2009: Year of the Burger?

This news story is a little old, a few months actually, but perfect because it's still dead on. Domination!

Hamburger Helper: Is 2009 the Year of the Burger?

The Savory Staple Rebounds With Diners During Tough Economic Times

By JOHN BERMAN and SARAH ROSENBERG

Jan. 8, 2009—

With the real estate market reeling, car companies crumbling, and the economic outlook ominous, there is one delicious, juicy exception -- the burger.

The succulent, savory American staple has continued to thrive, and even grow in popularity during tough economic times.

Burgers Take Manhattan
"And it always will boom because the burger is omnipotent and irresistible," said Josh Ozersky, the national restaurant editor of CitySearch.com and author of the blog "The Feedbag." "It can never be weakened. It can never be slowed down. It can never stop its ever-increasing growth and popularity. It's the most single powerful force in the food universe."

Apparently, Ozersky is not alone in his love affair with the burger. In this economy, he has received a lot of company.

"The hamburger is a way that people can experience everything that's great about eating beef," said Ozersky. "The flavor, the tenderness and everything, [is there] in a way that's affordable and in a way that also you know that doesn't make them feel so enervated."

To showcase the strength of the burger, "Nightline" accompanied Ozersky on a burger tour across Manhattan, starting at The Spotted Pig restaurant, where celebrity chef April Bloomfield whipped up two patties -- medium rare.

"If you come in here on any given night, 80 percent of the people are eating hamburgers," said Ozersky. "I believe that this is the only Michelin starred restaurant in history to get its star largely on the strength of its hamburgers."

Seven percent more restaurants are offering burgers than did two years ago with the biggest boom coming in fine dining establishments. For diners, it's good eating. For restaurants, it's simply good business.

"The other thing is that it's easy," said Ozersky. "You know, there's a big part of the restaurants is how laborious and complicated putting together some of these dishes are. [With] a hamburger, all you need is a flat top and a spatula."

Burger Appeal 'Growing Every Day'
It's no accident that McDonald's is one of only two stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average that went up last year.

Read the rest of the article here.

Copyright © 2009 ABC News Internet Ventures

The Deserted Island Question...Burger Style

It's probably the most famous hypothetical question; one that never gets old and always gets to the point. While the topics and stipulations do vary, the base of the question is always the same.

So...if you found out you were being deported to a deserted island where the only cuisine served is your dream beef burger, and you only had the choice of two toppings for the rest of your days on the island, which two divine toppers would you choose?

Are you a Jane or a Zane and simply like your burger plain? Sorry ‘bout ya…

Does my standard squirt of ketchup count? Ehhhh, sorry, call me nutty, but I’m going to have to leave liquid condiments and sauces off the list, such as ketchup, mustard, BBQ, Tabasco, etc., because those are too boring and basic for this exercise. And believe it or not, these liquid items can be found on this island. My scenario.

Cheese is however considered a topping. My rules.

And since this may or may not have been a dream I had last night, the two I would choose to have for the rest of my duration would have to be a super thick slice of aged cheddar, preferably from Wisconsin or Vermont (known for their excellent cheesemanship), as well as a few strips of a smoky, thick bacon variety. Both the cheese and bacon offer their own unique textures that complement the flavor instead of rivaling like other toppings, and if aged or smoked, both amplify the umami of the meat so that you get a much more memorable and lasting taste.

I then like to top the toppers with a liberal smear of a zesty BBQ sauce, as well as to strategically place a dollop of ketchup underneath the burger patty, thus giving you a hint of both the sweet and savory. And if I could have a third option for a topping - say just for a limited time because of a shipwreck off the coral reef on the south end of the isle - I would definitely hope the vessel's cargo was full of roasted red peppers.

I’ve seen a limited amount of chatter throughout the net about best toppings, but nothing substantial enough of a list that ranks America’s numero uno.

Now is the time. BurgerFiend is the place. Pick your poison(s). You have one month from now before the poll closes.

