Juicy Burger

 

Juicy Burger had a decent burger.  I liked their bun, the portion was reasonable, and the price is right.  I'll take it over Five Guys any day.  It was equivalent to (though less expensive than) the one we had at the bar at New World.  They even have sweet potato fries!!  I heard from a little bird that if I ask for it to be between red and pink it'll be that way--just "pink" by their standards is a bit too done for my liking.

I'm trying my best, you guys.  But I've been spoiled--I found the ideal burger for me (admittedly, not for everyone), and now it's all I want. It's my gold standard, and pretty much nothing else can compare.  Not Rare, not 5 Napkin, not Palena (though many people dig that).   The bun at JB was tasty, and they have some salads if greenery is your kind of thing.

Juicy Burger
5 New Karner Road
Guilderland, NY
(Also in Ballston Spa)

Last Day of July

[Today's photo: storms knock down trees, and it's not only scary looking, it's really dangerous.]

Let's do a little roundup of my favorite late-July links as we ring in the new month.  I love new months.  Sure, rent is due, but this August my cousin is getting married on the first day of the month!  And as the last month of the Jewish year, yiiiikes the High Holy Days are right around the corner. 

State Dinner's Taste of Northern Michigan has a spectacular burger that we thankfully heard more about. I don't know when I'll go to Michigan...ever...but if I do, I need to make a sort of pilgrimage for that burger.

Love this map with descriptions of NoVa neighborhoods and the restaurants that live there, from DCLovesfood. 

You want hot curry?  Well, read about someone eating it over at I Flip For Food, and then check out this picture of someone MAKING it with a gas mask on, from the WSJ Photo Journal.  Love that photo.  Speaking of photos, check out the burgermobile on the Kansas City stretch of Scout NY's road trip.

Another NJ strip mall gem from eNJoyNJ!

I'm also happy to report that Google Analytics is back up and running, providing the following fodder--these are some keywords people used to find iEatDC via search engine:

*  i basically made love to that duck, to be honest witchu
*  pistachio and funion pizza
*  where can i get pickles in a barral [sic] in vineland
*  injera kosher for passover [STILL?!?!?!]
*  patrick o'connell plaid jacket
*AND no fewer than FORTY-EIGHT different searches leading to the blog related to the Pea Puree Debacle.  One person actually just typed "pea puree debacle."  Others were genuinely and earnestly seeking answers. "did alex on top chef really steal ed's pea puree?"  "did the other chefs on top chef know that alex stole the pea puree for hi winning dish?"

Hope you had a wonderful July but have an even better August!  And what in the world is the August shake of the month at BGR???

Weekly Recap: So Hot, So Many Blueberries

 
Blueberries.  They are everywhere, except for in my belly.  I know there are more delicious blueberry dish photos and blog posts to come, and I hope somebody will save me a slice of SOMETHING.  I wonder if you can make booze-filled blueberries the way you can do it with watermelon (thanks Kay819!).   Also this week, Deepthroat did a burger run down not so unlike my cage match a few years ago (and many burger joints ago, now that I think about it).  And DC Wrapped Dates enjoyed Eventide way more than I did (although I went early and without a Groupon...flaws hurt more when they cost more, I've found).  In other local and seasonal news, my garden-in-law is growing nicely, and I look forward to tasting the fruits of others' labor.

This week Barack Obama shocked the nation by returning to Arlington staple (and iEatDC favorite) Ray's Hellburger for the second time.   The Post published Tom's First Bite on Agora on 17th, but we already knew it was good from Mark & Angela's First Bite!


This blog isn't new, but it makes me giggle because--well, obviously.  They Brunch Hard.  So do we!!! 

Cooking co-ops.  There are definitely people I could do this with, if not for the whole proximity thing.

Is breakfast now the sixth most important meal of the day?

And finally, Pepto-Bismol is sponsoring the Nathan's Fourth of July hot dog eating contest.  How fitting.

I wasn't so enamored with food news this week, but these are the items that caught my eye, got shared, got emailed to me, were emailed from me, etc etc.  And also, watch this video (h/t Mel).

