Burger Fridays

There are so many good burgers to be had in the city. Just ask the Burger Club from the NYTimes, read one of the latest articles from NYMag or check out Grub City's list of the city's 82 most notable burgers. It seems sort of overwhelming, as I want to try them all and not compromise my recent attempts to eat healthier. I think I've found the perfect plan of attack though: Friday afternoons, one new burger spot. I have half day Fridays in the summertime so its a great time to just sit and relax. Plus, I've found a burger with lots of bacon and cheese to be a pretty good reward for eating well during the weekdays.

I had my first burger of the summer at Dumont Burger. This place is fairly well-known as Williamsburg's favorite spot for a good bun and patty, so of course I felt the need to verify this loose claim. But honestly I wasn't terribly impressed, though it was a good, high chunk of meat. The ingredients were all very fresh (I tried mine with guacamole and grilled onions) but the meat was a bit overcooked. The saving grace here was the mac 'n' cheese -- simply incredible. My favorite kind of pasta (radiatore) that perfectly holds the thick cheese and crispy bacon in its folds, saturating it with cheesy perfection. I'm not usually a fan of heavy duty mac 'n' cheeses, but this one was amazing.

Dumont Burger
314 Bedford Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718) 384-6128
DumontRestaurant.com

Next stop was Joy Burger Bar in Harlem. Rob works near here and comes here a lot for lunch, so I joined him one Friday after work. Maybe I'm a tough burger critic, but again I wasn't all that impressed. There's no table service, you just wait in line and order at the counter. Very similar to Goodburger, although I have to admit I like Goodburger more (even though its crazy overpriced). Even if its slightly crowded when you get there, you'll have to wait forever because they make each burger to order. Munch (3 oz), midi (5 oz) or maxi (8 oz), then topped with whatever sauce you want (and they do have a nice selection of those). On my first visit I got the midi with garlic mayo and sauteed onions. The garlic mayo was pretty watery, and I couldn't even detect any garlicky taste. The burger was flat and the overcooked parts were gray and dripping with grease. My stomach didn't feel so great afterwards. On my next trip I swapped the mayo for some chimichurri sauce, which definitely improved the overall taste, though the meat was still flat and grayish. I think the medium-sized patty was too slim for it to have any hope of pink after it was ordered to medium doneness. It's too bad, but my stomach fared much better this time, even with a half order of mozzerella sticks. And at about $6 for a medium sized burger, the price is right here.

Joy Burger Bar
1567 Lexington Ave
New York, NY 10029
(212) 289-6222

Well, I guess the third time's the charm, because Prune absolutely blew me away. Maybe its because Prune figured out the perfect calculations for an ideal mound of ground meat: 80% beef and 20% lamb. Maybe its because I felt confident ordering the burger the way I really like it: medium rare. Maybe its the parsley-scallion butter that pares so well with the cheddar. Or maybe it's because of the English muffin. I've never been a big fan of bready hamburger buns -- they never add much to the burger equation anyway -- and I found the English muffin to be a great bun substitute. The greasy pink juices (which squirt out every which way upon every bite) settle into the crevices nicely, and the thin halves take up minimal room, so much of your bite is straight up beef and lamb. Put a small slice of cheddar cheese on top and a strip of bacon on the bottom and I think I found my favorite NYC burger yet. Much better than Five Napkin. Better than Luger's, even. Yeah... I said it. And I'm not taking it back.

Prune
54 E. 1st St.
New York, NY 10003
212-677-6221
PruneRestaurant.com

North Brooklyn Treasures -- Coffee, Ice Cream, and Movie Sets

On nice days after work, I like to take the 7 train to Vernon Jackson in Queens and then walk home over the Pulaski Bridge. Not only do I get a good 20 minutes of walking off the day, I get to explore one of my favorite areas -- the northernmost tip of Greenpoint. I'm not really sure why this place fascinates me so much. I guess it amazes me that such a very convenient area of Brooklyn has remained totally industrial, save for a few culinary gems that I've come to cherish. When walking alongside the huge warehouses and remote fish markets and who knows what else, all of a sudden you're in a neighborhood with delis and pharmacies and flowers in the window. I find it strangely inspiring.

