What's in a Name?...

A burger of any other name would taste just as delicious...

Why is called a hamburger if it's made of beef?

If you're wondering this very thing, you're not alone... And the answer is very simple!

The very first hamburger was created in 
Hamburg, Germany! 

The exact origin is still a bit fuzzy, though. Here's a couple theories to chew on:

-German immigrants who traveled to the United States during the 19th century brought with them their favorite meal called Hamburg Style Beef-- a raw chopped, piece of beef.

-A group of nomadic people called the Tartars tenderized their beef by placing it under a horse's saddle--flattening it into a patty. 

-Residents of Hamburg, New York, which was named after Hamburg, Germany, attribute the hamburger to Ohioans Frank and Charles Menches. According to legend, the Menches brothers were vendors at the 1885 Erie County Fair when they ran out of sausage for sandwiches and used beef instead, naming the result after the location of the fair.

-Some argue Americans placed the first cooked beef patty on a roll at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1921.

-The Seymour Community Historical Society of Seymour, Wisconsin, credit Charlie Nagreen. Now known as "Hamburger Charlie," Nagreen was fifteen when he reportedly made sandwiches out of meatballs he was selling at the 1885 Outagamie County Fair (now the Seymour Fair), so that customers could eat while walking. The Historical Society explains that Nagreen named the hamburger after the Hamburg steak with which local German immigrants were familiar.

and finally...

-In April of 1995, the Dallas Morning News reported that an Oklahoma author says Tulsa beats out Texas as the birthplace of hamburgers. Michael Wallis, author of "Route 66, The Mother Road," was quoted by the newspaper to say he had discovered Tulsa's place in culinary history. The discovery was made while researching the state’s tastiest hamburgers. What better place to start than the restaurant that has been voted Tulsa's best burger more often than any other restaurant since 1933…Weber’s Root Beer Stand.

Mr. Wallis’ research revealed that Oscar Weber Bilby was the first person to serve a real hamburger. On July 4, 1891, ground beef was served on his wife’s homemade buns. The Fourth of July party took place on his farm, just west of present day Tulsa. Until then, ground beef had been served in Athens, Texas on simple slices of bread, known presently and then as a "patty melt." According to the Tulsa-based author, the bun is essential. Therefore, in 1995, Governor Frank Keating cited Athens, Texas' feat of ground beef between two slices of bread to be a minor accomplishment. (Editor's note: understandable.)

The Governor's April 1995 Proclamation also cites the first true hamburger on the bun, as meticulous research shows, was created and consumed in Tulsa in 1891.

The Governor's Proclamation cites April 13, 1995 as Tulsa as  

"The Real Birthplace of the Hamburger."

^{All hail Tulsa. Whatever you believe as the true origin of our beloved sandwich, let's take it all with a grain of sesame and just acknowledge that we're all grateful that it did get invented and keep the dream of the Germans, Tartars, or Oklahomans ALIVE!}

^{All information was taken from multiple sites including 
Wikipedia.com & iabeef.org.}

Sonic of Totowa!

How many of you had the chance to visit the new Sonic in North Jersey?? I went this past weekend for the first time (my second Sonic experience) and, at 2am, it definitely hit the spot. We hit the drive-thru, as at that hour the drive-in spots are closed off, and I indulged in a Sonic Bacon Cheeseburger (no mayo) with a small fry and shared a Popcorn Chicken with friends. Portions were perfect in that late-night, I-need-something-to-happily-satisfy-my-tummy-before-I-pass-out kind of way. Nothing obscenely huge. The small fry was indeed refreshingly small. Since this particular Sonic is open 24 hours and is located on Route 46 in Totowa, near many posh bars and clubs, I predict it will do VERY well in its location and definitely recommend it for late-night cravings!


(photo is NOT of Totowa location)

Burgers & Cupcakes: the best of both worlds!

It was only a matter of time until I had my very first review up! The time has definitely come that I share with you my thoughts and feelings for the best (and worst) burger spots in the metro area! Last weekend I had the definite pleasure of trying Burgers & Cupakes.

