Rathbones

In all the times I had been to Rathbones, it was only ever for drinks.  I actually always wondered who would possibly ever eat there - the food can't be that good.  This is a place where softball teams gather after a game and fans go to watch sports on the many tvs.  It's neighborhoody, a little divey, and looks just like the local watering hole it started as 30 years ago.  Turns out, they do actually have great food.  And really amazing deals.

Tuesdays are 2 for 1, not just on the drinks but on the burgers and sandwiches as well.  Considering nothing is all that expensive to begin with, this is a steal.  Nothing was going to stop me from ordering the burger.  I didn't even need to look at the menu.  Albert has been pushing to add Rathbones' burger to the list as a contender ever since we started scoping out the best burgers in the city so it was absolutely necessary for me to try it.  That said, when someone suggested getting a large order of wings for the group to share, there was no arguing from my end of the table.

Many burgers have a gimmick, and in this case it was the bun.  Instead of a regular bun, they used an English muffin.  I thought it was a great change of pace.  It's just a bit sour and its pockmarks soak up the burger juice nicely.  The wings were also very good, especially if you request them extra crispy like we did.  The large comes with 16 wings and is only $9.95.  Can't beat that...except you can.  On Tuesday they do $0.35 wings.  Do you understand how many wings that'll get you?  All the wings.

 

Italian Turkey Burgers

I had some leftover pesto in the fridge and only about two days before it went bad.  It had to get used up but with an entire 9x13 casserole of mac and cheese in the fridge, I had no need for anything pasta based.  I also had some hamburger buns so an Italian themed burger began to take shape.

There are a couple ways to do this, you can mix the pesto right into the turkey meat or if your turkey burger was already pre-shaped at the butcher counter like mine was, you can do what I did and just use the pesto as a spread right on the bun.  You can do this plain or, again, follow my lead and mix it with mayo to give the spread a little extra creaminess.  I like the pesto/mayo ratio to tip in the pesto's favor, but that's just me.  For the final touch, top with smoked mozzarella.  For best results, put the mozz on top of the burger as it finishes cooking in the pan or on the grill.  Then cover it with the lid of a pan so the steam gets the cheese nice and melty.  That's how you get the gorgeous stringy cheese you see in the pic.

Summer is burger time, but that doesn't mean it always has to be as simple as beef and cheddar cheese with ketchup.

3 on Thursday

I had such a great time while my Mom was here - we just walked and walked for three days.  Exploring quaint West Village streets and uncovering restaurants in my own neighborhood.  It's easy to feel sad once she's gone, but thankfully my life has been so busy I almost don't notice.

I used to live one short block away from JG Melon's which could explain why it's my favorite burger in New York.  When you find your first love, you fall and you fall hard.  That's what happened to me with Melon's.  Because I lived so close, I discovered it on day one in the city and then made a habit of going about twice a month for their bacon cheeseburger and cottage fries.  When I went to JG Melon's for supper last week I surveyed the scene and realized I don't just love it because it was my first New York burger that happened to be super convenient.  I love it because it's goooood.  The bun soaks up the juice and squishes down as I go in for a bite.  The pickles' brine is well suited for the burger and the...well, it all just makes for a good, meaty bite.  I also love the atmosphere.  It's a tiny place and everyone has been working there for about 30 years.  Dark wood and hunter green abound with some form of melon artwork in every nook and cranny.  All the preppy folks of the UES - my people - congregate here in their button down, khaki, and docksider glory.  If you know me and you know my own outfit choices, this alone is heaven.

Although I left work after 8:30 last week, I was still able to get to the park to catch the Philharmonic as the soothing sounds played through the Great Lawn.  We were a little too far away to hear every note played but it was just loud enough to provide beautiful background music for our picnic.  It's free - definitely something everyone should check out!

Albert came through with another great cookbook - this one even better than the last!  I fell in love with Deb Perelman's blog, Smitten Kitchen after falling down an internet recipe rabbit hole.  The photography is gorgeous and the recipes inventive.  But it's her story that truly resonates with me.  There's no hook to her cooking, such as "five ingredients or less" or "4 meals in 40 minutes".  Like me, she cooks just because it's something she likes to do when she comes home each night.  Also just like me, she cooks in a tiny Manhattan kitchen.  Can I be her when I grow up?