Have a great week everyone!!!

Lists Galore! Most Recommended, Favorite Dishes, and To-Eat

Sometimes I make lists.  Personalized Google Maps, library wishlists, and all of that jazz.  Below are some lists that may make it easier to narrow down your dining options.  I'll intersperse the pictures relevant to the list IN BETWEEN as not to disrupt the sanctity of the list.  The first rule of listmaking is that we don't talk about listmaking.  Wait, no, wrong movie.


Let me know what you would add!  I somehow ended up with 9 for the first two.  And also, because I love you, all of the To Do list restaurants have links to the web sites.


9 Frequently Frequented (and Recommended)
2 Amys
Cafe Atlantico
Corduroy
Palena (if you don't get the fry plate and roasted chicken, lie to me and tell me that you did)
Poste
Ray's Hell-Burger
Ray's the Steaks
Vermilion
Zola

 Ravioli at Cafe Atlantico

 
9 Favorite Dishes of the Past Year
These are my favorites from this past year, where I look back and say WOW.  That was interesting, and delicious, and I want to do it again. I'll break it down by meal.

Brunch
Smoked brisket hash at South Congress Cafe - Austin, TX

Starters
Shiitake veloute at Volt 
Pea and parmesan soup at J&G Steakhouse
Conch fritters at Cafe Atlantico
Lamb meatball sliders from Zola

Lunch 
Turkey salad sandwich at Jetties

Dinner
PIZZA at DiFara's Pizza - Brooklyn, NY
Cavatelli with rabbit ragu and fava beans at B&B Ristorante (ok, barely a year ago!) in Las Vegas
Ripieno basilico from 2 Amys  (most recently consumed in March.  Before that, December.)

Brisket hash at South Congress Cafe

Turkey salad sandwich at Jetties

On My To-Do List (excluding places where we have pending  reservations):
Againn
Black Market Bistro
Café Green (their web site makes weird things happen to my computer, I don't like it)
Café India
Cava
CommonWealth Gastropub
CityZen
Eatonville
Eola
Ethopic
Granville Moore’s
Kushi
La Ferme Restaurant
Los Cuates
Masa 14
minibar
Obelisk
Oyamel (for brunch - been for dinner, want the migas)
Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza (Ten-Frien, I'm looking at you!)
Potenza
Spices
Surfside (J has been THREE TIMES. WTH)
Sweetgreen (what?! I’ve never had a salad from Sweetgreen. Only fro yo. I want it!)
Tabard Inn
Taylor Gourmet
The Inn at Little Washington (special occasion, where are you?)
Vinoteca
Westend Bistro

Bourbon Steak, Lounge

Fries cooked in duck fat.  The words alone could give you a cardiac arrest.  And yet I've eaten them here, here, and now at Bourbon Steak.  YUM.  This incarnation has three varieties--regular, Old Bay (of course), and white cheddar.  The flavors are subtle, and the accompanying dips are straight up ketchup, bbq sauce, and...the yellow-ish one that was fluffy and I loved it, but I have no idea what it was. Listen, the fries were one cocktail in on an empty stomach, and it was late.

Speaking of cocktails.  J enjoyed the Moscow Mule for the second time (second place, 4th Mule, really). He was only slightly disappointed that it didn't come in the traditional copper mug.  Ginger beer is so awesome.  I first enjoyed the Kerouac Cocktail, a pink (ahem, grapefruit) number that wasn't overly sweet, but just right.  Later I moved to the Pear Brandy Sidecar.  I liked both, but the sugar rim on the PBS was a bit too much for me.  Also, next time I have to try something with an egg white in it.  I love protein in unexpected places.   Oy, and the warm, spiced nuts.  They just kept comin'.

