Oh My Dayum

Ladies and Gents -- introducing the new BURGER CLUB theme song, care of one really really passionate burger-eater (even if, as a male, he isn't BC eligible).  And YES, we felt this way about Five Guys' burgers too.

Danny Meyer Still Beats Daniel Boulud (when it comes to burgers)

BURGER CLUB meeting #1 took place on Wednesday, August 5th in 2009, so August 1st of 2012 marked our three year BURGERversary. Out the ladies ventured to the far reaches of the East Village to conquer a very swanky joint for restaurant week.  DBGB -- a work of the restauranteur Daniel Boulud -- was the happy target, and plenty of swank we found indeed.

Hopes were high that Mr. Boulud's burgers would be something to celebrate, but sadly they don't hold a candle to the Shake Shack Burgers of BURGER CLUB #1.  Despite the classy atmosphere and the unique design, on a scale of 1-10, the average rating by a club member was 5.  Here are a few of the concerns expressed.

1. The meat - While the ground beef was clearly high quality, it was obviously unseasoned.  That'll get you through one or two good bites, but after that, it left me wanting more.

2. The bun - This was nothing special, which is typically not a problem as long as the meat is good and it does it's job.  Unfortunately, this bun does not do it's job.  The bottom of my burger became so soggy, that half-way through the meal, I had to give up eating it the old fashioned way and go for the knife and fork -- a move that would normally elicit derision from my burger-purist club mates.

3. The fries - A little soggy and also unseasoned.  Every time I looked, the fellow burger-lady to my right was pouring more salt on her french fries.

Those were the strikes - for those still reading, there were a few pros (lest I be accused of not giving a fair and balanced review:

1. The beer - DBGB has lots of great craft beer on tap, for prices that really aren't too exorbitant, considering the atmosphere of the locale.

2. The condiments - Our burgers came with choices of ketchup and a set of mustards that include my favorite: a very grainy dijon.

A disappointing BURGERversary indeed, but one good thing did come out of it.  As a group we realized that we had developed a very refined and discerning burger palate.

Vintage Burgers

Burger places with the words "black" (i.e. Black Iron Burger Shop, Black Market) and "Shack" (i.e. Shake Shack) are not exactly few and far between in New York City.  Was I skeptical going into a place called Black Shack Burger?  You betcha!

So when I walked into the spot on Lexington Ave, I was surprised to find an unassuming, cozy hole-in-the-wall with plenty of room for the club and nostalgia to boot.  The menu, posted up above the register in a style I haven't seen since the early nineties in small-town Michigan, offers four kinds of burgers in which to indulge - Hamburger, The Western Burger, The Steak House, and The Black Shack. 

My informal poll turned thumbs up around the table.  The tomatoes are fresh and thick cut, the lettuce is crispy, and the meat tastes surprisingly like that of Shake Shack, a universal favorite of the BURGER CLUB regular crew.  The only thing that left something to desire was the bun -- a recurring theme on this blog -- which grew soggy and eventually broke down entirely as the burger-eating went on. 

Beyond the burgers, the thoughtful extras are make the meal...chocolate soda in the fountain, anyone?  That's right, along with cajun-style fries, home-made mozzarella, and some of the most creative milkshake flavors I've seen outside of the ice cream aisle in my grocery store.  Read: chocolate-peanut butter and mint chocolate chip.

I'm already ready to go back and try the rest of the menu.

Burger Bash at a Pier Near You

The Burger Club President digs in!

When the BURGER CLUB founder and President says to you "do you have any interest in attending Burger Week?" the answer is never no.  And so it was that we ended up at the Beekman Beer Garden Burger Bash at South Street Seaport.

First of all, for those who have never been to South Street Seaport after hours, know that it is an adventure that you'll want to have once...and possibly never again.  Also, please know that Beekman Beer Garden runs all along the north side of the pier.  The glow in the dark furniture is funny, the over-sized chess set is kitchy, and the craft beer selection is surprisingly well curated for what might otherwise be an over-priced tourist attraction.

