Our group!

Our April burger club meeting was to be at Eulogy (136 Chestnut St) but due to an organizational misunderstanding we went to Eulogy’s sister restaurant – Bierstube (206 Market St). We went to Bierstube August of 2012 and had a fine time. This visit was a little different due to the Chef’s special addition of an Elk burger! I was able to try a bite of this burger and I’m HERE TO TELL YOU that it’s awesome. The flavor of the meat is unrivaled by any other burger in the city – in my opinion. The meat is just plain flavorful, I can’t think of another way to describe it. It’s not gamey or tough, just delicious! One burger club member (Megan) had this to say “I liked the meat in particular. It was very tender. I’m glad I tried the elk. Normally, I can’t hunt an elk myself so I am glad someone did it for me”. Truth. If you’re looking for something different (and a little daring) I would definitely tell you to hurry yourself over to Bierstube.

Also on their menu is the dragon burger (which is what I ordered) – drachen, a spicy meat blend stuffed with blue cheese, breathes fire from this burger on a kaiser roll. This burger packs a punch, the spicy sausage-blended meat patty is simply delicious. It’s not too spicy if you’re worried – just right. The blue cheese, which is actually stuffed INTO the burger, cools things out for a delightful overall taste. The bun holds things together well but isn’t much to write home about. I learned only after my meal that any burger can be requested on the pretzel roll (that the German burger comes on). In the future I would request to have that. I love pretzel rolls so much – I wish I could just buy a dozen of them and use them for every sandwich.

I was also lucky enough to have a bite of the aforementioned German burger. The German burger is topped w/fried knockwurst, sauerkraut and muenster cheese on a pretzel roll. For the love of all that is not sauerkraut-loving, put that stuff on the side! I think kraut is an acquired taste that I have not yet developed – maybe one day. Burger Club Member Megan said “I thought that the toppings were great with the exception of the sauerkraut on the German burger. Just because Gushers are American, doesn’t mean I put that on my fried chicken”. I wholeheartedly agree. This burger is pretty dang good and I would definitely bring an out-of-towner to sample it. Similar to the Elk burger, you’re just not going to find this anywhere else. It’s like two meals in one with a burger patty topped with a knockwurst. The muenster cheese is too subtle for this burger – it really gets lost in the shuffle. No matter though, the pretzel roll makes up for any slight problems with its salty delicious, egg washed hardiness. All burgers come with delicious thick-cut French fries that I just couldn’t get enough of.

The only major downside of our visit (despite the location mix-up) was the lack of staff in the restaurant. The one lone waitress was responsible for the entire restaurant (a packed house with our party). It took us maybe 45 minutes just to get our drinks! Despite being completely overwhelmed she really kept her composure and was a true professional. After the first taste of our liter mugs everything was just fine. Our burgers came out quickly after our drinks did and everything was cooked to perfection.

Overall we had a great time, despite some start-up problems. I haven’t had a bad meal from Bierstube yet and I don’t think I ever will. Definitely a rare spot in old city that isn’t filled with jerks. Would definitely recommend a trip here! If I haven’t been able to convince you to visit this establishment by now, you should probably go for the full liters of beer. Please see the picture below (with dollar for size reference) for a visual aid.

February’s meeting seemed to come up extra fast due to the short month- something we certainly weren’t going to complain about since we were looking forward to our first encounter with Ela.  A bit different than our typical Burger Club meeting spots (which tend to be large, bar-centric spots since these can fit a large group and usually have a solid burger), Ela is more upscale and gourmet.

Located in prime real estate right off of South Street in Queen Village, the restaurant is actually much larger than I imagined.  The regular menu has a concise list of appetizers and entrees, which doesn’t include the burger.  Actually, the burger is a special item on the bar menu, and is produced in a very limited quantity each night.  Nothing like making your burger a bit exclusive to drum up some attention.  However, Ela agreed to produce more burgers just for us.  Or, more than the typical ten, at least.

Unfortunately, the hostess and waiters didn’t seem thrilled to have us for the evening, and relegated us to either the back room (with only four tables) or the bar area.  Since they knew we would have 30+ attendees, it seemed a bit odd.  Even worse, once our group reached 29 (yes, 29), the hostess refused to allow any more burger-seekers.  She would “allow” us to eat from the regular menu in the dining room, but obviously that’s not what we wanted.  We were sad to see several small groups turned away (please come back next month!).

