Meat is the Star (indeed Mr. Nourse)

Among being many other things, Pat Nourse might also be my soul mate. He recently wrote this article in Gourmet Traveller magazine. I think if you read most of my blog posts you will see that we see eye to eye on many burger factors, except one. In Australia, beetroot might be the problem. I apologize to my readers, if there are any, for the lack of posts as of late. Due to unforeseen circumstances, my burger consumption has been put on hold. I will admit that I did have a recent slip while at Manly Beach in Sydney (http://www.manlygrill.com.au/). Top notch burger in fact and so much so that it deserves an honorable mention in my burger hall of fame. In the meantime, please enjoy Mr. Nourse's burger points as I agree wholeheartedly. Stay tuned in March for the gold standard review which is LONG overdue.

http://www.gourmettraveller.com.au/cheeseburgers.htm

Pat Nourse (born 1977) is an Australian restaurant critic and food writer. He is currently employed by Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine as their chief restaurant critic and features editor.[1] He also writes about Australia for the American food magazine Gourmet,[2] and is the Australian member of the voting academy for the World's 50 Best Restaurants.[3]

an update on our inaugural post (rogue states)

Dear Fellow Burger Enthusiasts,

Some of you may remember the inaugural post, when El Presidente generously allowed a guest burger club member to post a review of Dupont Circle's Rogue States. You may also recall that the review was less than favorable. I am happy to announce that, due to neighbor complaints about the "noxious odors" wafting from this eatery, Rogue States has now been shuttered by court order.

"A D.C. Superior Court judge ruled the popular Dupont Circle eatery Rogue States a nuisance on Tuesday and ordered it to stop grilling hamburgers after an eight-month dispute with a neighboring law firm over its “intense and noxious odor.”.
Over three days of testimony, [Judge John M.] Mott said he had heard “ample evidence” to conclude that the restaurant at 1300 Connecticut Ave. NW is to blame for the itchy and watery eyes, nausea and headaches suffered by employees of Steptoe & Johnson."

I generally take a Tea Party-style "keep your gu'mint hands off my burgers" approach, and am a little concerned about this activist Judge, John Mott, legislating our burger choices from the bench. That said, Rogue States did suck, so I think we can permit a little judicial latitude...

Hope all are well. Happy dining, john

Fatburger fit for a Queen (or Queens in this case)

This post is dedicated to a few special ladies. I best not name names but they are just too pretty to ignore, don't you agree?. Thank you Kiki, Umi, Ira and Flo for an unforgettable lunch. When deciding on a lunch destination the day before my wonderful, clever, funny and most importantly burger loving friend Kari (aka Kiki) suggested Fatburger. You may find this hard to believe, but I had not heard of Fatburger until this week. I did a bit of pre-meal investigation (in true James fashion) and discovered that Fatburger is a very popular restaurant chain which started in LA. Can you imagine my excitement? Fatburger has made it all the way to Jakarta. It was destiny. We made the plan, we battled through traffic and we sat down to order.

The choices were simple and appropriate. Although, I will never endorse putting egg on a burger. What is the point? None, I tell you, none. The best part of Fatburger was the freshness. I even tolerated the pickles, which were slightly claussenesque. Perfect meat to bun ratio. Onion rings lived up to their hype. I would recommend the skinny fries over the fat fries (don't worry dad, I didn't have fries AND onion rings), but I found it to be my obligation to at least taste test what they have to offer. Fountain pop is hard to find in Jakarta and guess what folks...yep Fatburger delivers. awesome.

I was impressed and will refrain from any constructive criticism other than maaaaybe cooking the meat a bit less. oops, I let it slip. Please don't let this one very minor detail detract from the overall what could be a historically great review. Fatburger in Jakarta, did I mention that already? Again as always, the company was the key to my enjoyment. Burger club DC would approve. Until we meet again Fatburger.

Terima kasih.

Jill

http://www.fatburger.com/

p.s. Queen Latifah owns her own Fatburger and so rightfully claims that a girl needs a good burger (nuff said). check out the clip on the website.

Kermond's Hamburgers - Warrnambool

I have found some kindred Aussie spirits amidst the interweb that are on a similar quest to ours, burger club DC that is! These Aussie burger lovers have suggested Kermonds burgers in Warnambool as among the cream of the crop. As it just so turns out, I found this recommendation minutes before heading out along the great ocean road with a few free wheelin' ladies.

Warnambool wasn't a huge place, but quite a bit bigger than most towns along this Great Ocean Road. It wasn't out of the way and actually quite a perfect location to grab a bite before heading back to Melbourne. lucky us. We stopped first to watch for whales, at Logan's nursery as we had read of a sighting the day before. Lo and behold, we saw a whale in the distance and stood mesmerized in delight as the tail seemed to splash hello! again, lucky us.

