Category Archives: Burgers

Hunter’s in Brooklyn

I’m not (and in a way, I am) one of those people who refuses to leave Manhattan. There are specific situations I will willingly leave the island of Manhattan for another borough or NY location, they are: when I am going to the airport, when I am going to a baseball game, when I am visiting my friends Ken & Blaz (and their adorable pup, Little Bear), as well as visiting other special friends and when I head to Long Island to get to Fire Island. Yeah that’s just about the only time I leave Manhattan. But, if you have a good restaurant recommendation for me in a different borough, I will be adventurous enough to check it out.

Going to Cobble Hill isn’t really an “adventure” for me. I have been several times to visit my dearest friends and I really have grown to love the Brooklyn neighborhood. But how easy could this be — I jumped on the F train at 23rd Street, rode the subway for a short time and jumped off at the Bergen Street stop. After climbing out of the subway you’re on Smith Street and only a few steps away you’ll find the restaurant, Hunter’s.

Hunter’s is a gorgeous new restaurant on a popular Cobble Hill street — the interior is brand new and has beautiful furnishings. I met up with my friend Ken for a drink and of course I was hungry too… I kind of had to make sure I came hungry since he had been raving about the burger for so long.

Hunter's Brooklyn

So here I am, ordering the Angus Beef Burger… waiting, impatiently. But at the same time I was enjoying catching up with Ken, he’s getting married in the fall of 2013 in Colorado and I was so excited to hear all about the planning and details!!! Us catching up was lovely, but I did wish that our friend Kelly was going to be there — he works at Hunter’s and is a person that just makes me feel so special in life. Kelly is such a positive person, who wouldn’t want a friend like that? His positivity makes me want to be more like him. Anyways, so, no Kelly. But next time I am coordinating to make sure he is there when I go back for my next Hunter’s Burger.

So here it is — THE BURGER! Made with pickled onions, Vermont cheddar all on a cilantro-jalapeno aioli brioche. In my opinion, brioche = the best bread for a burger. And I’m sure you just read “pickled onions” and said, “say what? pickled onions?” I have to say they are the perfect touch, who would have thought to put pickled onions on top of a savory burger? This ingredient added the most perfect tang and in a way, sweetness, to the condiments of the burger. The chef made my burger EXACTLY how I ordered it — he even came out to the bar where I was eating long enough for me to rave about the burger and chat his ear off on how delish his herb fries are. The french fries were perfectly seasoned but they were nice and potato-ey — meaning they weren’t the crispy type of fries. The best part about these fries was the food-flashback that I had to when I spent time in Amsterdam. The Dutch put mayo on their fries and when I dipped these babies into a dish of creamy mayo — I was in heaven! (Not in the mood for a burger? check out their menu for other dishes that will hit the spot!)

So, I guess I owe my friend Ken a HUGE thank-you for not only getting me out of Manhattan but also for introducing me to the best burger! (Shake Shack, you have some MAJOR competition!!!)

And Friends — follow me on Pinterest and Instagram for some more fun foodie ideas, recipes, and restaurant spottings!

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Bareburger Burger Joint

I’m not really a big fan of salads…

I feel like you have to eat a lot of salad in order to fill up. And the flavors are typically so traditional it gets boring very quickly.

But lately I have managed to come across two salads that I love and I can’t seem to get enough of. One of the salads is from Vezzo (the thin crust pizzeria that I’m in love with, and their apple salad is very tart and tangy and is full of flavor), the other is from Bareburger (a fabulous burger joint that has quickly expanded to a large burger chain throughout Manhattan). Bareburger’s Mexican Salad was such an unexpected surprise. This salad has every type of flavor, texture, and even color! From the smooth, rich, creamy texture of an avocado — to the crunch of mini tortilla chips, every bite will be different. I’m also a major fan of the pepper jack cheese that’s diced up and thrown into the salad!

Tomatoes + Avocado + Onion + Lettuce + Pepper + Pepper Jack Cheese + Tortilla chips = the best salad ever! (what kind of dressing do they use… I have no clue! All I know is it’s nothing to feel guilty over and it’s a subtle tang that brings out all of the vegetables’ flavors! And did I mention how fresh every single ingredient is? I have ordered this salad countless times and never have I experience a plate that wasn’t made with perfect, fresh vegetables! The avocados are never bruised, the ingredients never come out soggy — I love it!)

