It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas...

I haven't been posting updates lately.  Working for a toy retailer this time of year tends to get a little busy, but Christmas will soon pass and life will return to a sense of normalcy.  Til then, happy holidays!

In the meantime, got a burger lover in your life?  Here's a gift idea.  I came across these burger earrings while browsing the web.

AJ Bomber's Review Insights Flame War...

We Wisconsinites are a cantankerous bunch.  We love our sports teams, our beers, our sausages, and of course our cheeses.  We also love our burgers...furiously it seems.  Also, since we don't have a pro hockey team to root for, our favorite winter pastime seems to be bitching about perceived injustices. 

Just imagine the carnage if it had been snowing that day

When Lacey Muszynski, the newest burger correspondent at A Hamburger Today, posted a mixed review of the Milwaukee burger joint AJ Bombers last Monday, she probably wasn't aware of the virtual riot she was instigating.  Poor, naive Lacey. 

Poll: Burger Doneness Preference...

Burger Doneness Preference

An often debated and hotly contested matter of personal preference.  This is a point of contention for all burger lovers, each believing his or her own choice is the best.  Are you a blood raw burger kind of person?  A lover of the proverbial hockey puck burger?  Let us know with our first ever poll!

Bub's Burger Joint Reviewed by The Isthmus

Madison's free, weekly newspaper, The Isthmus, recently published a review of Bub's Burger Joint (Madison, Wisconsin) comparing the local offering favorably to Five Guys.

What's for Dinner?

I took some quick pics of a 1/2 pound double double I made for dinner the other night.  Burger porn. Mmmmmmmm.

I find simplicity in burgers produce the most rewarding results.  In this case two griddled, 1/4 pound patties of loosely packed, 80/20 ground chuck, seasoned with salt and pepper create a behemoth of a burger.  I added some Kraft Singles and dill pickles, and served it up on a homemade, toasted white bun.

The fries were just frozen crinkle cuts, straight from the freezer and baked in the oven.  Nothing special, but a nice compliment to the beefy monster anyway.

Hit the Trail. New Mexico's Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail that is...

 ~ (New Mexico Tourism Department) 

The New Mexico Tourism Department has had the interactive map shown here available for a couple of years now.  Although I have never tried a green chile cheeseburger, judging by the 200 some restaurants in New Mexico offering up this regional favorite, I am guessing that I should.  They do look sinful.

Burger Planet ~ November 23, 2010

All things burger related from anywhere, and everywhere...

• Tinhorn Flats Saloon & Grill in Burbank, California features an "eclectic" burger menu ~ (Burbank Leader)
• Burger Garage in Long Island City, NY offers so-so burgers, but fries and shakes are worth a visit ~ (New York Press)
• A brief look at fast food, cult-favorite In-n-Out Burger ~ (Minyanville)
• Court rules BK can dictate menu prices to franchisees ~ (Miami Herald)
• Getting comped a $777 burger in Las Vegas...priceless. ~ (NPR)
• Car and Driver take Hyundai Genesis on a Wisconsin burger run as part of the 100K or Bust road trip ~ (Car and Driver)
• Burger Conquest gives the burgers at Lure Fishbar in New York high marks ~ (Burger Conquest)
• The Burger Beast has a passable experience at Steak 'n Shake in Kendall, Florida ~ (Burger Beast)
• Canada Steak Burger is a hidden gem in San Diego ~ (A Hamburger Today)

About the Pages...

Hi everyone.   It seems that maybe a couple of people are looking at this site every now and then, so I wanted to let you all know about the links across the top.  These are pages that I intend to fill with interesting stuff, but they are works in progress for the time being.  I will keep you updated on the progress.

Update to Pages

Just a quick note that I have updated the Links page with some fun websites to visit.

Burger Planet ~ November 18, 2010

All things burger related from anywhere and everywhere...

• Epic burger fail at Firkin in Libertyville, IL ~ (A Hamburger Today)
• Charley's Famous Hamburgers in Lemon Grove, CA serves a great burger ~ (LemonGrovePatch)
• Baltimore favorite, Gino's, re-opens. Just not in Baltimore ~ (The Baltimore Sun)
• Suspect grabs some Five Guys burgers before turning himself in to police ~ (NorthJersey.Com)
• Arizona Chef trying for biggest burger record creates 229 pound monstrosity ~ (KPHO Channel 5)
• Tom & Eddie's looking to expand with 2nd location in Deerfield, IL ~ (Trib Local)
• 3 good  burgers in Westchester County, NY (Bronxville-EastchesterPatch)
• Advocating for the criminalization of hamburgers in South Africa ~ (NewsTime)
• Mullen's in Pittsburgh, PA offers up 7 different dry aged burgers priced under $10 ~ (Trib Live)

Hardee's/Carl's Jr. Happy Star Rewards App for IPhone and Android Coming in 2011...

