We blogged this from an ex-Carl Jr. employee who goes by the handle: Panda. Panda operates a blog: http://www.panicpanda.com/cjlh.shtml. We are not sure about the ice tip but there is definitely some good burger ordering tips here; if you like Carl’s Jr. Remember, WGH takes no responsibility for the grammar or spelling so please don’t complain to us! Anyway, a big up to Panda and I hope the tips help make your Carl’s Jr. experience richer.

Working for Carl Karcher enterprises has taught me a lot about fast food, customer service, and how to keep a restaurant from falling apart. More than that, it has taught me some valuable loopholes when it comes to making your order. Not only can you pay dirt-cheap for the expensive sandwiches, but you can also make them bigger, better, and tastier. Here are some of the things I’ve learned that I will pass on to you /ck/.

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This was blogged from off the broiler. I love the concept of improving the outstanding burgers at Disney. Having said that, after some searches on the web, I stumbled upon a wicked clone of exactly that. The best news is that unlike Disney’s burgers it is cooked as all burger lovers like - medium-well - not well done.

Picnic Catering
180 Kinderkamack Rd, Emerson, NJ
(201) 262-5505

Last week recieved the following email from Christine Nunn, chef and owner of Picnic Caterers in Emerson, NJ:

“I just returned from Disney. No, it was not the best burger I have eaten, since Disney must cook well done, but the best burger conceptually, and one that I’m putting on the menu on Monday. Ready? Set…. Here goes… Rare fresh ground beef burger… Tomato confit… Mushroom Duxelles… Onion jam… Bernaise sauce…Toasted French roll.. OMG…I can’t wait to make it my own… My béarnaise, which, I must say, is better than bottled epcot béarnaise.”

Now, if its one thing I have learned, is to take Christine very, very seriously whenever she emails me about things like this. And I knew that if she was making a burger, well, I knew I had to have one. I invited myself over today to document the burger-making process and to make one go into my stomach.

80% lean - WGH’s ideal mix.

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Bryan Adam’s concert in Charlottetown, blogged from the Flickr photostream of Ihsan

Apparently Bryan Adams used to wash dishes at Tomahawk, a North Vancouver restaurant noted for its unique hamburgers.

Tomahawk owner Chuck Chamberlain:

“Yes, it is true Bryan Adams worked here at the Tomahawk as a dishwasher. I also had the pleasure of working with him. He informed me that he was only working to save enough money to buy a guitar and some spare strings, as he was going to be a rock and roll star. And the rest is history.”

Come visit world’s greatest burger merchandise store on CafePress! T-shirts, caps, and lots of other cool stuff.

We love this list. Whilst it has been limited to 101 burgers, we all know that their is an infinite number of possible burgers out there.

Here is 101 ways to make (or dress) a hamburger.

1. Pepperoni Pizza Burger: grilled burger covered with pepperoni, Mozzarella cheese and pizza sauce.

2. Verde Burger: grilled ground beef mixed with seasoned garlic, topped with piquant Italian Verde
sauce made with parsley, onions and capers.

3. Classic Burger: hamburger with ketchup, mustard and pickles.

4. Greek Burger: topped with herbed Feta cheese, black olives and onions.

5. Hickory Burger: beef patty covered with cheddar cheese, bacon and hickory barbeque sauce.

6. Meat-o-Rama Pizza Burger: ground beef patty stuffed with Mozzarella cheese, diced tomatoes and
pizza sauce, and topped with pepperoni and bacon.

7. Caesar Burger: ground beef seasoned with garlic and black pepper, on a crusty roll, accented with
Caesar dressing, romaine lettuce and avocado slices.

