national cheeseburger day!

yesterday, 9/18 was national cheeseburger day. a holiday that comith once a year, and to a burger aficionado is the equivalent of Christmas. it also fell on "healthy week" start since i've been eating like a HOSS and vowed eat light this week and lose a few L-Bs. i was not going to celebrate. i had chicken breasts marinating in the fridge. i was going to run for an errand. come home. go for a run. grill said chicken. 

as you would have it... errand was in the viscidity of New World Bistro Bar. NWBB has been rated one of the top burgers not only in the CapDis, but in all of NY. and i love it. K was in my passenger seat. K is a bad influence. net/net... no run, no grilled chicken, but yes a delicious cheeseburger. we split it to make it not "as bad" along with the Purple Haze Shrimp and some Blackened Stringbeans for him. 

it was... even better than i remember. perfectly cooked, well respected medium rare meat, peppered bacon, cheddar, grilled onion, chipotle aioli, pillowy soft fresh baked bun. total mouth party. the red onion was thicker cut and just grilled enough... which i really liked and will do moving forward. it gave it a nice lil crunch but was cooked down enough to have no onion "bite" to it, but still more flavorful than thin-cut carmelized onions. aaaah heaven. now today i will be healthy.... :o) 

Nighthawk's Kitchen

we hit up Nighthawk's Kitchen at the Troy Farmer's Market this past weekend. after all these years in Albany this was our first time hitting the market... which we did only because we heard a good burger lead was nestling in its stands. Serious Eats did a piece on the smashed burger from Nighthawks - not only is it rare for Albany burgers to get a blurb on SE, getting a full article is unheard of. 

Kyle & i did halfsies with a green chili cheeseburger with a side of buffalo mac & cheese and a BBQ burger (which had the BIGGEST slab of bacon on it, mother of god) with a gouda and something-something mac & cheese on the side. 

the burgers were served on potato buns, nice & juicy & a bit messy, with the toppings played nicely with both. the meat had an awesome taste to it, and the giant slabs of local cheese were the perfect gooey blanket to the meat party. i assumed the smashed burgers were going to be thin, but they were pretty hearty. enough so that i had to struggle through the mac & cheese, which was well worth the struggle. definitely a place that i will pop back to, especially after seeing the amount of delicious available at the market (it's more local cheese & bread than it is veggies, and a lot of gourmet snacks. good stuff).

capital city gastropub

finally made it to Capital City Gastropub this past Wednesday... every Weds they have 1/2 price grass fed burger night. def our kind of happy hour. the place was teeny, busy (surprisingly so on a Weds night), and cozy inside. casual but have a very fun but not-so-casual ingredient menu. the burger has "Tilldale Farms" beef and comes with garlic aioli, grilled onion, and hand cut fries. i ordered mine with a slab of Harpersfield Farm Ale Cheese  on it.

the burger was well seasoned with a salt & pepper crust, and super-juicy. cooked perfectly medium rare. bun was pillowy (just the way i like em), and the cheese was redonkulously cheddary delish. tho the cheese was strong, the meat was still able to stand up to it - they merged together and became cheese+burger super friends. fries were cooked perfectly as well. they came with house made ketchup, which i tip my hat to, but it tasted more like a marinara sauce then it did a ketchup. so. that was weird.

kyle wasn't AS happy with his burger (i voted about an 8, he was more around a 7.5)... his wasn't cooked as medium rare, and said it was a bit too firmly packed for his taste... could just be since it was a little more cooked it seemed a bit more dense. all in all, we both thoroughly enjoyed them and would absolutely go back. one of the better burgers in albany. (esp for $6.50 before extra fixins... you can't beat that. that's McD prices!)

city beer hall

we've gone to City Beer Hall, Albany NY before a few times for drinks and always liked the joint (it's in an old historical building, adorable, and has a great selection of drinks and big open patio). they have a great loooooking menu that i've always wanted to try, and today we finally did for brunch (they have brunch on both Saturdays and Sundays which is pretty much unheard of in Albany - at best, there are a few places that have it on Sunday).

they had a burger on the menu - hand packed grass fed beef with aged cheddar, fresh baked buns... YEP! the burger looked delightful, and was super tasty. just a touch of salt/pepper seasoning that i could tell, and the rest of it was just pure meat city. unfortunately they overcooked it a tad (i asked for medium rare, got it cooked medium with juuust a touch of pink), but luckily that did not affect the taste or juiciness too much. i would definitely come back, esp in hopes that next time the temp is cooked as medium rare. the fries were hand cut and fried delightfully - equally on par with the great burger. 

