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

50 E. Wynnewood Ave

Wynnewood, PA 19096

NOT OPEN YET!

.

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!

Burger News You Can't Use: Can Butterburgers Sweep The Oscars (And The Nation)?

(UPDATE: Commercial via YOUTUBE)

Interesting missive from MediaWeek today about an ad buy for this Sunday’s Academy Awards. The Midwest (and slightly beyond) chain Culver’s has bought national TV time during the February 22nd ABC broadcast.

So here’s the big question – is the nation ready for ButterBurgers (or at least ButterBurger envy since most of us don’t live anywhere near a Culver’s – East Coast Cardiologists rejoice!)?

What is a ButterBurger?

Urban Dictionary Definition: the best food in the world. … a hamburger smothered in butter… then covered with a thick slice of cheese.

According to Culver’s:

Our signature ButterBurger^® is made from fresh, never frozen, 100% U.S. raised beef and seared on a hot grill to seal in that juicy flavor.

ButterBurger stats (amazingly below 500 calories and “healthier” than a McD’s Quarter Pounder w/Cheese)

Oh my.

In a hopeful sign for the economy:

Chris Contino, vp, marketing for the chain, said in a statement: “Culver’s roots are in the Midwest, but we’re spreading across the country. We’re proof that good companies grow even in challenging times.”

And I hope they do grow.  George Motz featured the infamous ButterBurger at Solly’s in his film Hamburger America and I’ve been too scared to even try and recreate this at home.  Here’s a recipe courtesy of roadfood.com.  Proceed with caution.

I’ll be tuning in to see the spot on Sunday night.

Culver’s “I Am A Pickle” TV spot (Note: this is not the spot that will run during the Oscars)

Culver’s vs. In-N-Out Burger?

Philadelphia, PA: The Sidecar Bar & Grille's Sidecar Burger

2201 Christian St
Philadelphia, PA 19146

.

I’m cringing at the thought of including that picture…ugh!  On the short list of Philly’s great gastropubs, the Sidecar Bar’s dim lighting is the foil to any food blogger hoping to snap a quick pic of their meal without throwing off a flash (and thus garnering the stares and smirks of other diners). My words may have to hold you over until you can get there in person (and I strongly encourage you to do that).

We hit the Sidecar on a recent dad’s night out for burgers and beer and everything was perfect (1. George Costanza-esque parking spot right out front 2. awesome beer selection 3. truly eclectic and enjoyable background music which took us from 70’s funk to 90’s shoegaze and of course 4. the burgers – billed as half-pound angus beef burgers).

I had the namesake Sidecar Burger which featured my favorite condiment – more meat! In this case, it was some top notch Tasso Ham. Add on a truly tasty Marchand de Vin sauce (described to us by the waiter as brown gravy mixed with a red wine reduction), provolone cheese, lettuce and tomato and this burger, which leans heavily on Cajun/Creole influences (the Tasso & the MdV sauce), hit the spot.

The burger itself was perfectly seasoned, almost as ordered (asked for just a bit below medium – got pretty much medium) and ridiculously huge (I had to cut it in half for decorum purposes).  The Marchand de Vin sauce didn’t hit me at first but the last few bites had been soaking in it for some time and the flavors really popped (wine + butter rarely fails).  The bread sopped up the sauce pretty well too and my mind quickly drifted to thinking about how good the sauce would taste on some leftover Thanksgiving turkey.  But I digress.  Oh yeah, it came with pretty good thick-cut steak fries and a mini salad with cider-dressing, too!

The Sidecar Bar is a neighborhood bar that really seemed welcoming.  Even later in the evening we saw a family with kids sitting down to dinner.  I am certain that the next big burger poll in Philly will feature this place towards the top.

Go check it out for yourself next time you are in “G-Ho”, you won’t be let down!

Recipe for Marchand de Vin sauce (not from The Sidecar Bar, but probably pretty darn close)

The Sidecar ranked #29 on Philly Weekly’s list of Top 50 Bars.

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

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

.

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.

Merion Station, PA: Hymie's Deli's Pastrami Burger

42 Montgomery Ave
Merion Station, PA 19066  [google map]
Phone: 610-664-3544

.

Geshmak! (Yiddish for delicious or tasty)

Hymie’s is your typical Jewish deli serving oversized portions of comfort foods and deli sandwiches which are tasty enough to erase any thoughts of driving to New York City to get your fill of corned beef or pastrami.

I’ve been eating at Hymie’s for years and without fail I always order the soup & sandwich special (matzo ball soup & half a corned beef sandwich).  On the rarest of occasions I’ve switched the corned beef out for pastrami, but that’s as far as I have strayed on the menu, until today.

