first post is only appropriate to start in the place that it all went H.A.M. a smattering of some of my fav burgers (or ones that i just so happen to have a pic of on my phone). sorry it's actually like 13 posts in one, but these gems all hold a special place in my <3... i can't help but gush.
1) cleveland. the city of dreams. had this beast on a layover on the way to vegas at Great Lakes Brewing Co. local-ish beef, pretzel bun, some kind of amish cheese, a mustardy concontion and a hellofalot of fun. they offered this at the same time as a circus burger special that had fried dough as a bun. took everything in me not to try it but i was on the verge of getting sugar tummy and figured pretzels and amish are always a match made in heaven. twas true, but the circus mystery still haunts me to this day. 7 stars ********
2) vegas. FINALLY. fulfilled life's dream of having an In-N-Out double-double. was SO PUMPED. had just finished reading a book on the history of INO, believed it was a god among burger joints. walked over a mile++ from the strip in 100++ degree temps to this gleaming oasis. nearly dying of hunger (and crossing a 6 lane highway) by the time i get there, my first stop was the bathroom to compose myself before i passed out from the heat stroke. after a 15 minute wait in line, i tear into that burger animal-style... and it was "OK". everything was fresh... and fine... but allure? nah. no special zing that popped it over any edge. don't get it. as a company it's a stand up organization, but as a burger i would take a burger king bacon double over you anyday. lo siento. 5***** (no fault burger, just boring)
3) home alone. key signs are the bottle of wine and fancy lady take out. Chez Mike, awesome local bistro. everything fresh, made right... even the housemade ketchup which i tip my hat to. first half of this burger was AMAZING. they must have cooked it rare b/c by the time i got it home it was a perfect medium rare. another tip of the hat. mid-burger though, the seasonings started to get to me. i didn't need them. too much rosemary? thinking i'm an a-hole for even thinking such a thing about such a GREAT burger, took a fry break. too much rosemary, too much seasoning. it's everywhere. it left me with mixed feelings, but overall i'd lean the scales in its favor seeing what an epic experience the
first 49% of bites were. and will definately try again in hope
of a lighter hand at the seasoning. on the road to epic.
5.5 stars *****~.
first 49% of bites were. and will definately try again in hope
of a lighter hand at the seasoning. on the road to epic.
5.5 stars *****~.
4) Pippa's! this is truely one of the burgers where it all began. before Pippa's, i didn't eat jalepenos or mayo. thought they were icky. their burger toppings are so creative and burgers are SO delicious i decided not to mess with perfection. whenever i am in Danbury CT and short 1500 calories for the day i have to stop in. get the Met burger. garlic hard roll, monster sized (seems like hand-formed?) patties, cheddar melted on top of jalepeno coins (how cute is that? coins : ), bacon, garlic mayo. their quesadilla burger is also PRIMO... it's just not on the menu, but they know. they know. 9 stars *********.
5) Wine & Diner, 
albany. here's the deal. i HATE coconut. can't stand it. but the description of this burger was so good it pulled me in.. and it worked. hot ham, pineapple, toasted coconut and spicy aolili. even if you don't like coconut, what's not to like? i have to admit... tho the coconut got to me about 65% of the way into the burger, i was still totally into it overall. and that's coming from a girl scout that's never had a somoa. great little place (cute art on the walls & random hipsters about), fun burgers (no oyster burger tho - bleh!), and put me 5% on my way to training my palate to liking coconut and being able to enjoy a pina colada. 6 stars ******.
albany. here's the deal. i HATE coconut. can't stand it. but the description of this burger was so good it pulled me in.. and it worked. hot ham, pineapple, toasted coconut and spicy aolili. even if you don't like coconut, what's not to like? i have to admit... tho the coconut got to me about 65% of the way into the burger, i was still totally into it overall. and that's coming from a girl scout that's never had a somoa. great little place (cute art on the walls & random hipsters about), fun burgers (no oyster burger tho - bleh!), and put me 5% on my way to training my palate to liking coconut and being able to enjoy a pina colada. 6 stars ******.
6) Juicy Burger, albany. My first burger here was traditional, and plain it was still totally flavor-jacked... just great beef, great quality everything. This bad boy was the Roasted Red Pepper Burger (rr peppers, basil pesto, mozzarella) from a second visit. there's nothing to say... juicy burger does it right. fast food fast, but everything is gourmet-burger quality. it's what INO wishes it could be. we went here on valentines day for our v-day din din. really... it's everything a girl needs. 8.5 stars ********~.
7) Prime 16, new haven CT. Went here after a work meeting... wanted to hit Louis' Lunch (the steamed burger place... you know it), but it was closed so we squashed the burger craving here which is known for having one of the better burgers in New Haven. this pic kinda bothers me b/c the bacon looks like a tongue, but it featured smoked gouda, smoked bacon, mushrooms and a garlic aioli. oh, and if you hadn't noticed... one of those plump little fresh baked buns that i am oh-so-fond of. it wasn't anywhere near a medium-rare patty (and slightly slightly dry although not overcooked), but it did balance itself out nicely overall. 5 stars *****.
8) The Point, albany. This was my birthday burger selection of 2011 (essentially the equivalent of a James Beard award or 2nd Michelin Star, to be modest). i had seen the point's drink menu and fell in love pre-taste. GREAT martini selection. my first drink of the night was a True Blood martini, which included ruby red vodka, portuguese red wine, muddled orange/strawberry, some other thematic stuff, and a balasamic reduction rim. MMM. second was a basil / muddled strawberry martini special. MMM MMM. after that point, any burger would be delish, but i had selected the point for my 29th for one reason - the prime rib patty. i was a little on the fence that the meat could be kinda mushy (medium-rare PR is so soft & melty nom nom), but it was simply delish and held up true to a great patty form. this place also made me discover how yum simple grilled tomatoes are. can't get enough of them now (and... if you're grilling a burger, no need for ketchup. grilled garden tomatoe. holy F. seriously all you need. thanks Point). HIGH on the albany burger reco list. 8.5 stars ********~.
9) Ric Orlando's New World Bistro Bar, albany NY. although this menu is one of the most eclectic of any place i've seen in albany (featuring "Global Soul Food"), i actually came across it after reading local burger joint reviews. it was hard to go there and order a burger with all the fun things on the menu (and with all of that going on, can they give the burgers as much tlc as they deserve?!), but i'm glad i tried it. the waitress had informed us the NWBB's burger was actually a contender for a top ten NYS burger list (one of the few outside of NYC), so fears were quickly calmed and transformed into anticipation after we ordered. i got their burger deluxe (peppered bacon, cheddar, grilled onion, chipolte aoili)...and it was solid. NWBB prides themselves on regional/sustainable/organic ingredients, and you could tell from the beef it was simple and full of flavor without needing any seasoning. the flavor of all the fixins pulled it together to be a very sublime sandwich. 8 stars ********. (also recommend their brunch menu... the ropa bennie is bangin). happy burger trails, folks.