Creo'

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druther's brewing co

this weekend we were in saratoga and ended up having din at druther's brewing co. who would have known they have one of THE best burgers i've had in a while. circus cafe was known to have the best rated burger in saratoga (had it, liked  it), but this hands down has it beat. i went halvsies w/ kyle and had the "if i had my druthers burger"(blend of chuck, short rib, and smoked pork belly, local aged cheddar, pickled green tomato, lettuce, pickled shallot, and druthers sauce) and the "something spicy burger" (blend of chuck, short rib, and smoked pork belly, havarti cheese, pickled spicy and sweet peppers, baby greens, and smoked chipotle aioli). pattys were AMAZING tasty & juicy. cooked perfectly medium rare as requested. preference went to the druthers burger since the spicy drowned out the meat a little bit (although it wasn't super spicy). fries were those super skinny lil guys that have been popping up on menus lately (like half the width of a shoestring little effers), weren't mind blowing but still enjoyable. will definitely be back.

for the record, the point is still my fav albany burger joint, but this is eeking toward the top of the list for the area.  

Farmer Boy Diner

Farmer Boy Diner had been on my list of must-visit Albany restaurants ever since the Mac & Cheese Festival - of all the many (30?) mac & cheeses, Farmer Boy was the stand out winner to me. perfect cheesey flavor and gooey texture. their menu is a little less jam-packed than a normal diner,  and pride themselves on fresh-made food. MMM-MMM.

i believe at one point i had also read they had a good burger, because i was dead-set on testing it before we even got there. when it was served, it was a fairly thin patty served with lettuce, tomato, and my requested add-ons of cheddar, bacon & sauteed onions, on a plain-old bun. we suspect, though actually couldn't confirm, that it was a frozen patty. it still was very juicy (and cooked medium rare as requested, not easy for a thin burger), and had a great char-broiled/grilled flavor. it tasted very straight up- kind of like a simple backyard good burger. it makes it a bit hard to rate... i wasn't BLOWN AWAY (and wanted to knock off points for potentially frozen meat... no-no there), but i did have a good old time eating it. maybe i'll pop it a 6... yes it would lift my spirits on a bad day, but it wouldn't be my ultimate go-to.

the fries were crisp & delish, and dipped in a side of horseradish ranch dressing perfection.

Jack's Drive Inn

i've always seen Jack's recommended as a must-try burger joint around the Albany area, but had no idea where it was and had never gone so far as to try and venture. we were in the Wynantskill area where it's located a few days ago, so it turned into a magical night of burger fate.

i had no expectation going in since i had no pre-burger research done, but at first glance the place was adorable. tiny, roadside old-school place with a simple menu - burgers, dogs, fries & shakes. boom! and the prices were shocking... burger was $1.99... whaaat! (also good b/c it was cash-only and we only had $13 on hand... once again, work of the burger fate)

they served up fast-food style burgers - thin lil patties, standard freihofer buns, and no gourmet cheese or topping selections (it's "you want grilled onions and ketchup" or "no grilled onions and ketchup?" only. hell yes i want grilled onions and ketchup*!)

these were messy little things... the burger tasted almost like it was steamed ala the white castle burgers... i didn't see how they were cooking them but i feel like it was griddle cooked with the griddle just not -quite- hot enough to char the outside of the patty. it's not a gourmet fancy pants burger which is my usual epic burger style, but if you're going to for a fast food style nosh this little bugger is a delight. i had a blast getting that onion ketchup mess all over. and fries were frozen but they were fried JUST right so they were nice and crisp... hell yes.

*ketchup: i'm a ketchup hater (snob?). there are so many other fun things to put on a burger, i usually put whatever random sauce is around on it, or nothing at all if it's a very fine burger patty. it's like putting ketchup on a steak... just sacrelig! if it were up to me, i wouldn't even keep it in the house. the exception i make is for fast food burgers (keep it classic) or backyard bbq burgers (again... classic old school). when it works, it works.

Blu Stone Bistro

blu stone has been on my wanna-try restaurant list for a while now - all the reviews are great, and the menu is very fun (along w/ the cocktail menu...mmm). i wanted to try so many things off the menu, but was put in quite a conundrum once i saw a burger on the menu. not just 'a burger', but a house-blend prime rib patty. aaah stress. i had to order it.

the presentation was good - plump little bun, standard lettuce/tomato, and a gigantic patty. i ordered it medium rare, BUT... i got medium... maybe even medium well. no pink in sight. that kinda killed me. the burger still had an overall great flavor, but the overcooked meat definitely took away from what could have been a super-flavor party. no where near the patty perfection of the prime rib burger at the point. it reminded me of the chop house burger at standard - i actually love the chop house burger - it's straight up simple meat/lettuce/tomato party. but with that, i'm expecting regular simple ground beef - having the prime rib sets for a higher expectation with flavor/juiciness.

with all that said, i would give it another go. if the cook time was right, this burger definitely has potential. the app we had prior - the 'sticy rib' (boneless beef rib on a crispy crostini with house-made bbq sauce, topped with crispy onions) was absolutely delish, as was my martini. on to the next burger adventure...

