Hello, today I would like to update my list of the top ten hamburgers in New York City. I have spent a considerable amount of my free time conducting qualitative studies, my aspiration to be a food critic does require some real work once in a while. I have been working on this list over the past year which has involved mostly trying these fantastic selections out (all for the best readers in the world), and have compiled this controversial list. (No two food critics have the same list, let alone the same number one, so debates can become rather heated) I am currently in a state of happiness while being totally full, (I just finished eating the number 4 selection a couple of hours ago), so here we go:
(The following opinions are only mine and cannot be replicated or duplicated without the express written consent of blind blog):
(This list is in random order, not number 1 through 7 from best to worst, and please forgive me for any misspelled words.)
1. Primehouse: They make a great hamburger for lunch or brunch composed of rib eye steak and ground chuck. The beef is very high quality, seasoned properly, with excellent homemade thick cut steak fries.
2. Rare bar and grill: I like this restaurant, and they make an incredible, incredibly expensive, t-bone burger which is out of this world: a hamburger consisting of a blend of sirloin & strip steak, flambéed in tequila, wrapped in apple smoked bacon, topped with cheddar & crispy onions, can you ask for anything more than that?
3. Shake shack: What can I say; I went from the expensive to the affordable. I prefer the newest location on Columbus Avenue where there is much less of a line (near my old internship, hint hint). My favorite is the double burger, which is seasoned just enough to enhance the flavor of the beef, and cooked the way I like. On another note, how about those shakes: they are to die for (literally?).
4. Minetta tavern: When I think about this restaurant, it's all about their black label hamburger ($26 for a hamburger, really? You have to taste it to believe it!) It starts with a patty created from a combination of four cuts of dry aged beef, (the guesses so far are brisket, short rib, strip steak, and rib eye), topped with sweet caramelized onions and placed on a homemade soft bun from their bakery. The charred outside, excellent seasoning and collection of flavors is top notch!
5. Rue 57: This place is very touristy, but their burger is one of the best. I am not sure how they season it but it is served with a mouth watering crispy outside, delicate inside, and just a hint of some mysterious and excellent flavor. Oh yeah, and the fries (crispy pommes frites, shoe string fries from France) aren't bad either.
6. Ottomanelli's: This restaurant might not receive any national attention but it is a local favorite of mine. I consider it to be the best burger in the immediate area (no, not J.G. Melon’s, this is far superior). This restaurant is quality through and through; you can't go wrong with any dish here, although I am not telling you to travel from outside of Manhattan to eat there.
7. Rub bbq: Warning: this restaurant only serves hamburgers three hours a week, Mondays from 6-9 pm, so if interested please arrive as early as possible. This extremely delicious hamburger is smashed then cooked in a skillet at 600 degrees until it is beautifully charred, it is only five ounces and comes with no fries but the taste is exceptional. (By the way, each week there is a special burger of the week which is chosen to highlight the taste from a particular region or a style of preparation, my first time at Rub the flavor was “bacon egg and cheese”)
8. Union square cafe: I can already anticipate the negative comments about this one, and some of you will undoubtedly disagree with this pick. However, it is always rated as one of the top restaurants in the city, and their burger does not disappoint. As usual, I order mine medium well, and I find that especially the smoky crisp outer layer represents a fantastic taste. (Their fried calamari is quite excellent as well.)
9. Peter Luger's: My opinion is biased here, and I haven't tried this burger yet, but everyone puts it on their top ten lists. In addition, if the beef used for the burger is anything like their steak, then we have nothing to worry about.
10. McDonalds: The legendary quarter pounder combined with an order of crispy salted fries is... (Just kidding, but did I fool you?) (Actually their fries are kind of tasty, but I would avoid fast food at all costs after having personally tried 7 out of 8 of these hamburgers before).
A few popular places didn't make my list, and I am still anxious to try out other fine hamburger establishments (Little owl, Spotted Pig, and coming soon: a shake shack in my neighborhood!). Please leave your comments below so that I know what you think about my first list, I have a feeling that it will be very controversial.
Take care
Dan
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment