Roscoe Village Burger Fest 2010 - Part Duex

I'm going to make this quick, easy and tasty. Well, sort of tasty.

So your affable Fiend attended the Roscoe Village Burger Fest a few weeks ago on a cranky and inclimate Sunday afternoon. Ready for a burgering ruckus, upon leaving the site of what should have been a haven for meat lovers at large, my temperament was actually quite on the fence.

Of the selections sampled, nothing was over-the-top amazing. However the clear winner in my mind was Bad Apple...not because it was mind blowing, but because the booth was actually using unfrozen meat patties formed on-site (in little slider form, and with some tasty toppings).

Bad Apple - White Cheddar Cheeseburger

I was astonished to witness quite a few other places throwing ice pucks on the grill, and then charging upwards of $6-$8 per selection.

While I'm sure this isn't standard protocol at the restaurant itself (please, please don't let it be true), the Fiend had to assume it was in order to quickly appease the massive lines of meat marauders looking for a quick fix. Regardless, it made a skeptic out of a super-fan and made me think twice about a few locations (Ye Old Town Inn, John's Place).

Village Tap - "Pub" Cheeseburger

The clear winners in my opinion were Bad Apple, Select Cut, Village Tap and Kuma's Corner (though they weren't there on Sunday, however I know for a fact of its quality).

Let's keep it classy, Chicago. The burger will always be the staple of your menu, so why not make it a prize winner time and time again. Make it right and make it swell, and I guarantee it will keep your business booming.

Roscoe Village Burger Fest 2010

You know what's amazing? Burgers? Yes.

You know what's even more amazing? A bunch of burgers under one roof...errr street?! Yes!!!

Done.

Helloooo, Roscoe Village Burger Fest (formerly BAM Fest), which is taking place this Saturday (7/10) and Sunday (7/11) and is shaping up to be, as stated, Patties and Music galore.

The action takes place from Noon to 10:00pm each day and is located on Belmont between Damen and Leavitt. The burger line-up looks pretty stellar too, with local joints such as John's Place, Bad Apple, Village Tap, Ye Olde Town Inn, etc., bringing their burgering best. All fest-goers will have a chance to vote for best burg too...a nice little way to give back to those who rightfully deserve some recognition.

In addition, the music is looking pretty interesting as well, with 90's perennial powerhouse acts 10,000 Maniacs and Gin Blossoms closing out Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Check out the full burger and music line-ups here at the Chicago Special Events page.

The Fiend has been especially eager to try out Bad Apple, so this should be a good adventure to chronicle. You should make it happen too.

BAM.

Park Grill Burger Fest Week

Hey there Fiends. Park Grill's Burger Fest 2010 week is upon us (and nearly half-way finished), so make sure you get over there immediately for lunch or dinner and check out one of the eight choices executive chef Bernie Laskowski has whipped up for the occasion.

All burgers come with tasty hand-cut fries or chips and offer a suggested beverage pairing of either wine or beer. There is also a turkey and salmon burger option available, if one is so inclined.

The Fiend highly recommends the "28 MPH Burger," which features a hefty 10oz. Black Angus patty, a layer of pulled BBQ pork, Ancho cured bacon (very flavorful and unique), a crisp egg and grain mustard on a pretzel roll. A further review of the burger and pictures will come shortly, however check out the Park Grill Web site for more information.

Happy Fiending.

Park Grill and The Plaza at Park Grill
11 N. Michigan Ave. (Between Monroe & Randolph Streets)
312.521.7275
www.parkgrillchicago.com

Sable Kitchen & Bar

Greetings fellow Fiends. It’s been awhile since I’ve graced these pages with my burgerific wisdom, but alas I’m back and as hungry as ever to share my latest and greatest endeavors.

In the eyes of some, including myself at times, hotel restaurants have had a culinary stigma of sorts; that the food will be uniformly bland and militant, but this time with your favorite celebrity chef’s name flashed alongside the marquee, a move synonymous with overpriced “gourmet” offerings.

However, I must admit I’ve witnessed a resuscitation on this front with more and more trendy hotels breaking away from the stodgy mold by offering an atypical or adventurous culinary fare – even if that 20 foot sign does feature the grinning mug of a Food Network star.

Enter: Sable, a perfect example of this revival, minus the Hollywood flare. Located adjacent to the lobby of the new Palomar hotel on Illinois and State in Chicago, Sable is exactly what other hotel restaurants should strive to be – a comfy, yet sharp atmosphere that offers a traditional, but sophisticated cuisine…and all at a great price point.

Before I get down to burger business, I have to call out a few other dishes I had the privilege to taste, all by the hands of executive chef Heather Terhune.

Somewhat in the same family of the burger brethren, and still one of my all-time favorite proteins, the bison short rib sliders were out of this world. Slow cooked to perfection, the root beer glaze added a complex and familiar flavor to the small bites.

The second and third dishes were small, but mighty hors d’oeuvres: bacon wrapped dates with ewe’s blue cheese and the unbelievable La Quercia ham and Swiss poppers. The latter, if you close your eyes, will vicariously whisk you away to the cobblestone side streets of old Madrid – a great twist on the classic croqueta.

On to the real deal though – the nucleus of the table – the Farm House Steak Burger was truly a magnificent plate. Perfectly seasoned and cooked rare as ordered, the meat was soft and velvety, yet you could taste a hint of a higher quality cut, which I suspected to be the trim or pieces of other beef beyond ground chuck or round, perhaps sirloin or brisket.

The hand packed patty was served on a pretzel bun (bonus points, ALWAYS) and had a good assortment of caramelized onions to enhance the flavor profile. A generous slice of white Wisconsin cheddar was also added to push the burger over the edge, and I would be remiss to mention the seasoned cup o’ fries that accompanied the meal.

All in all, Sable offered one of the more enjoyable burgers the Fiend has tasted in awhile. Even if you’re not a Fiend of the patty, I trust you will find plenty of other quality delights to keep your attention fixated throughout the night.

Sable Kitchen & Bar
505 North State Street
Chicago, IL 60654
312.755.9704
www.sablechicago.com

Jack's On Halsted

“Please won’t you be…my neighbor?”

In a creepy way, that’s the song that kept running through my head as I eagerly pulled my chair up to the bar last week. Honestly, how could Freddie’s immortal song not be running on repeat, if you consider the insanely close proximity the Fiend lives to the quaint Lakeview gastropub.

Having visited Jack’s a few times in the past, I couldn’t help my enthusiasm when I learned the bar’s renovation during the winter would also include a slight menu revamp…with (GASP) a full line of burgers!

And while the swanky atmosphere typically would immediately conjure images of high-end beef choices, such as Niman or Kobe, this bistro offers no-frills selections with an emphasis on unique options for toppings, a la the Kuma’s Corner of the world.

The Fiend opted for the Jack’s Burger, a hefty 9oz patty topped with barbeque pulled pork, sharp cheddar and shredded jalapeno. Ordered rare as per usual, the meat was cooked as desired inside while also keeping a well-seasoned crust on the exterior.

Two other burgers also caught my eye for further exploration: the Spicy Hot, which is brushed with a touch of Chipotle and features roasted Poblano peppers, pepper jack and bacon, as well as the Halsted Street Burger, topped with Maytag blue cheese and apple smoked bacon.

And though I did not have a chance to talk to the chef about the source and grade of the beef, the Fiend could definitely detect the quality in both the taste and texture.

This could get dangerous, as I fear rainy days and Mondays will definitely get me down…the street.

So the answer is, yes. Yes, I am proud to be your neighbor, Jack’s. And I promise not to be a crazy Marcy D’Arcy along the way either.

Jack’s On Halsted
(773) 244-9191
3201 North Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60657-3413
www.jacksonhalsted.com

The Standard NYC

Here’s to a quick and absolutely necessary post.

Your affable Fiend was in NYC last week, and of course the hankering came around after a long night of work and drinking. Yup…burger time.

Most trips to Nueva York end up being a foodie excursion above and beyond my standard burgering across the country, but that’s mostly thanks to the fact I get to enjoy some wonderful meals as part of the city’s culinary playground. However if the Fiend had it his way (he usually finds a way), a burger is typically not too far away from his grasp.

And on this occasion, the wonderful venue just happened to be in the late night grill at the base of his hotel – The Standard NYC in the savagely chic meatpacking district. 

And this burger at The Standard is damn good. Damn good, mis amigos.

Perfectly cooked (at 3:15am!) this burger was definitely a splendid surprise and not what was expected to be available at that lovely witching hour. The Fiend is actually going on record to say it’s probably the top gourmet burger one could possibly get at that time night…anywhere in the U.S.