valentines day love

...with this ring, i thee wed
(Juicy Burger, albany NY) 

junior's bar & grill

saturday night was try-a-new-burger-joint night, and we finally tried Junior's Bar & Grill, albany ny. Junior's is the casual kid brother restaurant to chic The Point(which is directly next door). The Point currently has the standing as my #1 favorite albany burger, so naturally i was beyond pumped to hit Junior's. we started with 2 orders of wings (the "moonshine" which are this yummy sweet & spicy honey-mustard concoction & some hot)... they were huge, saucy, juicy, perfect. for burgers kyle & i did the two burger split - i ordered the One-Eyed Willie (fried onion strips, bacon, cheddar & fried egg, & kyle got the California Chase (lettuce, deep fried pickles, bacon, monte jack, onion rings, russian dressing, side of guac). all ordered medium rare.

the burgers were HUGE (1/2 lb patties), served on kaiser buns. for the size, i was expecting a very juicy burger, but even though the meat was very fresh & tasty it didn't have a lot of juice to it. it was served a solid medium as there was no pink in the middle, which may in part factor into the minimal juice aspect. with that, the kaiser bun was a little bit of overkill since i didn't need that bready a bun to combat the burger juices. the fried egg had no liquid to it, which i prefer when egging a burger b/c that runny yolk is the bessst when it drips down into all the juicy burger fun. i'm focusing on the negative though - the meat & the toppings were all fantastic, and i think if this was cooked right it is still a very good contender on the albany burger list. separately, the fries it came with were awesome. i'd pop it a 6 ******. i would try it again, it had a great atmosphere (and good bar food variety on the menu), but if i need a king-of-all-burgers i'll spend a few bucks more and go across the street to the Point.

the point

mmmmm, toinght was my 2nd visit to The Point, albany ny. i'm not a huge fan of ordering the same thing from the same restaurant, but their burger was SO bangin last time i had to do it again (i had previously put it in my top 3).

i started out with another True Blood martini (had to, it's sooo good (ruby red vod, muddled oranges & strawberries, pom liquor, portuguese desert wine, balsamic reduction rim)) and we split an order of the calamari which was yum. 


pardon the bad photo...phone camera doesn't
like to focus in dim light

i ordered the burger with cheddar, applewood bacon, medium rare, upgraded the fries to the black truffle fries, and got a side of the housemade gorgonzola dressing for dips. by the time i had my burger, i had a 2nd martini in hand, the Blueberry Basiltini (black cherry rum, basil simple syrup, white cranberries, muddled blueberries, basil leaf garnish... AAAAAAAAAAAAAH heaven).

by the time i was elbow-deep in the burger (which again... amazzzzzing prime rib patty which is ACTUALLY cooked to medium rare, soft glossy fresh baked  bun, great fixins even though u barely need them), the perfectly crisp earthy BT fries with the tangy creamy gorgonzola sauce and the muddled pulpy delicious martini i declared a complete and total burgorasm. EVERY part of my plate was heaven... all of my favorite things. usually it's great burger, forgetable fries, or great burger, but having a hum-drum drink. this is my heaven plate. i feel like i'm going to diiieee right now i'm so stuffed, but if i die tonight i'll be dying happy. 9 *********.

consolidated list: albany, ny burger recos

after looking for an albany burger joint to test out yesterday, i realized all of my burger reco lists and notes are in different places... so. i now bring to you the full best-of-web burger recommendations for albany, ny. i'm trying to hit all of these, just a little ways away from completing the task. and when i do, it will be time to move : ) 

(all the places with a star i've hit. UPDATE 12/27/11: adding D.P. Brasserie, their burger is epic. also.. although Pump Station & Sutters are listed as top Albany recos, IMO they are the hit-or-miss ones on the list. UPDATE 8/21/12: added Druthers, which is one of the top 5 local burgers IMO. UPDATE 9/27/12: adding Creo. Pat LaFrieda burger patties, cooked fabulously in Alb. HELL YES. UPDATE 3/4/13: adding Capital City Gastropub)


 Burger Centric 
*Capital City Gastropub (8/10)
*Chez Mike (5.5/10 try 1; 7.5/10 try 2)
*Creo (8/10)
*Circus Cafe (Saratoga) (7/10)
*D.P. Brasserie (7.5/10)
*Druthers Brewing Co (Saratoga)(8/10)
 Graney's
*Jack's Drive-In (Wynantskill) (6.5/10)
*Juicy Burger (9/10)
*Juniors (6.5/10)
 Indian Ladder Farms (not technically in Albany, but close)
*New World Bistro Bar (8/10)
*Nighhawk's Kitchen (7/10)
*The Point (this is not on Albany reco lists, but it's one of my top picks) (9/10)
*Pump Station (6/10)
*Shake Shack (Saratoga) (7.5/10)
*Spill'n The Beans (8/10)
*Standard (also not on Albany reco lists, but one of my picks) (7/10)
*Sutters (6/10)
*Wine-n-Diner (6/10)