Philadelphia, PA: P.Y.T.'s "P.Y.T. Burger"

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.

Words Cannot Describe: The Baconzilla from Checkers

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).

Philadelphia, PA: goodburger's $4.99 burger special

1725 Chestnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 569-4777

Had a meeting with one of our customers the other day that went particularly well and during the walk back to the car we passed goodburger (is it always lower-case?) and their strategically placed placard touting their contribution to the recession busting craze – the $4.99 burger and soda special.  Agreement on going in was almost non-verbal (scary) and as usual, goodburger delivered.

The special is for the small version of their regular 7 oz burger, but at 5.5 oz it is considerably larger than many competitors and comparable to the offerings at Five Guys in the same neighborhood (price-wise).  The burger-to-bun ratio was way off though and really the only downer.  The stock art they chose for the ad shows your typical white squishy bun that might have been sized better, but the kaiser roll that this came on was too wide leaving a few too many hollow bites.  Minor hiccups though.

The toppings were stellar.  Surprising to see such a deep red tomato this early in the year (most likely not a NJ grown fruit, but that’s ok) with such great flavor.  Great crispy raw onions and a nice flap of iceberg lettuce rounded out the healthy bits.

I ordered mine medium and it was done to a “t.”  My co-worker ordered one medium-rare and after a minimal attempt to talk her out of it (might be standard operating procedure) they delivered her burger exactly as requested.

All told complete happiness.  $4.99 is more than fair for the quality (including soda w/refills – basically the soda is free if you use their normal menu as a guide since they do offer a 5.5 oz burger at that price point – so more packaging then huge savings, but heck I’m a sucker for a good marketing ploy).  It was listed as a limited time special, but they actually had some printed materials which leads me to believe this one may last a while.  Here’s to hoping we have more clients downtown eager to discuss the wonders of cash management and remote deposit capture technologies.

ps:  This special was offered at the goodburger in Philadelphia.  Not certain if they are offering a similar special in NYC.

pss:  Just saw that the next “meating” of the Phila. Burger Club (organized by Fries With That Shake) is taking place at goodburger this Saturday 5/16.  Click through to their site for more details.

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!

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

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.

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.

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

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.

Menu via menupages

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

Kabobeesh

4201 Chestnut St

Philadelphia, PA‎

(215) 386-8081

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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