Get It To Go!

Until the first week of December 2011, I had never heard of the restaurant Soho Park.  Having previously been with the BURGER CLUB to FoodParc, I thought maybe the place would be cleverly lush with greenery, or perhaps located near a New York City park that I had never heard of.  Instead, Soho Park is located directly next to a parking lot in Soho.

Enough with the etymology, on to the burgers!

YUM!

First of all, please note for the sake or your pocketbook: burgers and fries sold separately.  Please also note: burgers deliciously juicy!  The liquidy meaty goodness may or may not be enough to override the awkwardness of the conical basket style of plating (you decide), but it did hearken back to the BURGER CLUB's very first outing in 2009 to Shake Shack in Madison Square Park.  The potato bun, fried zucchini, and french fries were also universally loved around the table. 

Excellent food and overall positive Yelp reviews not withstanding, the BURGER CLUB wishes to comment on an aspect of the restaurant that usually goes unaddressed on the burger blog: the service.  Despite the fact that there was not a line for seating and other tables sat empty around us, a number of members of the waitstaff deliberately rushed us through the end of our meal.  BURGER CLUB President nearly had her "plate" taken out from under her as she enjoyed the final bites of her meaty goodness.  Enough said.

Soho Park happens to have a takeout counter for those who desire their burgers to go.  After this December's dining experience, perhaps that is actually the way to go.

Hidden Gems

Most of the time a burger is a burger, but every once in a while you stumble upon something that delights and surprises the palate in a way that you never expected.  This month's burger outing was to a locale that most of us never even knew existed.  That is, the steakhouse on the second floor of the Fairway supermarket on the Upper West Side.

I had only been there a few times myself, and only for breakfast at that.  It has an open bistro feel that goes somehow untainted by the rack of cleanse formulas on the shelving unit opposite the tables.  Overall expectations for the food were moderate to low on the high end, which may have had something to do with why everyone moaned in ecstasy at the taste of the first bite.  We might have guessed that a self-proclaimed steakhouse would know how to flavor their meat.

There are only three options for "burger" on the menu: beef, turkey, and lamb with yogurt.  Needless to say, everyone here went with the beef (for fear of being expelled from BURGER CLUB for violation of the rules).  Two toppings are offered, gratis, with the burger as well.  You can choose anything from cheese to avocado to bacon - and that's not including the typical lettuce, tomato, and onions.

The bun, by the way, is just a bun.  Probably something they pull off their own store shelves.  BUT, the burger is so good that I just didn't care.  Neither did anyone else at the table for that matter.  For a bunch of girls out to eat meat, we have a surprising number of conversations about the buns on our burgers.  This month, they came up in conversation but once.

Also, also - did I mention that this burger is affordable?  At $13, we had pocket change leftover to invest in the homemade ice cream.  That's right - there is a manager who sits at a table in the corner and spins ice cream by hand in one of those machines you probably put on your wedding registry but never received.

The moral of the story is this: GO - just go to Fairway.  What are you waiting for, go!  Oh, you don't know where it is?  Go in the entrance by the cash registers and walk up the stairs.  You can't miss it.   

Flashy Burgers

It was our second Burgerversary and the Burger Club August outing was the Foodparc in the Flatiron District of Manhattan. This is a flashy, new, exciting, glorified food court - essentially. Around an upscale open seating area are a few different fast-food restaurants, including our destination counter: 3Bs (for Bacon, Burgers & Beer). The flashiest part of this whole experience might have been the shiny, white floors or it might have been the touch screens with credit card readers attached so that we could order our burgers remotely if it hadn't been for the flashy ring of the most newly engaged member of the Burger Club community.

That's right, the mixed reviews of 3Bs Burgers (and their bacon, for that matter)were no match for thumbs up to our lady and her husband-to-be...but back to the burgers.

Ranked in order from least to greatest amount of flavor would be the burger, the bun, and the toppings. Despite the excellent reputation preceding our outing, I failed to find any richness of flavor in the meat on my plate. The bun was a bun. The toppings, however, were fresh and flavorful. Tomato, lettuce, barbecue sauce - it's a simple combination and luckily difficult to do wrong.

