Wynnewood, PA: Elevation Burger's Cheeseburger

50 E Wynnewood Rd
Wynnewood, PA 19096-2013
(610) 645-7704

I first posted about Elevation Burger way back in February so needless to say the anticipation has been building for a while on this one…and I am happy to report that Elevation Burger did not disappoint.

With a mantra of “Ingredients Matter,” what many have dubbed the “healthy Five Guys” opened their first store here on the outskirts of Philly over the 4th of July weekend.  It took me a whole 2 days to get down there thanks to holiday festivities but lunchtime Monday was destined to be all about Elevation Burger.

Four of us from work headed over and I was not surprised to run into another burger-loving friend already waiting in the short queue ahead of us.  Word seems to have spread fast as they had a decent lunchtime crowd already for their first work-day service.

I opted for the Cheeseburger, as opposed to the Elevation Burger (1 patty vs 2 patties) and was presented with one of the best upsell attempts I have ever heard…”We find men are more satisfied with the Elevation burger (double) as opposed to just the single.” Ah-hem.  Innuendo aside, I still stuck with the single burger (a rare show of restraint) in order to justify getting a side of fries and a soda.

As you can see from the picture, the burger itself is aesthetically pleasing.  It is clear that they spend a lot of time training their staff to present the product well and I appreciate when a burger joint does that (ex: Shake Shack or In-N-Out) as opposed to just slapping together ingredients.  I ordered my burger with lettuce, tomato and “Elevation Sauce” which I was told was a creamy, light tomato sauce.  Either an homage to INO or even Big Mac sauce, I found that the sauce really didn’t add too much flavor to the package.  It didn’t distract or ruin the taste, just didn’t add that much. To be honest, that is my only complaint.  The burgers at Elevation are 100% organic, grass-fed and free range and you definitely can tell that something is different about the patties.  Well seasoned and served on a squishy bun with a nice hunk of cheddar cheese (non-processed!) my cheeseburger was a winner.  The best part may have been the complete lack of that icky, weighed down feeling (strangely enough this was a negative factor for my co-workers).  The absence of greasiness meant no strong desire for an afternoon nap which could help productivity back at the ranch.

As good as the burger was, I have to say the fries are even better.  Fresh cut shoestring style and crisped up perfectly in 100% olive oil (no trans or saturated fats), these were probably the best fries I’ve had in a long time and everyone in the group agreed they were the highlight of the meal.  A side order was enough for 2 of us to split, though in the future I’d easily order one side just for me because they were that good (perfectly salted, each one tasted like that idealized vision of a McDonald’s fry we conjure up but have only ever experienced maybe once or twice in our lives).

Bonus points for Pibb Xtra as a fountain selection.  Having spent time growing up in the south, seeing Pibb Xtra, which is the “new” name for “Mr. Pibb,” triggered lots of nostalgic memories.  And despite Mitch Hedberg famously maligning Pibb’s lack of advanced education (“Mr. Pibb is a poor imitation of Dr. Pepper. Dude didn’t even get his degree.”) I’d choose it every time over the much fizzier Pepper.

The menu also features fresh-scooped ice cream milk shakes made with Blue Bunny ice cream.  I didn’t have one, but they were hand-dipping a lot of them and I am sure I’ll get around to that at some point (maybe Jess @ Fries With That Shake will beat me to it).

Located half-way between my work and home I am going to have to try hard to avoid filling up one of their “7 Club” cards each week.  Congrats to the team that has been working so hard on getting this location open and good luck to them keeping the steady stream of people coming.  Keep delivering a good product and they will (and the demos of this area seem ideal with a Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s in short driving distance the health-concious bent should play well).

Burger On-Deck Circle (Another Update): Elevation Burger Wynnewood, PA & Weird Twitter Story

Note in the comments section of the last post from the owner of the Wynnewood location says “July 4th should be the first day for Elevation Burger.”

