TNBC -- The Burger Joint

Though hardly a secret anymore, The Burger Joint, hidden behind a dark curtain within the lobby of the fancy Le Parker Meridien Hotel, has become a sort of burger lovers clubhouse, with only a neon sign (and huge ass line) to indicate it's locale.




Madelyn and I met uptown on the streets, and though I had been to the burger joint once before, I was a little lost. Not my home turf, we wandered the block a bit (reminiscent of our wandering in the west village, god why am I so bad at navigating NY?)

The menu is concise, which is good because you need to be ready to order by the time you get up to the register (or, in soup nazi fashion, back of the line!). Simply tell them what you want on your burger (lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, ketchup, or mustard) and how you want it done (medium rare, as if it were a question), sodas, fries, beers, or milk shakes.



Our burgers have a flavor that reflect the method of cooking, over a real flame. The fries came in paper bags, hot to the touch. Just they way everything should be. The tiny space makes competing for a table a necessity (I had Mad snap one up while I placed our order), the bad wood paneling, the walls of autographs, and the movie posters make for a fun, kitschy environment. It certainly puts one at ease when compared tot he stuffy air of the hotel lobby. Fast food for the fancy I suppose. In fact, it was just like a high quality fast food burger (and makes me miss The Habit even more). No brioche bun or kobe beef, just an attention to how to prepare a tasty burger. Indeed, the style of presentation, the long lines, and the notoriety make it easy to draw parallels to Shake Shack (some would argue Burger Joint serving as Shake Shack's 'father') and that's not too unfair. And while Shake Shack still stands as the standard to compare everything else to, I will concede that I really (really) enjoyed everything about the fries at Burger Joint.

So yes, burgers still reign supreme in Madison Sq. Park, but don't count The Burger Joint out. It still has a certain je ne sais quoi that makes it a worthy destination for anybody interested in eating their way through NYC.
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That's just Ricest

You may have heard, I recently moved out to Crown Heights in Brooklyn. I'm not sure it's fully set in, but it means drastic changes to my life. Gone are the old roomies (save one), missed but not forgotten, and reunited are the stars of my first two years of college.



And what does this mean for my diet? Well, it's a combination of the return of old habits, the continuance of certain traditions, and the emergence of what is sure to be new opportunities.


Basic groceries do not seem to have shifted too much, though purchases at Trader Joe's may become quite infrequent (though, located in Union Square, it's not out of the question) (I have yet to see the one in Brooklyn, though am considering venturing out there soon). But it seems like I am tempted to do the majority of my grocery shopping at Target, of all places. Surprisingly, it can compete in selection with even Gristedes and Morton Williams (though, I wonder who that reflects more upon) from my past two years in Kips Bay (Food Emporium in Union Square holds a weird affectionate spot in my heart though).

When I first moved in here, after narrowly avoiding a disaster that would make the nightly news and destroy a uhaul with all of my worldly possessions, we settled onto a heap of boxes and ate at one of first pizza joints we could find on Kyle's iPhone, A Slice of Brooklyn (not to be confused with the eating tour). A few six packs and pizzas later and we were completely happy. I need to reevaluate that place because the combination of exhaustion and hunger from moving and not eating all day and the relief of having all of my stuff finally in the building it is supposed to be made it the most satisfying meal I've had in a long while. Sure the pizza was hot, the cheese melty, and it beautifully right to our door, but there was a certain bias that shaded better judgment. Not that I can fault A Slice of Brooklyn for any of this, I just think I need another shot at it.

About a week ago, we finally got around to our Alien/Aliens double feature movie night. The first movie was surrounded with pizza, again; this time out near Mad's place, complete with garlic knots that looked more like...let's say snails. Anyways, we got off to a late start and decided to put the sequel on the queue for the next night. Our friends arrive and we of course want Chinese delivery. But being out in Crown Heights, the college haunt of Yummy House is far from accessible and we start scouring the internt for options. This is when the name No. 1 Chinese Restaurant comes up. With a name like that, how could it go wrong?

We ordered, as per Kyle's constant insistence General Tso's Chicken, Madelyn's usual delight Lo Mein, a few dumplings and springs rolls to round out the meal. Mad and I tacked on our usual diet coke and coke, respectively, at the end and were delightfully surprised to find an additional two sodas (two free with a purchase over 20 bucks) (30 bucks gets you free general tso's). And I will admit, this place, while not looking like much on the street, knows how to fry up some tasty Chinese-American food. It's a place I believe in. And, like seemingly everything in Brooklyn, is a few bucks cheaper than Manhattan. The Chicken was crisp and spicy, the noodles savory and tender, and the dumplings a delicate balance of sweet and savory.

Though it may take a while until I go back, if only because I want to try a few more places just to see how they measure up, this place is one to remember. And I like the name.

I certainly miss the city but still eat there often enough. And am excited at the prospect of entering a new culinary opportunity.

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For want of a better life

I realize if I wanted to make this blog better, I need to figure out how to get my hands on a digital camera. A picture is worth a thousand words so, in the long run, it's probably more efficient.

In other news, I just wanted to mention that I love corndogs. I bought some frozen ones at Target and they are perfect. Corn dogs are one of those foods, like tater tots, I assume I am supposed to outgrow but never will. Read More......