The waitresses were slow to take drink orders and even slower to ask our meat temperature preference. But, the wait for the kitchen was almost unbearable.  We typically meet at 7PM and are wrapping up by 8PM- it’s just a bunch of burgers (well, and good company!).  However, we waited until almost 8PM just to be served- by which time I think there was a good deal of hanger abounding.

Apologies for the pictures- I accidentally grabbed the macro lens.

On arrival the burger looked great- a decent sized patty, an adorable bun and some good melty cheese.  However, there were a LOT of grumbles about the “tots” served on the side- averaging about ten fried potato cubes.  Didn’t matter much to me- I’m there for the burger not the sides- but many in our group weren’t thrilled.  I actually can’t even comment on their tastiness as I donated all to my sad hungry husband.

Now, on to the burger critique.  A housemade black sesame bun was wonderful- soft on the inside but a crispy exterior, with a smooth, shiny (eggwash?) glaze.  It was really perfect in containing the meat, holding up well to the thick patty.  The accompaniments include a small pile of watercress, some melty sharp Cabot cheddar, a few sauteed shiitakes, and “sauce.”  Yup, just sauce.  According to Chef Jason Cichonski, it’s made with “like, 400,000 ingredients.”  We can tell you one thing- it has a very Asian profile.

The meat– I can only say I’m still stumped about both the color and the texture.  Half of our group was panicking because of the color– almost bright red, regardless of what the cooking temperature request.  The rawer the better, in my opinion, but some of us are scared of raw ground beef (for good reason), and weren’t up for eating a patty of beef tartare.  However, apparently the “sauce” is mixed into the house ground beef, providing this coloring that doesn’t disappear with more time on the grill.

After eating half the burger, I finally put my finger on the patty texture.  Hot dogs.  Chopped up hot dogs.  Sort of chewy.. with a slight rubberiness.  After proclaiming this to my table, I think I ruined their next few bites.  Sorry!  It didn’t necessarily detract from the overall experience, but it was just weird.  Should this burger be on everyone’s must eat list?  No.  Was it different from anything else we’ve had?  Definitely.  However, our overall experience with the staff at Ela, along with the sad limit of 29 burgers, has most of us hesitant to return to try the regular menu.  Looking forward to a more accommodating meeting next month at Bainbridge Barrel House (and hopefully some great specials– c’mon Steph!).

We’ve skipped a Burger Club meeting or two in the past due to the fact that the meetings were held at restaurants we’ve been to before (does anyone else do this, or we are just slackers?).  This month, we faced the same problem;  however, we’d never tried the burgers at City Tap House, so felt the trip was well worth it. Besides, we work nearby and honestly, it hurts us to miss out on seeing all of you burger-y friends!  For those of you who haven’t visited (and missed the meeting), City Tap House is a serious food and drink mecca.  To start, it’s enormous, with several different dining areas, including the best outdoor seating in the city (although that is really only open during the summer months).  On top of that, the menus are extensive on both the solid and liquid sides, with constant special events and a number of private parties daily.  It’s just a cool place.

Source

The menu includes three burgers, a good variety for different tastes.  The overwhelming choice of our group was The Tap Burger ($14 but since we’re special, we were graciously granted 20% off).  Described on the menu as being served with “crispy pork belly, lancaster cheddar, agrodolce onions, beer gastrique, dijonaise,” the all beef burger sounds too good to be true.  So many toppings! Lots of great flavors! Meat on meat!  Alas, the description certainly oversold the burger.

The first problem was the bun: a bit too big and bready.  We’ve been spoiled by many brioche burger buns, whose buttery texture retains lots of moisture and doesn’t crumble.  Regular buns have a much dryer crumb and tend to fill up/dry out your mouth if you take a large bite (jeez, we’re picky).

The meat itself was well-cooked but not particularly flavorful- again, we’re just spoiled with great meat options in this city, a little ground brisket here, a little bacon mixed in there.  A small square of pork belly didn’t cover the entire patty, and was a little bit dry and chewy.  Overall, the burger didn’t fare well in Burger Club ratings, with overall scores averaging just a 2.86/5 in the Taste category.