Plus, interesting story in the Wall Street Journal about Twitter Imposters, the last place I expected to read about Elevation Burger…weird tale though -> read full story here or excerpt below.

At Elevation Burger, a seven-outlet chain owned by Elevation Franchise Ventures LLC, a vendor in March found an unauthorized Twitter profile with tweets promoting rival Z Burger. Hans Hess, Elevation’s founder and chief executive, complained to Z Burger and Twitter, which later suspended the profile after a letter from Mr. Hess’s lawyer.

Kenny Fried, a publicist representing Z Burger, says owner Peter Tabibian created the Elevation Burger profile on Twitter, as well as profiles in two other competitors’ names, “to be creative and fun in promoting Z Burger” and didn’t intend to be malicious.

Mr. Hess calls the stunt “extremely unprofessional.”

Old stuff below:

Just a quick note to say the sign went up yesterday! Can’t be too much longer now. Lots of activity over the past few weeks means hopefully they will be open before the end of the month. Will update with pics for those interested via the Twitter feed later today.

Read my Elevation Burger post from February here.

If this place is half as good as I am anticipating I am going to have to alter my route home from work.

Home Cookin': Buffalo Bill/Dabney Coleman BBQ Bacon Cheese Burger

Sunday night is burger night around the house and this weekend’s version was inspired by a viewing of a PBS The American Experience episode about Buffalo Bill Cody, which when trying to cook and tweet at the same time somehow morphed into a reference to Dabney Coleman’s early 1980’s sitcom Buffalo Bill (see tweets here – heck, sign up to follow if you wish).

What made these burgers even more special was that the beef and bacon were procured from our local farmers market.  In most parts of the North East farmer’s market season has just kicked off and that is great news.  Within walking distance of our house are a bevy of delicious, seasonal options produced and sold by the person behind the till.  Stories, suggestions, recipes and heart are all within easy reach of the consumer and we are all a bit better for taking the time to slow down and interact on a more personal level with our food and those that grow it.  Of course these markets are famous for their veggies but we have found that many offer great quality meats as well.  Whether “farm-raised,” “grass-fed,” “organic” and/or “natural” meat, options abound and include not only beef from cows, but good quality bison and small-batch bacons.

Not so much a recipe on this one…more a parts list:

85/15 all-natural ground beef

Thick-cut all-natural bacon

Ultra-sharp cheddar cheese

Onion rings

BBQ sauce

Whole-wheat Telera rolls

Bobby Flay calls his version a Cheyenne Burger.

Carl’s Jr.’s call it a Western Bacon Cheeseburger.

Dabney Coleman Fever movie on YouTube (kiss 8 1/2 minutes of your life goodbye before clicking)

Home Cookin': The Burger Explosion

More than a little hat tip to the gents over at BBQ Addicts whose invention, the “Bacon Explosion,” was the creative jumping off point for this monstrosity.

No shot of getting this thing in the New York Times, but my concerns (and those of our crew of culinarily curious friends) were in getting this in our bellies.  The idea just seemed like the logical next step and although it took about 3 hours start to finish, it is more than worthwhile trying it out at home for your next get together.  This one is guaranteed to stop people in their tracks.  As always, I will note that I am not a professional chef and though these directions worked for me, they may not work well for you.  This recipe is fairly forgiving so as long as you are certain to cook these beauties all the way through I can see little danger in making a minor misstep (and tons of upside in creating your own variations).

I actually made a Bacon Explosion alongside the Burger Explosion for comparison’s sake.  The recipe for the “Bacon Explosion” which is packed with pork sausage is best picked up at BBQ Addicts, though I will note that I tweaked that recipe a little, swapping out the bbq rub for a home spun mixture of salt, pepper and rosemary.  The rosemary worked out very well.

