for the grub, we bought in to a few rounds of Keno, none of which we won. The wings were crispy fried but not covered in sauce. It was at the bottom of the bowl and you had to dip them in yourself. The were crispy and greasier than I could possibly enjoy. Also, I want my wings SLATHERED in sauce. I wouldn’t avoid them.

The burger looked damn good. Ciabattas are delicious and this one barely held the massive wad of meat covered in cheese in between. So big in fact, that it took 2 hands to eat the sucker. Making my signature “left hand grab” picture very difficult. After a few bites and a near failed attempt at photographs, the whole sandwich practically disintegrated into a massive pile of slop. As for the taste, all I remember was tasting the steak sauce which beyond any shadow of a doubt was A-1. It was so over powering that I could barely taste the garlic, horseradish and beef…you know the good stuff!! The beef itself wasn’t all that great or flavorful. There was a lot of hype and show here but no real value. What a let down.

HOWEVER, the crispy sweet potato fries were great! They came covered in cinnamon sugar and what I can only describe as cinnamon frosting to dip them in. It’s pure insanity! It’s the kind of thing that mother’s fear children will never think of. Admittedly, I felt a little wrong about it but there was no denying, it was good! Too bad I couldn’t say that for the burger or the wings.


5 out of 10 ounces
-Rev


Posted in Bar, Burgers, Hamburgers, Ohio | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

FEBO – Dutch for “Vierde Maaltijd”

Posted on 10/17/2009 by Rev

FEBO
http://www.febodelekkerste.nl/
Leidsestraat 94
1017 PE Amsterdam, Netherlands
020 6208615

THE STORY
Ever pound back a dozen beers in one evening and then get late night cravings? Chances are you have, otherwise Taco Bell wouldn’t have penned “Fourthmeal.” There is nothing like drunk eating as far as I am concerned. The Dutch have perfected the business end of late night dining with the Automat. The concept is simple, a coin-operated, serve yourself, fast food restaurant. It requires little maintenance, there is no seating and little to no interaction with staff. It keeps costs down, turn over high and profits large.

In Amsterdam, one company, FEBO, are the masters of the market place with 33 locations and growing. The #1 one most popular item is the croquette, a corner stone of Dutch cuisine. It’s basically deep fried meat ragout and covered in breadcrumbs. The “Kroket” is so much a staple in the Netherlands that you can even order the “McKroket” at McDonalds. When you’re (me) wandering the streets of Amsterdam all schnookered up on Heineken and God knows what else, FEBO offers you, quick, greasy, tasty treats…including BURGERS!

THE BURGER
After a few too many Heinie’s on a Friday night in Amsterdam, I needed nourishment. As I passed the FEBO in Leidseplein, I knew what I had to do. First I selected a croquette, opting for pork, beef and vegetables but because this is a burger blog, I got the “kaasburger” (cheese burger) with spicy mustard.

The croquette was amazing! Hot, crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside and with all kinds of delicious flavor. Reminded me Uncle Ben’s Country Inn Rice. You know, the 5 minute boil-in-bag rice we all lived off of in college? Imagine it inside fried breading. SO GOOD!

Then onto the burger. Uggggh. It was not good and honestly, if it wasn’t for the telling of a fun story, this burger is hardly worth mentioning. Small, flat, flavorless are 3 things I do NOT look for in a burger. The cheese was ok (as most Dutch cheese is FANTASTIC), the mustard sauce was tangy and at least the bun had seeds, none of which made up for a cheap, crappy burger.

My advice, head over to the Heineken “Brouwery” for the Heineken Experience and load up on the Netherland’s finest beer. Don’t forget to make your own bottle (see below.) Not so much into beer? May I suggest Rokerij “coffee shop”. Then when your good and munchy, take that pile of shrapnel (slang for European pocket change), walk into a Febo and load up on a Rundvleeskrokets.


2 out of 10 ounces
-Rev


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Burgermeester – A Hamburger Today’s Burger Conquest 1st Anniversay Present

Posted on 10/16/2009 by Rev

On Friday, October 16th, 5 friends went out for a burger at Arthur’s Steakhouse in Hoboken, NJ. On that day, Burger Conquest was born. 365 days later, we are celebrating our first “Burgerthday!” The rest is burger history.

THE STATS
365 days
136 blog posts
137 Burgers eaten by Rev
4 Wing-Offs
10 trips to baseball parks
2 burgers thrown away
0 “10 out of 10 ounces”

THE BURGER
How did we celebrate our 1st Burgerthday? With a guest blog about Amsterdam’s Burgermeester on A Hamburger Today!

Click here for the review:

I can’t tell you how honored I am to have such great support from what I consider to be the the Ark of the Covenant for burgers. You guys have been like a big burger brother to our site and I know I speak for all the Burger Conquesters, when I extend a big pillowy bun of thanks.

Thank you to the dozens of friends and bands who have eaten burgers with me around the globe. A big beefy high-five my NYC based burger buddies in Team Burger. A flat-top griddled cheers to Patrick Moroney for designing the Burger Conquest logo. Lastly, to the love of my life, Cara, thank you for sitting through countless hours of eating and blogging.