The Happy Star Rewards App for IPhone and Android smart phones will be available to fans of the franchise next year.  I haven't been to Hardee's in what is likely years.  Most of them in Wisconsin seem to have turned into Popeye's Chicken or closed outright.  That seems about right when I consider that, as a kid of the 80's, my preference for fast food went about like this...

1. Burger King - Sure, the fries served now are an abomination and those putrid things they seem to think are onion rings are a cardinal sin, but a Whopper w/cheese, minus tomato is still a guilty pleasure.
2. Taco John's - I can't even begin to touch on my long-term love affair with this place.  For fast food quasi-Mexican, they were the best.
3. Wendy's - Great bacon cheeseburgers set this place apart from the others.
4. Kentucky Fried Chicken - One word...SPORK!!!!
5. Vito's - A local hot dog joint serving up Vienna Beef dogs.  The chili dog was spectacular.
6. Subway - Subs were still a novelty then. What can I say.
7. McDonald's - You down with Mickey D?  Yeah, you know me.
8. Arby's - Jamocha shake please.
9. A&W - At least the root beer is tasty.
10. Dairy Queen? - Yeah, I think they have food now.  At least I can get a Blizzard.
11. Taco Bell - Vastly inferior to the aforementioned Taco John's, but it was open late.
12. I think White Castle is like 5 hours away from here, but I am game if you are.
13. Long John Silvers - I don't even eat fish. Seriously.
14. Should we just go to that Denny's over there?
15. Hardee's - Well, I can't see signs for anywhere else. Let's go there.

I have to admit though.  This new app seems like a really smooth marketing gimmick.  It has the standard features, but also gives you a chance to win free food or prizes whenever you visit any Carl's Jr. or Hardee's location.  Interesting.  Hopefully they've improved the food some to.  Maybe I'll have to give them another go sometime.  I guess I should probably get a smart phone first.

Watch a video of the new App after the jump.

BFS Review: Culver's Butter Burgers ~ A Franchise With Local Heritage

"This story begins in the unforgettable spring of 1983.  Ms. Pacman struck a blow for women's rights and a young Joe Piscopo taught us how to laugh." ~ Marge Simpson

All right...Culver's story actually begins in the summer of 1984, but I am never able to resist the gratuitous usage of a Simpson's quote.

As far as the reviews are concerned on this site, I have always intended to stay away from the national mega-chains (Chili's, Applebees, McDonald's, BK, Hardees, etc...).  If one were to offer a regional item, maybe.  Otherwise there is enough out there about those places already.  Culver's, with its now 400+ locations, seems like the type of place that I should pass over, but I have motivations beyond size for this write up.  I currently live in Sauk City, the official hometown of Culver's.  I just couldn't pass that opportunity up.

Burger Planet ~ November 11, 2010

Happy Veteran's Day!!!

All things burger related from anywhere, and everywhere...

• Five Guys Burgers and Fries opening in Layton, UT ~ (Standard-Examiner)
• Burger King's U.S. sales slumping ~ (Miami Herald)
• Schnipper's Quality Kitchen opening Manhatten, NY location across from original Shake Shack ~ (New York Times)
• Get a Free Burger in Colorado Springs, CO after watching a cow get slaughtered ~ (The Gazette)
• The Coloraodoan gives Colorado mini-chain, Larkburger mountains of praise ~ (thecolorodoan.com) 
• Berry Creek, CA Octo-burger Eating Contest scheduled for this Sunday ~ (Chico Enterprise Record)

Bob's Burgers Will Have Turkey Day Preview on Fox!!

I first saw this mentioned on Daemon's TV.  Fox will air a sneak peek of their new animation comedy, Bob's Burger on Thankgiving night.

Watch a clip after the jump...

What? That's not good for me? Really? Huh...

Men's Health Editor-in-chief and resident nutritional mother hen, David Zinczenko, brings us another of his insightful looks into the calories be damned approach to food service employed at our favorite eateries.  This time he is looking into the "The Worst Burgers in America."  This is certainly not the first journey down the road of total burger gluttony.  

To say Mr. Zinczenko, the co-author of the nationwide bestselling tome, "Eat This, Not That!" is only a little redundant is like saying that Lady Gaga is only a little annoying.  I'm still always up for taking a peek at his latest column though.  First, it gives me great ideas for dinner.  Second, I kind of enjoy that smug sense of superiority that oozes out of his keyboard as he types his factoids that only a mindless cooter wouldn't already realize.

Seriously, dude?  You mean a 1/2 pound burger, rolled in salt, covered with 4 slices of cheese, buried under 6 strips of bacon, stuffed with deep fried onion straws, slathered in mayo and served on a bun soaked in melted butter isn't the healthy choice on the menu?  Wow, I thought that slice of lettuce meant it was technically good* for me.  Thank the stars in heaven you were here with your timely wisdom, David!  What would humanity do without you?