Burger Explosion (serves 8-10)

1lb 80/20 ground beef

4 slices of white American cheese

9 slices thick cut bacon

3 slices of regular bacon

1 butt of whole grain bread – toasted

1 large egg

2 tablespoons Oyster Sauce

1/3 cup BBQ sauce (any kind will do)

Step 1 – Fry up the 3 slices of regular bacon on a griddle as you would for morning breakfast, when done remove from griddle and pat dry (don’t worry about getting too much grease off, this ain’t health food!)

Step 2 – Take the butt end of the whole grain bread and sop up the rendered bacon fat from the griddle.

Step 3 – Place the bread into a food processor and whir it up for a few seconds to make breadcrumbs (yes, even the breadcrumbs are gonna taste like bacon!).

Step 4 – Put your ground beef, egg, oyster sauce and 3 tablespoons of the bacon-y breadcrumbs into a bowl and mix thoroughly by hand.

Step 5 – Make a 4×5 lattice pattern with the bacon (this may be the most fun part of the recipe)

Bryn Mawr, PA: Hospital Cafeteria Cheeseburger

Bryn Mawr Hospital Cafeteria

130 S Bryn Mawr Ave

Bryn Mawr, PA

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Babies don’t come out in real life as fast as they do on TV, so with a few minutes of time on my hands in between contractions, an epidural and the blessed event I figured I’d post about the cuisine here at Bryn Mawr Hospital.  This being a hospital and all I was a wee bit concerned about the offerings in the cafeteria (would it be nothing but healthy stuff?), but clearly they are catering to a wide audience with their extensive offerings (salad bar ->nachos bar -> deli sandwiches -> pastries).

Was very happy to see (4) burger options on the menu, advertised as fresh from the grille sirloin.  I opted for the cheeseburger (white American), and as you can see from the above it came wrapped a la your typical fast food burger.  A self-serve toppings bar was available with some bright red tomatoes, shredded lettuce, sliced onions, pickles and bacon as options.  I actually skipped over the bacon (just seemed odd in a hospital – bacon will probably bring me back here sometime soon enough) and loaded up with a few tomato slices.

End product was about 1/3 lb (maybe even closer to 1/2 lb) cooked medium + all the way through and was served on a decent quality kaiser roll.  With some ketchup and mustard this baby doctored up to be pretty decent with a very strong beef taste.   No doubt this was a Sysco or similar food service burger, frozen until just recently but prepared well for the lunch time rush.

Wife can’t eat anything but ice chips and freeze pops (and nurse wondered what the smell was in the room in a manner that clearly said “who the heck is eating fast food in here!”) so I couldn’t get another opinion on this but it might be the real deal.  Not sure how many folks would stop by here for a casual lunch, but if this labor continues any longer (nurse mentioned someone in labor for 3 days…) I might convene a meeting of other burger lovers for further sampling.

Thanks for all of the well wishes to date (have been posting some on Twitter though promised wife I would not “live Tweet” the birth).  The world will welcome another burger lover very soon.

UPDATE:  More burgers will have to wait…he’s here!

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Burger Toys: Melissa & Doug Will Turn Your 3 Year Old Into A Burger Snob

Found this in my daughter’s play kitchen the other day…as best I can tell it is a double burger with tomato and egg (with the tomato in between two burger patties…pretty revolutionary!).  If this were available in a restaurant, I would order it!  Can you say “proud poppa”?

A few month’s back my daughter received the Melissa & Doug’s Wooden Sandwich Making Kit, which features a myriad of sandwich making options.  The folks at M&D must be burger fans because one of the “meat” options is clearly a hamburger (it even comes with a seeded burger bun) and most of the toppings work perfectly on burgers (in the real world).  Tomatoes, lettuce and pickles are joined by ham, egg and two different types of cheese to offer hundreds of options for imaginary play.