I wouldn't give up on FoodParc just yet - in fact, I hear they show movies on the jumbotron in their beer garden on Tuesdays and Saturdays during the summer. Probably less hectic than Bryant park and less far than Brooklyn Bridge Park, and you can drink beer out of a real glass, instead of the sketchy park way, out of a water bottle.

Burger Contest - I Kidd You Not!

Thank you to Google+'s recipe spark and the Leavenworth Times of Leavenworth, KS for tipping me off to this find.

It's the NO ORDINARY BURGER CONTEST - brought to you by Johnsonville, which until this day I could've sworn was a company dedicated to bringing frozen brats to the American population of meat eaters. Guess I was wrong. This is also brought to you by the National Pork Board.

You heard me. The URL www.pork.org is no longer up for grabs.

You have from now until September 6th to get your recipes tested and submitted, so get grilling! What's in it for you? Well, other than the glory of being named the genius behind no ordinary burger, the website promises "Two grand prize winners will be awarded a year’s worth of groceries from Walmart and have their recipes featured on Johnsonville Brat and Italian Sausage Patty boxes."

How's that for bragging rights?

The Week in Review

As we prepare for a 7-day-delayed Burger Club outing next week, I felt that it was appropriate to reflect on the meat-filled holiday that has just passed. That's right. The Anniversary of the first meeting of MeatEaters Anonymous.

Just kidding. It was the 4th of July - which, of course, would not be complete without some grilled beef. Sadly, my weekend lacked the aforementioned "Sean's Burgers," which would have been a true independence day delight. HOWEVER, I was treated to the Montclair Family Special - Hebrew Nationals (all beef to be sure) and Bison Burgers (all Bison, but let's say that counts).

All things considered (and may the president of Burger Club strike me down with fiery bolts of lighting) the Hebrew Nationals were preferable in this situation. There is a peace of mind that comes with eating kosher food, I suppose, even though I don't keep kosher by any stretch of the imagination (bacon, anyone?).

Needless to say, for everyone, the season has been kicked off in full meaty fashion and I look forward to reporting on many more outdoor burgers from now to Labor Day.

Hamburgers in the News

Esquire, unbeknownst to its editors, offer a response to our all-girl Burger Club with its food column, Eat Like a Man. Ironically, their meaty post "State of the Hamburger, Circa Summer 2011" was written by a woman, further legitimizing the no-boys-allowed rule.

Here are the cliff notes for the State of the Hamburger Panel Discussion, held in celebration of the release of the Eat Like a Man Cookbook.

The New York Times takes a slightly different angle on the matter. Now that I know the question is on the table, the nerd in me really does want to know: Could Liquid Nitrogen Help Build Tasty Burgers?

Hot Burgers

I know the name for Summer weather in the Fall, but what do you call an early Summer? The 90 degree heat in the first week of June this year certainly calls for some kind of terminology - for the time being, let's go with "stifling." On just such a day that you might only reach for gazpacho or a milkshake, the Burger Club ventured out for its first East Side affair. Zaitzeff was the place and despite the eco-friendliness of their high quality ingredients, they had the AC running with the front doors wide open - a recipe for some sweaty burger-eaters.

The culinary joy of Zaitzeff burgers is the use of novelty buns: Portugese muffins. Before your mind jumps to the gutter, allow me to quickly draw the comparison to the English Muffin. You may remember an earlier reference to an English-Muffin-Bun (from Paul's Da Burger Joint), I do, and that was nearly a year ago. De-lish.

As for the burger itself, it may have been that I ate it too fast to taste anything on the way down, but nothing about the flavor stood out as particularly drool-worthy. No complaints here, don't get me wrong, but no real memories either.

Sean's Burgers

The exception to the Burger Club Blog rule of restaurant review - a surprisingly simple recipe for the best Memorial Day Burgers I've ever laid my eyes on. Prepare your grills, tongs, and antibacterial soap.

Ingredients:
3 lbs Ground Beef
1 egg
Paprika
Garlic Powder
Cajun Seasoning
Ground Black Pepper
Panko bread crumbs

Procedure:
The key to Sean's burgers isn't the quality ingredients - although those are key - it's the precision of process.

1) With your bare hands, mush the raw ground beef and shape to create a well in the middle.
2) Add dry ingredients, then the egg and mix with your hands.
3) Form the burger patties, making an indent in the top of each.
4) Grill.
4.5) Grill bun.
5) Eat.

