Butcher & the Burger: Fifth Time and Still Charmed

Days like today demand a really good lunch.  I decided I'd treat myself for once and nab a burger at one of my favorite neighborhood spots.  And I went technology-free for a change, so I could just enjoy my meal.

There are few places where I enjoy dining alone (Starbucks, at home...), but after today, I've decided that Butcher & the Burger makes the list.  Their row of industrial-chic barstools (if that's what you can call them) beckons to the solo diner.  I brought along newspapers, snatched a glass-bottle Coke from the cooler, and ordered my burger as such:

• House prime blend
• Steakhouse seasoning
• Split-top egg bun
• Cheddar
• Ketchup, mustard, mayo
• Pickles

Normally I go with goat cheese and griddled onions and griddled mushrooms, but I just wanted something simple today, something sort of classic, something that would go with that end-of-summer feeling and my very analog choice of reading materials.

I ordered my burger cooked medium-well.  It was a bit pinker in the middle than I anticipated, but I find grayness in a patty far more concerning than pink.  The outside had a great char on it, and it was still perfectly juicy in the middle.  It wasn't necessarily the doneness I thought I had wanted, but it was the doneness that the burger deserved.  That really says something about the place: They know how it should be made.

I ate at the side counter, facing the outdoor patio, thumbing through the food reviews and literature sections of the Reader while leisurely enjoying my lunch.  It became clear to me why newspapers, and not phones, are the ideal reading material while eating a burger.  I have no qualms about flipping pages in the RedEye when I have grease on my hands.  I'm not saving the papers for anything special, I can just throw them away.  Ketchup on my mobile device?  No thanks.

I found, as I always do, a bit of nostalgia in going to Butcher & the Burger, and I'm not quite sure why. I say this because I'm too young to have experienced the "classic" burger joint.  But I understand its appeal, the way it makes you feel.  It's not my first time eating there, or my second.  It still hasn't lost its luster.  And I'm going to share it with as many people as I can, because everyone needs to experience that feeling that you're coming back to a place you've never been.

Until Next Time,

~The Amateur Foodie

Oh No, You Didn't! Pork-on-Pork-on-Pretzel Roll at B&tB

Now, you guys already know how much I enjoyed my last trip to Butcher & the Burger on Armitage in Lincoln Park.  It was awesome, there was Mexican Coca-Cola, yada, yada, yada...

The burger I had this time was just as good (house prime blend with steakhouse seasoning on a split-top butter egg bun, lettuce, goat cheese, mayo, grilled onion, grilled mushroom...all ingredients that make for a soupy, delicious burger that runs down your wrist and dribbles onto your lap).  But it was my sister's sammie that surprised me the most.

She ordered the pork burger.  To me, that didn't sound all that impressive.  I WAS WRONG, KIDDIES.  I am so, so sorry for doubting.

Because this was no ordinary ground pork patty.  It was seasoned like a sausage patty.  Delicious.  Like, seriously awesome.  Add to that the bacon she ordered on top, plus barbecue sauce and cheddar?  Insane.  Delicious.  All on a pretzel roll.  It was a little country-western-Oktoberfest, and I mean that in the best way.  And it was so clean to eat.  No running cheeses or mushroom juice...what a sensible gal.

Of course we got a big ol' basket of the Kennebec fries to split, and I got the glass-bottled Coke.  And we snarfed it all before I thought to snap a photo.

I'll be back for ya in the fall, guys.  I just ate there this afternoon.  I'm already hungry for more.

Happy Summer!

~AF

A Day At the Park (Grill!)

Hey, hey!  The Foodie's back and ready to dish on some dishes.

On the schedule today?  Pablo Picasso at the AIC, and, natch, lunch at the Park Grill next door.

Today was absolutely gorgeous.  The weather was so warm that I could go without a coat, so of course I obliged.  I could've just walked around outside for hours and hours and hours...but I'm only human.  I was getting hungry.

My aunt, sister, and I were planning on hitting the Picasso exhibit at the Art Institute, and the most convenient lunch spot for us was the Park Grill.  Last time we were there, we had Sunday brunch (chilaquiles, chicken and waffles...ringing any bells?).  Today we were in the mood for sandwiches and salads.