The burger was awesome.  Awesome awesome awesome.  Really juicy, a slight crunch on the outside, a great bun...can't go wrong.  I had the duck lettuce cups, it was my restraint--after all, I don't eat that much red meat, and two big burgers in 7 days is just not going to fly.  But J did share. The lettuce cups were nice, although they weren't what I had in mind--I was imagining shredded saucy duck, but it was cubed.  Loved the Thai flavors.  Very fresh, very delish.  And light--I had room for more cocktails, thank goodness.

Burger is a lil' fuzzy in the low light.

It was actually really cute, for some reason our server thought we were sharing the burger (nice idea!) and brought it split in half on metal skewers.  The guy next to us gasped and said, "That looks awesome."  He was an older guy, professional, wearing a suit.  But I guess that's the only way to describe the scene.
 
We were supposed to go to Bourbon Steak last year for J's birthday, but ended up canceling our reservation for a very good reason, then never rebooked.  The price tag is steep ($145 6 oz filet, anyone?), but we're suckers for anything Four Seasons-related, and damn do we love a good burger.  The lounge was PERFECT for us.  It's classy enough for a date (and not particularly crowded or loud), the food is awesome, the drinks are great, and you're eating for a fraction of the dining room price.    

Bourbon Steak
Four Seasons Hotel
2800 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Metro: Blue and Orange Lines to Foggy Bottom

Noshin' Around NYC

Obviously, I can't get enough of New York.  When you grow up living close to NY there is a lot you take for granted, most notably pizza and bagels (although I'll swear up and down that the best bagels are actually in NJ at several establishments).  And even though we've got old favorites, ya gotta try something new every now and again.

So we've gone over and over my love of eggs.  You know the drill by now.  Also: Burgers...or really, one burger in particular.  What do you get when you put an egg ON a burger? 

Pure joy.  This is the very juicy Brunch Burger at Five Napkin Burger in Hell's Kitchen (there's another on the UWS).  I got mine cooked medium, and there were some nice juices running out of it when I cut it.  Juices + egg yolk, and I'm in heaven.

Above and below are some action shots of a very worthy subject--the lamb kofta burger, topped with some awesome tahini sauce and tomato/cucumber/pepper/onion salad.

This burger (and its toppings) was pretty delicious, but we both agreed that the Zola one was better.  But for nearby & a reasonable price, 5NB is a great fit.  AND the fries are hot and crispy.

It's cool that you can make a reservation, especially because this place gets PACKED at night.  Very convenient to the theaters.  Service was great.

Five Napkin Burger
630 9th Avenue @ 45th Street

You can't go to a Broadway show without a snack for intermission.  The chocolate chunk cookie and chocolate macaron from Bouchon Bakery fit the bill perfectly.  We meant to eat breakfast at Bouchon in Las Vegas, but the pasta tasting menu the night before made that unwise.  This Time Warner Center outlet is quite convenient, and ladies let me tell you, the TWC has one of the nicest public bathrooms in Manhattan.  The cookie is top notch.  You can taste the buttery brown sugaryness of it.  It has depth.  Not as in many inches of depth, but flavor depth.  The (big) macaron is divine.   The delicate cookie is light and crisp on the outside, but soft and ganache-y on the inside.  Oh man.  (My love of macarons is well documented.)

Besides delicious pastries of all stripes, you can grab sandwiches like fluffer nutter or grilled cheese (w/tomato soup of course) to go, for one of the free-for-all tables hanging around, OR you can go to the cafe, which has table service!  I was all about the counter service.  I'm on the move, people.  Also, at some point, TWC is super nice and Bouchon is delicious and fancy, but we're in a mall.  Glorified mall, but still.

Extra props to L for saving my arse with some photos when my phone froze for the first (and hopefully last) time.

Bouchon Bakery
10 Columbus Circle, 3d Floor

What in the world is that?  That's what you are thinking.  It's a chocolate cream filled cupcake from Kitchenette.  I thought of it less as a cupcake and more of a Hostess cake.  We also had one filled with peanut butter (that looked almost identical, but the filling was...peanut buttery).  I didn't sink my teeth into either of these until two days after they were purchased.  I'm sure fresh off the rack the cake would have been more moist, but the inside was still quite good.  We ate them out of the fridge, but I would have LOVED if they'd been in the freezer.  Because that's how I am.