8. Brocco Burger: ground beef patty dressed with a blend of melted Cheddar cheese and cooked
broccoli.

9. Gyro Burger: hamburger topped with white onions, tomatoes and yogurt cucumber dressing.

10. Barbeque Burger: ground beef grilled with a tangy barbeque sauce and hot peppers.

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McDonald’s Big Mac

Okay, so you want to be able to brag you know the recipe for a burger that has been sold a billion times over by the famous clown? Wanna super-size yourself and friends? OK then, don’t say the good folk at WGH didn’t warn you. Without further ado; here it is:

Ingredients

1 sesame-seed hamburger bun
half of an additional hamburger bun
¼ pound ground beef
dash salt
1 tablespoon Kraft Thousand Island dressing (or special sauce clone – see below)
1 teaspoon finely diced onion
½ cup chopped lettuce
1 slice American cheese
2 – 3 dill pickle slices

Instructions

1. With a bread knife, cut the top off the extra bun half, leaving about a ¾ inch thick slice. This is the middle part of the burger
2. Place the three bun halves on a hot pan or griddle, face-down and toast them to a light brown. Set aside, but keep the pan hot.
3. Divide the ground beef in half and press into two thin patties slightly larger than the bun.
4. Cook the patties in the hot pan over medium heat for 1 – 2 minutes on each side. Salt lightly.

Build the burger in the following stacking order from bottom to top:

bottom bun
half of dressing
half of onion
half of lettuce
American cheese
beef patty
middle bun
remainder of dressing
remainder of onion
remainder of lettuce
pickle slices
beef patty
top bun

Makes 1 hamburger.

Big Mac Special Sauce

For those who want the real deal

Ingredients

½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons of French dressing
4 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon finely minced white onion
1 teaspoon of white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. stir well.
2. Place sauce in a covered container and refrigerate for 4 hours (or overnight), so that the flavors blend. Stir the sauce a couple of times as it chills.

Makes about ¾ cup

Come visit world’s greatest burger merchandise store on CafePress! T-shirts, caps, and lots of other cool stuff.

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This one we tried out and absolutely endorse with a capital E. This is a wicked hamburger that will knock the socks off any hamburger-lover.

I make hamburgers the way my mother and grandmother taught me, and my kids say that they are better than any that can be bought.

I mix the meat with salt and pepper and form it into patties, but not packed tightly. I preheat my #12 cast iron skillet and sprinkle a little salt in the pan before adding the meat. I sear both sides and turn the heat down a little until done. Now, the important part!

When the patties are done to your liking, lay a slice of cheese on top of each, then put the buns on top of each patty (bottom bun first, stack the top bun on next), then turn the fire off and cover the skillet tightly with a lid for at least 5 to 15 minutes. This steams the buns with the heat from the meat and keeps the burgers juicy.

We can attest that the last tip (covering the skillet) is sensational and has an amazing impact on the final result. Hamburger-on!

Melbourne’s a stunning city and there burgers are world-class

It started the way these things always do. All I said was, “I wonder who makes the best burger in Victoria?” The next thing you know, my inbox is way over allocation, Telstra is sending those whiny emails and I’m struggling with more suggestions than a drunk blonde on Derby night.

Of the 70-plus great hamburger joints nominated by more than 200 Epicure readers, from humble roadhouses on dusty highways to gourmet hamburger operations, Danny’s in North Fitzroy was the most popular, collecting 30 per cent more nominations than anyone else.

Andrew’s Burgers take some beating

The strong performance of Kermond’s was, however, the real surprise. Especially as Lava Street, Warrnambool, is hardly a high-traffic location - unless you are comparing it to the Oodnadatta Track. Still, they collected more nominations than the next two country places (the Igloo Roadhouse in Buxton and Stella’s at Seymour) combined and came second only to Danny’s.

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Every Day with Rachael Ray
September 2007
FOUR SERVINGS
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 10 min

2 ounces cream cheese & 4 ounces blue cheese
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
4 hamburger buns, split and toasted
Lettuce, onion slices and condiments, for serving

1. In a small bowl, using a fork, mash together the blue cheese and cream cheese until smooth. Stir in the parsley. Divide the mixture into 4 disks about 1 1/2 inches across. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, season the beef with salt and pepper and mix well. Form into 4 equally sized patties about 3/4 inch thick.
3. Form a deep cavity in the center of each beef patty. Place a cheese disk in each cavity and pull the meat together to completely cover the cheese.
4. In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook, about 4 minutes on each side for medium. Serve on the buns with the lettuce, onion and condiments.