Turkey Pastrami Club at the Park Grill

I gravitated toward a Turkey Pastrami Club.  It consisted of turkey pastrami (as in, turkey prepared in the style of a pastrami with lots of assertive and delicious spices and that perfect, slightly chewy, peppery crust around the edges), thick-cut bacon (can I get an amen?), avocado, heirloom tomatoes, aioli, and alfalfa sprouts, all served with fresh-cut fries and a dill pickle spear.

I liked the sandwich, but I didn't love it.  The concept of pastrami-style turkey was genius, and it was very well executed.  The bacon was ah-mazing.  I love me some avocado.  But the heirloom tomato needed salt and there were altogether too many sprouts for my taste.  The fries were tasty though.

My sister had the Grand Burger, which I would choose for my next Park Grill lunch.  A juicy, well-seasoned beef patty is topped with bacon, onion straws, and cheese, plus a barbecue sauce-mayo mashup (PG sauce) that is surprisingly smoky and delicious.

Sometimes the simple choices are the best, and I wish I had gone with something a little less complex (though I hate to admit it).

Even simpler than the Grand Burger was my aunt's steak salad.  The beef was perfectly cooked and tender, served with a simple salad of iceberg lettuce and a few heirloom cherry tomatoes, all dressed in a slightly creamy dressing.

[Here I would like to apologize for my lack of specificity...I didn't take notes on the dishes and the menu online isn't up to date.]

Honey-Lavendar Crème Brûlée

Apple Galette

Dessert consisted of a honey-lavendar crème brûlée (shared between my aunt and myself) and an apple galette.  The brûlée reminded me of lemon-lavendar shortbread.  And by that I mean I loved it.  The galette was warm and flaky and topped with vanilla ice cream(!).  And it was all gorgeous.

I'm sorry if this post seems a little...lacking in pizzazz.  I'm really tired tonight, lovies, but I'll go back through and polish this up when I get a chance.

Peace, Love and Zzzzz....

~af.

Burgers Go Gourmet on Armitage

Okay, so I fibbed...I didn't get my posts done when I said I would.  Forgive me?  This post is worth reading, I promise!

There's a fairly new burger shop down on Armitage in Lincoln Park that's garnering all sorts of attention from food bloggers and magazines (hello, Men's Health Manliest Burger Place in America!).  Let me take you to Butcher and the Burger.

It's on the corner of Armitage and Kenmore, and it's not a big space.  I have to be honest.  But it is so cool.  So cool.

Here's how it works:

1. Pick your meat blend (I know! Amazing! They have beef, turkey, and if I remember correctly, some gamey stuff like elk and bison.)
2. Pick your seasoning blend (You get to choose?!?)
3. Pick your bun (Pretzel! Split-top egg! Just lettuce! Just lettuce? Why on earth would I want to do that when they have pretzel buns??)
4. Pick your cheese (Read carefully: They do not charge you extra for getting blue cheese or goat cheese as opposed to, say, a nice cheddar. To the person that came up with this idea: High five. And you deserve a hug...or a medal.)
5. Pick your other toppings (Extra charge for certain stuff, but the griddled mushrooms I had were well worth it.)
6. Sit down and wait for them to call your name.
7. Receive your Hulk-sized burger, served on a wooden cutting board (If you like it, you can buy one!)
8. Drool (Hey, watch it, you...you're just embarrassing yourself.)
9. Eat.  Don't hesitate, just get in there. Though you may need a steak knife to make that burger cooperate (Let it know who's boss!)

Here's the Amateur Foodie's order:

AF's burger...so very delicious!

Prime blend, simple seasoning (Salt & pepper only), pretzel bun, blue cheese, griddled mushrooms.  The only thing that might have improved on this slightly would've been some steak sauce.  But that's just me...

My mom got the steakhouse seasoning, and it was also delicious, probably a little more delicious than my S&P burger...but I did that for a reason.  I wanted to see if I loved the burger without frills (okay, blue cheese and mushrooms are frills...gimme a break!).  And I did.  The meat was good enough to stand alone, without any garlic-powder-paprika-über-flavorful accoutrements.  But I'm getting the steakhouse seasoning next time.