Hub 51

If you dig those new hot spot downtown restaurants, full of the after work business set of salesman/lawyers/button-down-hit-the-knuckles-then-blow-it-up bros bulging to grab your girlfriend’s tush when you head to the bathroom...then Hub is your place. This is not your humble author’s scene, however the food is so damn good that I’m more than willing to brave the elements each and every time.

When I find something I like at a restaurant, I typically stick to those guns and consistently order the same thing. In this case it’s the tasty spicy tuna roll (top 5 in Chicago, en mi opinion) or the wonderful filet tacos, but more impressive than the taste of these few items is the variety of the menu, from Asian to Mexican to straight up down Americana.

On this occasion, I had the raptor’s eye focused on expanding my search for the greatest burg’ and went with my bread and butter – the first-rate cheeseburger with hand-cut Hub fries.

The verdict: solid, but not breathtaking. The burger was cooked perfectly in the center and had a good taste, and the Tillamook cheddar was a wonderful complement to the meat. And like the foundation to any building, the lightly toasted sesame bun provided that necessary structure that was perfect parts beef to bread (the worst is having too much of one or the other, as we all know).

Not so much my gig, but I have to throw it out there. I’m a fry fiend as much as a burger fiend, and we all know fries and burgers go hand and hand as much as a diva and her little black dress, but unfortunately this is probably where the dish fell short. The fries were thin and fragmented, and the seasoning was mostly uninspiring.

Nonetheless, while I would absolutely recommend ordering the burger for your main dish, I would also suggest you come hungry enough so you can share one of those wonderful sushi rolls beforehand as well.

Hub 51

51 W Hubbard St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 828-0051
http://www.hub51chicago.com/

Inspiration

Adoration. I taste a roadtrip.




Michigan baseball park to offer 4,800-calorie burgers

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — Well, at least the salsa is low-cal. The West Michigan Whitecaps, a minor league baseball team, will be offering up major league cholesterol, carbohydrates and calories in an enormous hamburger being added to the menu this year at the Fifth Third Ballpark.

The 4-pound, $20 burger features five beef patties, five slices of cheese, nearly a cup of chili and liberal doses of salsa and corn chips, all on an 8-inch sesame-seed bun. That's a lot of dough!

The Grand Rapids Press reports that anyone who eats the entire 4,800-calorie behemoth in one sitting will receive a special T-shirt. Saner fans can divide it up with a pizza cutter and share.

The Midwest League team is a Class A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.

Kuma’s Corner

Once in a great while, something so grand takes over our taste buds that it evokes a flood of fond, uncontrollable memories so vivid it could have been yesterday. Thoughts of birthday surprises, the first time you tasted a silky smooth treat, victories won by your favorite sports team, your first child or high performance sports car and/or whatever it was that moved you in some manner.

In this case, what I experienced was something that only any true bar-loving carnivore would custom design in his/her dreams: a wonderfully grilled bundle of hand-packed beef perfection, a heap of house made chips and waffle fries, a smorgasbord of specialty toppings, a glorious beer and booze selection, friendly and tatted wait staff and all the while under auditory fire of symphonic death metal.

This last Saturday, in the midst of the Chicago St. Paddy’s Day celebrations, my culinary cohort and I ventured west to one of the previously hidden gems in the city – the corner known as Kuma’s on Belmont and Francisco. Recently gaining popularity due to the Blagojevich burger (topped with plenty o’ bologna), Kuma’s has exploded on the scene in the past few months and has aptly held the title of best burger in quite a few publications since. And for good reason.

While waiting, which I’ll get to later, what’s fun is to peruse the entire burger menu that features sandwiches named after heavy metal bands, spanning the decades with the lesser known acts of today to metal icons of the past. Being a bit of a metalhead myself, I can’t help but let my feelings towards a band somewhat influence my decision. Sorry Melvins.

