brgr Makes The Best Burger In The City...And That's No Joke

So I've just started a new job, actually it's been two days now and I really like it so far, but the best part about it is that it brings me back to a part of town that I haven't frequented in some time...Midtown. Honestly it's not my favorite part of the city, I'm a Downtown kind of guy (sounds like it should be a song,) so it's gonna take some getting used too. As with most parts of the city that I haven't been to in awhile it's changed a lot, so much so that it's almost unrecognizable, ah but who cares. I'm most concerned with the food options.

On my first day at work I set out on what was an incredibly cold day, to find something quickly, but as I like to say just because it's cold and you don't want to go far you don't have to make poor choices. Luckily for me my choice was simple....brgr. A couple of blocks from my office was a place I have always yearned to try especially since I had walked past the one Downtown on 7th too many times when it wasn't meal time...how depressing. There are always those places. They are along your route but because of timing you never really get a chance to try them. Well let's just say that some places are worth making time for.

Now I know brgr is known for their fabulous shakes as it says so on their windows, but their name is why I went, and besides I've never been a huge shake guy. I wanted to know if they had a tasty burger and one that could compare to the best of the city. Let me tell you friends this one probably beats them all...yes I'm talking to you Shake Shack (I still love you though.)

Look at those buns! I am quite the connoisseur of buns. As the old saying goes with great buns comes great burgers, not great pants because I know that's what you were thinking so get your mind out of the gutter. Anyway many things were great about this burger. Especially the extra sour pickle slices which I found delightfully surprising. Usually in a burger you get the run-of-the-mill pickle slices that you can buy at the grocery store but you can tell these were made with care...and a purpose. My taste buds thank you brgr maker.

If you've read my blog before you may have heard me talk glowingly about IN-N-OUT Burger which is a burger chain based out of California and only stretches as far as Dallas. I spent some time out west stuffing my face with a few Animal Style Burgers (I can't tell you what that is, I'd have to kill you first) that I now hold all other burgers up to their standard. Now I've eaten a lot of burgers, a lot, so I know a thing or two, and I know that I really haven't found a burger to match here in NYC. Yes I know people love Shake Shack and so do I, but there is a big difference between being just merely good and being memorable.

brgr was a completely memorable experience.

Above was my side. French Fries, Sweet Potato Fries and Onion Hay, yeah those are some delicious pieces of Onion man. It wasn't enough to plow through a scrumptious, delectable hamburger called 'The Beautiful Day Burger,' but I just had to continue to stuff my pie hole with an amazing amount of salty goodness.

Listen do yourself a favor and go try it out. They have a website:

www.brgr.com

They have two locations in Manhattan:

7th Ave Between 26th and 27th and

3rd Ave Between 60th and 61st

Eat well my friends...thank me later.

Best Pizza Places in the US According to Food & Wine

That lovely Pizza in the picture comes from NYC's Don Antonio Pizzeria which was named one of the best Pizza places in the country by Food & Wine magazine. In fact NYC had 14 Pizza joints on the list, of course the most out of any other place in the country, further establishing NYC as the mecca of Pizza. Was there ever any doubt? Below is the list of Pizzeria's that you should try as soon as you can:

Manhattan
Don Antonio
Sottocasa
Nicoletta
Forcella
Via Tribunali
Ribalta
Co.
Motorino
Keste Pizza & Vino

Brooklyn
Totonno's
Lucali
Paulie Gee's
Franny's
Di Fara

I gotta say that I'm a little curious to find out if the Food & Wine people tried any Pizzeria's in the Bronx or Queens, seems like they might have missed one or two places....

Either way NYC dominated...

To check out the full list please click the link below:

www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/best-pizza-places-in-the-us/16

A Bacon Shortage? Oh My Gosh No!!!

No, no, no, not a shortage of Kevin Bacon, though he's a fine actor.....

...a shortage of actual Bacon! I am getting all emotional already. Actually it's pretty serious business. Over the last couple of years farming has become more challenging than ever due to widespread drought which has lead to the devastation of crops, some of which are used to feed animals like soy and corn. This lack of availability has caused prices of these items to skyrocket and in turn has caused many  pig farmers to cull or get rid of their herds...not good news.

Basically it means that prices will go up and that Bacon, Egg and Cheese you eat every morning on the corner of 39th and 2nd is gonna cost you a little bit more.

