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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Best Burgers in the US (Food & Wine)

In an article appearing today (11/27/2012) on www.foodandwine.com, they listed what they consider the best burgers in the United States. You'll see their picks reprinted below.

I've only had five of the 23 burgers listed below - Ray's Hell Burger, BLT Burger, Shake Shack, Father's Office and In-N-Out - so it's hard to know if I align with the choices on the F&W list. I've been to two other establishments; Minetta Tavern in NYC but didn't try the burger  & Gott's in Napa when it was still called Taylor's Refresher and did love the traditional cheeseburger, not the Ahi burger they listed in this article.

Of the five, I think all of those deserve a spot on this list. I would have also included Five Guys (yes, it's that good), the burger from Wolfgang Puck's Postrio in Las Vegas and most recently the burger from Phil's Grill at Gray Wolf Golf Course in Scottsdale, AZ.

What do you think - did they get it right? Are they missing an excellent burger? How many of these have you tried?


Arlington, VA: Ray's Hell Burger
Signature Burger: Basic Beef Burger (served in a brioche bun). Dedicated fans—a certain president included—come here for the freshly ground burgers with and complimentary toppings like grilled onions and mushrooms sautéed in sherry and Cognac.
Arlington, VA: Ray's Hell Burger

Ohio: B-Spot Burgers
Signature Burger: Lola Burger. Michael Symon, F&W Best New Chef 1998, specializes in "meat on meat" burgers at his Ohio-based chain B-Spot. Named after his Cleveland flagship, the Lola Burger could almost double as a breakfast sandwich since it's piled high with bacon and a fried egg (in addition to pickled red onions, cheddar cheese and mayo).
Ohio: B-Spot Burgers

Las Vegas, NV: BLT Burger
Signature Burger: BLT Burger with BLT Burger Sauce (bacon-and-red-onion-topped chuck and sirloin burger on a bed of lettuce, tomato and tarragon Russian dressing) At BLT Burger in Las Vegas, chef Laurent Tourondel brushes burgers with butter while they're on the grill. The natural sugars caramelize, making the meat extra-delicious.
Las Vegas, NV: BLT Burger

New York City: Peter Luger
Signature Burger: Luger Burger (served with raw onions and house-made steak sauce, served in a sesame bun). The broiled "Luger Burger"—prepared with a porterhouse and prime chuck blend—at this legendary steakhouse is served only during lunch until 3:45 p.m. peterluger.com
New York City: Peter Luger 

Hackensack, NJ: White Manna
Signature Burger: Cheeseburger (topped with onions, served in a soft bun).
This old-school diner has built its reputation on heavenly sliders piled high with thin-cut onions. It's been using the same butcher for the past 50 years.
Hackensack, New Jersey: White Manna

New York City: Shake Shack
Signature Burger: ShackBurger (Black Angus beef patty topped with American cheese, tomato, lettuce, and "Shack Sauce," served in a grilled potato bun).
Uber restaurateur Danny Meyer's beloved mini empire has a cult following among Gotham burger geeks. Must-order items include the ShackBurger (served with American cheese, tomato, lettuce, and "Shack Sauce" in an old-fashioned wax paper wrapper) and a "hand-spun" chocolate-and-peanut-butter custard shake. shakeshacknyc.com
New York City: Shake Shack

Healdsburg, CA: Healdsburg Bar & Grill
Signature Burger: HBG Burger (fresh-ground Meyer Natural Angus beef patty topped with Alexander Valley Gourmet pickles, served in a toasted Costeaux Bakery sourdough bun; roasted garlic mayonnaise on the side). For his terrific burger, star chef Douglas Keane uses a 70-30 lean-to-fat ground beef ratio. healdsburgbarandgrill.com

Boston, MA: Craigie on Main
Signature Burger: Beefburger. Star chef Tony Maws adds bone marrow and dehydrated miso to his Bar Burger, and cooks it in a low heat CVap oven, followed by a quick char on the plancha. craigieonmain.com
Boston, MA: Craigie on Main

Dearborn, MI: Miller's Bar
Signature Burger: World Famous Ground Round Burger (ground round beef topped with Velveeta, mustard, ketchup, dill pickle chips and onions). The popular no-frills burgers here have been served since the late 1940s. millersbar.com
Dearborn, MI: Miller's Bar

Meriden, CT: Ted's
Signature Burger: Steamed Cheeseburger (prepared with Vermont cheddar).
Ted's has been serving its steamed burgers—a regional specialty—since 1959. tedsrestaurant.com
Meriden, CT: Ted's

Washington D.C: Palena Café
Signature Burger: Palena Cheeseburger (Kobe-style beef patty topped with Sottocenere al Tartufo truffled cheese and garlic mayonnaise, served in a house-baked roll with housemade pickles). Former White House chef Frank Ruta's much-lauded burgers can be had in the boisterous front room. palenarestaurant.com
Washington D.C: Palena Café