Commercial Street looks exactly like it sounds, and stretches across Greenpoint as the last street before Newtown Creek. While there's not a whole lot going on, it has its perks. One of Commercial Street's best feature right now is the construction of an old timey Atlantic City boardwalk in one of the empty lots for HBO's upcoming show, Boardwalk Empire (exciting!). Here's a look at it had progressed the last time I wandered by:

The other, probably more important reason to visit Commercial Street: the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, which opened last November. The Nicky Hilton to its attention-loving sister at the Brooklyn Bridge, you never have to wait in line for a cone here. The ice cream is light and simple, not in the least rich or heavy tasting, probably because they don't use eggs in their recipe. I haven't tried any complex flavors yet -- only vanilla, chocolate, and coffee -- but they sure hit the mark on the traditional flavors.

Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory
97 Commercial St
Brooklyn, NY 11222

(718) 349-2506

From Commercial Street heading down, the streets are named alphabetically (Ash St., Box St., etc.). Keep in mind that my street, Greenpoint Ave, is the exception and should really be "Leanpoint" Ave (and, to confuse things further, the "G" street is of course called Green). So with that little geographical lesson in mind, I introduce Ashbox, the Japanese coffee shop on Manhattan Ave between Ash and Box, a good ten blocks away from home. Because of its distance -- and the fact that its closed on Sundays, after 6pm on weekdays and basically every other convenient time -- I don't get to visit Ashbox often. And that's unfortunate.

I don't know where all the patrons come from, but this place sure gets packed on a Saturday morning. Luckily though, it doesn't seem like it at all because everyone stays unusually hushed, often with their laptop, for some work time or quiet time, I suppose. Soft piano music plays from the speakers. People sip on homemade tea and nosh on homemade tofu salad or other healthy, semi Asian-style goodies. And where else can you find Japanese fluffy bread?

I ordered an iced coffee one morning while looking up movies for us to see at the MOMA. It was nice and strong, perfect for preventing wateryness when the ice starts to melt. Rob's hot chocolate tasted amazing, with hints of spices neither of us could even identify. The only problem was that 75% of the cup was foam. Very tasty foam, but foam nonetheless.

Ashbox
1154 Manhattan Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11222
(718) 389-3222

If you ever feel like taking a random stroll to a quiet area in our fair borrough, this is your place. But keep in mind you have to walk all the way back to India Street for the G train's last stop in Brooklyn.

Food Film Festival 2009

Last week Rob and I headed up to the water taxi beach in Long Island City to catch some of the third annual Food Film Festival. It incorporated many things I like -- free stuff, sand, faux palm trees, beer, events that are walkable from my apartment, cheeseburgers, a beautiful view of the city and films that are short enough to fit my attention span. Monday night was a perfect night to go -- it wasn't too crowded and the weather held out, although it did get a little chilly.


The films themselves were okay, although I wasn't terribly impressed with any of them. Beef is Bueno, which gave a brief glimpse into the Argentinian beef farming industry, was one of my favorites. Partially because it makes you think about where your food comes from, but mostly because they handed out free samples of grass-fed beef burgers afterwards (but WHY on earth would they put ketchup on all of them?!). Eat or We Both Starve was an interesting look at a catfish restaurant in Mississippi with lots of history and a strong Southern soul. I learned quite a lot about how tequila is made from Sixty Hands, but by the end it felt like a really long infomercial for Patron.

Overall, a really fun and unique evening, and the setup on the beach made me feel like I'd left the city (save for the huge skyline looming right across the East River). Maybe next year I'll go more than one evening to see if any films strike my fancy.

Peter Luger.... Finally.

Life is pretty good when both your best friends and your boyfriend were planning on taking you to Peter Luger for your birthday. I'm the biggest steak fan I know, and to never visit the place that repeatedly receives SO much hype just seemed very wrong. Now that I can add my name to the guest list, I think my life trajectory might be a little bit more on track. A very special thanks to my pals for making this happen!

It's really hard to live up to Luger style hype, and thankfully, they did not disappoint. Six of us went for lunch last Saturday, and I was amazed at how many people were packed into the front room, waiting for a seat.

Everything here was top notch, from the service to the dinner rolls. First up, the bacon. I don't think I've never seen bacon this large before. These crazy big slabs were more like charry, smoky, fatty ham. I was planning on saving a piece for the cheeseburger, but that was impossible -- it was all gone in minutes. I had to be very quick to grab this picture before it all got snatched up!