At 3 years old my daughter has already carved out some fairly sophisticated burger tastes, having been dragged (along with mom) to joints up and down the east coast.  From Shady Glen Dairy to Monk’s, Ted’s Steamed Cheeseburgers to Mr. Bartley’s Burger Cottage, she’s seen and sampled some of the best burgers around, so watching her play with this set and create her own “dream burgers” gives me a bizarre sense of pride.  Thankfully mom is around to ply her with vegan/vegetarian food most of the time to avoid her truly taking after dad.

I can just see the Juno-inspired Hamburger Phone in her room when she is a teenager (if phones even exist by then).

If you have a little burger lover at your house, they might like this book.

Burger Boy by Alan Durant

It is one of our favorites and gets quoted at least once a week…”I’m not a burger, I’m a boy!”

I Ate It (So You Don't Have To!): Arby's All-American RoastBurger

Survey Says: American’s are bored with burgers.

The quick service industry’s forgotten step-child, Arby’s, commissioned a survey and found that American’s are bored with fast food burgers.  They are too greasy (55% agreed), too dry (40%) and the quality of meat is poor (45%).

Enter “RoastBurgers,” the newest sandwich additions to the Arby’s menu.

via QSR Magazine

“Roastburgers offer a tasty new way for burger lovers to satisfy their cravings while avoiding burger boredom,” says Steve Davis, Arby’s Chief Marketing Officer. “

So basically what Arby’s has done is swapped out ho-hum ground beef for the taste sensation that is their trademark roast beef.

The results…well…ummm, how do I say this…not as bad as I thought it would be.

The All-American Roast Burger I had for lunch, and it’s relatives the Bacon & Bleu Cheese and Bacon & Cheddar RoastBurgers, clearly benefit from some super-secret chemistry straight out of the flavor labs of New Jersey, because darnit…the RoastBurger actually tastes like a fast food hamburger.  Again, I am left completely frustrated by how easily my taste buds can be tricked by science, but I guess that is the point with modern day fast food.  The Oxford University Museum of Natural History bails me out a little here noting that the taste buds are easily tricked (in general, not specifically by this sandwich, but someone should definitely take this back into a lab and experiment).

More from an Arby’s Press Release:

All-American Roastburger – Features Arby’s thinly sliced, oven-roasted roast beef with fresh lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, ketchup, mustard, and a secret sauce served on a specialty roll

Here is the skinny on this “burger.”  Easily 1/4 lb of roast beef which because of its shape/folding meant the sandwich stands pretty tall and seems substantial.  Any hint of that special sauce, which someone on these here Interwebs actually compared to IN-N-OUT‘s secret sauce (?), was completely overpowered by the beef flavorings sprinkled on the sandwich (the Arby’s website even features an eerie animation showing the beef fleck coating process).  Ketchup and mustard, the tried and true burger toppings, along with lettuce, tomato (very red – not always the case at fast food joints), raw onion and pickle were all present.   Even the bun was better than your average fast food vessel.  I’d compare it (favorably) to a BK Whopper.

That said, the whole concept just seems wrong to me.  A roast beef sandwich shouldn’t have to aspire to be anything more than a roast beef sandwich and a burger by its nature has no equal in the world of meat-on-bun concoctions.  But of course this is all about marketing and market share and so Arby’s, known as the #2 franchise sandwich chain in the country (behind Subway), has dipped their toes in the ultra-lucrative burger pool in launching this line.  Interestingly, they could potentially steal market share from their sister restaurant, Wendy’s, by offering a burger experience which caters to a more high-end fast food eater.

RoastBurger Pros:

• Close your eyes and it tastes like a pretty darn good fast food burger
• Really red tomato, crispy lettuce and tasty raw onions – all fine toppings which would be well placed on a burger
• Price – Arby’s is offering a free RoastBurger (with the purchase of a drink) via a coupon on their website (exp. 2/9/09)

Cons:

• Mouth-feel: The meat just disappears in your mouth, like cotton candy or those weird Japanese shrimp chips.
• The whole “better living through chemistry” vibe you get when seeing the flavor flecks and tasting the overpowering beefiness of this sandwich.