Designer Burgers: In Vogue

(photo courtesy of Vogue)

The famous ground-beef mixture from Pat LaFrieda has been the talk of burger circles the last few years — a dizzying time in which the Spotted Pig, Shake Shack, Stand, and half a dozen other contenders have taken the previously humble sandwich to the proverbial next level. The source of all that burger greatness, as Men’s Vogue recently wrote, is LaFrieda, the city’s top source for high-end wholesale meats. Scratch the wholesale part! Soon, and for the first time ever, the burger that launched a thousand blog posts will be available at the retail counter at Market Table, Joey Campanero and Mike Price’s new restaurant in the West Village.

The meat counter will also sell the pork chops that inspired a cult following at the little owl. “People always asked me, ‘Where do you get your meat? Where do you get your meat?’ I put like three things on it and that’s it. But nobody could get it before,” Campanero tells us. Meanwhile, the magic meat that haunts the dreams of New York’s burger lovers will come in preformed patties of about eight ounces, with a little card written by Price, the restaurant’s executive chef, saying how to cook them. Of if you really want to have the Shake Shack experience, get them in four-ounce patties. You don’t even have to stand in line holding a vibrator.

LaFrieda beef for Shake Shack: Now it can be yours. (Treo present to indicate scale.)

Photo: Josh Ozersky

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — A competitive eater who has already triumphed at a famous hot dog eating contest swallowed 103 small hamburgers in 8 minutes Sunday to take home $10,000.

Joey Chestnut, 23, of San Jose, Calif., surpassed the previous record of 97 Krystal burgers - 2 1/2 inches square - held by Japan’s Takeru Kobayashi, set at last year’s Krystal Square Off.

“We never thought we’d see someone anywhere near, let alone past, the century mark when we started the Krystal Square Off in 2004,” said Brad Wahl, vice president of marketing for The Krystal Co.

Chestnut beat 12 other contestants. Kobayashi, who won all previous Krystal Hamburger Eating Championships, didn’t compete this year because of lingering jaw pain from having a wisdom tooth extracted in June.

The 29-year-old Kobayashi received chiropractic treatment before losing his hot-dog-eating belt in the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July tussle in New York.

WGH loves the McDonald’s story. From two brothers who could pump out the burgers en-mass and a Chicago paper-cup salesman who saw something in the brother’s business. Like McDoo’s or loathe them, this sure is one inspirational story.

Raymond Albert Kroc (1902-1984) was a salesman who set up the first franchise of the McDonald brothers’ drive-in restaurant. He bought the golden arches symbol from them and built the McDonald’s chain based on the concepts of a limited menu of controlled quality and uniformity combined with massive advertising.

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WE’RE LOVIN’ IT

No matter which way we go, we find all roads in Australia leading back to Andrew’s Hamburgers. Not strange when you taste this 400gram devine creation. Built on 50 plus years of tradition, this humble establishment does the Aussie Burger proud.

Andrew’s burger at - you guessed right - Andrew’s Burger.
Photo: Rebecca Hallas

Andrew’s Hamburgers

Ph: (03) 9690 2126; 144 Bridport St, ALBERT PARK 3206,

Andrew’s in Melbourne (just off the F1 track)

Salt, pepper and a bit of love. Ask Greg Pappas the secret to hamburger success, and that’s the answer you get. There’s also talk of quality ingredients, and getting the grill temperature just right. If he’s slightly evasive, it’s understandable: Pappas runs one of Melbourne’s best old-style hamburger joints and wants to keep it that way.

“Everyone says there are secrets… but the basic rule with our burgers is that we have the best produce - the best bacon, the best beef, the best lettuce - and everything is prepared on the day.” A little salt and pepper when the patties are on the grill are the only additions. Whatever the key, Andrews Hamburgers in Albert Park has stood the test of time. Countless shops have taken a chance on the bayside suburb, but few have gone the distance in quite the same way. The burgers regularly feature in “best-of” lists in this city and recently Pappas’ store turns 50.”