The second option on the menu is the Free Range PA Turkey Burger– which, as noted on the menu, has by one source or another been named Best of Philly ($14).  This burger again has a stellar list of accompaniments: avocado, brie, curry dijon aioli, lettuce, and tomato.  We didn’t try this burger but were able to snap some pics and get an opinion or two.  Our resident non-meat-eater (hi Megan!) claimed it was very salty, overpowering the toppings.  We didn’t hear from anyone else who ate it– love to get opinions from more of you!

I truly believe we would have left as a group of happier eaters if everyone had ordered the third and final option: the Lamb Burger ($15).  The novelty of a lamb patty helped make the meat super flavorful, with a good char and a soft pink center.  The bun had sesame seeds, lending flavor to the mix even though it was still a bit too big and dry.

The toppings were a wonderful mix– actually proving the opposite effect as the other two burgers, as they were executed in a way that made them even better than they sounded on paper.  Fennel salad (with radishes and arugula), smoked paprika aioli, kalamata olives, and feta yogurt- lots of Mediterranean flavors that provided much needed moisture (to counter that bun), coolness, and a good mix of textures.

I would absolutely revisit Tap House just for this burger- it was wonderful.  The side of fries was also just fine- hot and crispy, and a generous portion.  Our first meeting of 2013 may not have found us the best burger in the city, but it was absolutely a success– tons of new faces, a fun spot, and an unexpectedly great lamb sandwich.  And, the great thing about Burger Club, you always know another meeting is just around the corner!

This week I’d like to take a moment to discuss a topic that doesn’t get a lot of attention – burger toppings. We here at the burger club take toppings VERY seriously, it’s one of the main factors that we vote on to determine the value of a burger. Toppings can range from predictable to outrageous and everything in-between. For a restaurant that might want to try out a new burger, trying to decide what kind of toppings to offer may be harder than one might expect. Do you offer a bunch of options like cheeburger cheeburger (pictured below)? Or do YOU determine the combination and theme for the customer? There are almost too many options!

When I’m looking at a menu the burger toppings are what I think of first in my mind (and in my mouth). Am I going for a meat on meat? Do I want a lot of cheese? Would I rather something light and natural to balance out the fatty mcfatterson burger? There are just so many different combinations, it’s important not to get into a rut of only ordering the same toppings all the time.

When I was a bit younger I would exclusively opt for a bacon & blue cheese burger wherever I went. Lately I’ve been much more interested in the variety of toppings that this burger world has to offer. Lately I have seen many places (Spiga, Red Owl, PYT) making VERY sweet topping combinations. The house burger at Red Owl (pictured at left) is so sweet it even has raisins in it. Many folks from the burger club found the sweetness of this burger to be too much, but I think they need to just open their minds (and hearts) a little. The sweet topping from Spiga consists of an onion Mostarda which is so nicely paired with herbed goat cheese and applewood smoked bacon. I found this flavor palette to be near perfect. The sweet, salty, creamy topping paired with the richness of the burger is simply unbeatable, IMO. I see this sweet topping trend to be something we’re going to see a lot more of in the future, but is the American public ready for it??

I studied abroad in Sydney, AU and while they don’t really seem to have a national food or style of cooking (other than BBQ) they did put a little twist on the classic burger that I haven’t found anywhere else. I’m sure other parts of the world do this but I haven’t found it – they put a big slice of beetroot on their burgers. I know what you’re thinking “EWWWWW BEETS????” but let me tell you, once you’ve gotten over the idea of it you’ll want it on every burger ever. The beet has this rich, sweet, subtle flavor that compliments the meat in the best possible way. I wish some American burger joints would try this out.

Lastly I’d like to pass along a little vote from the burger club about toppings. I only proposed the question to the group YESTERDAY but I think their findings are nevertheless important. Apparently everyone likes cheese. Duh.

I hope that in the future we see many more creative burger combinations of toppings. I think this is what will really bring the burger into another category of food. Many posts ago (after a burger & wine tasting event) I prophesized that the burger is becoming the new “it” thing, more of a luxury item than it ever has been – and I think that with the new trend in toppings this is becoming more of a reality. I hope to see more of this and one day the BURGER will rule all! Till then, my burger friends!