Now, it's off to Uno Chicago Grill.  That Bring Home the Bacon Burger looks fan-frackin-tastic!

* - For the full effect you should do that finger quote thing when saying this.

"Having the skin on is a way to remind people that fries come from potatoes."

At least that's what Wendy's Chief Marketing Officer, Ken Calwell believes.  This was said by him in relation to the idea that, "People want more natural foods and they want to know where they come from."

This is a big week for Wendy's.  The new line of burgers, and now this.  I for one have never had a big problem with Wendy's french fries, but they have never been as popular as the spuds at McDonald's.  So, for the first time in the company's history, they are completely overhauling this deep fried staple.  The new fries will be cut from russett potatos only, and they will be slighlty skinnier.  In keeping with current trends, they will be also seasoned with sea salt going forward.

I am both amused and dismayed that this trend towards a more "natural" french fry actually results in higher sodium and more calories.

Burger Planet ~ November 9, 2010

All things burger related from anywhere, and everywhere...

• 2 College Students go on a quest for Hartford's Best Burger ~ (Trintity Tripod)
• Respondents believe that a salad and burger will have fewer calories than the burger alone ~ (Market Watch)
• McDonald's sees sales climb for the month of October ~ (Associated Press)
• Burger at Westside Tavern in LA is just so so ~ (theburgerreview.com)
• Cheeseburger Cupcake Recipe (Not as disgusting as it sounds) ~ (Duncan Hines)

Wendy's Gambles On New Burger in Vegas, Baby!

As reported in the Las Vegas Sun, fast food giant Wendy's will soon be rolling out a new burger line.  Dave's Hot 'N Juicy Cheeseburgers will be exclusive to Las Vegas, as the company tests the waters a bit.  The plan is to take the line national in June 2011.

To kick things off a new commercial will air exclusively in Vegas next week, and it will feature a person that we are all familiar with, but whom most of us have never seen.  The iconic Wendy's logo, as many of us know, is based on founder Dave Thomas' own daughter.  Wendy Thomas, owner of several Wendy's franchises, will star in her first commercial for the fast food chain that she has symbolized since 1969.

Watch the commercial after the jump...

A Hamburger Today blows the Lid Off McDonald's Burger Myth...

Serious Eats contributor, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, was skeptical of recent claims that McDonald's Happy Meal hamburgers are impervious to growing mold, and that they would not rot.  He wasn't so much disturbed by the claim, as the lack of science supporting the various conclusions as to why these little burgers would show little change in appearance for years and years.  Taking on the project in his burger lab, he created his own burgers and placed them side-by-side with McDonald's samples.

I may have just thrown up in my mouth a little...

Photo courtesy of Road Food Digest

With the recent trend to add more, and more to burgers, we end up with the likes of the Fatty Melt, or the Luther Burger.  So, this was bound to happen sooner or later.  I never imagined that so many things that I enjoy thoroughly on their own could be combined together in a Frankenstein-ish nightmare of a sandwich, but here it is.

Culinary daredevil ayersian, from Roadfood.com, recently visited Local Burger & Fries in North Hampton, Massachusetts based on a recent nod from the USA Today.  Apparently not the type to give much concern to one's own health or well-being, the writer went for the Chili Ham Dog.  Described as a hot dog, wrapped in ground beef, then coated in Cap'n friggin' Crunch before being deep fried.  Once on the bun, the ham dog is dressed in pickles, chili sauce, and American Cheese!  It received a rave review from the writer.  Undoubtedly followed by a complimentary angioplasti.

What a burger should be...

I have heard it said that the measuring stick that you will hold all pizzas to is the first slice you recall eating as a child.  For me that would be the perfection that is Sammy's Pizza, a small Minnesota based chain that has graced Eau Claire with its presence for over 50 years.  This is a burger blog and this is a burger post, so I won't go on and on about the manna from heaven that is a Sammy's House Special.  Trust me, I could write countless posts on that one thing alone.  But I am certain that if that is true of pizza, it also true of all foods we love.  Fried chicken, hot dogs, fries, onion rings, and most definately burgers.

Growing up in Eau Claire was an interesting existence.  Far removed from the nearest big cities, this pin prick of a town (pop. 50,000 or so when I was a kid) drew folks into it from surrounding communities far and wide.  This created an atmosphere of commerce that drove the local economy, and warranted an amount of restaurants comparable to cities 2 or 3 times its size.  Of course there was an inordinate amount of fast food to be had, but with the modern day behemoth chains the likes of Applebee's, TGIFs, Olive Garden, et. al. still light years away, the scene was ruled by locally owned and operated treasures.  In Eau Claire, in the 70's and 80's, the Grand Poohbah that ruled all had to have been The Chicken Hut.