At Kitchenette, J enjoyed the Tex-Mex, scrambled eggs, chili, sour cream, and grilled cornbread.  He said the cornbread was the highlight, it was really fluffy.  And he wished for more chili.   [Ed note: he just sent me a photo of the breakfast, and how he did not mention earlier that the eggs and chili were neatly piled atop the cornbread, I have no idea.  ART!]  But the peach iced tea was superb (and served in a mason jar).

Kitchenette Restaurant
156 Chambers Street

 

There you go.  More places to eat in NY.  And I wasn't the only one spending the weekend away!
  
This week flew by waaay too fast, so I think I'll have to Round Up on Saturday instead of Friday!

Friday Fulla Tourists

Yes, it's that time again.  You're stuffed into the Metro with your heels in your bag, balancing your newspaper while not touching anyone around you, and the group in matching t-shirts is holding everything up, throwing everyone off.  WELCOME, VISITORS.  THIS IS RUSH HOUR.  ISN'T IT GREAT?

We celebrated a birthday this week, and we had some awesome weather.  High fives all around.

I can't believe my seder is Monday--if you've never seen an Ikea table + 3 folding card tables lined up, you're missing out!

I'm planning on making these cool charoset balls, obv the chocolate drop cookies (put them in the freezer, you won't regret it), and I put out a call through Google reader for someone to make Modern Domestic's pretty chocolate/almond/orange/praline tart.  Bossiest hostess ever...

Awesome story about an Iranian seder, and the family that comes along with it. 

In other (non Kosher for Passover) news, my in-laws are super into tea, and I've got to bring them some of these Earl Gray Cookies.  If only Inkpad herself would whip them up...I'd pay!

Michel Richard is whipping up pie in the sky...or rather, airplane food (via We Love DC).

More reasons to go out for Ethiopian food--turns out the stuff injera is made of is the #1 superfood for runners (via Runners Kitchen).

And a simpler, still delicious pie, from Eat, Run, Read--the lovely D sent me the link to that blog a few weeks ago, and it talks about most of my favorite things.  And the cupcake in her header graphic is SO CUTE.  And to think I almost named this blog Eat, Jog At A Moderate Pace, Read Sometimes, But Mostly Listen To Podcasts.  Didn't really flow, though.

Lastly, can we talk for a second about the Italian Store and BGR being in the same shopping center?  For serious?  DANGEROUS!

Have a great weekend everyone!  Kite festival, cherry blossoms, or wherever else it takes you.  Hopefully to brunch!  I leave you with happy flowers...

Franklin's

First, SORRY to all the Google Reader subscribers who saw a Franklin's post the other day and got super excited, only to see it blank--I published by accident and even though I deleted it, I cannot control the feed.  AHHHH I AM OUT OF CONTROL. Please accept this apology, and this internet hug as token of my affection ::hug::

Ahem.

I drove past Franklin's in downtown Hyattsville literally hundreds of times before having lunch there recently.  And now I can't wait to go back!  Preferably after work-hours though, because by the way, this place is also a brewery, and the brewer, Mike Roy, started last month--he's blogging here.  On this particular lunch day I went for Franklin's root beer--not particularly fizzy, but a nice change from the old brand and name.  If it's local, I want to try it.


First E had a cup of chili.  I tasted it, and it was just delicious.  Really flavorful, not spicy, and filled with veggies and beans. 

Next came the sliderfest--I had a seasonal special: Chinese Barbecued Duck Sandwiches.  Three little sandwiches (on the most delightful cornmeal crusted buns) with shredded duck drenched in hoisin barbecue sauce. I LOVED that this wasn't one big ducky sandwich, because something shredded and saucy would have turned the bread into a soggy mess.  And there were THREE, so I could trade one with E for one of hers.   My shoestring-type fries were pretty good, but they weren't super hot.  I could see how piping hot they would be awesome, though.