I ordered the YOB burger (named after the Oregon-based doom metal band), which includes a hefty beef patty topped with a melted slice of thick smoked gouda cheese, bacon strips, about a quarter of a roasted red pepper and a smear of roasted garlic mayo. Excellent combinations, with the smoked cheese and bacon really drawing out the umami of the meat. My cohort ordered the 10oz. Pantera burger, equally impressive with its toppings, which included roasted pablano pepper, bacon, cheddar and Monetary Jack cheese, ranchero sauce and tortilla strips!

Like when Uncle Buck was flipping pancakes with an industrial snow shovel, Miles and Maizy’s faces couldn’t have captured our emotion better when the bartender finally slide those plates towards are greeting eyes.

I ordered mine medium, which is obviously one of the first characteristics being evaluated in terms of taste when you finally bite into the meat. A perfectly pink interior was present and you could tell the meat was fresh and not frozen. The bun was toasted accordingly.

The real point of difference for me was the divine marriage between the toppings and the meat, which I feel is truly the identifying feature that separates this burger from anything else I’ve tasted. Unlike a Kobe beef taste that steals the show, or a pool of mustard Nothing overpowered another offering a lasting balance. And I still prefer mine sans shrubbery...because there’s especially nothing that metal about lettuce.

In addition, the experience of Kuma’s goes beyond just simple foodie delights; it’s the entire exposure of the bar (yes, this is pretty much metal bar first; grill second).

In fact, nearly everything about Kuma’s is pretty damn awesome. The bear logo is wicked, the entire space holds probably no more than 70 people max, the kitchen is open and holds extremely small quarters with room for no more than three line cooks, there always seems to be a ton of locals in attendance, and even though the music is always of the metal variety, I’m not sure the burgers would taste as good any other way.

Alas, as previously mentioned, definitely arrive early or don’t come with an empty stomach – the wait was more than an hour each time I’ve arrived during typical “off hours.” Or if you’re lucky you can cozy up to the bar and hope to grab a seat, but beware because the locals are present and hungry. Likewise, if you have a party of more than four, better luck next time since they only have one table that has more than four seats.

Obviously I give this a perfect 5 out of 5 bun rating and would attempt to give it more if possible. Metal Mania!

Address:
2900 W Belmont Ave

Chicago, IL 60618

(773) 604-8769
http://www.kumascorner.com/

Midtown Kitchen + Bar

Without further ado, I bring you the inaugural post on Burger Fiend. The pictures will obviously get better once i'm not using my BlackBerry camera phone and when I can finally get together with my designer friend to help with some stock images.

Nonetheless, this burger comes from Midtown Kitchen and Bar – a spot nestled alongside the Clark/Lake train station and best known for its after-work clientele of business suits and leather boots.

I went with a co-worker friend and upon being seated in the cavernous upstairs dining room/bar area, my taste for a light appetizer selection quickly turned ravenous once I saw the 10 or so burger choices available. Nine times out of 10 my stomach always wins.

I selected the Backyard Burger; a delectable piece of bovine coupled with bacon (non-descript), onion straws, cheddar and topped with a few swirls of barbeque sauce. Add a bit of ketchup to bring out the sweet and the savory, and I was ready to dig in.

(Editor’s note: I always forgo the shrubbery, which in my opinion takes away from the true taste of the meat experience. Do you typically lay a blanket of lettuce and raw onions on top of your Kansas City strip steak or Thanksgiving turkey feast?)

While I’m pretty sure the burger was not hand packed (which is an automatic deduction), a decent steak texture was present despite the circular patty. Regardless, I was pleased with the selection and the barbeque sauce added a zesty touch to the overall experience.

Wash the ‘burg down with a few $3 BLs and you’re looking at the perfect way to kick off the weekend. The only real complaints was the obnoxious (read: deeply intoxicated) crew screaming at the top of their

Rating: 3 out of 5

Address:
203 N. LaSalle St.
Chicago, IL 60601

312.379.5086