Behold, the Pastrami Burger.

Take about 1/3 lb. of top quality pastrami, fry it up on the griddle and then toss it on top of a 1/2 lb. burger (cooked spot-on medium!!), mustard up the light and airy bun, fold and commence eating.  The first bite is truly a “you got your peanut butter in my chocolate moment.”  I had read about the Pastrami burgers at Crown Burgers in Salt Lake City, UT in George Motz’s book Hamburger America, but I really thought it was more of a stunt than a sandwich.  I was completely wrong, this is the real deal.

The pastrami scores high on the fat=flavor meter, and combined with the juicy burger hits all of the right notes in your mouth.  Add to that the opposing textures of the meat (the chewiness of the pastrami vs. the buttery softness of the burger) and this burger is a delicious marriage of opposites.

The included side of steak fries were excellent and combined with access to the all-you-can-eat pickles, kugel and slaw bar makes this burger a relative bargain at $9.50.  As I write this, 1/2 of the burger is calling me from my fridge (something tells me it might end up as an omelette in the morning) so split it with a friend or be prepared to take home a doggie bag.

Menu via menupages

Newark, NJ: Hamburgao's Cheese Egg

Hamburgao

288 Lafayette St

Newark, NJ 07105

Get Directions

329 Ferry St
Newark, NJ 07105

282 Kearny Ave
Kearny, NJ 07032

Was lucky enough to sneak up to the Eagles playoff game on Sunday at the Meadowlands and with minor arm twisting was able to convince our crew to pit-stop at the Hamburgao on Lafayette Street in Newark’s Ironbound District on the way home from North Jersey (you know, to let the traffic die down a bit).

Way back in 2007, food and tech blogger Jason Perlow wrote the only post ever needed about this place and so I’ll spare you most of the details and encourage you to check it out on his site – the photography is to die for and you will probably have the same reaction my wife and I did upon reading the post – we hopped in the car that afternoon and drove to Newark!

I ate the “Cheese Egg” which is a cosmically disorienting combination of Mozzarella, ham, corn kernels, potato sticks (yes, like mom used to pack in your lunch), lettuce, tomato and mayo all placed on top of an 1/8lb or so grilled burger.  This sandwich (and most of the other similarly topped offerings) is much more than the sum of its parts.  What on paper looks like a laundry-list of things that should not go together (at least not in the American palate) comes together in a delicious gooiness that takes an admittedly ho-hum burger patty and elevates it to mythic status.  I enjoy introducing these Brazilian burgers to others because they are so different that it makes you rethink everything you know about one of the simplest foods in the world.  One of my buddies picked at a piece of corn from his burger and looked at it mystified wondering how anyone could even dream of such a concoction – thankfully somebody did.

Again, go read Jason Perlow’s post and admire the great pictures at the tail end.  If you don’t already read Jason’s Off The Broiler blog you should (and you really should have back before his diet!  Jason knows good food and is a great writer to boot.  He has never steered me wrong and he is responsible for introducing me by way of his blog to my all-time favorite pizza joint Trattoria Sorrentina).

Hamburgao is a mini-chain with 3 locations (none close to you – but all worthy of dropping what you are doing right now and hopping in the car while gas prices are still low).  And as a special bonus for all of you Eagles fans, now is a great time to visit North Jersey because the burgers are great and the Giants fans are humble!

Burger News You Can't Use: Kazakhstan To Get Carl's Jr. Before Philadelphia

via the Marketing Daily blog (click)

From the article “Carl’s Jr. Tackles Texas” comes the distressing news that planned expansion for the west coast burger chain includes 121 more locations in Texas plus plans to open

…Carl Jr.’s first units in China, Pakistan and Kazakhstan.

In what seems like a past life (but which was only a past career) I spent the bulk of my time on the west coast, and my personal burger take is that the east coast’s best burgers are of the greasy spoon and diner variety while the west coast excels at fast-food type burgers.  Need convincing?  That’s an easy one: In-N-Out Burger.  And while I am in the majority that fawns over INO, I have to admit I always loved eating at Carl’s Jr. and to this day admire how they run and market their business (in an evil-genius sort of way).  They are 100% unashamed of how nutritionally poor their burgers are and have in fact opted to exploit the “negatives.”   In doing so they have culled a tremendous following.

Great article on Carl’s Jr. from Conde Naste’s Portfolio magazine 2/08

So I’m loading up on travel info about Kazahkstan (I promise this is the only time I will ever link to the CIA on my blog – click) in hopes of enjoying a Six Dollar Burger (or would that be a 768 Tenge Burger?) on the shores of the Caspian Sea.