The Spotted Pig

Finally finally finally I got to try The Spotted Pig.  Like all little sisters, I live to impress my brother and the best way I see fit to do so is by choosing a stellar restaurant.  When he not-so-subtly hinted that he wanted to go to a gastropub, I thought this might be our chance to actually get into the Michelin starred, much lauded restaurant.  After all, the line couldn't be that long on a Friday afternoon when most of New York is at work, right?  I may have misjudged that part because we still had to wait about an hour, but an hour passes quickly when you're sipping one of their spicy bloody marys with pickled veggies.

While all the food is praised, chef April Bloomfield's signature dishes are the deviled eggs and the burger.  Naturally, we had to order both.  The deviled eggs were creamy with just enough chive and a hint of something tangy - vinegar, perhaps?  Though I pride myself on my own deviled eggs, Bloomfield may have me beat.  I tip my hat at you, Madame.  I have strong opinions on what the best burgers are in NYC and have made it my goal to try all the contenders.  Since I've heard more about The Spotted Pig's burger than just about any other, I had to have a taste in the name of research.  The burger itself was nice and charred on the outside but still pink on the inside.  The generous portion of roquefort cheese made it stand out.  Not sure if it's my absolute favorite in the city (Brindle Room is hard to top), but it most definitely cracked the top three.

We didn't stop at those specialties.  We also ordered the chicken liver toast which is basically chopped liver from a Jewish deli, only better.  Way better.  I tasted a bite of my Mom's grilled cheese and had to ask the waiter what cheese mix was in it so I could make it myself.  He told me it was a combo of taleggio, fontina, and goat cheese, but the real secret is the parmesan that's on the bread itself.  Mental note: taken.  Finally, I ordered the bath chap sandwich, which is basically a mix of different pig parts that have been brined for two days, breaded together and fried like a pork chop.  It's then placed on a toasted brioche bun with a lemon garlic aioli and an endive salad.  Oo baby I could tell this was going to be flavorful when I cut it in half and saw the fat just glistening back at me.  It takes a real Brit to make a sandwich like this.  I love her for it but also hate her for making it that much harder for me to squeeze into my bridesmaid dress.

The Toucan and The Lion

If I hear a random new place has a great burger, I immediately put it on my list.  Unfortunately, The Toucan and the Lion sat on said list for much longer than I would have liked before I got to try it.  It took me a whole six months since the restaurant's opening, but I finally made it there and only wish I had forced myself to get go sooner.  

The big wooden doors are discreet and overshadowed by the boisterous restaurant on the corner, but the food is much better than that of its loud neighbors.  Gastropubs serving elevated bar fare are the cat's pajamas right about now, but The Toucan and the Lion gives it a twist with Asian flavors.  Anne, Jen, and I decided to get three items and split.  Thankfully, the waiter advised that the "appetizers" are more like large tapas dishes so we would be wise to share.  

The first dish to arrive was the espresso glazed pork ribs with pumpkin seed brittle.  It was lip-smackingly sweet with a slight smokiness and had plenty of meat that pulled right off the bone.  A great start but not as exciting as what was coming next: my first scotch eggs.  Soft boiled eggs were wrapped with duck sausage, deep fried, and served with a kafir lime aioli.  I've been reading about scotch eggs lately and they just sound like a fun food.  Think about it: eggs with a slightly creamy center (arguably the best part of the egg) get a nice jacket of sausage (from a duck, no less) and then the whole thing is dunked in a fryer.  And then you get to dip it in a sauce.  So many textures!  So many naughty ingredients!  See, you're having fun just reading about it.  I enjoyed it just as much as I hoped, which made it the perfect opening act for the final dish: the burger. 

