Archive for the ‘BURGERS’ Category

Revamped Donovan’s Pub of Bayside Still Can’t Match Pre-Renovation Burger

February 28, 2008

Before you jump all over NYC Food Guy, I admit, it was a good burger. It was juicy, cooked to order, and the onions, despite not being up to par with the pre-renovation style, were better than my previous visit. In the end though, it just wasn’t as good as pre-renovation.

The burger patty wasn’t as big, the bun was burnt, the onions were too greasy and not burnt enough, and the ketchup situation was dismal. No more bottles of Heinz, just little thimbles of ketchup which we had to ask for more of at least 6 times. King of Ketchup was furious. Our waitress even admitted she hates that ketchup isn’t served in bottle.

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In the end, after eating a renovated Donovan’s of Bayside burger for the second time, I was pleased but not wowed. The burger certainly stuck with me like it used to (I tasted fried onion the rest of the day) but it wasn’t up to par with pre-renovation. I don’t know what they changed in the kitchen but it’s just not the same. If I want the authentic, no frills Donovan’s Burger experience, I’m going to head to Woodside where it all started.

Read on for more greasy burger pics or check out my first review here

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Lure Fishbar: $17 “Lure Style” Cheeseburger is Tasty but Overpriced

January 31, 2008

NYC Food Guy finally made the pilgrimage to Lure’s subterranean location on the corner of Prince and Mercer and this is what awaited me. Looks pretty delicious doesn’t it?

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Find out why it didn’t live up to my expectations after the break.

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George Keeley: The Upper West Side’s Best Pub Burger

January 22, 2008

In the ultimate search for the Holy Grail of neighborhood bars, your “Cheers”, the place where “everybody knows your name”, George Keeley on Amsterdam Ave. b/t 83rd & 84th, stands as this haven for NYC Food Guy. Great bartenders and beer, free, highly addictive and delicious popcorn, and a solid dart board, George Keely embodies all that is good with a bar, and if that’s not enough, they have a half pound behemoth of a burger that is, until further notice, the best Pub burger on the Upper West Side.

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More pics, what makes a great pub burger, and the mind baffling appetizer sampler after the jump or…

For a glimpse into a few of the UWS’s many pizza slice joints click here.

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SoHo Park: Great place to chill, don’t count on the grill

January 16, 2008

Mother Nature has been a little zany of late, bringing us 60 degree days in January. This past weekend brought typically chilly winter weather and SoHo Park was the perfect spot to reignite the summer vibe. Purveyors of affordable food, tasty beer, and a pretty tasty chocolate milkshake, the laidback atmosphere of the airy restored garage is a more worthwhile reason to attend than the ordinary cheeseburger and Belgian frites.

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Peter Luger’s Cheeseburger: Luxury at Lunchtime

December 19, 2007

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Peter Luger’s Steakhouse, the pinnacle of an old school chophouse and the purveyor of some of New York’s best steaks since 1887, serves a little-known and affordable ($8.95 - cash only) 8-10 oz. flame broiled prime beef burger at lunchtime. Pictured above on a hearty brioche bun with American cheese, fried onions, and a slice of tomato, this is one of NYC Food Guy’s Top 3 burgers in all of New York.

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Vynl Bacon Cheeseburger & Pad Thai: Good effort, poor delivery

December 7, 2007

Despite looking cool from the outside, Vynl, a trendy diner with 4 locations in NYC (Hell’s Kitchen pictured), is just that: A cool place with a contemporary menu that serves everything from eggs all day to meatloaf and mashed potatoes to red Thai curry with jasmine rice.

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My friends Lindsay and Teresa recommended the Chicken Pad Thai and the Turkey Burger, respectively, but NYC Food Guy doesn’t eat Turkey burgers. He eats Bacon Cheeseburgers, made of beef.

Despite Vynl’s admirable efforts, they came up big on glitz but fell short on delivery.

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Both the bacon cheeseburger & the chicken pad Thai failed to impress. Find out why after the jump.