And for those that might say I can just go to a Hardees (both owned by CKE Restaurants, Inc.) I would argue – it just isn’t the same.  Maybe it’s just California Dreamin’, but fast food burgers just taste better on the left coast.

Philadelphia, PA: Kabobeesh's Chapli Kabab (Is It A Burger?)

Kabobeesh

4201 Chestnut St

Philadelphia, PA‎

(215) 386-8081

‎

Ok folks, we’re gonna need a ruling…is this a burger?
Add a slice of cheese, a big squishy bun, and oh heck, a slice of bacon and tell me that wouldn’t be about the best darned grilled burger you’ve ever seen?

Of course you won’t get any of that at Kabobeesh, one of West Philly’s hidden gems (which happens to be a Halal restaurant so forget the bacon).  This Pakistani/Afghani/Indian restaurant located in an old diner just blocks from UPENN’s campus is home to some amazing grilled meats, exotic vegetable dishes, truly friendly staff and the delicious (and potentially burger-ish in nature) dish pictured – the Chapli Kabab.

According to the web’s most reliable information clearinghouse – wikipedia:

Chapli kabab is a dish from Peshawar … which is very much popular in Pakistan and Afghanistan. An iconic dish among the Pashtuns, chapli kabab is made from minced beef or lamb, lightly spiced, and cooked on a large flat griddle in animal fats.

Kabobeesh’s version of Chapli Kabab is more than lightly spiced, but nothing outrageous.  This burger tended towards spicy, but was not off-putting in any way.  Maybe zippy is a better way to describe the heat.  Kabobeesh is known for their grilling and the two patties you get with your order came with perfect grille marks.  These were super juicy thanks to the higher fat content of the meat and just shy of medium done-ness.

Now, is it a burger?

The grilled naan bread more than made up for the lack of a bun so… √

They are round and of general burger thickness…another √

No mustard or ketchup in sight, but several unique condiment options available including a neon green mint-y sauce…√

They were darn tasty…√

There you have it – burger it is/was (and will be again).

Menu via menupages

Phoenixville, PA: Spiedie Bistro's "The Darbie"

Spiedie Bistro‎

100 North Bank Street

Phoenixville, PA‎

(610) 983-4300‎

Today I broke one of the “cardinal rules” of roadfood (when the name of a joint is an item on the menu – order it, it has to be good), but as we walked past the windows of this new restaurant located in an alleyway in downtown Phoenixville the first thing that jumped out at me was the listing for  ‘Organic & Grass Fed Bison” which they use for their burgers.  The smell wafting up the street sealed the deal and with barely a second of conversation my wife, daughter and I decided we’d be eating lunch out today.

We try to eat healthy as best we can and “organic” and “grass fed” are usually buzz words I can count on to help convince my wife to give up on her life long dream of becoming a vegetarian.  She would have succeeded for another meal today, but they were out of the portobella mushroom burger.  I have no such designs on casting away my carnivorous traits, so it was just a question of which burger I would get.

I ordered “The Darbie” which at one time came with guacamole, but today was served with “marmalade.”  I asked what was in it and was told it was a combo of “red peppers, sugar and onions.”  Perfect.  They were out of round rolls so mine came on a spiedie-style 10″ long roll.  The bison was cooked medium all the way through and then cut up lengthwise and mixed with the marmalade, lettuce and chopped tomato.  I normally avoid cheese on burgers but when I do I like how it kind of ties together all the parts of the sandwich.  In this case, the marmalade did that job perfectly.  The bison had a peppery taste to it that countered the mild gaminess you can sometimes get from bison.  This was a great burger, one I know I will be enjoying again the next time we get to Phoenixville.

Having spent a portion of my life living in the Southern Tier of New York, I am a huge fan of spiedie’s (meat marinated in italian oil and spices that is then skewered and grilled over a spit) and we have found a decent amout of success recreating the taste at home.  They do up the ante a ton here by crafting their own version of a Philly cheese steak using speidie (chicken) meat.  My wife ordered ‘The Felson” and it was easily one of the best steak sandwiches either of us have had.

We had a side order of the air-baked french fries which were heavily seasoned and tasted as good as anything deep fried.

Opened in March of 2008, this restaurant bills itself as “Fresh, Health & Grilled to Order!”  We found all of that and more.  The guy who waited on us and cooked our food was extremely friendly and you get the sense that this place can attract a big crowd every now and again (it is BYOB, too).

By the way, we were in Phoenixville to go to the Colonial Theater.  This 1903 movie house was featured in the 1958 movie The Blob starring Steve McQueen and today shows a mix of art house flicks, classics and the occasional live event.  Catching a burger (or Spiedie) before a show would be perfect, check their listings here.