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The cheese at The Fifties is certainly new Millenium

WGH found this blog on The Fifties. We can’t verify the contents so we would be mighty glad for some feedback. Anyway, here it is verbatim:

As you walk into any of three The Fifties locations in Sao Paulo, you are greeted with alternating black and white tiles, marble counters and tabletops, and the most delicious mixture of smells. This amazing place is any food-lover’s wet dream. Service is always impeccable, as the waiters quickly and efficiently jot your order down into their wireless IPAQs. Nothing I’ve ever ordered here has been disappointing. Keeping in line with the fifties malt shop that it emulates, the strongest candidates on the menu are the burgers, fries, and variants thereof. However, I’ve seen people happily sitting down to a plate of carpaccio or pasta. Suffice it to say, when these guys do delicious, they don’t mess around.

A few of the most popular menu items after the jump.

The Pic Burger (pictured above, with more photos here) arrives at your table cozily resting in its protective paper bag. This bag helps to keep the defenseless burger from being gobbled whole, for who can resist the sliced lettuce, diced onions, melted cheese, and special sauce. The flavor party reaches its crescendo in the beef, which exists in the form of ground picanha — the most delicious beef in Brazil. Similar in quality to filet mignon and revered by all Brazilians as the ultimate cut, picanha is a must for any barbecue, lest ye be cast out into the darkness. This almost sacrosanct piece of cow is lovingly ground up, perfectly cooked by the master grill men, and deposited onto your tastebuds. Truly this burger is the pinnacle of gastronomy as relates to the manipulation of ground beef, bread, and fixins.

Next up is the establishment’s eponymous superstar sandwich, The Fifties. Over time this particular delight has become my personal favorite, outpacing even the illustrious Pic Burger. I guess it’s a matter of personal taste, but when I imagine the ciabatta bread, the tender thin filet mignon, melted cheese, bacon, and green herb mayo — well, words alone cannot communicate the satisfaction which is yours upon first biting into this masterpiece. Subsequent bites serve only to reinforce your initial impression, and when you find yourself staring an empty plate, gluttonous visions of a second helping will flit through your mind.

While there, do not neglect the fries. These little beauties are not the frozen precut crap that you might have become accustomed to in other less discriminating establishments. They are freshly cut on-site every day and fried to a crispy state which will leave you delirious. I’ve been known to stop by there just for an order of fries (although upon arrival I can never resist sampling more selections).

Last but certainly not least is the petit gateau. This Brazilian variation of the dessert features a mini chocolate cake filled with liquid chocolate. This is heated, then topped with more liquid chocolate and surrounded by ripe mango slices. A scoop of amazing vanilla ice cream completes the construction of this climactic meal-ending treat.

A final recommendation: have an espresso and a glass of sparkling water with a twist of lime. It will cleanse your palate and help you digest the prodigious quantities of excellent food nestled comfortably in your stomach. If you find yourself in Sao Paulo, this place shouldn’t be skipped for any reason whatsoever.

The Fifties - Sao Paulo, Brazil - January 2006 [Flickr]
The Fifties [Official site, in Portuguese]

[Daniel Juliano]

Previously:

How about a Ramly Burger?

The Ramly Burger, also known as the Burger Ramly, is a Malaysian burger created by Ramly Moknin popular in Malaysia and Singapore. Though the term “Ramly Burger” may refer to any of the hamburgers sold in a Ramly Burger stall, it most commonly refers to the Ramly Burger Special. Are you confused?

While the amount and type of ingredients vary greatly depending on location, a typical Ramly Burger consists of a beef or chicken patty, margarine, onions, an egg, cabbage, mayonnaise, and Worcestershire sauce. This list is subjective, however, as Ramly Burgers are famous for being highly customizable

Ramly Burger History

Burger Ramly started out in 1979 as a small family business operated from a mobile kiosk on Lorong Haji Hussin in Kuala Lumpur. The family recipe soon became a hit among Malaysians.

The Ramly Burger is distinctive from most other hamburgers due to the unique way in which the ingredients are served. Rather than the usual method of stacking the ingredients within the bun, the patty in the Ramly Burger is first covered with the desired condiments, then wrapped in a thin layer of egg. The end result is packet-like and enhances the texture of the burger while simultaneously reducing mess from the condiments. The Ramly Burger served in this way is known as Ramly Burger Special.