Stats:

420 calories

170 calories from fat

18g of fat

6g of saturated fat

1g of trans fat (oddly present here…Arby’s was the first chain to introduce trans-fat free fries)

40mg of cholesterol

1390mg sodium

46g carbs

2g fiber

15% of your recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C (!)

Bonus feature:  Recipe to make your own Jamocha Shakes…previously the only reason anyone went to Arby’s.

Burger On-Deck Circle: Wynnewood, PA – Elevation Burger

50 E. Wynnewood Ave

Wynnewood, PA 19096

NOT OPEN YET!

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A new burger joint is opening soon in the Philly Burbs and this one has an interesting hook sure to pique the interest of the local Whole Foods/Trade Joe’s set.

Elevation Burger is described on their website as:

… a quick and casual restaurant offering 100% organic, grass-fed, free-range beef burgers.

Ok, count me as excited because of one important adjective in that description: grass-fed.  Organic is great and sure I’d love to know that the cows lived a nice life on the range, but the fact that they were grass-fed is key.  When it comes down to it, cows that eat grass just taste better.   Time Magazine wrote about it in’06.

From a recent Elevation Burger press release:

Elevation Burger is a rapidly growing, fast casual concept serving 100% USDA-certified organic beef burgers and fresh-cut fries cooked in heart-healthy 100% olive oil. Founded by husband and wife entrepreneurs Hans and April Hess in 2002, the chain prides itself on an “elevated” experience and an organic, fresh approach that puts people and product ahead of profit. The first location opened in 2005, offering Northern Virginia a health-conscious menu bursting with flavor. Hans and April’s belief that “Ingredients Matter” has brought the restaurant rapid success and popularity. Driven by their passion for delicious food that’s organic, sustainable and fresh, Elevation Burger began franchising in 2008. Restaurants are 1,500-2,000 square feet and seat 50 to 150 guests with outdoor seating.

Outdoor seating is probably unlikely at the Wynnewood location, which fills the spot once occupied by Alex Long Chinese Cuisine in the front retail row of the Wynnewood Shopping Center (your typical suburban strip plaza with an Old Navy, BB&B, Genuardi’s and Borders).

Having never been to one, Elevation Burger sounds to me like a mix between Five Guys and Chipotle, which should play well in my flexitarian household.  The fact that they even have two varieties of veggie burgers on their menu has me pretty excited (though the two pattied + cheese “Elevation Burger” would still probably win out most times).  Editors Note: One of these days I’m going to have to write about the wealth of great veggie burgers in this area…the ones at the Penn Valley Pub in Narberth are actually better than the beef burgers (which is pretty darn good, too).

If you are interested/motivated maybe you can apply to be the General Manager?  According to the monster.com posting, this is one of five locations coming to the area.

No idea on the opening date or further details but I will update if/when I learn more.  Until then, here are a few reviews of the Falls Church, Va location.

via Menupages (D.C.)

via Yelp!

via GeekSqueek

Bittman rains slightly on the grass-fed parade in his NYT Blog here.

One more thing – the folks that created this place seem to truly understand the nuances of a good burger…check out this graphic from their website on the crucial topic of burger-to-bun ratio!

Ardmore, PA: JR Monaghan's Pub & Grille "Certified Angus Beef Brand" Cheeseburger

34 W Lancaster Ave
Ardmore, PA 19003
(484) 416-3547

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JR Monaghan’s opened a few months ago to fill a niche in the Main Line dining scene, that of a semi-respectable, family-friendly sports bar.  With tons of TV’s, loads of autographed pictures and beer pitcher specials every night, they’ve gained quite a following (1,2,3).

As for the burger, it was perfectly char-grilled 1/2 lb patty, set on a slightly toasted bun, swathed in two pieces of white American cheese and topped with ketchup, mmmmm.