E got the Nickel Curves--3 housemade merguez burgers, or lamb sliders, topped with tzatziki.  Super yummy lamby flavor, and a major texture shock after eating my sandwiches.  I was transported to a place quite Mediterranean, and if I made a giant bowl of Israeli salad I'd love to serve these little gems at my house. 

This place gets a big lunch crowd, but there's plenty of space.  Check out that upstairs!  With the TVs and everything!  And by the way, there's a "general store" connected to it--knick knacks, toys, tchotchkes, and also wine & beer.  And I spied this across the street, knitty friends.

Options in this area are slim, but if you work in the area or it's in between a friend's place and yours, definitely go to Franklin's.  There are at least half a dozen things on the menu I'd like to try next time--I should bring some friends. 


Franklin's
5121 Baltimore Ave
Hyattsville, MD
Metro: Red line to Rhode Island Ave or Green Line to College Park, then a Metrobus that gets you to Franklin's on Route 1.  There's gotta be a few.  Or drive!  Parking in the lot next door is 25 cents per hour--major bargain compared to the meters in Arlington.

Ray's News, Courtesy of WaPo

Ray's the Steaks, Ray's the Bar, Ray's the Classics, Ray's Hell-Burger, and coming soon Ray's the Glass, Ray's the Game, and Ray's the Catch.  Read about the news that Hell-Burger is moving down the street (I guess to the base of the Bennett Park Apartments, based on the address) to make way for Ray's the Game.  No clue when, but I'm sure our pal (jk, we don't know him) Michael Landrum will keep us posted somehow.  We've been waiting on the Catch for a while...

Thank goodness I follow @tomsietsema  on Twitter!

BGR The Burger Joint

This Bethesda (and Alexandria and Dupont) burger joi--er, outlet bills its offering as the" one burger you MUST HAVE before you die."  Now that's taking it a little far.  That said, PLEASE get to your local Burger Joint and have the shake of the month before November ends.  The flavor is pumpkin pie, and the results are OH MY GOSH delicious.  Really.  Just go.

J and B enjoyed the burger of the month on a recent voyage: Thanksgiving On A Bun.  TOAB is a deliciously moist and well-seasoned turkey burger topped with cornbread stuffing, cranberries, and gravy.  I had to do something other than ALL CAPS to show you how amazing I think those toppings are.  Variety is the spice of life, people!

TOAB was great, and the sweet potato fries (and regular for traditionalists) are pretty good, too.  Even the veggie burger is yum--smoky and full of lots o' bits of good stuff.

I didn't have a regular burger, but I'm sure it's good.  Better than Ray's?  I'll have to go back to render that verdict.  For now, the only advantage I see for BGR is that you can bring your vegetarian plus-one there without damning them to a mac 'n' cheese existence (LC i'm looking at you!). 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!!!!


BGR: The Burger Joint
4827 Fairmont Ave
Bethesda, MD
Metro: Red Line to Bethesda (and other locations in Dupont & Old Town, Alex)

NYC: Burgers & Pizza

I spent a little too much time in NY this summer. As you may recall, it wasn't entirely by choice. The upside is, I got to eat there. And plenty. Here's a small sampling, to be supplemented at a later date when I FINALLY remember to add the pictures from Sip Sak--one of my favorite NYC meals. Not sure if it was the company (what up L!) or my intense love for Turkish food--prob a combination of the two.

Moving on! Ray's Hellburger is the only place worth eating a burger, with very few exceptions. It's the juiciest, most flavorful burger I've ever had in my life, and by it I mean the many that I have consumed since July 2008 (wow, has the year gone by that fast?). But if you're out of town, Rare in NYC is super fun and has a perfectly acceptable burger. And there are TWO! One on Lexington & 37thish and one on Bleecker, sooo you know that if you go to the one on Bleecker you should probably go to 16 Handles afterward.





Something Ray's does NOT have (which is fine with me, because I like the simplicity of the menu) that makes Rare shine are the frickles. Yes. Frickles. [Fried pickles.] Yummy hot crunchy coating with cool crunchy pickles inside--I couldn't get enough. Also, SWEET POTATO FRIES (sweet & salty, favorite combo)!!