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Fine Burger Company – Meat London’s Finest

Posted on 10/14/2009 by Rev

Fine Burger Company
http://www.fineburger.co.uk/
330 Upper St
London, N1 2XQ
United Kingdom

THE STORY
If I had a brother from another mother and he was British and the only things we had in common were food and music, it would be my buddy Paul. Paul is a booking agent based out of London and this dude seriously food obsessed. While on a recent visit to London, Paul demanded to take me out for a burger. I respond well to threats, especially about burgers. We had some business to talk anyway so I met Paul at the tube stop nearest his office ready for a burger.

After a short jog up the street, we arrived at the Fine Burger Co., is an up and coming burger chain in the UK serving hand-made burgers made from free range, grass-fed Aberdeen Angus, Hereford and Suffolk Red Poll Cattle (a breed of UK cattle bred without horns and have the ability to live in poor soil.) There are no additives, preservatives or any hormones in their meat as it’s all served fresh. Their dairy products are fair trade and even their buns (their own recipe) are made fresh and exclusively for the Fine Burger Co. You can also opt for a lamb, chicken or veggie burger, if beef is not your thing. The English have some of the most world renowned music festivals and at a couple (Lords, The Oval, Royal Ascot,V Festival, Glastonbury, Reading Festival, Latitude,Bestival, Big Chill and others) you can get a burger from the FBC.

THE BURGER
I LOVE cheese, who doesn’t? My favorite is Stilton. For those not familiar it’s in the blue cheese family but much stronger and more pungent. It’s the demon to Blue Cheese’s angel and is not for the week. It’s so strong in fact, that in England, one has to have a permit to make the cheese and currently there are only 3 counties have permits granted. So when I saw the words “Stilton Burger” on the Fine Burger Company, I knew what I had to do.

My medium-rare Stilton Burger arrived cooked a little more like medium but on a toasted multi-seed bun and was also topped with lettuce and red onion. The bun was sturdy but flavorful and held up well throughout the sandwich. British beef has a different consistency than we are used to in the U.S. It’s a little more dense and it’s also not as salty (naturally that is, you can add salt to anything) and the taste throws some people off. The Stilton cheese more than made up for the saltly flavor needs and in fact, made for a perfect compliment to the burger. This one was juicy, full-bodied and had a slight hint of pepper. I really dug it, in fact, I would say that this is the best burger I have ever had in the UK.

We also ordered some hand cut chips (“Chips” is what the British call “French Fries) with the skins on as well as the Tempura Battered Onion Rings. Both of which deserve honorable mention. If you have never been to the UK or if you are from there and have yet to try sweet chili sauce, what are you waiting for? It’s my favorite of all the fry dips the world has to offer. Some places, like the FBC serve it with sour cream, which is really good, but IMHO, not necessary.

I didn’t want one but Paul INSISTED we get a milk-shake. Not that I am not a fan, but I knew I had a long day and didn’t want to get to full. That idea took a nose dive when Paul ordered the banana and peanut butter milk shake. I gotta commend Paul, he made the right call, it was so fresh and so delicious!


7 out of 10 ounces
-Rev



 

rev_ciancio_paul_ryan_agency_group_Fine_Burger_Co_london_101409 13

 

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Yankee Stadium In-Seat Service Cheese Burger – A 4 Burger Salute to the 2009 AL Pennant Holders!

Posted on 10/09/2009 by Rev

Yankee Stadium
http://www.yankees.com/
44 E 161 St St
Bronx, NY 10451

THE STORY
In honor of the Yankee’s 40th trip to the World Series, we bring you the 4th in a series of burger reviews from Yankee stadium. That’s one burger per game victory needed to become the World Series champs! First, let’s revisit:

May 7th, 2009 – Stadium Sliders, 1 out of 10 ounces
September 12th, 2009 – Nathan’s Famous Cheese Burger, 0 out of 10 ounces
September 29th, 2009 – Legend’s Suite Sliders, 7 out of 10 ounces

My business partner Mark so kindly offered Adam and I tickets to see the Yanks take on the Minnesota Twins for the Divisional Championship play-offs. Last time we sat in the Legend Seats. These tickets were in the section just behind them but came with complimentary entrance into the Audi Club. You can find it all the way at the back of stadium on the H&R; Block Suite Level. It’s a long walk from the back but you pass all the numbered suites along the way. I stopped at suite #23 to take a picture (see below) as that is the jersey # of my all time fave Yankees, Don Mattingly. The views from the Audi Club are spectacular as you look down the 3rd base line. Beer selections are good and you can opt to dine there although we just wanted to get our swerve on with a couple of brewski’s.

As the game was about to start, we made our way down to the seats with a brief stop at the Arthur Ave Deli for Chicken Parm Sandwiches (see below). With 3 previous Burger Conquests at the stadium (and many other digestions) under my belt, I had not planned on another burger until I saw one listed on our in-seat service menu. Who am I to say no?