Burger Planet ~ November 5, 2010

All things burger related from anywhere, and everywhere...

• Bobby Flay bringing his Burger Palace to D.C. ~ (Washington Business Journal)
• Farmer Boys opening a New Location in Hesperia, California on Nov. 12 ~ (PR Newswire)
• Pricey offerings at M:brgr in Montreal get middle of the road rating ~ (Montreal Gazette)
• White Manna vs. White Mana for slider superiority in Jersey ~ (NJ.com)

Burger Planet

All things burger related from anywhere, and everywhere...

• Dick’s giving free burgers to veterans on Nov. 11 ~ (mywallingford.com)
• BIll Bunyan reaches goal of consuming a hamburger in every Kansas county (105 in all) ~ (KAKE, channel 10)
• Molly's Charbroiled Hamburgers Closing ~ (examiner.com)
• Cheeseburger Cocktails becoming trendy ~ (Time of India)
• Shake Shack coming to Brooklyn ~ (Daily News)

Burger Planet

• Applebees will be serving free meals to all active duty service members and veterans of our armed forces on Veterans' Day, Nov. 11 ~ (Navy Times)

• Joe's Farm Grill celebrates 4 years with free cheeseburgers ~ (East Valley Tribune)

BFS Review: Late Night at The Great Dane

 

I am not one to go on a lot of late night burger runs but when an opportunity to visit one of Madison's top burger and suds joints presents itself, it is hard to say no.  The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Co, now with 4 locations (3 in Madison, 1 in Wausau), has quickly become a Madison institution since opening its doors in 1994.  A unique menu and high quality ingredients have earned the brewpub a solid reputation for fantastic food, especially burgers. 

A friend had invited me to stop by after work for an election night victory party.  The Great Dane keeps the kitchen open until midnight.  Considering I would be at work until after 11:00, that was all I needed to convince me that an after hours burger excursion was in order.  This is a burger blog, not a political blog, so I won't go into any of my thoughts on the election results here.  I walked through the door at 11:37, and happily placed my order at the bar.  The candidate my friend was supporting ended up losing his election, which created a distinctly somber and reserved atmosphere.  I tried to come across as somewhat less than ecstatic that I was about the eat a great burger and drink a fine local brew.  I blended into the crowd and awaited my late night treat.

Burgers on the Today Show...

David Zinczenko, the author behind “Cook This, Not That!” appeared this morning on the Today Show to demonstrate how to cook a healthier version of a swiss burger and some cheese fries.  He and Al Roker do a great demo on the proper technique for making smash burgers. 

I am a huge proponent for home cooked burgers, and I love going out for a caloric bomb every now and then.  I don't put too much stock in the whole "deny yourself what you love to eat", meme that Mr. Zinczenko preaches.  I have to say this looks particularily yummy but if I made it at home I wouldn't be able to bring myself to use the  low-fat swiss. Just sayin...

Watch the video after the jump.

Beef - It's What's For Dinner...

Saturday was burger night in my house.  I decided to try something a little different than just the standard griddled fare that I usually cook up.  So, I took some tips from a recipe for an Animal Style, In-n-Out burger off their secret menu.

Using a post from A Hamburger Today, as inspiration I set about my task.  I didn't stay true to the recipe (I am not at the "grind your own" stage just yet), but I did hit on some of the keys to this style. 

I started the griddle heating, while I sliced a yellow onion and set about turning it into the onion jam using the technique in the recipe.  Using about 2 1/2 ounces of 80/20 chuck for each burger, I hand pattied the beef into thin disks.  After applying salt and pepper, I placed the patties on the lightly oiled griddle and applied yellow mustard to the raw side.

Better Living Through Chemistry

It is certainly strange for a Blog that is about burgers to start off by reviewing something that isn't a burger.  Call me, "strange", but that is just what I am about to do.

Frito-Lay, the fine purveyors of many of our favorite snack items, have recently introduced a new line to the Doritos family.  The new Late Night All Nighter line includes three flavor choices; Cheeseburger, Taco, and Jalapeno Poppers.

What with Doritos being a nacho flavored, tortilla chip, the Tacos-at-Midnight seemed like a no-brainer to me.  Jalapeno Poppers flavor?  Yeah I can see that.  But Cheeseburger?  Really?

What am I doing here?

I love the hamburger in all of its glorious forms. Greasy, little sliders to over-sized monsters, and everything in between. My personal favorites are the simple cheeseburgers usually found in little mom & pop restaurants, but I am willing to give almost anything a try.  With that in mind I have decided to join the roughly eleventy trillion other people who are currently posting their thoughts on the state of the all things burger.