But I digress from the burgers.

When I say burger, of course, I mean meat and bun.  Well, meat and cheese and bun if you're explicit about it when ordering.  Sure, you can add your own ketchup and mustard, but don't be expecting lettuce or tomato.  We'll put this in the pros column for the burger purists out there.

Although the bun (1/2 of the meal) lacked heart -- and probably came off a shelf at costco three months ago -- the ground beef patty had soul.  It was juicy, it was flavorful, and it was an appropriate portion size in a world in which a 5 Napkin Burger exists. It also came with fries on the side, which is more than can be said for a growing number of burger establishments in the city.

In summation?  Go for the meat, go for the "experience," and go for the fact that you'll definitely have a story to tell the next day, then you'll probably never need to go again.

Black Market But Over the Table

It's not often that a meeting of the Burger Club attracts at least seven people, but this month there must have been something alluring about the Tompkins Square Park area of the East Village.  It was the call of the self-proclaimed best burger in NYC, at Black Market on East 7th street and Avenue A.  It may have also been the generous Happy Hour (2 for one signature cocktails or a burger and a draft beer for $15).

The week had been unusually low for some of the club members and very rainy for all of them, but this burger did not disappoint.  Sure, there were skeptics among us -- the best burger in New York? Is it really possible to choose just one?  Then again, when you're serving a high quality Pat LaFreida blend on your toasted buns, well, you get the picture.   Pat also provides the beef for the original Burger Club location - Shake Shack.

While many of the Burger Club outings generate dissent among the gathered party, Black Market provided consistent quality across the board.  All members thoroughly enjoyed the flavor of the beef, the sweetness of the bun, and the richness of the toppings.  Some of us were even bowled over by the dishware, which resembled something that you might take camping in a classy, East Village kind of way.  Or maybe it was more of a Williamsburg kind of way, but at any rate, it caused a stir.

The burger is served with medium cut, crispy french fries and a side of Ketchup and Mayo (plated separately, of course).  The pickles, tomatoes, and lettuce provided were the perfect ripeness and refused to wilt at the heat of the meat.  The sandwich itself was not the largest we'd seen, and no one had any trouble clearing her entire plate, but isn't there something about appropriate portion size that's oh-so-trendy right now?  After all, not everyone can corner the market for 5-napkin-requirements.

Island Getaway

The BURGER CLUB ventured out to Island Burger on 9th Avenue in Manhattan for a sunny getaway from what was supposed to have been a very chilly first week of February.  The fact that temperatures went well into the 50's only made the meal more festive.

For those who haven't seen the Island Burger menu, you may want to sit down and put on your reading glasses.  From the Frog to the El Camino, the list is entirely comprehensive and surprisingly creative.  The burgers are thick and heavy with the cooking skewing rare (my medium came as a bright, fleshy pink).  The buns are everything from ciabatta rolls, to sourdough bread, to plain old white flour buns.  Although Island Burger once proclaimed themselves to be french-fry free, they now serve them in a variety of ways (with and without various combinations of cheese and chili).

Although I've been relatively unmoved by Island Burger in the past, this time I was entirely swept up in the combination of flavors -- including that of my chocolate shake.  It may be that the secret to Island Burger is going over the top, the taller the better, the more enticing the flavor.

The waitstaff is genuinely friendly, making the entire experience a vacation.  The BOTTOM LINE is: go big or go home.


* Frog: bacon, boursin, and caramelized onions on a regular bun.
**El Camino: bacon, jack cheese, and ranch on sourdough.

The Best [Burger] I Ever Ate

If you are a true Food Network LOVER, then you're familiar with the tastebud tantalizing program The Best Thing I Ever Ate.  This weekend they were running the BURGER edition and we just had to share the clip of the crunchified buffalo burger by New York's own Bobby Flay.