Archive for the ‘Meat On Meat’ Category
In All About The Sauce,Burger,Burgernomics,Coney Island Chili,Fries,Hamburger,Johnstown,Marc Sanders,Meat On Meat,Mr. Pibb,Phoenixville,Pie,Real Retro,Scranton on August 1, 2009 by Marc Sanders
Coney Island Lunch
– texas-wiener.com
I am thoroughly convinced that places like Coney Island Lunch exist in every town, except the ones I have lived in. It is some sort of bizarre Murphy’s Law hybrid that (mercifully) keeps me from eating like this every day of my life (which would no doubt be shortened by easier access to food like this). Stereotypically retro, with bustling counter service, a handful of booths, limited menu options and friendly staff, luncheonettes like Coney were a dime a dozen just a few decades ago but are sadly a dying breed in the continued “chaining” of our country.
One of my favorite artists and food bloggers, Hawk Krall, just posted a story about another Coney Island in PA, and a quick Google search reveals a “Coney Island Lunch” spot in just about every nook and cranny of the Keystone State, including the bustling hubs of Erie, Shamokin and Johnstown (where I have personally enjoyed their legendary “Sundowner” – a cheeseburger with chopped onions, “Coney Island” chili sauce, mustard and a fried egg). The Scranton version has been around since 1923 when Steve Karampalis, newly arrived from Greece, started serving hot dogs and burgers to the factory workers and railroad men in this bustling industrial hub.
Truth be told (and man it seems to get murky), this Coney Island Lunch isn’t the same one that Scrantonites would have visited back in the 20’s. The joint we popped into on a recent sunny Sunday opened in 1988. This location, across from the “Mall At Steamtown,” claims direct lineage to the original owner (their grandfather was Steve Karampalis) and the original location a few blocks away – where, coincidentally, you will find a similar restaurant named Coney Island Texas Lunch, which recently reopened after a devastating fire (arson suspected). There seems to be a bit of a turf war in the Electric City over the true “original” and at the risk of adding fuel to that fire, I’m gonna have to side with the folks at the new location (Lackawana Ave) as I’d consider the direct family link the lynchpin in making a decision on who can rightfully claim to be the original.
The first thing that arrived at our table was this heaping serving of gravy fries. They could not have been cooked any better, perfectly crisp on the outside and airy inside, these slightly smaller than steak-fry sized spuds were made all the more incredible by the addition of brown (beef) gravy. Toss on some cheese curds and we’d have poutine, but this is Scranton so none of that French stuff here. To me, gravy fries are the classic diner food staple. I can remember many a post little league game meal with my dad at the now dismantled Vale-Rio Diner in Phoenixville, PA where ordering a bowl of gravy fries was de riguer (there’s that French stuff again, note to self: limit the amount of Fancy Nancy books I read to our 3 year old daughter). Back to the program, the gravy fries were a great start and were quickly joined at the table by the above pictured Texas hot dog and Texas hamburger (left to right in your picture, though you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference before biting in).
When the place is called Coney Island Lunch you can expect an emphasis on “Coney Island Chili,” a traditional no-bean chili (not spicy hot either) made with ground beef, onions, tomato paste and the most popular items from your spice rack. A cauldron endlessly simmers in the storefront kitchen waiting to be heaped on top of a hot dog (Berks brand beef dogs sliced in half if you are keeping score at home) or burger (pretty good beefy patty, though to be honest it really is just a delivery vehicle for the toppings) along with a mound of diced onions and a slathering of Dusseldorf mustard (applied almost artistically, paint brush style during the lightning fast construction phase). Both dogs and burgers are served on the same fresh, pillowy rolls, made by Scranton’s own National Bakery. Slightly hard on the outside, these buns are sturdy enough to help avoid a complete toppings blowout disaster and ensure that you get every bite of the delicious chili. Read More »
In Bacon,Big Burgers,Blogroll,Burger,Burgers & Booze,Cheeseburger,Fries,Hamburger,Marc Sanders,Martin's Potato Rolls,Meat On Meat,Philly Burgers on July 19, 2009 by Marc Sanders
P.Y.T.
The Piazza at Schmidt’s
1050 N Hancock St
Philadelphia, PA 19123
(215) 268-7825
A few people are talking about this place online…just a few – read here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here (the rest of the world still has Crystal Pepsi? Seriously? Damn!), here, here, here, here and oh, here. Holy word of mouth! Well, if there is one thing legendary Philly party-promoter Tommy Up knows how to do it is get people talking and with his latest venture, the uber-hip restaurant/lounge P.Y.T., it is clear another thing Up can do really well is run a burger joint.
Self-described as a California style burger bar, P.Y.T. as a concept is well thought out and its location in the middle of Bart Blatstein’s Piazza At Schmidt’s is both ideal and logical. Indoor seating in stylish booths and at the sleek bar will be more popular in colder months, but on a gorgeous day like we had (a rare example of the idea that it is “Always Sunny in Philadelphia”) the piazza-side tables with lime green umbrellas were the place to be.
I modified my P.Y.T. Burger (toppings are key here) and was able to snap a few pics before eagerly diving in to devour the 1/3 lb.(ish) of beef blanketed (but not buried or overpowered) with a fried egg (preparation nailed – just the slightest bit of yolk ooze), bacon, lettuce, tomato (bright red!), onions, cheese (great melt) and a devilishly sweet onion & mayo secret sauce (note to Colgate – this would make the perfect toothpaste flavor). The burger was heavily seasoned and cooked around the range I requested, not pegged, but to the rarer which is a 1000 times better than going too far. The completed burger stacked pretty high, but everything squished together well and was pretty manageable to eat in mixed company.