This was the most unique burger I've ever had.  Yea, I went there.  And it's not just that they threw a bunch of cool sounding, rando ingredients together - it actually worked.  First you have a nice juicy patty where they seemed to have slipped in something with a little kick.  Sriracha, maybe?  Not sure what it was but happy it was there because slapped on both sides of the bun was sweet cashew butter.  Cashews are a creamier nut, so you can imagine how smooth it gets when turned into butter.  Spicy and sweet can't have all the fun so here comes salty, crispy, thick cut bacon.  Topping it all off was the bun, which was actually the same dough from pork buns just in burger bun form and toasted.  It was light, sweet, and squishy.  This interesting lil sucker was served with one of my favorite sides, fried pickles (in spear form, not discs) that had been pickled in something with a little spice and were served with aioli.  If you haven't pulled out your phone to call for a reservation by this point, you must be a vegetarian.

This restaurant has been on Matt's list as long as it's been on mine and I know he was hurt I didn't go with him first.  All part of my master plan to go twice in a very short span of time.  Mwahaha!

Bareburger

I was heading to the Hamptons early Saturday morning (rough life) so I spent Friday night at home, eating takeout while watching my latest Netflix (a cheesy chick flick - don't ask).  I decided to order from Bareburger, a fancypants burger place that has recently sprung up in a few locations around the city, one of which is right near my new apartment.  The signage featured lots of hippy terms like "free-range" and "organic," not things I usually care about when I want my greasy burger fix.  I decided to put my prejudice aside for a night in the hopes that I would enjoy their product, and it turns out I did.

The choices may astound you.  In addition to beef/turkey/veggie options, you can get your burger made with bison, ostrich, elk, lamb, or wild boar.  They even have a gluten-free bun option.  I ordered the Mediterranean (cucumber mint yogurt, lettuce, cucumber, tomato, and apple smoked onions) with a lamb patty.  The toppings were great and the patty arrived just under the medium-rare I requested ("almost" is pretty good when it comes to burger delivery).  I also ordered a side of fries that I would recommend to anyone.  They come with three sauces - curry ketchup, chipotle mayo, and special sauce - all of which were good.

These burgers fall somewhere between a bistro burger (i.e.: JG Melon) and a greasy melty burger (i.e.: Shake Shack).  The other two burger camps are great, but so are options, so I'm very happy to have found a middle ground in the neighborhood.

Whitman's

If you ever want to find a good burger, Matt Greenberg is the person to call.  He has made it his goal to try every [good] burger in the city so when we were meeting up with Brad and wanted some gastropub food, we let him do the picking.  He led us to Whitman's at 9th and 1st, one of the few burger places that didn't feel too gimmicky.

The sides all looked great so we ordered four of them.  You'd think that was excessive, but we ate them all, so I think it was just right.  The fried pickles were sliced very thin and very lightly fried - the most chip-like fried pickles I've ever had.  The chipotle dipping sauce was good as always, but then it was on to something else with a sauce: blue cheese fries.  You could tell they used good quality blue cheese and made their own dressing from scratch.  This was neither just crumbled blue cheese nor overly creamy bottled dressing.  Cheese fries are common on a menu; blue cheese fries...not so much, but they should be.  We also ordered sweet potato fries.  They were good but not as exciting as the first two appetizers or our final choice: crack kale.  The kale was fried so it was all crispy and slightly sweet.  It disintegrated on your tongue like cotton candy.  Do I need a deep fryer to make this happen?  If so, I should invest in one or perhaps just go back to this restaurant more often.

Then it was burger time.  Matt got the Juicy Lucy, the signature burger that's stuffed with pimento cheese and topped with special sauce.  The stuffing didn't jump out at you so this just tasted like a very good quality burger.  Brad picked the Revis, which had cheddar and horseradish sauce.  I'm not sure why I haven't tried this combination before, but it works on roast beef so it only makes sense that it would be a beautiful match for a burger.  Finally, I got the PB&B, which stands for peanut butter and bacon.  Another combo I've never thought of for a burger but boyyyy was it good.  The burgers were also perfectly sized.  Small enough that you can finish it all, but big enough that you're more than satisfied.  Another bonus: the drinks are reasonably priced.  This is definitely worth a trip, but bring cash because that's the only form of payment accepted.