Halal or not, Ramly Burgers rock

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What you looking at? I’m chewy, leave me alone.

On a recent trip to Tibet, I come across one of the most unusual burgers to date. A Big Yak Burger. Let me assure you that this will not be a world revelation. The meat is very chewy. In fact, it could double up as meat chewing gum and put Wrigley’s out of business!

In Li Jiang, China (Shangri-la region - think James  Hilton’s book), Banyan Tree; a swanky resort nestled high in the mountains also sells Yak Burgers. Having tried both, neither stand-out as a reason for a trip…

Having tried a Yak burger, I will not be rushing back for seconds. There will be no Yak Attack and no I’m not lovin’ it.

Tibet: Spirituality personified. The Dalai-Lama & co have most things right

but not their burgers.

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Many of us saw the movie. Some of us took offence.

Evil Ronald? Maybe, but he’s super cool in his hip-hop necklace.

Whatever happened to Spurlock? Did he lose those pounds again? What has bemused us, is that we see no sign of his website now. Taken down? Bills not paid? By who?
We all know that one major thing the movie did do; cause change. We now have a somewhat healthy menu at McDonald’s. Is that what we wanted? Seems that way as McDonald’s has been enjoying increasing sales post menu changes.

Watch-out little fella, keep your eyes on the hamburger and not our treasured WGH logo!

The evil krusty-clown stikes again in Springfield.

Krusty Burger establishment

It doesn’t get any better than the Simpsons. Young or old, the Bart, Homer and co. can put a smile on your face. I always get a kick out of watching the episodes where Krusty Burgers or Krusty the clown appear.

For those not in the loop, Krusty Burger is a fictional parody  of a well known fast-food restaurant chain.  The promotional face of Krusty Burger is none other than…Krusty the Clown.

There is no McDonald’s in Springfield, although it is mentioned that there is one in Shelbyville. In the later seasons, it is revealed that Krusty paid off the mafia to keep out all other fast food competitors such as Wendy’s, Burger King and McDonald’s, though an In & Out Burger was seen in Springfield on one episode, as well as other fictional franchises such as Gulp ‘N Blow, The Taco Hut and Kentucky Fried Panda.

Krusty also appears to have some input into running the company, personally losing $44 million when a promotional tie-in, in which Krusty Burger was chosen the Official Meat-Flavored Sandwich of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, backfired due to a Soviet boycott, and Krusty Burger was forced to give away much more food than expected; Krusty expressed his displeasure by stating on live television that “I, personally am gonna spit into every fiftieth burger!” The series has frequently established that Krusty is not particularly fond of the food served, shown when recording a commercial (immediately before learning of his $44 million dollar loss), he said, “Ewww! I almost swallowed some of the juice!” In “I’m Spelling as Fast as I Can“, Krusty bit a Ribwich and said, “Mmm, I don’t mind the taste!”

Krusty Burger operates in thousands of locations across the United States including an unprofitable franchise on an unmanned off-shore oil platform.

Ouch! Flanders, you got hold of my willy

A naked Bart Simpson hits the wall of Krusty Burger, where Ned, Rod, and Todd Flanders sit eating hamburgers and french fries. From the February 18, 2007 trailer of The Simpsons Movie.

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Well it used to be hamburger desert in Hong Kong but over the past 10 years or so we have seen a deluge of Hamburger chains appearing - and in some cases disappearing - in every nook and cranny of the territory. All good news for those in the need of a burger fix - the past 3 years - has resulted in an atomic explosion of burger joints opening.

Triple O’s doing it wok ‘n woll style in China

Leading the pack, Canada’s famed Triple O’s - at least for West coast habitants - made a grand entrance via there 50’s retro themed inpired 70-odd seat outlet in Pacific Place mall in 2003. Since that auspicious opening - by we presume a homesick Canuck - they have branched out with another outlet at IFC Mall/ The Forum at Exchange Square in Central, Harbour City in TST, Kowloon and City Super at Times Square in Causeway Bay. They have just opened a Shatin branch.