My rating system is simple and easy to follow. In this blog, we may discuss items like bun, fries, pickle, and so on with such depth and passion that we might lose sight of the best part... the burger!!! That tender, juicy burger patty is what matters most. Thus, the prestigious 5-patty prize will go to only the best burgers!

Burgers & Cupcakes

Burger Flavor: 4

Creativity (selection): 4

French Fries: 3

Juiciness: 4

 Bun: 2

Atmosphere: 1

Service: 3

If you just clicked on the link above, I must first warn you: DO NOT attempt to visit the address at the bottom of the page. My date and I learned this the hard way. Apparently, there used to be a Burgers & Cupcakes at this location, but I can assure you, it is there no longer. We walked up and down 23rd street between 7th and 9th Avenues desperately hoping that we somehow missed the giant cupcake awning. Go with the location that shows up in the Google search: 9th Ave between 35th & 36th.

Now that that's taken care of, we can get down to business. The business of burgers. The place itself was mediocre, at best. Pretty bare, with only a few attempts at a retro feeling with some desperate print-outs of 25-cent burgers. However, we were pleasantly greeted by a brunette working the register across the room. She told us to choose our own seats and that there was table service. Upon walking in at 7:30, the place was nearly empty and intimate. Despite the primitiveness of the menu and the bleak atmosphere, tiny candles flickered on each table--cute and charming. By the time we left at 8, most of the some fifteen tables were filled.

If you know me even a little, you'll know that I may adore burgers, but sweets are my #1 (don't be surprised at all if new ice cream & sweet shops show up on this blog now and then). Thus, when I heard about this place, I was there in a flash! Burgers & Cupcakes?? Are you kidding me? I have to say both treats lived up to my expectations.

You can choose from a very wide selection of burger patties: Venison or Ostrich for the risk-takers and Beef or Turkey for the faint-hearted. I had the beef. Not for lack of guts, but I feel like it's my duty as a first-timer at places (and now a reviewer) that I have the traditional burger to be the most fair.

I asked for medium and definitely got medium. It was cooked through without foregoing juicyness and the right amount of pink. The bun was a disappointment. Maybe it's just me, but I feel that restaurants in the city who have a specific draw (in this case, the burger) should do everything they can to perfect it. It was like a store-bought bun. Soggy and thin, not hearty at all. This may be because they don't want to take away from the satisfactory amount of cheeses and toppings. I had the goat (my fave!) with the hickory smoked bacon. Can we PLEASE take a minute and talk about this bacon?

If it wasn't for this bacon, the overall rating for this sandwich would have been significantly lower. I cannot stress enough: it is well worth the extra buck. We may be in hard times, but this is IMPRESSIVE bacon, to say the least.

 This is a picture of the bacon, upright.

Meaning, yes, that is the width of the piece of pork. 

Meaty. Smokey. Incredible. The tangyness and heartyness of the bacon goes very well with soft goat cheese. Yum. With two to three of these slices on your burger, it is a filling investment. What my date and I both noticed, which I think is definitely worth telling you about, is how un-gross we felt after. One of the only drawbacks of eating a burger and fries is that heavy, lethargic feeling you get afterward that makes you just want to take a nap. We both felt satisfied and happy with our choices without feeling like we wanted to die! Yes! We split an order of regular fries (def sufficient for two). In fact, we were so satisfied and content with our meal and our night that we kept forgetting we had more plans later on. We were THAT happy with our dining choice.

                                                                                         Soggy bun :(

I have to mention the cupcakes. Delicious butter-cream topped cakes of all varieties. We shared a pumpkin cupcake (gotta love seasonal items!) with butter-cream and the classic chocolate with vanilla cream. If you've had Magnolia, these are right up there. Yummy and the perfect size.

Review at a glance: Juicy. Great taste. Soggy bun. Friendly service. No pickle. Phenomenal Bacon. Charming Mason Jars as Glasses. Boylan's Root Beer. Burgers. and. Cupcakes. Duh.