Socialeatzing

After going up and down the island of Manhattan searching for a perfect apartment (oxymoron?), we were left with a short window for a late lunch yesterday before my parents had to leave for the airport.  I chose Social Eatz because it was a short walk from my apartment and because I knew my parents would appreciate the Asian twist on comfort food.  I'll be honest, I also chose it because the owner is Top Chef alum Angelo Sosa, and my goal is to try as many of the Top Cheffers' restaurants as possible - this being one of the few I can easily afford.


We started with the edamame fritters simply because they sounded interesting (as does anything fried).  They were served with cilantro, dill, pickled onion, and garlic aioli.  The dill made it!  I think dill is an underused herb (until someone decides to cook salmon) - but it really worked with these fritters.  Although they have won awards for the Bibimbap Burger, my Daddy decided to go with the Bulgogi Burger, based on the waitress' suggestion.  My Daddy is a big fan of kimchee, so the Korean flair to this burger had him hooked.  My Mommy got the Chop Chop salad and was surprised by how much she liked the gooey six-minute egg on top - we have a convert!  I ordered the korean beef tacos, which had a spicy bean sprout kimchee that gave the sweet beef a kick in the gut.  Since it was my parents' last meal in the city, we were feeling a tad gluttonous so we also ordered the curry creamed spinach and the mac and cheese side dishes.  I thought both were great and well portioned for the price.  My Mommy commented that even my brother, who tends to avoid spinach would have piled this version on his plate. 

When you want your Mama's version of comfort food, go to her house.  When you want to experiment with those classic dishes, go to Social Eatz.  

Burgers and [True] Blood

Burgers and corn salad.  Those two things sound like perfect Summer Sunday fare.  I'm not sure how Andrew knew I had been craving burgers all week - perhaps he tapped into Sookie's telepathic powers since we were meeting for our weekly True Blood dinner.  ESP aside, Andrew's real superpower is cooking up a great meal.  The corn had been perfectly grilled and tossed with red onion and mint.  The lamb burger was massive and although andrew was unhappy with the tomatoes, I thought they were perfect.  He was bummed he couldn't manage to master the perfect, thick, grilled tomato - they kind of fell apart.  For me, I thought it was one of those happy accidents, like penicillin.  The burger was already so thick that I wouldn't have been able to open my mouth wide enough had a thick tomato been piled on top.  What we got instead was more of a smoky tomato relish that absorbed the meat drippings and was easily spreadable on the bun.  The bun, may have been my favorite part of the burger.  Andrew had toasted Norwegian rye rolls he found at the market that day.  I didn't know Norway was big on bread, but I'll award it the rank of #2 Norwegian export, the first being the band A-ha.

As far as my recap goes, I am thrilled (as I am sure every female HBO viewer was) that Sookie and Eric finally hooked up.  A full on nude romp in the woods and even talk of love - it's what we've all been waiting for!  After showing enough boobies in that episode to keep the men happy - my dinner companion included - it was about time True Blood gave the women something to squeal about.  Other thoughts on the episode:

• I don't care about a Hoyt/Jason/Jessica love triangle.  I think Jessica and Hoyt are too cute together.  
• When is Sookie going to let Eric call her "mine"?
• Pam needs to check herself before she wrecks herself.  She has always been my favorite character, but she needs to redirect her anger away from Lafayette and toward the crazy old Spanish witch who just possessed a woman.

Mel's in Morningside

I don't get up to the Morningside Heights/Upper Upper West area too often (UES to UWS is not an easy journey), but I still had not seen Podz' new apartment.  We decided to meet at Mel's Burger Bar on Sunday for some lunch before she showed me her new digs.  Between all the good things Sarah had heard about this place and the fact that we were starving, we ordered most of the menu.

• We started with fried pickles.  I liked the horseradish dipping sauce and that the pickles were still crispy, but the batter was not the best I've had.
• We both got burgers (obvi).  Sarah got a bacon cheeseburger and I got a cheeseburger topped with avocado, mushrooms, and house sauce.  The burger was messy, but that's code for good. 
• The burgers don't come with fries, so we got one order to split.  Why stop at normal fries when you can get disco fries?  Disco means they're topped with gravy and cheese.  Just like Studio 54, this disco was messy and delicious.
• Shakes are a normal burger accompaniment but what's this?  Spiked milkshakes?!  We had to try these and one would not suffice.  We were instantly drawn to the Shot of Joe (mocha chip ice cream, Kahlua, and Bailey's) and asked our waiter for help choosing the second one.  He said the Ja Love (vanilla ice cream, pineapple juice, and Malibu rum) was his favorite on the menu.  That one hadn't even made our short list, but we figured he'd probably tried them all and went with his reco.  He was right.  It was delicious, and the Shot of Joe was nothing to turn your nose up at, either.