We may have stopped a bit early in the day for a lunch affair, but hey the kermonds boys didn't seem to flinch when I asked if we could order burgers at 10:30am. good on him. I was reminded of my days at the Patti Shack (aka Dairy Burger, aka Dairy Queen) when the young ones were allowed to run the shop alone. Mischief you say? Danger? naaahh, all just good fun and hard work.

The burger came out with perfect meat to bun ratio. No fancy condiments (thankfully pineapple and beetroot upon request - not a standard), perfectly melted cheese and tasty hot chips. One of my free wheelin companion's sister lives in said Warnambool and had downplayed Kermonds. We were quite excited to let her know that her poo pooing days should end. Kermonds was a hit. Perfect way to start off the day. I only wish I had asked the boys for their names. At least I have a picture to remember.

Thanks Kermonds. I hope to meet again.

BurgerFuel

Kia Ora! (Māori language greeting)

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending a burger club meeting in Wellington, New Zealand. It all started with a kiwi who had an idea to provide the ultimate experience in gourmet burgers. Good on him. As you all may well know, I am more of a simple burger fan and was skeptical (but open) of this gourmet phenomenom. My good friend Sonya ordered the venison burger and I chose the Wagyu option (see lesson below). The burger arrived and we had a winner. I will admit, I had order envy! The venison burger, which was adorned with blackcurrant sauce and brie was amazeballs! The Wagyu was tender and tasty, good meat to bun ratio, yummy aioli and the chups (how they pronounce chips in NZ) weren't half bad either. My only constructive criticism would be to get rid of the sesame seeds from the bun. No need to get THAT fancy kids...the bun shouldn't steal the burger's thunder.

Last note, I count my burger blessings today when I think of where I have been and where I am likely to go. Peace and much burger love.

http://www.burgerfuel.com/

Lesson for the day:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagy%C5%AB

Wagyū (和牛?) refers to several breeds of cattle genetically predisposed to intense marbling and to producing a high percentage of oleaginous unsaturated fat. The meat from wagyū cattle is known worldwide for its marbling characteristics, increased eating quality through a naturally enhanced flavor, tenderness and juiciness, and thus a high market value. In several areas of Japan, beef is shipped with area names.

sausage sizzle (port moresby style)

Today's blog is a bit off the beaten track...(but trust me, this version is full of love)

I had the pleasure of travelling to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea for work. PNG is a country just north of Australia, look it up folks! The country is one of the world's least explored, culturally and geographically, and many undiscovered species of plants and animals are thought to exist in the interior of Papua New Guinea. Even more amazing is that it is the site of a weekly world famous sausage sizzle. Kanga bangers, in fact, are on the menu. Kanga bangers for those of you who don't speak Aussie are Kangaroo sausages. as Homer would say, mmm...sausage. Yes indeed my friends, it was a perfect end to an otherwise incredible work trip in the Ports (as Jane would say). Barb McGrory (a colleague) organizes this sausage sizzle and all the proceeds are donated to a charity. Thank you Barb for your compassion and prowess with the grill. I need to give a special shout out to Barb for the home made mustard (damn good stuff, which she should probably start exporting ;)). The sausages are adorned with tomato sauce, mustard and onions. It may not be a burger, but this sausage will forever hold a special place in my heart.

If you happen to find yourself in PNG, don't forget to stop by Foodworld on Saturday for a Kanga Banga!

34 burgers...or was it years (I stopped counting)!

http://www.grilld.com.au/

Grill’d have promised to take my feedback serious, so here I go.

Grill’d is a chain in Australia and lucky for me there is one right down the street from our office. It is shocking to believe that I have been here for 2 months and only NOW just trying it out. When my workmates asked me if I would like to do a birthday lunch I decided that this was as good a day as any to have a burger (isn’t everyday?). It started off with a bang. The lovely man behind the counter asked me if I would like to try the Carlton challenge (answer the question under the cap) and get your drink free. I have really really nice friends who helped me a bit, it was Australian-centric after all. How would a yank know which Australian prime minister was used as the hero for a musical?

They advertise themselves as healthy burgers. Beef, bread, cheese, lettuce, onion, mustard and ketchup. What isn’t healthy about that? I believe you have all your food groups in one fell swoop. Well done Grill’d. The lettuce was a bit excessive, as a condiment they list salad – which they were not kidding around about. There may have been 8 large pieces of lettuce on my burger some of which promptly moved onto Casey’s mini-me small adult sized burger. The beef was juicy and very tasty. A solid 8 or 8.5, I would say. I will happily admit, for a chain restaurant burger they get my vote. Maybe I should bring one back to America???!!! Another winning burger expedition on a very special day for me. What more could you ask for?

p.s. A wonderful couple gave me an appropro gift for my bday. "Hamburger" a global history by Andrew F. Smith. Did you know that Ray Kroc did not found McDonald's and the first McDonald's restaurant was not in Des Plaines, Illinois. more fun burger facts to come.