I could actually eat this salad for a meal! That’s if my boyfriend and I don’t have a fork-war over every bite!

Steak n’ Shake burger joint

I was thrilled when my foodie friend, Stef, asked me to join her for lunch one day. Not only did we have some major catching up to do (the night before was her first culinary school class) but since our lunch date was in the middle of the day I knew I was going to be starving… I knew a burger was going to hit the spot!

Steak n’ Shake in Midtown Manhattan is the perfect place to go if you need to get off of Fifth Avenue or out of the Time Square Area, and it’s the perfect place to grab lunch to go if you’re looking to do a picnic in the park. Unfortunately it’s too cold for a picnic and during the week there isn’t enough time to squeeze that into my schedule. So, Stef and I grabbed one of the few booths to chow down at. This is something I found frustrating, there weren’t enough places available to sit and eat at. People piled into a very small space to wait for their food and moving around to grab your food from the counter was annoying! Then it was a mad-dash to try to scoop up a seat or two in order to eat lunch. And forget eating alone, the people who did this and took up a table that really seats two people became the enemy. Nasty glares were given to these solo burger eaters until they gobbled down their food quickly and made a run for the door. (No, Stef and I didn’t give nasty glares although we did stand with our food in hand waiting for a table to open up for at least 10 minutes.)

I’m not a big french fry person, so I was shocked when I fell in love with the perfectly seasoned thin fries from Steak n’ Shake. I love fries that have that potatoey sort of texture — not the type that are more crispy than anything. And a great fry can be eaten without any dipping sauce like ketchup or mayo.

When it came to the burger, Stef went for more of an “All American Burger” sort of style burger and I went for the Guacamole Burger. Piled on between the buns and above the hamburger patty was insanely fresh guacamole that would make Whole Foods wonder what their secret ingredients are, cilantro, pepper jack cheese, squeezed lemons & limes, and topped with a spicy chipotle mayo. I couldn’t believe how fresh the guacamole was — it couldn’t be more clear that they make their ingredients fresh. The guacamole added a delicious fresh flavor while the spicy chipotle mayo and pepper jack cheese infused a fantastic kick of spice.

I was pleasantly surprised at how cheap the entire menu was! For my burger and fries the total came to $4.99 — prices like that in the city will put a smile on a local’s face!

Stef and I are both burger lovers and ultimately we came to the conclusion that Steak n’ Shake was fantastic but the major thing missing was a house made “special sauce.” Shake Shack has a special sauce and it’s the most beloved ingredient! It’s an art to be able to create a sauce that makes all different types of burgers taste delicious and more importantly unique to other burger joints. On a side note — I couldn’t help but notice that Stef couldn’t sip her shake through a straw, and when I looked around at other diners they were all eating their shake with a spoon! A spoon! No, that’s not good. A shake should have a thick consistency but is easily drinkable through a straw. If a shake was supposed to be eaten with a spoon then there would be no lid and no straw given to customers.

I dont’ think I will be going back to Steak n’ Shake when the weather is cold outside. I will probably wait for the sunny warm spring weather to arrive so I can eat my burger outside on a bench rather than fight the hungry crowd for a seat.

Lunch Outside, in Winter!

I couldn’t believe it — this afternoon it was 61 degrees in Manhattan! Oh, and it’s February 1st. Either that’s unbelievable, or insanely freaky.

shake shack hamburger

I pack my lunch every… single… day… and after doing this several weeks in a row, I needed a break. So, I took myself out for a $4.50 burger at (can you take a guess?) Shake Shack. There’s a Times Square location that is only a few blocks from my office and the line here is surprisingly short! I gobbled down my burger and then strolled through Times Square to get some “fresh” air. (The air was as fresh as you could get in the middle of New York City.)

I always avoid Times Square because of the packed streets and tourists who don’t look where they walk. It takes forever to get through the crowds. But today, it was either fairly empty or I was just so happy to be in 61 degree weather in the middle of winter.

pepsi ad

I rarely take a lunch break. But today, I just couldn’t miss out on such an unbelievably beautiful day!

Check out a few Times Square (and lunch) photos I took. Some are rather dark, but who cares — just take a look at the gorgeous blue sky above the buildings!