After a great lunch, it was clear to me that the Morningside Heights area is turning into a pretty happening 'hood.  There are great burgers all over the city so I wouldn't trek to 111th street unless you already happen to be there.  However, if you live anywhere in the Upper West vicinity, I would give it a check-out.  We decided to work off our feast by playing some Wii back at Podz' apartment where Podz killed me in sword play and jetskiing, but I dominated archery and wakeboarding, leaving us tied (and still super full).

Pick the Burger When You Go for Pizza

When I visited Pulino's, I was not overly impressed with the pizza.  That can be a problem since it's a pizza place.  However, after the one and only time I ever went to Pulino's, I ended up meeting someone out at a bar who worked in the restaurant scene.  He seemed pretty in-the-know, so when he told me the only thing worth eating there is the burger, I filed it away in my rolodex of foodie facts.

Last night, Steph and I went with Gav and some of his friends to Bowery Electric for a birthday but it wasn't long before we remembered we don't really like that bar that much.  There's no way to move and it's certainly not worth the crowds of 23-24 year olds.  It's fine if you're wasted, but I only had one drink under my belt so it was a little much.  Steph and I decided to leave to sit at the bar at Pulino's since we knew it would be calm and spacious.  After two carafes of wine, we deemed it appropriate to order food and this is when I pulled out my burger knowledge.  They didn't even ask us how we wanted it cooked, but it came out a perfect medium rare - just how I like it - with cheese and tons of caramelized onions.  I know it's a pizza place, but the burger is the best thing on the menu.

So Pulino's may be trying to establish itself in the pizza community of New York, but don't bother yourself with going for the pies.  Instead, here are the reasons to check it out:

1. The weird bathrooms
2. See for yourself what caused so much controversy (after New York Magazine gave it a poor review, owner Keith McNally fired back with a letter to the reviewer - research the childlike behavior for yourself)
3. The burger

The Brindle Burger

Today I traded the New York Times for a couple of magazines during my Sunday coffee house ritual.  While catching up on this week's Time Out, I came across their feature on the city's best new burgers.  We all know about Burger Joint and Minetta, but apparently some newbies are tearing up the scene.  Of the 5 burgers featured in the magazine, one was easy enough for me to get to so I finished my java and headed to The Brindle Room in the East Village.

I arrived at just after 5, so there weren't many people in the dark, skinny restaurant.  Table for one!  A little weird/sad to eat by myself, but a delicious burger sounded better than take-out in my apartment and I had a good book to keep me company.  Everything looked good, but I was there for important burger research so I quickly shut the menu to avoid any distractions and ordered the burger.  Usually the burger isn't available for dinner but since it recently received all this press, it has remained a dinner special.

The chef brought the plate to my table himself and I couldn't wait to dig in.  The burger is the perfect size.  Large enough to satisfy, not so big you can't handle eating the whole thing.  The burger is made with bits of dry-aged rib eye so it tastes like a steak on a bun.  It's pan seared, so it acquires a nice, salty crust, which is balanced by the cheese of your choice and sweet caramelized onions.  It's served with a pile of thick, skin-on fries that are topped with a little sea salt.

For $13 including tax, this burger can't be beat.  I give it an A+.  Like I said, the rest of the menu looked great, but it will be hard to order anything else because I agree with Time Out; this is absolutely one of the best burgers in the city.

Keep on Truckin'

The night before Thanksgiving is usually a crazy night.  Everyone comes back in town and a debauchery-filled, unofficial high school reunion ensues.  While I had prepared myself for this evening, all of my friends decided not to get back in town til it was too late to go out.  Don't you worry, readers.  I got plenty of partying in when all former Country Day students decided to take downtown Savannah by storm on Friday night.  Yes, this was the night right before my 5:30 AM Saturday flight.  And yes, I was convinced it would be imprudent to miss out on the fun just because of a silly flight so I joined in, got an hour and a half of sleep, and can attest it was worth every missing wink.  But back to Wednesday night...