For a pure Australian chuck pattie with lettuce, tomato and Triple O’s special sauce, you will dish-out HK$51. Extras will cost more.

Down in Star Street, Wanchai, burger lovers have been celebrating Shake-’em Buns, which opened in August last year. Since its humble beginings, two more outlets have been added to the artillery; in Causeway Bay (5 Hoi Ping Rd) and Central (76 Wellington St) like a bolt of lighting from the blue.

Shake-’em Buns main-dude styling behind the grill

Whilst any New-Yorker worth his pound of pure chuck beef would know; the word ‘Shake’ should be used with extreme caution (think Shake Shack). Whilst small, this burger joint has a 1930’s esq, New York Diner look and feel. The burgers are your traditional ’sloppy Joe’ - a 160 gram juicy pattie, resplendent with fresh leaf of lettuce, with lashings of mayo, sandwiched in a fresh sesame-seed bun. Prices for the Missionary are HK$48, Red on the Neck (chilli and coleslaw) HK$60, Gang Bang (double patty with cheese, bacon and fried egg) HK$98. Whilst this joint has nothing on the doyen of hamburger places: Shake Shack, it certainly does hold its own.

The real deal - no Holyfield

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MOS Burger (mountain, ocean, sun) is one of Japan’s leading burger joints. Their burgers are unusual to say the least. The size is the first major difference. Then, the way they are constructed. However, I am happy to report that every one of them is great. I especially like the one pictured below.

The most popular choices include the seafood rice burger, for which scallops, shrimp and assorted vegetables are fried into a tempura-like cake and served with sweet (of course) Japanese sauce. If you think using rice to replace flour is scary, go for the MOS cheeseburger, where the steak is generally thicker and much juicier than in other fast-food restaurants. And don’t miss the meat sauce, which is a little bit spicy to stimulate your appetite.

http://www.mos.co.jp/english/

Serious mix-up: Americana (burger concept), Japanese (so neat) and Italian (bolognese sauce).

Freshness Burger

Is another that will tickle your taste-buds into an orgy of a rock-opera that would put Queen to shame. Once again, smaller than Western burgers but very tasty and great packaging.

I’ve seen it all - SPAM - serious?

And the burger above is the one that I can’t get over. SPAM burger! How good is that. Just to think, everything we stand for at WGH goes out the window when I tell you that it tastes great.

Umm… I will have her times two. Can I have the burger aswell?

To keep the trend alive, McDonald’s has some very unusual burgers in Japan. How about a Shrimp burger? Or even a Pork Burger?

Now we are talking! Four patties and you don’t even have to specially order

And finally, here is the McPorky burger…

McPork, all good from the land of the rising sun.

Biff-Burger - what happened?

For those of you that don’t know, Biff-burger was a classic burger joint from the 50’s which was developed by the Brane bros. For a better insight into the chain, I have attached verbatim a copy of some well researched history on what was once a flourishing chain. Ol’ Biff was clearly a favorite and at one time stretched all the way up North to Canuck land. Now there is only 2 left on the planet and they are, not exactly clones of the originals.

I wish to thank James Black for sending in the original information, and after being kindly informed by Biff-Burger  fan and Historian C. Catherman, that some of the history that was provided to us (apparently lifted from the original site - http://www.geocities.com/biffburger_drivein/history.htm - was hearsay). So those who wish to get the whole, updated version, please go to the link above.  All the photos on this particular blog are from the original Biff-burger site. We hope enjoy.

Great photos of the circa 1950’s Biff-burger car-hop and restaurant. They don’t make them like they used to. Ask those two guys looking more like doctors waiting for their next patient. Too bad good ol’ biff is no longer.

Check-out the wheels!

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Well, for those who like their burgers with a bite, look no further than our Jalapeno Bacon Cheeseburger recipe. This one packs a punch and will keep them coming back for more. Best news, it’s easy-to-make.