As good as the burgers are, the P.Y.T. sign also promotes two other strengths of the restaurant. If the “T: thing” is the burger and the “Y:young” is the music (djs, Steely Dan’s “Kid Charlemagne” was playing as we were leaving – probably not stereotypical but it worked for a Sunday), then “P: pretty” is a really great way to describe the drinks.
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In Bacon,Big Burgers,Blog Post Without Words,Burger,Checkers,Cheese Whiz,Cheeseburger,Coronary,Fast Food Chains,How Am I Not Dead Already?,Marc Sanders,Meat On Meat,Mmmmm Chemicals!,OMFG,Philly Burgers on July 17, 2009 by Marc Sanders Tagged: Shhhhh! Don't Talk...
In Bacon,Burger,Burger Geek,Burger Recipe,Family,Healthy,Home Cookin',Main Line,Meat On Meat,Recipe,Recipes,tweets,Twitter on July 6, 2009 by Marc Sanders
As much as I love iBurger (and the hilarious sounds my daughter makes while playing it) I haven’t found a truly useful burger app for the iPhone (note to self – get off high horse and invent truly useful burger app for iPhone). To the rescue comes a new app from foodie grocery chain Whole Foods featuring a full slate of burger recipes presented in a truly slick interface.
Over 25 burger recipes are featured ranging from the uber-healthy (beef and bulgur burgers) to the truly decadent (stuffed burgers with gorgonzola and smoky bacon).
Nutritional info is provided (and thankfully placed strategically so it is easy to ignore) as are diet keys which help point you to offerings that may/may not fit into your diet (you’ll be happy to know that Sliders are good for those who are “sugar conscious”).
One of the best features (though not burger specific) is called “On Hand” which allows you to type in up to 3 ingredients you have “on hand” and then suggests recipes in the library based on that. Pretty handy to have when you are scraping the refrigerator bottom before shopping day.
We’ll be testing out the slider recipe soon and probably checking in on the app while out shopping to see what we can create.
Whole Foods annual “Buck A Burger” sale ends tomorrow (July 7th) I think. We loaded up and cooked off some of their bacon and blue cheese burgers for lunch yesterday (tweet – Rounding out a weird weekend with some Bacon & Blue Cheese burgers from Whole Foods Buck A Burger sale. http://twitpic.com/9eezw10:41 AM Jul 5th from TweetDeck ) – pretty tasty.
ps: If you are a budding iPhone app designer and are interested in helping create the burgatory iPhone app (and enjoy working for free) drop me a line…we actually do have a neat idea!
In Bacon,Bad TV,Big Burgers,Buffalo Bill,Burger,Burger Recipe,Burgers In The Burbs,Cheeseburger,Dabney Coleman,Family,Food Network,FoodTV,Grass-Fed,Hamburger,Healthy,Marc Sanders,Meat On Meat,Organic,Recipe,Recipes,Twitter on June 9, 2009 by Marc Sanders
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)
In Bacon,Burger,Burger Geek,Burger Recipe,Burgers & Beer,Burgers In The Burbs,Cheeseburger,Family,Hamburger,Home Cookin',Marc Sanders,Meat On Meat,Opportunity Of A Lifetime,Recipe,Recipes,Twitter,Where Have You Been My Whole Life? on May 23, 2009 by Marc Sanders
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) 
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In Big Burgers,Burger,Burger Wars,Cheeseburger,Fast Food Chains,Hamburger,Marc Sanders,Meat On Meat on March 11, 2009 by Marc Sanders
Not ones to sit idly by and let other fast food chains monkey around with their (and our) beloved burger, the fine folks at Checkers (my vote for best guilty pleasure burger joint) have introduced the Prime Rib Burger, thus raising the ante on Arby’s recently launched RoastBurger line by doing the unthinkable – adding an actual burger to a roast beef sandwich. We probably could have seen this coming.
Where Arby’s RoastBurger is a roast beef sandwich flavored and topped to taste like a burger, Checkers’ Prime Rib Burger takes sliced prime rib and, well…having not eaten it yet I’ll just have to trust the marketing spin from their website:
We’re talking about authentic, tender prime rib sliced right off the roast. Piled high on our big and juicy, hand-seared and seasoned burger. With grilled onions, Swiss cheese, and peppercorn mayonnaise between hot and toasted sourdough bread. It’s prime rib done delicious.
As stated previously on this website, (more) meat really is the best burger topping. Fancy sounding peppercorn mayonnaise is intriguing, too. If my travels take me past one of our local double drive-thru’s I’ll update with a picture and a field report.
Bonus: More news on my recent encounter with a Checkers’ Baconzilla! coming later this week.
In Burger,Burger Book Report,Burger Geek,Burger Toys,Burgers In The Burbs,Cheeseburger,Don't Eat That!,Family,Hamburger,Marc Sanders,Meat On Meat,Wooden Burger on March 3, 2009 by Marc Sanders
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!”
In All About The Sauce,Big Burgers,Burger,Burgers & Beer,Cheeseburger,Gastropubs,Hamburger,Marc Sanders,Meat On Meat,Philly Burgers,Recipe,Recipes on February 14, 2009 by Marc Sanders
2201 Christian St
Philadelphia, PA 19146
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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.
In Big Burgers,Burger,Burger Geek,Burger Perfection,Burgers In The Burbs,Hamburger,Marc Sanders,Meat On Meat,Philly Burgers on January 16, 2009 by Marc Sanders
42 Montgomery Ave
Merion Station, PA 19066 [google map]
Phone: 610-664-3544
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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.
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