Even though we were not going out, we made sure the evening wasn't a total waste by trying Savannah's hot new restaurant, Green Truck.  Green Truck is not actually green, but the entire restaurant is probably the size of an F150.  The size is slightly problematic because it means ::gasp:: a nice line forms outside.  In New York, we're very familiar with waiting in line for a table, but that is just not done in Savannah.  Typically there aren't enough people to form a line.  We were in luck because the people in front of us grew tired of waiting and left, moving us up in line.  I'm glad we stuck it out because the burgers were great.  Allison and I shared one topped with goat cheese and sauteed onions (The Rustica) and then split the salad version of The Jefe, which had avocado, black beans, cheese, and a light but flavorful dressing.

The best part of the meal was definitely the appetizer of pimento cheese.  I love love love this Southern specialty and their home-made version was sharp and delicious.  It came with house-made pickles that were sweet and spicy.  Mark loved the pimento cheese so much, he ordered it on his burger.  Burgers are nothing without beer and Green Truck has a great selection at low prices.

My Grandmas tried to go last weekend but were deterred by the line.  Don't be discouraged, fair readers!  Just go around 8:30 (a little late by Savannah standards) and you should be good to go.

Flip For It

It is nearly impossible for me to stay away from Athens for an entire football season, so I planned a trip to GA for Homecoming.  I was also way past due for a visit with my Atl buddies so I headed down on Thursday night for a little quality time with Patricia and Miesh.  Since Patty took Friday off work, we went to Dark Horse Tavern in Virginia Highlands for a drink and a little Yacht Rock.  If heading to a bar in aviators and a Hawaiian shirt to listen to cruise music sounds like fun (and really, how does that not sound like fun?!), then this is the place to be on Thursday night.  Big fan.  I'm not a crazy Thursday night partyer [anymore], but I was on vacay so I went with it and so glad I did.

I had one restaurant request, so after spending Friday shopping and hanging around, we headed to Flip for some burgers.  If you're an avid Top Chef watcher like me, you may remember chef Richard Blais from the Chicago season.  He was the super inventive one, so I was dying to try his creative burgers.  It was just as good as my brother told me it would be.  I'm embarrassed to tell you how much we ordered, but at the risk of sounding like an extreme fatty I'll give you the full report:

• Po Boyger: shrimp, old bayo, lettuce, tomato, tobasco, and a fried lemon - the fried lemon was unexpected and provided the necessary balance to the spicy sauce.  I lump this in the sandwich category more so than with burgers, but for a sandwich it was dang good.
• Ossobuco: veal, braised veal breast, gremolata mayo, braised ketchup, crispy fried onions - so moist.  It tasted like a full Italian dinner in patty form.
• Chorizo: spicy pork sausage, romesco ketchup, hash browns, fried egg, manchego, and smoked mayo - unbelievable.  The egg broke to cover the burger with a creamy sauce that tamed the spice of the chorizo.
• Two orders of herbed fries - they're served with ketchup and smoked mayo which are great, but we also ordered some beer honey mustard for dipping and I recommend you do the same.
• The milkshakes are also the talk of the town so we had to order one of those as well.  They make them earlier in the day and then freeze them with liquid nitrogen just prior to service.  We went with the Krispy Kreme, which tasted just like a frozen doughnut.  I'm not a milkshake person, but I fell in love with this.  

Keep in mind, we ordered all this food for just 2 girls.  It sounds a little crazy but I didn't want to miss anything on the menu.  I loved it all and am still debating which was my favorite burger.  The place is hopping, but if you don't want to wait for a table, I recommend ordering for pick-up because these burgers are too good to miss.

Chorizo

Ossobuco

Po Boyger

McAwesome

Who here has checked out any of the McDonald's that's been through its make-over yet?  You may laugh - and go right ahead - but I think they look super snazzy.  What up, new color scheme?!  New typefaces, bold green and black added to the red/yellow color palate, and funky tables and chairs make Mickey D's look like quite the happening spot.  I've seen the commercials for their new smoothies, but I'm thinking they should market this new, hot look.  Emily agrees and would like to go on a double date there.  So come on boys, step up because she's quite the catch.  We may not be cheap, but based on our love for McDonald's, we just may be cheap dates.