My mom, dad, and I ordered a large fry to split between the three of us...

Oh my lord, there were so many fries!

This picture does the fries and truffle mayo no justice.  It was a mountain. A delicious fried mountain.

Unless you're planning on splitting the fries between eight or so people, you probably don't need to order a large.  But hey, I'm not judging.  They're golden and crispy, not over-salted, not too greasy.  They're seasoned perfectly for going with some sort of condiment...

We ordered a very, very special condiment for our fries: truffle mayo.  Now, usually I'm not a big mayonnaise person.  And mayo with fries?  Eh.  But this?  Oh, was it good...Savory and complex, creamy and yet not too heavy.  At least it didn't seem heavy.  Plus it has truffle in it.  Tell me you can say no to that, I dare you.

Nothing like dipping your deep-fat-fried 'tater sticks in a bowl of more fatty deliciousness...Just be judicious.  Eat the mayo in moderation.  But please eat it at least once, I beg of you.

Coca-Cola de México

And to cap off my calorie-bomb meal (my own doing...felt like I had to go to the gym afterwards, but quite frankly, I was too full to move), I had a bottle of Mexican Coca-Cola, the kind made with sugarcane that comes in a snazzy glass bottle.  You'd think that since it's made with real sugarcane it would be super sweet, but it isn't.  It's refreshing, plus it doesn't make your teeth feel like they're rotting.  It isn't easy to find at restaurants, and Butcher and the Burger seems like the perfect spot to enjoy it.

The whole place feels like a throwback, with lots of butcher-block counter tops, industrial-feeling hardware on the stools that cleverly fold under the long counter, and boxes of beignet mix on old-looking shelves throughout the dining space.  I couldn't possibly have seen all the cool little touches inside the restaurant.  My mom pointed out an old clock waaay up high, near the ceiling.  I should've snapped a photo...I think it was from an airport?

Expect to pay a little extra for your burger than you would at, say, a SmashBurger or a Five Guys.  There's a reason for that.  Custom-blended meat, old-fashioned style, and the ability to customize to your own specifications, maybe more than at any other Build-a-Burger joint in existence today.

~AF

(**Look for my post about Rick Bayless's torta shop, Xoco, over the next few days...and don't forget to look for your favorite foodie on Twitter! @KaitlynKesler1**)

Okay, Kiddies...Still to Come: Premium Burgers and Drowned Sandwiches!

It's too late for me to put up a full post about my food adventures right now...I need to go to bed.  Suffice it to say, though, I ate well on Friday and Saturday.

Upcoming:

• Butcher and the Burger: A Lincoln Park build-a-burger joint with rockin' fries and truffle mayo!
• Xoco: Rick Bayless fails to disappoint yet again with a carnitas torta swimming in spicy arbol sauce...plus my first experience drinking horchata. 
• Garrett popcorn! That is all.

Get ready, guys!  You'll hear all about it.  Hopefully I'll have time during my lunch break tomorrow, but if not, you'll see my reviews (and photos!) by tomorrow night (10 pm, CST).

Peace, Love, and Buen provecho!

~AF

Catching Up On a Cultural Phenomenon...Sort Of

Well, readers, I've done it.  I ate my first Big Mac today.  It bothered my stomach, by the way, so I won't rush to purchase another from the Golden Arches.  However, I did find it tasty in its own fast-foody sort of way.

I like the pickles (although I would have liked a couple more on my sandwich), and the Special Sauce was tasty.  Luckily for me, since I'm not crazy about raw onion, the onion portion of my burger didn't come through too strong.  And I love me a sesame seed bun!

But it was all just too much!  Two patties?  That awkward third sort-of-bun between the patties?  Enough saucy shredded iceberg to make the whole concoction slide around like a stack of CD's during an earthquake?  The fact that it cooled down alarmingly fast once I opened the box?  No, no, no, no... That just won't do.