NOTE: Burgers pictured above are actually Sean's Burgers.

Dotted Swine

To tackle a restaurant with the epic reputation of The Spotted Pig, one needs to break it down piece by piece.

Meat

What is there really to say about meat? Although the menu called for a topping of Roquefort, I declined, opting for a more purist approach to burger eating. What I didn’t know what that the cheese was the end of the deal. Generally, I tend to prefer a little lettuce, tomato, or other dressings that let me forget that I’m eating another (once-living) animal, but there were none to be had. The meat at The Spotted Pig is rich for sure, delicious in the first three bites and too much for me to handle in the subsequent fifteen. A word to the wise, the burgers err on the side of rare, so if you like yours with minimal pink, order on the side of well done.

Bun

Ten points for aesthetic beauty. The buns are toasted and come with a criss-cross of grill marks across the top. Good coverage of the beef patty and a nice flavor make for an excellent accent to the burger itself.

Fries

The fries are shoestring, yes, but they are also piled as high as a mountain! Unconventionally seasoned with fried garlic slices and fresh rosemary, these french fries are definitely worth the difficulty factor that always affects your shoestring-eating experience.

Drink

A Porkslap Ale! Appropriate to the name of the establishment.

Ambiance

This is definitely a “table for two” kind of place. Very cozy and very tight - good for snuggling up close to that someone special. The decor is entirely pig-themed - fun and kitschy, if nothing else.

High Class

After a very classy (remember the bone marrow) visit to Elsewhere last month. Burger Club decided to, well, slum it this month. Burger Creations, down in the Union Square area, advertises its brand as using "the very best ingredients" and providing a "premium culinary experience. Enjoy!" - but at seven bucks a pop and no table service, you've got some sense of the type of burger you're in for.

Tasty, sure. High class? Maybe not. Let's start with the bun. While you can order whole wheat (flax free!) or a wrap, the default bun of this establishment is the grilled brioche. A bread-technique that Burger Club has seen a time or two by now and let's just say: we approve! Rule number 1 in burger quality evaluation is that the bun must hold the burger and in this area, Burger Creations more than satisfies.

Now for the meat. Each burger option is creative and distinctive. Burger Club members dined on varieties such as The Santa Fe Burger, The Parisian Burger, and The Southern Burger (other compelling options include the Hawaiian, Philly, and Sake burgers). While the toppings intrigued, the meat itself failed to stun, leaving me with that unsure feeling - am I full? or am I still hungry?

You know what I'm talking about.

The sides were arguably the best part of the meal - regular and sweet potato fries crispy on the outside and steamy on the inside and milkshakes too sweet and rich to ever drown out the flavor. The bottom line? A good time and a good meal, but I'm not scheduling my next visit...just yet, anyway.

Take Me Elsewhere

Who would've thought that you could find such a chic and intimate burger-serving restaurant west of 9th avenue? Well, we've found it - Elsewhere at 43rd just west of 9th is serving up one-of-a-kind burgers.

Yes, the atmosphere is upscale and yes, they have bone marrow on the menu, but let's just say that all the fancy-ness does not compromise the quality of the ground beef. Let me walk you through the meal...

1st Course: Bacon Butter Popcorn
I think this bears repeating. Bacon. Butter. Popcorn.
This is hands down the most intriguing appetizer that this BURGER CLUB has ever experienced (and that list includes fried pickles). How do they make it taste like bacon without making it heavy and greasy? I HAVE NO IDEA. But I highly recommend it - one order was enough to tantalize the appetites of five.

2nd Course: Biscuits with Brown Butter and Cracked Pepper
Apparently I was the last one in New York to hear of the biscuit-pepper combination, because since enjoying this delight, I've suddenly seen it all over town. That said, the sweet dough soaked in brown butter literally melts on the tongue. It took a very serious kind of self control to save room for...

3rd Course: THE BURGER
Easily at least 1/3 lbs of ground beef encompassed by a warm and crusty ciabatta-style bun and topped with caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, and 5-spoke tumbleweed (cheese). So here's the downside: this is too tall for the mouth of even the typical New Yorker. The size and juicy-ness of the burger overwhelms the sandwich to the point that the other condiments don't exert much flavor over the meal. The upside: the burger tastes so good that I didn't even care.