THE BURGER
You gotta love it when you don’t even have to get out of your seat to order food and drink, which is what makes the lower tier seats at the ball park appealing. The burger arrived in a cardboard boxes emblazoned with the Yankee’s logo. Upon opening the box you discover a burger wrapped in Yankee’s wax paper. It’s like the team gave me a burger for X-mas! I tore off the paper and sunk my chompers in. The bun was fluffy and had a distinct buttery flavor which I enjoyed. The burger, complete with a slice of cheese, reminded me of a fast food burger ala McWendy’sKing but it was the bun that set it apart. The thin patty was clearly grilled cooked to a well done state. I would’ve preferred a little more greasiness /juiciness to the patty but overall, this is the best burger available to the public in Yankee Stadium and it comes with very tasty bag of Utz Potato chips!

GO YANKEES! BRING HOME THAT 27th WORLD SERIES VICTORY!!!



6 out of 10 ounces
-Rev



OTHER DIGESTIONS
Arthur Ave Deli Chicken Parmesan Sandwich – 7 out of 10
Carl’s Cheesesteak – 8 out of 10 (This time I got out of my seat and ordered one from the stand so I could customize with fried onions and extra Cheese Whiz.)
Rob’s Cuban Sandwich – 7 out of 10
10 Coors Lites – 12 out of 12 ounces 😉



To thank Mark for once again hooking up some awesome tickets to the game, here are some more pictures of his snake-like unlock-able jaw eating prowess.

 

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Matt’s Bar – Guest Blog from Vince / Metalsucks.net

Posted on 10/06/2009 by Rev

Matt’s Bar
http://www.mattsbar.com/
3500 Cedar Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55407-2339

Thanks to Vince from MetalSucks.net for the guest conquest.

THE STORY
What better excuse is there to experience the fruits of a city’s burger offerings than a baseball expedition? The Rev has blogged about it many a time. Wright Stache contributor Misopogon and I have been on a nearly decade-long conquest to visit each and every major league baseball stadium (and whatever minor league ones are within striking distance). Though our torrid pace of 2003-2006 has slowed, we still find time once or twice a year to make a baseball trip, of which experiencing that city’s trademark burger is always an integral part. With the closing of the Metrodome after the 2009 season, we’d planned to visit Minneapolis all summer, but life got in the way and it just didn’t work out… until the Twins and Tigers both won on the last day of the season forcing a tie-breaking 163rd regular season game which a coin-toss determined would be at the cavernous Metrodome. Score! Better yet, Misopogon is a life-long Tigers fan so it took very little arm-twisting. Only two days to arrange travel? No problem… thank you, frequent flier miles (but fuck you Delta/Northwest for charging us $150 each for booking “last minute.” Seriously, fuck you hard.).

It was a quick one — in and out of the Twin Cities in less than 24 hours. Our mission? Baseball and a burger. Some Internet message board perusing turned up Matt’s at 35th and Cedar as a local favorite, as well as an option that worked logistically with our time schedule. Their burger du jour, the “Jucy Lucy” (sic), a burger cooked with piping hot melted cheese in a pocket inside of the beef patty. Tantalizing indeed.

Matt’s is unassuming from the outside and looks like a regular old “locals” bar or diner, a corner establishment in a mostly suburban-looking residential district. Stepping inside, you quickly realize the deal… this is an old-school greasy spoon. There’s a bar most of the length of one side of the room with a small short-order grill at one end, while diner-style tables and booths fill the rest of the room. Business was brisk with plenty of pre-game burger eaters like ourselves (but none others wearing Tigers gear!) but we were seated right away. We enjoyed a local beer whose name escapes me. When the burger came it was wrapped in wax paper and the 50-something lifer waitress warned us to let it cool for a few minutes, lest we burn our mouths when we bite into it and the melted cheese erupts into our delicate palettes.

THE BURGER
The burger itself was almost surely made of frozen beef, [Editors note; the beef at Matt’s is fresh, not Frozen] but it packed a pretty decent flavor typical of the best greasy spoon establishments. Not a flavor explosion, but certainly tasty and with plenty of [delicious] grease. The real treat is the melted cheese on the inside that oozes out of the burger once you pierce the edge, like the filling out of a hot pocket (see picture). The cheese was melted much more thoroughly than any ordinary cheeseburger and it added a whole new dimension to the experience. The cheese seemed like American and was good for what it was. Nothing fancy, but nice and hot and served the purpose. The bun was a soft potato roll, methinks.

Of interest, we were never asked how we wanted our burgers cooked. Perhaps our waitress forgot, but more than likely Matt’s only serves one-size-fits-all. As a rare or medium-rare man that was kind of disappointing, but what are you gonna do; the burger certainly wasn’t overcooked and it was tasty anyway. The fries were pretty standard thin-cut fries, not all that different from McDonald’s’ fries in both appearance and taste.

Overall, I wouldn’t say the Jucy Lucy at Matt’s was mind blowing. It was a good, serviceable, greasy spoon burger — better than average — but not great, even with the melted cheese gimmick. Perhaps as a late night, drunken treat it would hit the spot. The other popular burger recommendation in the Twin Cities was a place called the Nook, but because of our limited time frame we couldn’t make the trip over to St. Paul to check it out. Maybe next time.


6 out of 10 ounces
– Vince Neilstein


Posted in Bar, Burgers, Guest Blog, Hamburgers, Minnesota | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments