Burgers get some respect

[glenn]

The Burger Takes Center Stage

It was so refreshing to read a burger article where Corner Bistro is not listed as among the best. And the Old Homestead burger sounds absolutely hideous.

[tommy]

well that pretty much answered the question of "gee, what am i going to have for lunch today?"

[Fat Guy]

The best burger I've had in New York City recently was at Blue Smoke. I've heard enough positive talk about this burger among burger-knowledgeable people that we devoted 1/3 or our table's entree order to finding out how good it was. It was superb. There are so many burgers out there I'm not exactly surprised Ed Levine would miss any given specimen (these sorts of comprehensive roundups are always susceptible to, "How could you miss . . . ?") so I'll just leave it at: Blue Smoke has a great burger. Maybe someone will ask Danny Meyer something about it in our Q&A.

[tommy]

I've heard enough positive talk about this burger among burger-knowledgeable people that we devoted 1/3 or our table's entree order to finding out how good it was.

would you say that the people at your table were experts?

is blue smoke's burger available for din-din as well?

how about tavern on jane? good sloppy burger.

[Jason Perlow]

I'm still a huge fan of the burger at McSorleys.

[cabrales]

The best burger I've had in New York City recently was at Blue Smoke.

Steven -- Could you describe the Blue Smoke burger?

[Fat Guy]

Sure. It's maybe seven or so ounces. It's grilled. There's nothing unusual about it save for the quality of the meat and careful cooking. An ideal specimen of the grilled burger genre -- very difficult to find this sort of faultless, no-nonsense, not-trying-too-hard rendition -- served with nice skinny fries and flattered by the restaurant's house brand of pickles.

[cabrales]

Has any member sampled the JUdson Grill burger that was favorably described in the NYT article?

[LESider]

I'm still a huge fan of the burger at McSorleys.

yes, if sawdust, the smell of piss and horrible beer are considered good dining "companions". Try Molly's on Third if you like sawdust on the floor and a tasty burger on your plate

[cabrales]

Interestingly, the SF Chronicle ran a recent shorter piece on local burgers too.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...2.DTL&type=food

[Fat Guy]

I've finally read through the whole piece and I've got to say it's missing several of the city's top burgers. The Blue Smoke oversight surprises me because Danny Meyer was clearly interviewed for the piece and no doubt would have alerted Levine to this burger. The Times continues, in this piece, to turn a blind eye to McHale's, which many of the city's most serious burger eaters have advocated as the best for years. The Smith & Wollensky burger, too, is outstanding -- possibly the only competitor to Luger's in that category, although Michael Jordan's also has a contender there. Sassy's Sliders too deserves a mention, given that it and White Castle constitute their own, venerable style. This was no doubt a difficult piece to write, but at the same time it opens with a bold claim. So many major oversights undermine that claim. I'm just not sure how this story moves the ball forward on the whole New York hamburger discussion. Ed Levine usually does much better work.

[Bux]

Were the fries as good as the burger, or are the fries consitently great? They were terrific the one time I was at Blue Smoke. The fries more than anything else might draw me back. I've had fried as good elsewhere, but I've not had better.

[jaybee]

I'm surprised Levine schneided the burger at City Hall. It is among the better specimens, and made the "best burger" thread thanks to FG.

I do love the former Burger Heaven version, and the Old Town Tavern burger. Didn't Diane's used to have a primo burger too?

Anyone remember Prexy's, the burger with a college education?

Another Jean Shepherd client:

Prexys Schmexies

Double Bexies

Pitkins all agree

(I don't recall the rest)

Shep used to tell us to say "excelsior" to the counterman and we'd get a free order of fries. All I ever got was a fishy look.

Prexys/Shep link isn't working just now. I'll repost it.

Edited January 15, 2003 by jaybee (log)

[Stone]

I don't know about Blue Smoke, but is there anything to the feeling that the best "burger" can't be had at an upscale restaurant? It's burger for Chrissakes. Grilled chopped meat on a bun. Part of the experience is that you're eating it in a grungy bar, a greasy diner or a road side flop house. Putting on a parmesan bun, stuffing it with braised anything, flavoring it with truffles, duck fat or demi-glace, pairing it with a wine selction or any other unnecessary embellishment turns it into something else. Something good perhaps, but not a burger.

[maggiethecat]

schneided

Splain, please. This Episcopalian wants to know.

[Fat Guy]

Shame on me from neglecting to mention City Hall, perhaps the biggest oversight of all.

[tommy]

S&W's burger again today proved to be wonderful. tasting of ground beef, juicy. burger to bun ratio just perfect. complimentary champagne was nice, as there was a fire next door that filled the room with a faint haze. the haze, strangely enough, smelled like food.

[Liza]

Complimentary champagne, indeed! And I'll bet you didn't have to say, "Don't you know who I am?"

[cabrales]

The Smith & Wollensky burger, too, is outstanding -- possibly the only competitor to Luger's in that category, although Michael Jordan's also has a contender there.

Steven -- Could you describe the Smith & Wollensky burger and the Michael Jordan's burger, and how they might differ?

[tommy]

Complimentary champagne, indeed! And I'll bet you didn't have to say, "Don't you know who I am?" 

oh they know me. i'm famous. i'm the top poster on egullet.

actually i said "you don't have to ask *me* twice."

they are renovating the grill over there, for 3 million or so. apparently, the look and feel will remain the same when it opens next week.

[Fat Guy]

is there anything to the feeling that the best "burger" can't be had at an upscale restaurant?

I don't think so. As a statistical matter, you've got a pretty good chance of getting a good burger at just about any moderately upscale business lunch place, whereas about 99% of diner/coffee-shop-type places serve a crap-ass burger. Likewise, looking at the principle of the thing, a better restaurant is likely to do a better burger just as it's likely to do anything better: Better ingredients, more consistent cooking, better garnishes, etc. The greasy spoon or dive bar can certainly compete on price, though.

And hey, what about Island Burgers & Shakes?

Kudos to Ed for mentioning the place in the Parker Meridien, though.

[Stone]

And hey, what about Island Burgers & Shakes?

I thought their chicken sandwiches were better than the burgers. The burgers were small and inconsistent (often dry) and overwhelmed by the toppings. Chicken has no flavor of its own, so the toppings carried the day well. Great shakes though.

[jamal]

Has anyone been to Blue 9 which was also mentioned in the article? Do the burgers there compare favorably to the In 'n' Out chain in California? I have a friend visiting from England who is addicted to In 'n' Out burgers and may enjoy Blue 9 for lunch if it is similar.

Edited January 15, 2003 by jamal (log)

[Fat Guy]

The Smith & Wollensky burger, too, is outstanding -- possibly the only competitor to Luger's in that category, although Michael Jordan's also has a contender there.

Steven -- Could you describe the Smith & Wollensky burger and the Michael Jordan's burger, and how they might differ?

The Michael Jordan's burger is a lot bigger, though I've only had the large size and last time I checked it came in two sizes. They're both made of top-notch beef, but the Wollensky burger's size is more conducive to cooking as a hamburger. When you get into the softball-size category, like the Michael Jordan burger, you create a very difficult cooking situation. I'd have to double check, but I think there's a high percentage of tenderloin in the Wollensky burger (this is what the manager at S&W Las Vegas told me), whereas the MJ burger is chuck or sirloin (what the bartender told me at Grand Central). I haven't investigated thoroughly, though.

[Fat Guy]

Also in the burger category, I think we discussed elsewhere the recent Saveur piece by Coleman Andrews.