And the Overall Rating Is....

3-patty Recognition! 

Well done! Def worth trying out!

Sinking my teeth into the Burgers & Cupcakes hamburger with
goat cheese & hickory smoked bacon!

Only THREE weeks 'til Halloween!

Stumped for a Halloween costume??? Might I make a suggestion....

Quite a sexy choice!...

even for a girl with a little "meat" on her bones!

http://joykampia.com/

Seasons offers FUN, innovative cocktail hour!

I went to a fantastic wedding last year around this time and was OVERJOYED when, amongst all the typical cocktail hour favorites of stuffed clams, roast pig, a sushi bar, and seared scallops, my eyes fell upon a SLIDER station and grew wide. Wider than I was about to make my stomach.

Seasons catering hall, located in Washington Township, impressed even me, a seasoned (no pun intended) wedding attendee. The mini-burger, as well as mini-Reuben, were impeccable! The Venetian (Garfield, NJ), also a wedding reception favorite, can no-doubt deliver this sort of "road-side food all dressed up," as both sites have the same ownership.

My plate (ahem..correction..one of) at the Seasons' wedding.

Let your eyes fixate and your stomach growl upon the left portion of the plate & you'll be amazed at the incredible

slider and mini-Reuben.

Me & my date at the wedding.

Pickle-tie optional.

http://www.seasonscatering.com/

Homemade Slider Madness

A little sampling of some slider and

mini-sandwich creations from my own kitchen...

A good tip: Be sure to purchase your slider buns prior to forming your ground-beef patties! As some buns are more rounded, some oblong, and some square, you want to make sure the shape of your patties allows for a

nice juicy morsel of beef in every bite!

Stick a pickle in me! I'm done!

Try open-face Philly Cheesesteaks on toasted slices of Italian

bread for a scrumptious new take on an old favorite!

Grilled roast beef or thinly sliced London Broil

are great meat options.

Top it all off with some cheese slices 

melted in the oven & you're all set!

Slider Sensation!

Unless you've been living under a rock the past couple of years, you MUST have noticed the increasing love we've been giving Sliders, Hamburgers' baby brother. These little guys have been popping up on the menus of all sorts of eateries, from diners to the Cheesecake Factory. The itty-bitty burgers offer all the delicious juiciness of a full-size burger with a fraction of the guilt (that's if you can resist chomping down on more than one). Sliders first took their spot on our plates thanks to Walter Anderson & White Castle.

White Castle and its infamous burgers came about in a time when the general public was weary about consuming ground beef in an "on-the-go" sort of way. It was 1916 and bad publicity concerning low-cost beef had been looming for years. It had been10 years earlier that the novel, The Jungle had been released and people continued to be disgusted and questioned the purity of America's beef supply. Anderson made it his mission to create an extremely clean image for his emerging fast-food chain. He also wanted the burgers to be as low-cost as possible and, thus, the Slider was born.

The 5-cent Slyder (as WC spells it) was unique in its size and in the process in which is was cooked. The pounded 2.5"-thin patty was and still is steam-grilled on a flat griddle over a bed of chopped onions. The famous square bun is also steamed with the burger to soak up its juices. No oils or fats are added in the steaming of the burgers. Successful marketing strategies and the increasing appetites of White Castle's fan base has led to most patrons consuming at least four of the burgers in one White Castle trip. The Crave Case is the answer to many a frat boy's prayers.

Not a bad looking frat boy...

Handsome or not-so-handsome, the Crave Case is always sexy

The original slider was prepared in this steam-grilled way, but in the last few years there's been quite a development in taste, presentation, and creativity. Today they are served more like "mini-burgers" as opposed to sliders. The difference is in the harder bun that keeps the burgers standing tall, as well as the traditional flame-broiled method of cooking. Toppings have been used from bacon to jalapenos to guacamole.

The options are endless, and as the late Billy Mays (RIP) showed us, we can make them right in our home. The Big City Slider Station is VERY easy to use and makes yummy, equal-size sliders in minutes!! When making sliders at home, which of course I've done on many special occasions (as well as regular Friday nights with no plans), the best bun I've come across is the Pepperidge Farm Classic Wheat Sliders. Soft. Delicious. Healthy.