Happy New Year 2012

I hope everyone is off to a fantastic New Year! How did everyone spend their New Years Eve? Hopefully with a glass of champagne in one hand!? (I love this photograph from Red Haute and Bothered on Tumblr. I just had to share it with you).

Instead of going into all of the stereotypical New Year’s resolutions… I want to share with you a few of my favorite posts from 2011. I’ve discovered so many fantastic restaurants here in New York — and I hope everyone is able to try some new and interesting cuisine in this upcoming year!

For the overall tastiest dish in New York City — Al Di La Trattoria in Brooklyn, New York — fits the bill! I never go to Brooklyn, but I would happily go any time if it meant I would be eating at Al Di La.

My favorite meal while out of New York City was from — Antico Noe — a sandwich shop in Florence, Italy. I never imagined that a sandwich could be this delicious! I plan to go back to Florence one day, just so I can eat here!

The best burger award goes to — Minetta Tavern — their Black Label Burger is the reason why you need to make reservations one month in advance! And do not offer to share this burger with anyone. Trust me, you’ll want it all to yourself. (*and eat it the way the chef prepares it, do NOT add ketchup.)

For an affordable, yet trendy and sophisticated menu, the award award goes to — L’Artusi — I love that the menu changes seasonally, and the portion sizes are fantastic!

The most exotic restaurant surly is — Ventanas — this Spanish-Moroccan fusion restaurant has mastered the tastiest dishes and has an incredibly entertaining ambiance.

The fastest and tastiest restaurant award goes to — La Esquina’s Taqueria in Soho — it’s hard not to stop here for some tacos and grilled corn whenever I am shopping downtown! Plus, it’s a great place to take friends to when they visit, no one dislikes their food!

The best comfort food award goes to — The Meatball Shop — the unfortunately long wait keeps me from going back, but the food is delicious and insanely cheap! Who wouldn’t want a bowl of spicy pork meatballs?

Pizza may have been around for centuries, but Co. in Chelsea knew what to do to have people re-discovering it again. Even though it’s a bit pricey for pizza, you’ll love every bite!

The best South American food goes to the 24/7 joint in Hell’s Kitchen — Empanada Mama. The avocado salad is to-die-for but all of the empanadas are fantastic! This is obviously what they are known for, so you must order a bunch when you go (plus, they are wicked cheap!).

Cheeseburger Gift Wrap

So far this holiday season I have shown you a few of my favorite gift ideas for a foodie… I then realized that I gave gift ideas but forgot to give suggestions on what to wrap them in. I’m a newbie to Tumblr (actually, I joined just last night), the site is so creative and is full of ideas! While on Tumblr I stumbled across this incredibly crafty gift wrapping that would be perfect to wrap a gift in for a food lover! A Cheeseburger Gift Wrap from Gift Couture! Take a look: you have your burger bun, the tomato, the lettuce, the cheese, and of course the meat!

Mercer Kitchen in Soho

I’ve heard a lot about Mercer Kitchen — I’ve heard how fantastic the brunch is and how unbelievable the dinner is. The only problem is, I can’t see myself eating brunch in a basement… especially on a gorgeous saturday afternoon! But I can see myself getting cozy in one of the booths on a cold winter evening.

The ambiance in Mercer Kitchen is relaxing even though the restaurant itself is a busy, crowded, trendy sort of joint. The menu though was a bit problematic to me — I honestly could have ordered one of everything!

We ordered several appetizers including the butternut squash soup with black trumpet mushrooms, salmon with crispy sushi rice with chipotle mayo and ponzu, and the crab cake with avocado, cucumber, lime and crystallized ginger. The butternut squash soup was incredible! There’s something about butternut squash this time of year that really hits the spot. I loved the crab cake — the meat was very moist and very flavorful with splashes of lime in every bite. The avocado also added interesting texture in addition to the moist crab meat and the crunchy exterior. And I was shocked when I tried the salmon with crispy sushi rice with chiptole may and ponzu. I honestly hate salmon, I can’t even stand the smell of it. But I have never had raw salmon before and of course there is a first time for everything. The chipotle mayo added a nice kick to the salmon too! I was pleasantly surprised and now I can say I enjoy raw salmon.