A Birthday Burger

As the last hoorah of my b-day celebration, I took yesterday off to celebrate it like the holiday it is.  It was a perfect day:  I caught up on my DVR'd shows, read/people-watched in the park, and enjoyed a burger.

Burger spot brgr opened their 2nd outpost this weekend, and it is conveniently located around the corner from my apartment.  I didn't know they had health on the brain, and if I did, I probably would have dismissed the restaurant.  I think of neither my health nor the planet's well-being when eating a burger.  I'm usually too concerned with devouring delicious red meat to think of such things. 

brgr uses only grass-fed cows with no hormones.  This uses half as much fossil fuel as the grain-fed counterparts and results in beef with higher omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin E levels.  Ok, so maybe it's not "healthy", but it's something different and makes me feel a little better about stuffing my face.

The menu is not huge, but they have some interesting toppings/combos.  I had the Rainforest Burger with gruyere, avocado, and herb mayo.  The avocado was placed atop the patty in large slices, which I much prefer to the thin layer of guac offered at most places.  I also added grilled mushrooms and onions - a good choice, if I do say so myself.  It was a good, greasy burger.  I'll definitely have to try the burger topped with a fried egg, because I find it intriguing.  My only complaint is that the meat was not as rare as I typically like.

I could not decide which fries to get, so I ordered The Trio: russet fries, sweet potato fries, and onion hay (thin frizzled onions).  The regular fries were a little greasy and extra soft (I know that's a turnoff for most people, but I love flaccid fries).  On the contrary, the sweet potato fries could have been cut a little thicker.  The onion hay was good, but there's only so much of that I can eat.  Next time, I'll probably stick with the original fry.

Although my thighs may not agree, I am pretty happy Jamba Juice vacated the space to make room for brgr.  It's still no Shake Shack or JG Melon, but it is a very welcome addition to the neighborhood.   

Pop Goes My Heart

First of all, yes, I just quoted the cheesy Drew Barrymore/Hugh Grant movie, Music and Lyrics, for this post title.  Secondly, I can't believe it's been a full week since my last post - sorry to have kept y'all waiting!

Let me take you back a few days to Cinco de Mayo.  Usually, I'm all about celebrating Cinco de Drinko by guzzling margs, but since this year the holiday fell on the eve of my 7 AM bootcamp class, I decided to pass.  Eschewing all Mexican-related activities, on my way home, I stopped for a non-festive meal at Pop Burger.  Considering it's Burger Month, you could still say I was doing some celebrating. 

$6.75 gets you an order of 2 sliders that arrive all cozy in their little box.  Two sliders may not sound like much, but they're large sliders, so trust me when I tell you you'll be satisfied but not stuffed.  They take the guesswork out of ordering because the burgers already come topped with cheese, lettuce, special sauce, and a perfectly sized tomato.  I ordered fries on the side (which necessitated an extra side of special sauce), bringing my total order to $10.50.  They gave me a huge cup of crispy fries that I couldn't even finish.  I was impressed that the burgers were still pink, which is not easily accomplished in such small patties.  Good portion size and reasonable price makes Pop Burger a good standby.  I wouldn't necessarily run across town, but I won't deny that I am easily beckoned inside on my way home from work.  If you're ever cruising the Apple store and want a quick bite, drop the iPad and veer to Pop Burger.  Late night is supposed to be a pretty good scene so that's always something to look forward to.

I Love the Smell of Burger in the Morning

Typically, you use a scented candle to cover up kitchen odors resulting from the latest fish or burger experiment.  But what if the smell wafting from that candle was burger, that of White Castle specifically?  If you're most people, you are disgusted...if you're me, you're intrigued.

Though I have never been to a White Castle, I hear it's the same as Krystal and I LOOOVE Krystal.  I especially love the way they spell Krystal, like a kind-hearted stripper.  The tiny burgers melt in your mouth and watching them hand your sackful over the counter (that would be 24 of the tiny burgers) is like being handed the mother of all goody bags at a birthday party.