The ever-growing popularity of sliders and mini-burgers has given way to the inception of other mini versions of our favorite sandwiches, including the Reuben, pulled pork on a roll, and Philly cheesesteaks. For a snack or for dinner, they are the perfect meal. Whoever said good things come in small packages was onto something.

I couldn't resist!


https://www.bigcityslider.com/flare/next

 

Burgers & Intelligence?

As reported by The New York Times on September 1, has a link really been found between our beloved hamburgers and stupidity? Don't drop that double quarter-pounder just yet. Just like most reported "links," this one is just as dubious.

Jeff Ruby, a food writer for Chicago Magazine, consumed only hamburgers for 65 days straight when he began to feel confusion, forgetfulness, and have difficulty focusing. Lucky for Ruby, and the rest of us, this was not a permanent stupidity, but what's called cognitive dysfunction syndrome, or brain fog, most likely caused by the saturated fats found in hamburgers. Maybe it's just me, but if I had to feel some confusion and forgetfulness, having it due to too many burgers wouldn't be SUCH a bad thing.




Here's a little more on the subject:

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/01/do-burgers-make-you-stupid/?scp=5&sq=hamburgers&st=cse

Sonic hurdles into Northern NJ!

We've all longed, pleaded, even petitioned for a Sonic Drive-In to finalllllyy come to northern New Jersey.

I can recall the envy I felt watching the two average-looking people in the driver's and passenger's seats slurping away at Sonic's tangy slushes, and diving into yummy hamburgers in those evil commercials. "WHERE THE HECK IS SONIC?!?" I thought. Two summers ago I took the 76 mile ride down to Waretown, NJ (aka, No-Man's Land) to find out what all the fuss was about. It was totally worth the trip. Now, though, us northern-NJ dwellers do not have to venture far to try Sonic. This summer, not one but TWO Sonic Drive-Ins sprung up, and the funny thing is they're not too far from each other...hmmm. The one is located on Route 17 N in Hasbrouck Heights and the other on Route 46 in Totowa. This makes four total in NJ and counting. I think we're all looking to turn to old-fashioned fare to make us happy and our stomachs satisfied. I suggest you take it to the highway and get some SuperSonic Cheeseburgers & an Extra-long Coney! Wash it all down with a nice Limeade before the weather gets too chilly....you don't even have to leave the your car!

http://www.sonicdrivein.com/home.jsp

LENT: A Burger-lover's nightmare

So, I tend to be a good Greek Orthodox Christian and give up meat, poultry, and all those lovely, delicious animal products when Easter rolls around. Yes, I have ACTUALLY spent 40 straight days without consuming a single hamburger. Thought I'd share a pic of me at 12 midnight on Easter 2007, devouring a thick, juicy burger. This, in fact, proves that a true lover of the food can enjoy a burger no matter the time of day (or night).

Welcome!... Come on in!

Helllooo burger lovers, ketchup connoisseurs, french fry fanatics, and sesame-seed bun enthusiasts!

You'll understand where I'm coming from. I've had a love, a passion, and a curiosity for hamburgers for years and years. I seek out new and tasty looking burger spots on the regular, and I want to share them with you! It's one of my favorite weekend activities...hopping in the car, driving a couple miles (or 76) to devour one of America's number 1 food item--hamburgers. Cheeseburgers, to be exact...because, to me, a burger is just naked without a slice or two of sharp, gooey cheese. They are not just any old food you pick up in a hurry, but a source of joy, comfort, and nostalgia, and not just for me, but for lots of you. In this blog, I would like to share with you my own reviews of juicy burger joints located in and around New Jersey. Also, check out the blog to find the HOTTEST, LATEST burger news, plus saliva-inducing recipes to try at home, and much MUCH more! Feel free to let me know of any new place you've discovered and you can rest easy I'll be trying it faster than you can say: Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.