Jalapeno Bacon Cheeseburgers

Spicy Ranch Sauce

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 4 green onions, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño chile
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Burgers

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 small onion, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon chopped seeded jalapeño chile
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Worcestershire-Coffee Glaze

• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee crystals
• 2 teaspoons (packed) golden brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter

Other

• 16 bacon slices
• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 8 hamburger buns or 3- to 4-inch square focaccia rolls, split horizontally
• 8 lettuce leaves
• 2 cups coarsely shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

Preparation

For spicy ranch sauce:

1. Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl to blend.
2. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

For burgers:

1. Gently mix all ingredients in large bowl.
2. Form mixture into eight 1/2- to 3/4-inch-thick patties.
3. Place on small baking sheet.
4. Cover and chill at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

For glaze:

1. Stir first 5 ingredients in small saucepan over medium heat until coffee is
   dissolved.
2. Remove from heat.
3. Whisk in butter.
4. Season glaze to taste with salt and pepper.

Cooking

1. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat).
2. Working in batches if necessary, cook bacon in large skillet over
   medium-high heat until crisp and brown.
3. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Spray grill rack with nonstick spray.
4. Toast buns until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer buns, cut side up, to plates.
5. Grill burgers 5 minutes, basting with glaze.
6. Turn burgers, baste with glaze, and grill until cooked to desired doneness,
   about 5 minutes longer for medium.
7. Press cheese atop each burger and allow cheese to melt.
8. Place some sauce, then 1 burger on each bun bottom.
9. Top each with 2 slices bacon and desired additional toppings. Cover with bun
   top. Serve with remaining sauce.

Now tell me that doesn’t sound delicious

Fast food games on the web

We are always on the lookout for fun things to do. Gaming is one of them. Even more so when it involves burgers and fast-food themes.

The Fast Food Logo Game presents you with 26 partial fast food logos and challenges you to guess which restaurant they represent.

Burger Time is a Donkey Kong variant in which you direct a little chef up ladders, across beams, and over burger components to construct complete burgers before being tackled by errant hot dogs.

McVideogame.com is both a game and a disturbing look at McDonald’s that I wrote about in March. It is is a satirical, ‘anti-advergame’ that highlights the dark-side of running a McDonald’s-like fast food restaurant. The player discovers that to make money running the company you must exploit underdeveloped countries and low-wage workers and feed unhealthy growth hormones to cattle.

Fast Food Fiasco can be almost as addictive as fast food itself, without the additives! It’s a traditional matching game like Bejeweled in which you have to arrange 3 identical fast food items in a row or column to score points.

Guess the Calories is exactly what it sounds like: the game presents you with a popular fast food item and you have to move the slider on the calorie scale to indicate how many calories you think it has. Hint: use Fast Food Facts or the Fast Food Facts book to cheat!

Busy Burger is an infuriating (read challenging) little animated game that requires you to prepare and bag exactly what the customer has ordered. There are only three items for customers to choose from; burgers, fries, chicken, and a drink, but fulfilling an order requires planning and coordination.

Burger Invasion is a Galaga, shoot the space ships, type game except that the space ships are burgers and what looks like croissants. It just barely qualifies as a fast food game; primarily because of its name.

Bueno Rufus features Bueno the Beaver (!) who has been hired by a Mexican fast food joint to process orders. He has to top each dish with the correct topping before they quickly zap by. You help Bueno make the right choice of toppings in the nick of time because this is fast food and Bueno needs to be on his toes!

Fast Food Follies is really a horrible game both in premise and play. I don’t even know why I’m listing it except for its absurdity. It is a shoot ‘em up game that takes place in a Canadian Dairy Queen. The DQ employees you’re shooting at are always in the same place and the premise, that DQ is getting meat anywhere it can, is just plain weird.

Of course the big boys have created some of their own games at their respective web sites:

Taco Bell has a memory game and you can dress up their sauce packets.

There’s a couple games, including Burger Invaders, at Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr.; just click on the video game controller on their homepages.

McDonald’s has gotten in the game, too, with Shark Bait. Shark bait is a promotion game for their Filet-O-Fish sandwich that I’ve written about before.