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Zaitzeff Burger: Family & quality ingredients are a winning recipe

November 29, 2007

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Above: Zaitzeff’s standard cheeseburger (not sure if it’s sirloin or wagyu Kobe) 

I just got off the phone with Amine Zaitzeff (pronounced Amina), matriarch of the Zaitzeff empire she runs with her two sons, which spans the Financial District location (map) and the new spot at 18 Avenue B in Alphabet City. Zaitzeff is known for serving their grass-fed burgers on Portuguese Buns. My point in telling you this is that after our conversation, I came away with a new appreciation for Zaitzeff and their philosophy: Good food in a good atmosphere, something I can dig. That and a secret recommendation I was given which will make a meal at 18 Avenue B even better.

Although the burger I ate down in the Financial District didn’t impress me, I credit that to two things: 1) showing up at the height of lunch hour on a cold, windy, rainy fall day and 2) my seat in the storefront shop provided no protection from the elements, making me and my burger cold.

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Five Guys is the shiz-nittlebam snip-snap-sack

November 28, 2007

I went to Five Guys on 55th street between 5th and 6th Ave. tonight (11/28), my second time eating there, and it was even better this time. I got a Regular (2 patties) Bacon Cheeseburger with fried onions (which are much closer to sauteed) and fresh-cut green jalapenos. Take a look (more dank-ness after the jump):

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DONE-ovan’s? Revamped Donovan’s Pub of Bayside tarnishes top-Burger rep

November 23, 2007

Though it was always the Woodside branch of Donovan’s Pub that garnered Top Burger in NYC Ranks from Time Out New York, I lived closer to the Bayside branch, which prior to this past summer, served an equally delicious Bacon Cheeseburger with fried onions.

I returned to the re-opened Bayside branch with low expectations even after our waitress assured us the burger recipe had remained unchanged. But deep down I knew, just from the look of the new place, that it would never be the same and boy was I right…

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Bacon Cheeseburger ($9.95)


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Brooklyn Diner: The Best $16 Bacon Cheeseburger in Midtown

November 15, 2007

Brooklyn Diner calls themselves “The Finer Diner.” If we’re judging this based stricly on their Bacon Cheeseburger Deluxe Platter ($15.95) then they absolutely deliver.

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Market Table: More than just a great burger

November 8, 2007

Market Table, the new market-cum-restaurant from Little Owl’s Joey Campanaro, Mike Price, and Gabriel Stulman, serves a quality Cheddar & Sweet Onion Burger ($15) made of a secret mixture from LaFrieda Wholesale Meats.

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Five Guys taking on Burger Joint & Corner Bistro? Let the Burger Wars Begin!

November 7, 2007

Word on the street is Five Guys will be opening another location on the corner of 7th Avenue and Bleecker Street diagonal from Caliente Cab. They are reportedly in possession of the entire building and may open a bar serving, but not affiliated with, Five Guys grub. If they’re serving until 3 or 4 am, they’ll be in direct competition with Corner Bistro in the West Village in addition to already competing with The Burger Joint in midtown. Let the Burger Wars Begin!

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Photo Courtesy of Adam Kuban at http://aht.seriouseats.com/

NYC Eats First Recognition

November 5, 2007

NYC Eats was linked to on “A Hamburger Today” for our Five Guys article which you can read below. Special Thanks to Adam Kuban and the rest of the AHT and Serious Eats crew.

Here’s the link to our link (from the department of redunandcy department)

And here’s “A Hamburger Today’s” Main page, the #1 place for everything burgers.

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Five Guys has finally arrived in Midtown!

November 2, 2007

After patiently waiting the entire summer for a taste of Five Guys Burgers and Fries, the legendary Washington, D.C. chain has opened their doors on 55th street b/t 5th & 6th Ave.

Head to my main page and click on the Five Guys link on the right for EVEN BETTER pics of what’s arguably NYC’s best new burger.

Now let’s get right to it, here’s the food porn (please excuse the phone pics):

Bacon Cheeseburger with Fried Onions

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