Petey Pablo and Brodburger

Another joint blogging effort (under the influence of burgers of course)!

So after that disappointing Cooma burger, I promised Hello Jilly! (did you know that I appointed Jill with that nickname?) that the next time she came to Canberra, that I would take her to the city-famous Brodburger van (http://www.brodburger.com.au/). It’s this random van that’s next to Lake Burley Griffith selling a beef, chicken, veggie, fish, and double beef with double egg and bacon burger. I’ve had everything (except the double) and highly recommended them all. Jill came to Canberra for the day for “work” and as soon as we finished, we made it where Jill would meet the best burger in Australia (so far).

First sign that it would be good – the red paint and lights. See above.

Second sign - it’s called Brodburger (Jilly liked it because she’s a broad, get it??). Shout out people, we need your vote. These haters in the Bra (as in Canberra) are trying to shut this fine establishment down because it ain’t ‘pretty’. There is a petition out front and be sure that I signed it with burger pride. Long live the burger truck.

Third sign, the two dudes and one chick running the van were listening to some cool hip hop which we hadn’t heard of before (has anyone heard of Petey Pablo from North Carolina?). As you can imagine, Jill had to get up in the cute, but possibly slightly inebriated, burger truck’s man grill and ask him if he knew the capital of North Carolina. When he answered no, Vi made it clear that Jill didn’t even know herself. BUSTED. We danced as we anxiously awaited our burgers.

Fourth sign, when Jilly bit into the burger, it was delicious. Meat to bun ratio was perfect, condiments were nice (although no mustard for her, I like it without) and we had our choice of Brie, Swiss, or Blue cheese. Gourmet, I know! The French fries (they call them chips here) were thin, crispy, and hot. Yum! Another reason to return to Canberra. According to Scooby (aka Robin, Vi’s partner), the chicken burger is the best. Get there early because they tend to run out of the fish. Best burger so far in Oz. Burger Truck FOREVA!

- Vivi and Jill

It’s not a Cooma!

On the long journey from Canberra (did you know it’s the capital of Australia?) to Ben Boyd National Park, we stopped at the Food Factory in Cooma, world renowned for its 35 types of burgers. Jill was super excited for the prospect of choosing from the huge menu, but as a true burger connoisseur she stuck with the original cheeseburger, no beetroot, pineapple, or egg, thank you very much. I, being a human garbage disposal, got the “lot” with all the traditional Aussie fixins. The wait stuff harassed Jill a little bit for her very obvious disdain of beetroot, we all laughed. For some reason, Drew chose the Greek burger with feta and olives, AND cut in half to save for later (which never happened).

It was a nice day so we decided to take our new treasure out to the “bogan” (Google it) park with random gangs of young teenagers smoking near the skateboarding half pipe. Jill had told me the criteria for a good burger – pink in the inside, appropriate meat to bun ratio, condiment choice, NO AUSSIE FIXINGS. Needless to say, our food factory burger in its entire anticipated splendor was an all around (wah wah) disappointment. The meat didn’t stick together (“loose and foul” says Jill), there was too much bun, it was more like a sandwich. In my case, the beetroot and pineapple made it more like a sandwich than burger. As is the spirit of burger blog, the company and the atmosphere made up for the slightly less than satisfactory burger.

The food factory had a guestbook, as you will, to write reviews. I could not let them down, thanked them for their burger and let them know that the service was the best part (yes, I was ‘nice’ because don’t forget, I am always nice). Remember, they instantly starting teasing me upon my arrival and continued through my departure (because she emphatically stated, according to Vi, that she HATED beetroot like four times). Personally, I think they just like to pick on Americans. Thank you Cooma for offering yourself for my burger blog.

sorry folks, no website. the food factory is still small town livin' ;).

By da bomb vivi and hello jilly!

Dad's take on Good Stuff Eatery (more about the journey than the food)

Our last evening in town and our big decision was where to eat. Daughter Jill and wife Karen are always searching for a good burger and Jill has heard of a place called Good Stuff Eatery. We venture out at rush hour (first bad decision). Decide to take taxi while city is half buried in snow (second bad decision). Get a too talkative cabdriver resulting in Jill melt-down and exiting cab well short ofdestination (not sure if decision was good or bad). Take metro for short distance and walk for several blocks on icy sidewalks. I was silently questioning the need for a hamburger throughout the entire trip but wanted to be a good dad so I put on a happy face.We finally arrive, step up to a counter, and place our order. I foolishly tried to eat healthy and ordered a mushroom burger while the girls were smart and ordered traditional burgers and fries and onion petals. We all had milk shakes. The mushroom burger was greasy and bland. The girls said the burgers were tender and juicy. Reminiscentof Lincoln NE "Fred Burgers". I recommend requesting no paper wrap on burgers.