Peter Luger is repeatedly awarded with best burger awards, so we ordered one with cheese and one without, medium rare. The cheeseburger was perfectly cooked, nicely seasoned, and the slice of mild cheddar on top really helped define it. Definitely an ideal burger, though I'm skeptical of its best in the city status. I'll have to do my research.

I didn't get a picture of the creamed spinach because I was too focused on not picking up the bowl and trying to drink it down. You didn't even have to chew it once. I can't imagine how much butter and cream must have gone into it to make it taste so amazing.

Finally, the porterhouse: Steak for Three! Medium rare, obviously. The steak arrived on a sizzling hot plate -- so hot that you can sear pieces of beef on it to suite your taste, as the waiter demonstrated for us. They put a small upside down saucer underneath one end of the plate to keep all the juices down on one side. Then the waiter put a piece of meat on each of our plates and topped it with a spoonful of the juices ("fat-free," he jokes). The meat was very tender and flavorful, to a point that I don't even think I realized until I had the leftovers the next day. Leftovers should never be so good. The visible pieces of fat aren't chewy or rubbery, they meld into the meat and melt so nicely on your tongue. Perfect amount of char on top of the meat as well.

One thing that Rob pointed out to me later -- where's the fillets? Porterhouses should have the filet side. They are missing. This upsets me, as the huge potential of filets at Luger's is lost.

If I told you I was too full for dessert, I would be lying. I totally could have done it. It was actually the layer of grease I felt forming in my stomach that urged me to opt out. I'll have you next time, sundae with homemade schlag. Next time....

Peter Luger

178 Broadway

Brooklyn, NY 11211

718-387-7400

The Charm of Dressler

There are three Michelin-rated restaurants in Brooklyn, and so far I've only visited one -- Dressler. The others are Peter Luger right across the street (visit pending next month!) and Saul in Cobble Hill. After a recent second visit to Dressler, I'm fairly certain they deserve that Michelin star, even though this puts them at the same level as Anissa (which I think deserves two Michelins stars. Can the tubby tire man just hire me already?).

Dressler is elegant without being pretentious; the iron chandeliers and lightboxes evoke a kind of modern bohemian chic feel. The room, and especially the bar, displays lots of beautiful, intricate metal work that, according to the site, was crafted from Brooklyn Navy Yard sculptors. It reinforces its Brooklyn presence. (Pic taken from their site)

The menu is mostly simple items, prepared thoughtfully with (seemingly?) few ingredients. Diver scallops are drizzed with white truffle oil, ricotta raviolini are served in a light tomato & parmesan broth, artichoke salad is served in a lemon half. Roasted beets & citrus salad are served with Greek yogurt and olive tapenade. Presentation is lovely and the flavors are simple yet unique.

I usually fight the urge to order the beef on a menu, but when I saw they had two kinds of steak in an entree, I did not bother to fight it. The grilled sirloin was cooked perfectly, and the braised short rib accompaniment was as soft as jelly. To kick up the comfort food factor, they serve it with mashed potatoes and a bit of creamed spinach, but the grilled ramps give it a little something extra.

On my last visit, I successfully avoided the steak trap (delicious though it was) and enjoyed the bacon wrapped monkfish with risotto. I think I prefer this monkfish method over the simple medallion slices at Le Bernadin, although this version was WAY saltier. Saltiness aside, the fish was incredibly tender, and you don't even know where the bacon ends and the monkfish begins. Such culinary beauty.

The service here was fantastic on both visits as well. The waitstaff is very friendly, attentive, and they have a sense of humor too. You can't go wrong with the bread the bring out pre-meal, either (parker roll or ciabatta?).

Michelin star deserved.

Dressler

149 Broadway

(between 6th St & Driggs Ave)

Brooklyn, NY 11211

(718) 384-6343

A New Jersey Excursion: In Search of Beniotome Sesame Shochu

Last week, Rob and I took a trip across the George Washington bridge into the strange and wonderful land that is Fort Lee and Edgewater, New Jersey. We had two destinations in mind: Hudson Wine Market and Mitsuwa Marketplace.