If you’d prefer to go with the full PC game experience you could purchase either Fast Food Tycoon 2 or the more advanced Restaurant Empire at Amazon.

And finally, if you need a fast food game fix on your mobile phone there’s Fast Food Mayhem.Labels: Hardee’s,

California based Johnny Rockets. A 1950s-style hamburger chain. The guys that dance and twirl straws every half an hour! In the past JR spread it wings to Australia but for whatever reason didn’t have the grip of super-glue. Whatever the reason, the burger experience there is something all good burger lovers should experience.

Two fresh patties, two slices of Tillamook® Cheddar cheese, thick bacon, fresh lettuce, ripe tomato, onion slice & special sauce

Big-Bacon Double Heart-Attack please, hold the fries…

Richard and Maurice (Dick and Mac) McDonald opened their self-service restaurant in 1948 in San Bernardino, Calif. In 1954, they made a franchise deal with Ray Kroc (who later cleaned-up) and the worldwide McDonald’s chain was born.
Photo: McDonald’s Corp.

McDonald’s Turns 50

Quick — name five McDonald’s jingles or slogans from years past! If you can do this in under thirty seconds, you quickly gain an appreciation for the impact that the fast food chain has had on our economy and culture.

This week’s Friday diversion celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Golden Arches. This week in 1955, enterpreneur Ray Kroc became a franchisee of a new hamburger chain in California run by two brothers named McDonald… and the rest is history.

Real good and still only 15cents - not!

The following are highlights of some of the key moments in McDonald’s history:

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Seeking Bliss on a Bun

By Jane Black

Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 26, 2007; Page F02

The hamburger at EatBar in Arlington is the kind of burger you wish you could make at home. It’s got just the right touch of char but remains run-down-your-hands juicy with a deep, beefy flavor. But the fact is, you probably can’t make it yourself. Or let’s just say you wouldn’t. Chef Nathan Anda’s secret: Mix butter into the meat.

The simplest foods are the hardest to make well, and the humble burger is no exception. That’s why many of Washington’s top chefs take their burgers very seriously.

GALLERY
Upscale restaurants are helping the humble hamburger soar to new heights.

Some use meat graded USDA prime, the Russell Crowe of the beef world. Others use only dry-aged meat, ensuring your burger the same respect as a $40-a-plate sirloin. Many — you could call them control freaks — insist on grinding the meat themselves.

Chefs’ culinary ambitions don’t stop with the beef. At Charlie Palmer Steak on Capitol Hill and Cleveland Park’s Palena, the chefs make the buns from scratch daily. At Central Michel Richard, chef Cedric Maupiller slow-cooks each tomato slice in olive oil, sugar, salt, pepper and rosemary. And almost every high-end joint hand-cuts its fries and deep-fries them — twice. (After all, what’s a great burger without fries to match?)

Their efforts have paid off. Palena chef Frank Ruta says his 30-seat cafe serves up as many as 60 burgers a night, accounting for anywhere from one-third to a half of the restaurant’s total orders. “We get people who split a burger for a first course, then get chicken and a salad,” he said. “They have to have it.”

Which one should you have? To find out, we ordered burgers from 13 upscale Washington area restaurants, testing for juiciness, beefy flavor, char and the all-important bun-to-burger ratio. Even with prices reaching as high as $18, not all made the grade. We gave extra points for thoughtful toppings such as house-made ketchup and pickles and ripe tomatoes. (An unripe tomato has no place in a good restaurant, even atop a hamburger.) And we subtracted points when the kitchen failed to cook the burger to our desired medium-rare; only half passed that basic test.

The best — and the worst — surprised us. Here’s the beef:

OUR FAVORITES

Central Michel Richard $16 (plus $1 for cheese, $1 for bacon)Lunch and dinner1001 Pennsylvania Ave. NW202-626-0015http://www.centralmichelrichard.comScore: 5 (out of 5)

Central’s chef tested at least 10 kinds of beef before he settled on dry-aged Black Angus from a small farm near Baltimore for the restaurant’s burger. The same attention to detail went into every other component: the perfectly sized bun, the velvety confit tomato and th