The meat was soft and velvety, definitely a high grade of quality meat and hand packed. The bacon wasn’t too crispy either – as it is often mal-prepared – and the white cheddar offered a creamy touch to nicely bring together the flavors. The only item that could have amplified the taste slightly more would have been a nice dollop of a compound mayo or a slice or two of jalepeno for kick...but the Fiend can't really blame hotelier Balazs for bringing forth straight-up Americana at its best - probably the most standard bet in an otherwise geniusly unstandard property.

And I would be giving the entire plate injustice if I were remiss to not mention the absolutely divine fries; wonderfully battered and lightly deep-fried…the entire table couldn’t stop raving about them.

While New York is and will always be a changing landscape of culinary madness, with an unbelievable shop or restaurant popping up every other week, the Fiend is not messing around about this one – make it happen people. The city is simply too big to be wandering around on an empty stomach, especially when you know of a gem just around the corner.

The Standard NYC
http://www.standardhotels.com/
848 Washington Street (at W 13th St)
New York, NY 10014
(212) 645-4646

Stanley's Kitchen & Tap

(Elvis Burger)

Best known for its hangover remedying smorgasboard weekend brunch, killer Sunday night live band karaoke and down and dirty saloon style atmosphere, Stanley’s is one of those citywide institutions that no one can deny its appeal. Especially if you also love quality home cooking.

Known for some of the best southern style fried chicken around town, Stanley’s typically doesn’t spring to mind when thinking about satisfying a burger crave. Not that I’ve ever caught wind of a horror story or anything; frankly, it’s because I’ve never actually heard of someone ordering a burger from Stanley’s at all. They seemed to be nonexistent or simply lost in the mix of all the other soul food offerings.

Until now.

Last week I had the pleasure to be introduced to a sneak peek of its new and improved menu options, revamped by executive chef Jaysen Euler who has been with the establishment for more than a year and has slowly been transforming aspects of the menu and bar.

Our group, led by the efete.net mastermind D.C. and his legion of bloggers (including yours truly), sampled a good mix of items already found on the menu (mac & cheese) and those still to come, such as the delectable Andouille Sausage Corn Dogs and my personal favorite Redneck Poutine loaded with applewood bacon, cheddar, jalepeno jack, topped with gravy over a bed of tots. It’s soul food people, you don’t eat this every day (though tempting).

Poutine in particular has been seeing quite an emergence as of late, popping up on more and more menus across the city and even getting a nod from Time Out Chicago. Thank you, French Canada!

But as luck would be the stars aligned this evening, as much to my mirth Monday’s are now $5.00 Burger Bar night, which comprises of a 8oz Angus beef, turkey or chicken patty, choice of cheese and free range on more than two dozen toppings. Not to mention a handful of fries and dill pickles to boot (as they would say…somewhere in the parlance of the South).

While the new menu boasts a few appealing “Stanburger” selections, notably the Drive-In (cheddar, American & Stan’s secret sauce) and the Elvis (bacon, pimento cheese & country fried onions), I couldn’t help but stick to my ye ol’ druthers and go for the straight up down give me beef and rare together. I mean, how else is a cowboy supposed to get the true taste of the meat?

Topped with a dollop of ketchup and a few sliced jalapeno rings for spicy effect (relax, after a few plain bites), the Fiend was ready for a bib and lookin’ to make a mess. I had just that look in my eye.

And I have to fully admit that I the old gas tank was pretty full by the time the burger arrived, so hopefully it didn’t affect the taste sensors one way or the other, but the burger was pretty dang good. Not the greatest in recent months, but it was definitely tasty and probably one of the best for the price range I could list.

The meat itself was well seasoned and prepared fairly well to order (perhaps medium-rare), but I did question whether it was hand packed in house or not (it appeared to be too uniformly circular, occasionally an indicator of an outside job). The cheddar complemented the beef nicely, as it usually does, but upon a second thought I should have went with a more flavorful choice for a kicker, such as the pimento or jalapeno jack.

The Fiend would absolutely recommend this to anyone that’s looking for a great deal on a Monday evening, or likewise to someone that’s already a fan of Stanley’s classics and are looking for a change of pace...you know…away from that deep fried other, other white meat.

Stanley’s Kitchen & Tap
1907 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL
312.642.0007
http://www.stanleyskitchenandtap.com/