So go! Drink beer! Eat Frickles! Enjoy!




Obviously you need to eat pizza in NY--it can even be after you have dinner at Rare, but you should wait about 4 hours or so. No worries, Delizia is open LATE! Delizia is a place we always return to, and that would be even MORE the case if we actually lived in NY. Before we hit the Turnpike home? Pizza at Delizia. After day 1 of the bar exam, when you're feeling super defeated and confused? Eggplant parm at Delizia. It's a cure to all pangs of hunger!



Pepperoni "Pinwheel," one of L's favorites.



Delizia
1374 1st ave, ny, ny

ANNOUNCEMENT: CHEAP EDIBLE FOOD COMING TO ADAMS MORGAN...in the form of Hellburger!!!!

Read it to believe it, ya'll. (Maybe this will free up seats from VA tourists--aka DC residents--heading to Arlington.)

OK, maybe Wash Biz J isn't a reputable source. Denied, by Michael Landrum.

Ray's Hell-Burger Moving a Few Doors Over

Ray’s Hell-Burger is moving to the old Ray’s the Steaks spot—same shopping center, but a few doors down. The space is a bit bigger, but I’m not sure if you’ll still be able to watch your meat get sliced/ground/thrown on the grill, but Landrum says counter service will remain.

Does this mean that it will now have a sign?!

Quicker food makes us happy. I haven’t been since Obama’s visit. Not for fear of crowds, but just because I haven’t had one of those iron-deprived weeks leading me to desire an enormous delicious burger. I’m OK with Ray’s the Catch not opening this summer, Landrum’s had a lot of action recently with Ray’s moving, yada yada.

1713 will be the Hell Express. Mmmm fast burgers, my faaaavorite. If only there were a nearby picnic area...


Ray’s Hell-Burger
Soon to be 1725 Wilson
Same Strip Mall, Different Spot

Ray's Hell-Burger has the best burger in Virginia...

According to the Food Network!

Not that I'm surprised. You all know my obsession. HELP. I AM IN NEED OF IRON. I NEED LOTS AND LOTS OF RED MEAT, FRESHLY GROUND PREFERABLY K THX.

Thanks Dan Rockwell thread.

NEWS! Ray's Hell-Burger--Still Delicious, New Side Dish Added

VEGETARIANS, READ NO FURTHER. KTHXBYE.*

I have no idea when the new side dish appeared. Anyone? Comments? (I don't know because I'm not allowed to have Ray's more than once every three or so weeks...let's be honest, no one should. It's a huge amount of red meat for one person. You need to space that stuff out, ya'll. I care about each and every one of you, and I want you to live for a very, very, very long time.)

We both got blackened burgers cooked "recommended." J got Vermont white cheddar, grilled peppers, and heck sauce. I got grilled onions and dill pickle chips. We noticed the blackened was kicked up a notch--previously it was difficult to distinguish between grilled and blackened, but tonight we felt the heat! And we liked it! On the side were cheese tater puffs, these little buttery balls of pretty-good-ness (they were good, but not AMAZING--definitely more interesting than French fries, though). When did these little guys appear? Last time we checked the options were potato salad, mac & cheese, and coleslaw. Wow, I didn't realize coleslaw was one word.

The Boylan's Diet Root Beer tasted flat, but the Cheerwine I had next made me forget about all that sadness.

And yeah, that's my hand in the picture. There was another picture that DIDN'T have half of my blurry hand in it, but I want you to really get a sense of how hungry I was, and how I didn't want to wait for a picture to be taken before tasting one of the fluffy puffy thingies. And not bad for a camera-phone picture, right?!

*I <3 you vegetarians, but there's nothing for you here. No veggie burgers, no fish sandwiches, no fake meat, no Portobello mushroom situation...

Ray's Hell-Burger
1725 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA
Metro: Orange Line to Court House, or an uphill walk from Rosslyn on Orange or Blue