2012 Recap

A recap of where we were and what we ate in 2012...

Restaurants: 69* (60 of them unique)
States: 8**
Highest Rating: 99 (Daniel, NYC)
Lowest Rating: 65 (Camillia's, New Orleans)
Most Frequented: Pluckemin Inn, Bedminster (average rating: 84)

Our Top Ten Dining Experiences of 2012:

• Daniel, NYC
• Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pontico Hills NY
• Le Bernardin, NYC
• Eleven Madison Park, NYC
• Restaurant Latour, Hamburg NJ
• Herbsaint, New Orleans LA
• Gotham Bar & Grill, NYC
• SAAM at the Mazaar, Los Angeles
• Boulud Sud, NYC
• GW Fins, New Orleans LA

By Cuisine:

• 35% American / New American
• 17% French
• 14% Italian
• 10% Southern / Cajun

Michelin Restaurants:

• Daniel
• Eleven Madison Park
• Le Bernardin
• Minetta Tavern
• Gramercy Tavern
• Gotham Bar & Grill
• Annisa
• A Voce Columbus

Best Casual Eats:

• Pizzeria Bianco, Pheonix AZ
• The Plucky, Tavern at Pluckemin Inn, Bedminster NJ
• Cochon, New Orleans LA
• Rudy's, Austin TX
• Phil's Grill, Scottsdale AZ

__________________________________________________________________
* does not include take out
** US restaurants only, out of country not captured

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.


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).


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.


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
 

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.


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


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


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


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


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


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
 

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


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 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
 

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


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


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


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


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


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


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

2012 Wine Spectator Grand Award Winners

The 2012 Grand Award Winners...
We've managed to get to 17 of these...how many have you been to and which was your favorite?

Restaurant	Location	Country	Cuisine
21 Club	New York, NY	USA	Contemporary American
A Voce Columbus	New York, NY	USA	Italian
Acquerello	San Francisco, CA	USA	Contemporary Italian
Addison	San Diego, CA	USA	French
Alain Ducasse	Paris	France	French
American Hotel, The	Sag Harbor, NY	USA	Contemporary French
Angus Barn, The	Raleigh, NC	USA	Steakhouse
Antica Bottega Del Vino	Verona	Italy	Italian
Athony's in the Catalinas	Tucson, AZ	USA	Continental
Atrio	Caceres	Spain	Spanish
Auerole Las Vegas	Las Vegas, NV	USA	Contemporary American
Bern's Steakhouse	Tampa, FL	USA	Steakhouse
Billy Crews Dining Room	Santa Teresa, NM	USA	American
Bistro a Champlain	Ste. Marquerite-du-Lac-Masson, QC	Canada	French
Blackberry Farm	Walland, TN	USA	American
Blantyre	Lenox, MA	USA	French
Canlis	Seattle, WA	USA	Pacific Northwestern
Commander's Palace	New Orleans, LA	USA	Creole
Crabtree's Kittle House	Chappaqua, NY	USA	Contemporary American
Daniel	New York, NY	USA	French
Del Posto	New York, NY	USA	Italian
Delmonico	Las Vegas, NV	USA	Steakhouse
Don Alfonso 1890	Macao	China	Italian
Eleven Madison Park	New York, NY	USA	American / French
Emeril's New Orleans	New Orleans, LA	USA	Contemporary American
Enoteca Pinchiorri	Florence	Italy	Italian
Flagstaff House Restaurant	Boulder, CO	USA	American / French
French Laundry, The	Yountville, CA	USA	American / French
Gilt	New York, NY	USA	Contemporary American
Graycliff	Nassau	Bahamas	French / Italian
Greenhouse, The	London	England	French / Contemporary
Il Poeta Contadino	Alberobello	Italy	Italian
Inn at Little Washington, The	Washington, VA	USA	American
Joel Robuchon Restaurant	Las Vegas, NV	USA	French
La Pergola	Rome	Italy	Mediterrean
La Tour D'Argent	Paris	France	French
L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon	Las Vegas, NV	USA	French
Le Cinq	Paris	France	French
Le Louis XV - Alain Ducasse	Monte Carlo	Monaco	Mediterrean
Left Bank  at Stonehedge Inn & Spa	Tyngsboro, MA	USA	Contemporary American
Les Amis	Shaw Centre, Singapore	China	French
L'Escalier at the Breakers	Palm Beach, FL	USA	French
Marinus Restaurant	Carmel Valley, CA	USA	California
Michel Rostang	Paris	France	French
Montagna at the Little Nell	Aspen, CO	USA	Regional
Opus Restaurant on Prince Arthur	Toronto, ON	Canada	Continental
Palais Coburg	Vienna	Austria	International
Pappas Bros. Steakhouse Dallas	Dallas, TX	USA	Steakhouse
Pappas Bros. Steakhouse Houston	Houston, TX	USA	Steakhouse
Park & Orchard Restaurant	East Rutherford, NJ	USA	International
Patina	Los Angeles, CA	USA	French / California
Picasso	Las Vegas, NV	USA	French / Mediterranean
Piero Selvaggio Valentino	Las Vegas, NV	USA	Italian
Pluckemin Inn, The	Bedminster, NJ	USA	Contemporary American
Post Hotel Dining Room	Lake Louise, AB	Canada	Contemporary
Restaurant 301 at Hotel Carter	Eureka, CA	USA	French / California
Restaurant Gary Danko	San Francisco, CA	USA	French / California
Restaurant Guy Savoy	Las Vegas, NV	USA	Contemporary French
Restaurant Jorg Muller	Sylt-Westerland	Germany	French / Italian
Restaurant Latour	Hardyston, NJ	USA	French / American
Restaurante Rekondo	San Sebastian	Spain	Basque
RN74	San Francisco, CA	USA	Contemporary
Robuchon Au Dome	Macao	China	French
Rockpool Bar & Grill	Sydney, New South Wales	Australia	Steakhouse
Sierra Mar	Big Sur, CA	USA	California
Spago	Beverly Hills, CA	USA	California
Taillevent	Paris	France	French
Topper's at the Wauwinet	Nantucket, MA	USA	Contemporary American
Tribeca Grill	New York, NY	USA	Contemporary
Tru	Chicago, IL	USA	Contemporary French
Valentino	Santa Monica, CA	USA	Italian
Veritas	New York, NY	USA	Contemporary
Via Allegro Ristorante	Etobicoke, ON	Canada	Italian / French
Wild Ginger	Seattle, WA	USA	Asian
WineSellar & Brasserie, The	San Diego, CA	USA	Contemporary French