New York City: Little Owl
Signature Burger: Bacon Cheeseburger. Chef Joey Campanaro gets his beef from famed Manhattan purveyor Pat LaFrieda and serves each burger on a house-baked bun, with just a hint of molasses. Pickles from legendary purveyor Guss' Pickles are served on the side. thelittleowlnyc.com
New York City: Little Owl 

Los Angeles: Father's Office
Signature Burger: The Office Burger (dry-aged beef patty topped with Gruyère cheese, Maytag blue cheese, arugula and applewood-bacon compote). Sang Yoon's noodle bar Lukshon might be getting a ton of buzz, but the provocative chef first made his name with his dry-aged beef burgers. Among the finest in the country, they justify the strict no-ketchup policy. The 36 craft beers on tap change seasonally. fathersoffice.com
Los Angeles: Father's Office

New York City: The Spotted Pig
Signature Burger: Spotted Pig Burger. When the Pig opened in 2004, it was known mostly for its celebrity owners—Jay-Z and Mario Batali, to name two. Now April Bloomfield is famous in her own right for her excellent gastropub menu, which includes an excellent burger made with brisket, rump and chuck, topped with Roquefort cheese. thespottedpig.com
New York City: The Spotted Pig 

New Haven, CT: Louis' Lunch
Signature Burger: The Original Burger (prepared with a combination of chuck and sirloin beef). Many restaurants claim to be the birthplace of the hamburger. Louis' Lunch, in New Haven, Connecticut, since 1900, is a leading contender. The meaty hand-shaped patties are grilled on antique cast-iron broilers over an open flame. louislunch.com
 New Haven, CT: Louis' Lunch

Napa: Gott's Roadside
Signature Burger: Ahi Burger (seared Ahi tuna burger topped with ginger-wasabi mayonnaise and Asian slaw, served in a toasted egg bun). Brothers Joel and Duncan Gott's witty, reimagined '50s diner used to be named Taylor's Refresher, but it's still a Napa-area favorite for comfort cravings—especially burgers. gottsroadside.com
Napa: Gott's Roadside

Chicago: David Burke Primehouse
40 Day Dry Aged Prime Steak Burger. In its simplest incarnation, this juicy burger is topped with sautéed garlic spinach, crispy fried shallots and bacon mayonnaise. Additional toppings include fried pickles, a fried egg, superspicy “angry” shrimp and crab-and-asparagus hollandaise sauce. davidburkesprimehouse.com


Buffalo Gap, TX: Perini Ranch Steakhouse
Signature Burger: Ranch Burger (topped with mushrooms, onions, green chiles and choice of cheddar or provolone cheese). Self-taught cowboy cook Tom Perini masters the art of open-flame cooking using mesquite coals at his hay barn turned steakhouse, smack in the middle of the state. periniranch.com
Buffalo Gap, Texas: Perini Ranch Steakhouse

San Francisco: Zuni Café
Signature Burger: House-ground hamburger (served in a grilled rosemary focaccia). Instead of traditional cucumber pickles, legendary chef-owner Judy Rodgers accents her burgers with thin-cut zucchini strips pickled in apple cider vinegar, mustard seeds and turmeric. zunicafe.com
San Francisco: Zuni Café

California: In-N-Out Burger
Signature Burger: Cheeseburger. Even superstar chef Thomas Keller is a fan of the West Coast chain—and with good reason. The cooked-to-order burgers are made with beef from Southwest ranches and served with hand-cut fries. For a messier, more indulgent experience, order your burger "Animal Style" for extra sauce and chopped grilled onions. in-n-out.com
California: In-N-Out Burger

Chicago, IL: Custom House Tavern
Signature Burger: Custom House Burger (short rib and sirloin patty topped with aged cheddar cheese and shaved onion, served in a sourdough brioche bun). The "Custom House Burger" comes with house-made steak sauce and hand-cut fries. customhouse.cc
Chicago: Custom House Tavern

Atlanta, GA: Holeman & Finch
Signature Burger: Burger (two cheeseburgers on a house-made bun). Star chef Linton Hopkins announces "burger time"—10 p.m.—with the ringing of two bull horns; that's when two dozen grass-fed beef burgers are up for grabs and consistently sold out within minutes. The burgers are also available on the Sunday brunch menu. holeman-finch.com
Atlanta: Holeman & Finch

New York City: Minetta Tavern
Signature Burger: Black Label Burger (topped with caramelized onions). Minetta Tavern's excellent burgers use a beef blend—dry-aged rib eye, skirt steak, brisket and short rib—from famed purveyor Pat LaFrieda, and buns from Balthazar Bakery. minettatavernny.com
New York City: Minetta Tavern

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