Kobayashi Of Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest Fame Is Developing His Own Hot Dog Line

It's been quite a while since our friend Kobayashi has won the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog eating contest and things really haven't gone too well for him since then. First off he's no longer in the contest, whether it's because he knows he can't beat Joey Chestnut or the promoters no longer want him there, he's just not the competitive eater he used to be. Yeah sure he still competes in contests where he has eating contests all by himself...and you know what? He always wins.

Anyway in his quest to remain relevant, Kobayashi has joined a group of famous investors in the purchase of a small Hot Dog brand called Hoffman Hot Dogs, but with one exception...one of the Hot Dogs has to be named after him. Wow, now there's something to be proud of.

Will people really buy a Hot Dog because there is a picture of Kobayashi on the front of the package? I'm not so sure but you can't fault a guy with limited abilities for trying to cash in on being good at stuffing his face...

In A City Built On The Sandwich, Potbelly Sandwich Shop Doesn't Add Much

Do we really need another chain sandwich shop in NYC? Maybe, maybe not, but ultimately it just has to be good.

New York City is a place that is known for great sandwiches, whether it's the amazing bread or the regional choices that define the melting pot that we live in. I love a good sandwich and if I could, I'd probably eat one everyday. However, not just any sandwich because I don't accept sub-standard or run of the mill fare like Subway or Quizno's, but I try to still have an open mind and am willing to try anything once.

So the other day I happened to be in Union Square on 17th Street, a place where I've pretty much eaten at every place from Broadway to 6th Ave except for one, Potbelly Sandwich Shop, which I decided to try. Honestly I hadn't heard much about it before other than knowing it was a chain that had begun in Chicago. Chicago, that's another city that's known for great sandwiches...right?

Maybe not. The picture above is the sandwich that I ordered which they call the Italian but I call the ordinary. You see that's what it was like to eat at Potbelly, it was ordinary. It wasn't bad but come on, there are way better sandwiches in New York City. Actually right across the street is Pret-A-Manger which I believe has much better sandwiches. Also just a couple of blocks away is Tom Colicchio's sandwich shop 'wichcraft, which has amazing selections. Even Lenny's on 23rd has better sandwiches and I don't like them much either.

I was satisfied though...with my water, my Cole Slaw and my Sour Cream and Onion Chips. Seriously though it wasn't horrible, so if you want to go to a place that has ok sandwiches then Potbelly is the place for you!

McDonalds Opening Up A Vegetarian Restaurant?...In India

In India it's the Maharaja-Mac and it's made with Chicken patties instead of meat. You see in India most people don't eat beef because cows are sacred so in the 250 or so locations of McDonalds there they only serve Chicken and Fish.

So in two of India's holiest cities McDonalds will be opening two Vegetarian Only restaurants to take advantage of the business there. Hmmm, will these holy people really want to go to McDonalds before or after they make a pilgrimage? I'm not sure.

It seems interesting to me that the company will be opening these restaurants and yet they really offer no Vegetarian options in the US....the Fries don't count. I'm talking about a Meat-less burger, they could call it the Soy-Mac or something like that. However the company doesn't have any plans to add any Vegetarian options nor is there any call for it from the public because you know, Vegetarians don't really go there...

Just Because It's The Worlds Biggest Hamburger Doesn't Mean It Was Any Good

Honestly, does that even look good? It kinda looks like an animal they killed that's been left in the woods to rot for a week...

Anyway some casino in Minnesota created this monstrosity so they could have the record for Worlds Largest Hamburger...maybe it should be called the Worlds Largest pile of crud.

What a waste of food. Yeah sure they cut it up into a zillion pieces and handed it out to the hundreds of idiots that stood and watched. Really? Watched what? Watched as a crane lifted the damn thing onto the custom made outdoor cooker. Watched as they dumped Lettuce, Onions, Tomatoes and Cheese on top without any care.

2,014 pounds, 10 feet in diameter...

60 pounds of Bacon
50 pounds of Lettuce
50 pounds of Onions
40 pounds of Pickles
40 pounds of Cheese

A rep from the Guinness Book of World Records said..."What I saw today was a feat of remarkable teamwork that resulted in a world record burger that actually tastes really good." That guy needs a reality check. Maybe he should have just simply asked why? Just so a record could be broken?

I'm sorry but to me that's not what food is for...