For my main course I ordered the Mercer Burger that comes with pepperjack cheese, avocado, crunchy red onions, russian dressing, and french fries. I was surprised when the burger arrived because it is rather small. But for me, it was perfect. I laughed when I noticed that the ingredients were “upside down” (you’ll see what I mean in the photo). I loved the textures of the moist beef and the crunch red onions. The bun was such a basic hamburger bun too — which I was shocked. It wasn’t on a brioche, it was more like a potato roll — at least the texture was. The french fries though, were more like McDonald’s fries — except less greasy.

The experience at Mercer Kitchen was amazing — and I can’t wait to go back for dinner again. I need to be sure to order the second half of the menu!

Egg Yolks Transform Numerous Dishes

fried_egg

Nom! These eggs eventually made their way onto some sauteed spinach!

The other week I asked everyone if they’ve ever cracked an egg shell open and found not just one egg yolk, but two.
Today I am wondering what people are putting their eggs on? I never knew until I moved to NYC that egg yolks/fried eggs can transform an ordinary dish into something exquisite! For example, whenever I go to Spitzers on the LES I have to order the burger with a fried egg. My mom gets grossed out by the “texture” of uncooked egg yolks — she says it feels like she’s eating boogers but I think that’s ridiculous! (Love you mom, but you’re totally missing out.) I recently experienced SD26‘s ‘Uovo’ which means “egg” in Italian. This dish is one big ravioli stuffed with truffle, cheese and egg yolk. As my friend Stefanie says, “NOMMMM!!!!!”
Burgers, ravioli, crostini, pasta, spinach… these are only a couple of things that I love putting a fried egg on. What’s your favorite dish to pair eggs with?

Sunny Day + Burger Craving = Shake Shack

shack_burger

Shake Shack's ShackBurger (100% Angus beef burger with American cheese, tomato, lettuce, and the famous Shack Sauce served between a potato bun).

I think I will always admire the powerful flavors of a Shake Shack hamburger. My recommendation to anyone who orders a burger is to eat it the way the chef (or in this case, the Shack) prepares it — don’t “hold the shack sauce” or “cook the burger well-done,” eat it the way it comes on the menu and it’ll rock your taste-buds.
All ShackBurgers are cooked medium and come topped with American cheese, tomato, lettuce, and of course the infamous Shack Sauce — all of this is served between a potato bun. Have you ever had a tasty rack of ribs that are cooked to perfection and practically fall off the bone? The 100% angus beef in the ShackBurger falls apart in your mouth and makes eating a hamburger effortless.
So when the sun came out this week and my burger craving hit me, Shake Shack in Madison Square Park is the place I ended up at. Actually, I ended up there twice this week (shhh, don’t tell anyone, I am borderline embarrassed I wandered over there two times in one week). Each time I ordered something different: visit number one I ordered the ‘Shroom Burger (a portobello mushroom that is deep fried and stuffed with muenster cheese and is topped with lettuce, tomato and of course the Shack Sauce, all served between a potato bun) with cheese fries, and the second visit I ordered a ShackBurger and a strawberry milkshake. I don’t care how old I am, I will always love my strawberry milkshakes. The ‘Shroom Burger’s cheese is exceptionally stringy and is what makes this burger so delish. The mushroom also provides a bolt of flavor and adds the perfect variety of textures to every bite (the mushroom is cooked perfectly but the exterior of it is nice and crispy since it is deep fried).
On the next sunny day I want everyone to head to Shake Shack — it’s the perfect place to sit outside and eat lunch or dinner with friends in the heart of Manhattan.
Skeptical to go because of the obnoxious lines Shake Shack is known to have? Check out their webcam on their website! It’s called the Shack Cam and you can see exactly how long the line is and predict how long it will take you before you get your food. (Honestly, I would stand in a 2 hour long line in the middle of a hurricane if I was in the mood for a hamburger, it’s totally and completely worth every minute waiting!)

Last Month Was All About Cupcakes… What’s Next?

So last month I was browsing NYC bakeries for the best cupcake… Now I am on to my next food adventure, but I am kind of stuck on what food I should focus on this month. I want to hear what you think I should be taste-testing — take the poll, I would love to know what my readers are wanting to see in my upcoming blog posts!