If I have my way, our next visit to Good Stuff will be for milk shakes to-go.

- Jim Schurr

p.s. (from Jill) the onion petals were a hit all around
p.p.s. Barack may like Ray's Hell Burger, but Michelle is all about the Good Stuff.

Spike Mendelsohn's, Good Stuff Eatery. Spike Mendelsohn (Top Chef Season 4) was the first contestant in the show's history to win the Quickfire Challenge and be eliminated in the same episode(http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/05/08/michelle_obama_stops_by_a_burg.html)

Palena (awhile ago)

We (James and I), like everyone else who arrived at Palena on a Tuesday night at 8 PM, came to eat the burger and the fry plate. The front cafe area has a slightly more relaxed atmosphere and offers a menu which suits my common Nebraska tastes (and wallet) a bit better. We were seated at a cozy booth and presented with memorable service, which as you know in DC you can be hard up to find. The meat to bread ratio was a bit iffy. I am being kind, distinctly questionable. The burger itself was less than memorable. An A for effort but, in my humble opinion, lacking in the flavor department. The fry plate was the real winner. It came with onion rings and I can't exactly remember the details but some sort of smooshy potato croquette jobby. Who doesn't love a smooshy potato jobby? The atmosphere and company made up for the 'less than gold standard' burger. I would recommend a visit to everyone and would visit again with friends. Next time, I will have the chicken.

South Melbourne Circuit

Today I had the pleasure of the South Melbourne Circuit. My tour guide, or Master as he prefers to be called, lead me on an eatery tour of South Melbourne Market which was meant to end with an Andrew's burger. According to Matt Preston, searching for Melbourne's best burger ends with paying homage at Andrew's. Matt Preston is an internationally acclaimed and revered food critic. He is best known for his weekly restaurant column in The Age newspaper’s food section, "Epicure", and as a judge on MasterChef Australia. Please also note, that he was Anthony Bourdain's tour guide in the recent Melbourne episode of No Reservations on the Travel channel. Are you convinced yet?

Sadly, we did not make it to Andrew's because as it turns out Andrew's is closed on Sundays. Fail. Don't panic, we did have a burger eventually but let me lead you through the circuit first. It was an epic adventure which I hope to repeat several times during my stay in Melbourne, preferably with visiting family and friends by my side.

First stop. Dim Sims (aka dim sums). South Melbourne Market (http://www.southmelbournemarket.com.au/) is a large undercover market with a wide range of produce and general goods. Picture eastern market times 5. You had the choice of fried or steamed dim sims. I know it might be hard to believe, but I chose steamed. For about a buck fity you get this delicious lime sized ball of pork goodness. killer.

Second stop, seafood stall. Freshly hand shucked (holla to my Old Ebbit's degenerates) oysters. We ordered a dozen, 6 creamy and 6 salty. Get your mind of the gutter now and focus on the circuit. The oysters were amazing. A little Tabasco and a little lemon was just a delightful treat. I learned something exciting which my dad, the food police, will appreciate.

Oysters are not only delicious, but they’re also one of the most nutritionally well-balanced of foods, containing protein, carbohydrates and lipids. The National Heart and Lung Institute suggest oysters as an idea food for inclusion in low-cholesterol diets. Oysters are an excellent source of vitamins A, B1 (thiamin) B2(riboflavin), B3 (niacin), C (ascorbic acid), and D (calciferol). Four or five medium size oysters supplies the recommended daily allowance of iron, copper, iodine, magnesium, calcium, zinc, manganese and phosphorus.

Third and Fourth stop, olives, olive oil, wine and beer tasting. Delicious and fun. The little beer/wine stall was patroned by a friendly little man who ranted on a bit about alcohol and the low-carb myth. As most of you who know me all, I always appreciate a good rant. A few fun facts (and a transitive proof): Alcoholic beverages all contain calories, and most of the calories come from the alcohol. Alcohol is not a carbohydrate. Alcoholic beverages have calories because alcohol has a lot of calories—not because of carbs. The implication that low-carb beers and wine are helpful for your diet program is simply BUNK. I can hear my mom tsking right now. I know I know, one drink is like 10 points (WW reference).