Now, I think I'd like to be somewhat of a Fast-Foodie...and make my own version one of these days.  One patty, made of fresh 80/20 chuck, seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried minced onion, and Worcestershire sauce, and grilled to perfection.  One bun, top and bottom (no awkward additional carbohydrate as architecture here, no, siree!).  A little bit of Vidalia onion, or maybe some thinly sliced shallot or scallion.  Good garlic dill pickles, and lots of them!  Snarlingly sharp cheddar cheese!  A more interesting lettuce than iceberg!  I just can't wait.

As for that special sauce?  My version will have a blend of high-fructose-corn-syrup-free ketchup (found at grocery stores, more tomatoey than its super-sweetened counterpart), yellow mustard, light mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, black pepper, and a heavy dash of paprika.

Inspiration?  Yeah, I'm loving it, alright.  I'll report back when I finish my experiment.

Until then,

~AF

Apples, Brie, and Belly on a Burger...Why I Wasn't Quite Wowed

I never thought I would say this.  I tried pork belly today.  And it didn't impress me.  In fact, I didn't really like it.

I know!  It's so wrong.  But you need to understand a little something.  Well a lot of something.  Let me give you the back story.

A long time ago, in a land far, far away, a foodie felt like crying when she tried to eat her meal...

Hah!  I really had you going there for a moment didn't I?  To be honest, my pork belly experience wasn't all bad.  We were at one of my favorite local, suburban biker bars (yes, dearies, a biker bar), a place in Naperville called Jimmy's.  We'd just finished our crunchy, beer-battered onion rings (they're not listed on the menu anymore, for whatever reason...just ask for them. They are so good).

I looked at the menu, and for the first time, I saw a burger called the Marie Antoinette.  You have to understand, I've had burgers at Jimmy's before.  So many are awesome.  Sturdily built and bursting with flavor, each burger has to be served with a dagger in it to keep it from toppling over (by dagger, I mean a steak knife used like a toothpick.  Just as useful, only far more intimidating).  They used to have a bourbon burger with sauteed mushrooms.  Their Blue Horse is topped with horseradish, pungent bleu cheese, and onion straws.  And my dad ate their monthly special, a Guacamole Bacon burger with a real kick.

The Marie Antoinette, in all her glory, with fries and a pickle on the side.

But enough about that.  Back to my meal.  The Marie is comprised of a hefty beef burger, served on a hearty-yet-pillowy bun (one that won't break your teeth, but that also won't disintegrate when you put a sopping, freshly-made burger on it) and topped with rich, buttery brie cheese (love!), incredibly flavorful caramelized apple slices (delightful!), and...mushy pork belly (wah-wah).

Maybe my lack of pork belly experience led to my dislike, but from what I understand, a good belly preparation renders out the copious amounts of fat that the cut of meat contains, and leaves the slab with a delectable seared crust on the outside. 

The belly on the Marie (I've just realized how strange that sounds...but bear with me) was cut like thick-cut bacon.  It was fatty...like, really fatty; you could probably take a butter knife and spread it across the bun like mayonnaise.  There may have been a little sear around the perimeter of the meat at one time, but being sandwiched between a hot, juicy burger and moist, buttery brie likely zapped any crust that the pork had.  What little meat I could dig out from amongst the fat (it really felt like spelunking. No joke) was soft and lovely, but the need to dig so much just made it a little disappointing.

I wanted my pork belly crisp!  I wanted it seared!  Maybe I really just wanted bacon instead...when you think about it, that's really all pork belly is.  Bacon is smoked, cured pork belly.  They are just about  one and the same.  And bacon would add a textural element that the burger was just dying for.  Soft apples, soft cheese, soft burger, soft pork...see anything missing?  I need crunch!  Don't deny me that, Jimmy!

A pork belly confit seared in a hot pan until golden and glorious might be a little much to ask for a biker burger bar.  But in my defense, they're the ones who decided to tackle the fancy-schmancy food.  And they didn't do too bad.  The only thing that went downhill on this burger was the meat garnish.  I know for next time to ask for a little meat candy (that being bacon...get with it, kids!) instead of the belly.

Maybe someday I'll embrace the pork belly...just not today, and not soggy on a burger.  I do not like it, Sam I Am.

~AF