As I've mentioned before, Rob loves Beniotome sesame shochu. He orders it at nearly every trip to Bozu, EN Japanese Brasserie or other high-end Japanese restaurants, but it seems to be impossible to find for retail sale in the city. Fortunately, he found that Hudson Wine Market carries it, and that it would only be a short drive away.

Shochu is a Japanese distilled drink, and Wikipedia says its made from barley, sweet potatoes or rice and is somewhere between wine and whisky in terms of strength (which I agree with completely). The sesame flavored shochu is a little smoky and makes it taste a little stronger than it might actually be. Let it sit in some ice, though, and you'll find that the flavors are very deep and rounded, and that the sesame flavor sings the longest. I'm sipping it now and can't think of any other way to describe it.

Anyway, we had a little bit of difficulty finding the market, as the directions didn't say we had to turn up into a driveway to access a big parking lot for a mini mall. Hudson's was a huge warehouse boasting of all kinds of drinks, from specialized Japanese shochus to obscure reds and whites. I even found a bottle of the 2004 Flowers Pinot noir that I fell in love with at Le Bernadin. And for the $50 price you can bet I bought one. Rob pretty much wiped out their entire selection of Beniotome sesame shochu. To make the trip worth it, you see.

Hudson Wine Market
1638 Schlosser St
Fort Lee, NJ 07024
(201) 346-0101

After the Hudson Wine Market excursion, we headed south to Mitsuwa Marketplace, using the little battery power I had left on my phone for Google maps to guide us. Luckily it was a pretty easy drive. Mitsuwa is a huge Japanese grocery store & specialty shop with an attached food court. They have everything from fresh produce and pickled vegetables to sashimi grade sushi and pre-sliced sukiyaki. I was starving, so we tried a few pre-made sushi rolls, which were okay. We left with a couple of very nicely priced bags of frozen edamame beans, a few packages of red bean moochi and some daikon radish. It's a pretty fun and unique place to just browse around; definitely recommended if you're planning on hosting a sushi party in the near future.

Mitsuwa Marketplace

595 River Road
Edgewater, NJ 07020
(201) 941-9113

Mad for... Chicken?

I just found out that within the past week or so, Koreatown's Bonchon Chicken has been renamed... wait for it... Mad for Chicken. This, as I've read, has been done for easier pronounciation. It's a shame, and puzzling for a few reasons. First of all, how hard is it to say "Bonchon"? Bon. Chon. Secondly, wouldn't a more traditional name work better for a true Korean take on chicken, as opposed to an all American family friendly title? And finally, is it just me, or does the name stir visions of meat-related disease pandemics? Between the old forgotten mad cow and the tired swine outbreak, you would think they'd want to steer clear of a name like Mad for Chicken.

Anyway, I had only visited K-town's favorite fried chicken once, back in February, and for some reason never got around to reviewing it. The rebranding reminded me to dig up the pics and share the experience. And since I visited it before the name change, I will refer to it by its original name.

BonChon is hard to find, hidden on the second floor of a poorly labeled building on 5th Ave. You climb a narrow staircase and then suddenly, you're in a tall ceiling'ed, MOMA-ready industrial space. Lots of concrete and odd looking shapes, big modern chairs and mirrors, very minimalist.

We were told they only had wings at the time of our visit, and that they only had two types -- soy garlic and spicy. We decided on an order of both, plus two sides -- "stick vegetables" and rosemary fries. Both came before the chicken, as appetizers, which was a little strange. We also waited forever for the chicken, also strange seeing as how they just said it was all they had on the menu. The rosemary fries were great, but "stick vegetables" turns out to be a very overpriced third grade snack: carrot sticks and celery sticks and dipping sauce.

And then came the chicken. They fry their birds twice for an extra crunchy outside, and both the soy garlic and the spicy wings showed off some amazing flavors. These were without a doubt the best chicken wings I've ever had. The spicy pieces so hot it was almost painful, but I couldn't stop. I savored every extra crispy bite.

If you haven't been here yet, you must. It's a rite of passage for New Yorkers.

Strange name aside. Because, what's in a name, right?

Mad for Chicken

314 5th Ave, 2nd Fl (between 31st St & 32nd St)

New York, NY 10001

(212) 221-2222