The candle was created to honor the 18th anniversary of burger month.  HOLD THE PHONE.  There's an entire month devoted to burgers?  I must celebrate, and I think this candle is the perfect way to commemorate the holiday.  For only $10, the candle is a deal - a small price to pay to enjoy the sweet scent of burger.  If you're lucky enough to count yourself as one of my friends, you may find this in your Christmas stocking.

5 Guys and Pies

Most of y'all have probably heard of 5 Guys Burgers and that's because they're pretty darn good.  It's no frills, but there are several toppings to choose from - all free.  It's refreshing to grab a burger and not have to pay extra for the grilled mushrooms and onions that I believe are vital to a good meat/cheese/bun combo.  5 Guys was the perfect lunch to tote to the beach this weekend for the first warm weekend of the season.  Even more perfect was seeing the bulletin board of thank you notes by local kids.  Photos of my two faves are below:

After laying out (which in my case means getting a slight sunburn on my Casper-like legs) and digesting my massive bacon cheeseburger, I had to make a stop for dessert.  Tucked in the corner of a small shopping center in Norwalk, CT is Michele's Pies.  After seeing the walls plastered with blue ribbons, I had a feeling we were in for something special.  So did Bobby Flay, considering he chose Michele's Pies as his opponent in the November 2009 pumpkin pie throwdown.  Flay may have won the battle, but judging by the awards on the wall, Michele is winning the war.  We couldn't decide which to try, so we got 4:

• Banana Cream
• Tiramisu
• Banana Split
• Pear Apple Cranberry

I am weird and don't actually like whipped cream, so I rallied for the pear apple cranberry, which had a crust topping instead of whipped cream shell like the other 3.  My pie was delish, and if you took off the whipped cream, I thought the banana split was pretty fab.  Dave, on the other hand, loves whipped cream so he had a tough time deciding, but I think his fave was the banana cream.

My brother, Mark, and I are trying to cross all the NYC Throwdown restaurants off our list whenever they come to visit, but I just had to try this one without him.  Sorry, Bub.  At only $8, a 5 inch mini pie is the perfect dessert for two people, so if you happen to be in the CT neighborhood, it's definitely time to give Michele's Pies a try. 

Decision: Unlikely Spots Make for Good Burger Eating

How fast can I eat a burger?  My speed will astonish and amaze you.  If I am hungry and the burger is good, I am a BEAST.  I'm pretty sure I inhaled my Burger Joint masterpiece in less than 2 minutes.

Walk into one of the swankiest hotels in New York and the last thing you'd expect to find is a dive, but that's exactly what you'll get when you walk through the nearly hidden door in Le Parker Meridian into The Burger Joint.  After scarfing down our burgers, we spent the remaining 5 minutes playing the "find the coolest famous person signature on the walls" game.  My latest goal is to become a celebrity so I will finally be allowed to make my mark on the walls.

It's not like the menu is big (choice of burger, cheeseburger, fries, milkshake, box wine), but be prepared to tell them exactly how you want it (how it should be cooked and topping choices of lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, ketchup, mustard, mayo) the minute you step up to the register or else face the wrath of angry customers waiting in line behind you in the tiny box of a restaurant (maybe 150 square feet).   The no-frills menu is written in marker on cardboard for reference.

The burgers are not in the fashion of JG Melon's or PJ Clarke's.  But that doesn't make them bad.  Much like the line drawn between Chicago and New York style pizza, there are two very distinct kinds of burgers.  Burger Joint falls into the greasy (in a good way) category à la Shake Shack or In-N-Out.  When I asked Dave if he thought this was better than Shake Shack, I learned he had never even been to the famed Madison Square Park burger stop.  Now I know what I'll be doing next weekend!

Somehow, greasy burgers and fries was a super delicious and perfect way to end our cultured Broadway Musical-filled Sunday.  Loved the burger.  Still think it may come in a hair below Shake Shack (I love their special sauce but they lose points for their mass expansion).  If you haven't been yet, make sure to give it a shot so you can weigh in on the great burger debate.