Finally, we head to Andrews for the burger. I have been looking forward to this burger since my lovely tour guides (Satya and Jac) have been selling this gem of a place. Our hearts were nearly broken. Andrews is closed on Sundays (I know I repeat myself but it is meant to convey the depth of my disappointment). We had to find an alternative. Greasy Joe's (http://www.greasyjoes.com.au/) would have to fulfill our insatiable quest for a burger on this fine Sunday in Melbourne. I ordered a cheeseburger and Satya and Jac ordered the Lot burger. Good lord, as you can see from the pic, the lot burger was insane. Egg, bacon, cheese, beetroot (yes beetroot), onions and greenery. I do not condone these condiments, if you can call them that???!!! The burger was OK. not great, not bad. It was a bit dry but good flavor.

All in all it was a great day and I sincerely thank my tour guides for a job well done. I will appreciate the Andrews burger even more now.

xoxo

Jilly

The Black Squirrel

We have another guest blog. enjoy.

A few Saturdays ago I was invited to a friend's beers and burgers birthday bash (say it 5 times fast!) at Black Squirrel, in Adams Morgan. The place was jumping and the hipsters were sucking down German beer and burgers. I returned on a calmer Tuesday night to test it out.

The menu makes a big deal of the burger: "Our Burgers - are made of hormone-free Hereford beef ground in-house. Hereford beef is an ancient bread of cattle that has not been genetically engineered. The result is a mouth-watering, natural-beef flavor. Hereford is an all-natural, hormone-free beef raised strictly on corn. It is allowed to mature naturally without the use of drugs, which results in a higher price." Having just read the Omnivore's Dilemma, I was skeptical about a place that touts beef raised on corn, but gave the burger a go.

The plus side : you can choose from a plethora of cheeses to go on your burger: brie, cheddar, blue, goat, gruyere, swiss. The negative side: they charge 50 cents for pickles!! Wot da wot?! The burger arrived and, unlike most places in DC, the medium arrived with some pink in the middle which I felt was a good sign. (See previous posts about Founding Farmers in particular). However, my optimism didn't last past the first bite. The meat had waaay too much salt and some specific spice (cumin?) in it. My dining companion agreed, miming the chef seasoning the meat while being distracted with discussions of the Sweet 16 rather than paying attention to portions. Also-- fries too well cooked so that they acquired the hue of an Oompa Loompa and the consistency of shirt cardboard. Between two of us dining, we didn't finish one portion of the fries. That says a lot.

Even though I did this taste-testing as an unofficial outing of the Burger Club, I would say that I took one for the team here. You don't want to bother with it. But the beer was good. Czechvar that came in a glass with its own name on it! Fancy.

- P. Deeks

The Espy Burger

1st Burger report from the Land of Oz

http://www.espy.com.au/

I didn't follow the yellow brick road, but I did happen upon a unique burger club experience at the Espy in Melbourne. The Espy (Hotel Esplanade) is, as I am told, a Melbourne institution.

"For over 100 years the Esplanade Hotel has been Melbourne's (and indeed Australia's) premier live music venue. Since the early days of string performances in the late 1800s The Espy’s hallowed stages have been graced by the finest performers from around Australia and the world."

By chance, we ended up here on a Monday night (don't judge) which is $10 burger night at the Espy kitchen. Why on earth would you turn that down? Keep in mind, this sweet deal includes a pot of beer, glass of wine or glass of sparkling wine. No contest, I had a glass of champi. The Espy kitchen was seedy, but just the right kind of seedy. It was filled with hippie backpackers, rugby looking dudes and skinny punks wearing Ramones t-shirts...you get the picture. My type of place. They have a small outdoor terrace which is coincidentally opposite the beach and said to be a great spot to the watch the sunset. I will have to save that for the next visit, as we arrived well after sundown. I will admit that I was a bit hungry when the burger arrived but it was a solid effort from a seedy bar/music venue kitchen. I was impressed. The bun was a bit of a fail, but I will let it slide as the atmosphere and company made up for a slight slip in quality control. Maybe it was the grain fed australian beef, maybe it was the dread locked scandanavian girls next to me talking about their travelling conquests, maybe it was the beautiful clear warm starry night (insert 3 glasses of Rose prior to dinner) or maybe it was just being somewhere new, cool and being present as they say. I will go back to the Espy for the music, for the food and for the fun.

Disclaimer: That last cheese part may or may not have been a tiny marketing pitch for visitors ;). Either way, you should come.