Oddly listed as “Certified Angus Brand Beef,” the burger was very flavorful and cooked perfectly medium.  This is the second time I have seen the word “Brand” in the description of a burger on a menu recently so I will make the leap that these are produced off-site, under the auspices of some Angus Beef oversight committee – (note: turns out you can trace them back here-> click).  This isn’t a bad thing, but might scare away some burger purists who prefer their patties formed by hand on-site.  So quality control and predictability go up (in this case, the taste was perfect) but the subtleties of shape and personal attention are lost.  I’d be curious if anyone has any thoughts about the idea of “brand” and burgers.

Taste is king though, and this burger was a winner.  Served at lunch with a side of crispy steak fries for $6.99, it is on the bargain end of the scale for an pretty upscale tasting burger.  I’ll be back for sure.

Addl. info: Check out this recipe from the Certified Angus Beef Brand website for something called Dan’s Hot Burger, with habanera peppers, pineapple and bourbon!  Sounds deadly.  (Note: this is not served at Monaghan’s – yet?)

Collingswood, NJ: Roney's Big "R" Burger

50 Haddon Ave

Haddon Township, NJ 08108

Just outside the City of Camden, on the fleeting edge of the hip burb of Collingswood sits a weathered diner which for years has intrigued me but where I had never set foot…until today.  Roney’s Restaurant is a relic of a bygone era, a former White Tower location with just enough of the original design left to hint at what once was and make you look twice as you speed by.  The ancient channel letters beckon you with the word “Hamburgers” on one side and sadly just “Hamburge” on the other and the often less than full parking lot always left me thinking that by passing up the opportunity to stop by again and again I wasn’t really missing much.

The counter at Roney’s was close to filled when I stopped in today on my way back from the shore and I caught mention of the man next to me “just getting off shift” and others talking about manufacturing jobs, while an off-duty waitress sat next to me perusing the want ads in the daily paper.  This is Camden County, NJ.  Hard working people, living during uneasy times in one of the countries most downtrodden cities.  Roney’s is pretty real and to be honest, that is probably one of the reasons I’ve never stopped in before (and maybe others haven’t either).  I’ve even pulled into the parking lot before only to head out again. This place just never looked welcoming.  In retrospect, not coming in sooner was my loss.

The best way to describe the burger would be to call it a super-sized White Castle (or maybe more appropriately – White Tower) slider.  It had the same taste and consistency, thanks to the weathered griddle and the perfectly fried onions which topped the burger along with a swipe of mayo and ketchup.  The burger was probably 1/3 lb size and came served on a white, squishy bun (the platter which I had also came with perfectly cooked thin french fries).  Two women ran the entire operation, one cook working the small griddle and one waitress handling the entire restaurant.  There is an odd walkway in the middle of the restaurant with the “back of house” cooking and prep stations.  This zone divides two seating areas, one large area in the front and one smaller area in the back (they even had a patio out back which under better weather conditions would be a great place to eat a burger ordered to-go).  I’d assume during busier times two waitresses would be on duty, each handling one side of the joint.

All in all they serve a decent fast food style burger accented with a heaping side of nostalgia.  The burger stand I would open (in my dreams) would probably look similar to this place.  The creaky bar stools, the closeness of the other patrons eating next to you, the friendly waitstaff, the frantic cook and the delicious smells wafting off the impossibly tiny grille all immediately take you out of your element, dropping you down into the middle of multiple conversations and affording you the opportunity to become part of a loose community for a short while as you devour your burger.

I think we all wish our lives were a bit hipper, but this is pretty much the reality of it all.  A forgotten burger stand, on the side of a busy highway, on a dismal gray day – oh yeah, in New Jersey…I see a Kevin Smith movie in this somewhere.

Here is a link to an absolutely stunning pic on Flickr of Roney’s by someone named Harpo42.

Odd, potentially unreliable financial data.

Landmark enough to be used in directions to this vacuum and sewing supply store.