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
Showing posts with label rare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rare. Show all posts
Friday, July 2, 2010
Thursday, May 21, 2009
A return to rare
Hi folks, last night I returned to one of the best hamburger restaurants in New York City: Rare bar and grill. The following is not so much a food review, it is a blog regarding my experience at Rare last night (also I am writing this blog spontaneously with no corrections or spell check, I just felt like being in the moment): I attended the birthday party of a friend there, and once again I was tempted by the t-bone burger: literally the meat from a t-bone steak which has been grinded and formed into a hamburger patty and then grilled. I will admit that this "rare" burger is very pricy, but I believe that you can't find a much better burger than this. It is juicy, seasoned properly, and tastes like a high quality steak in a burger form. I had a great time and I will definitely go back. In addition, I reccommend that all of you try out rare. I am willing to listen to suggestions about what you think is the best "burger" restaurant in the city, please leave your comments and I will share my opinions with you. Thanks.
Dan
Dan
Saturday, February 28, 2009
I think it's time for a new food critic review: Rare bar and grill!
Thanks for stopping by, ladies and gentlemen, and please allow me to welcome you to:
Dan the man's newest review!
In my ongoing attempt to be a full-time food critic, (are you listening New York Times and all prestigious magazines?), I present this review of what might be called the best hamburger in New York City.
Yes, I said it.
The best hamburger in New York City:
Note: Do you know how sometimes the restaurant reviews, like in Zagat's guide, give you an idea of how much a meal would cost in each restaurant by saying what the price is? (For example: $, $$, or $$$?) Well, here is my take on that:
$$$
Rare bar and grill
303 Lexington avenue
New York NY
4.25 stars out of 5
Rare is a high-end hamburger restaurant located in the Shelburne hotel. After reading the menu online, I found that anything you could imagine on your burger is here, including foie gras, fried eggs, Portobello mushrooms and five dipping sauces. However, Rare differentiated itself from many other similar restaurants that I have visited in the past with similar claims of many different toppings, here at Rare it does not detract from the quality of the hamburger itself. Based on the recommendation of my friend, I tried the T-Bone hamburger: this features a blend of sirloin & strip steak, topped with cheddar cheese and onions. It sounded really great, however I didn't want to be disappointed. For the record, I was not.
The burger arrived, and it was thick! I have never "seen" a hamburger, with no fillers like lettuce or tomato, which was as thick as this burger. The first bite was a delight: I found it to be juicy; tasting many tempting flavors at the same time, and perfectly cooked. The actual "burger" was seasoned perfectly, cooked until medium but not "rare" in any place, and was a highlight of the meal. I also tried the French fries: on one hand, they were homemade, fresh, and delicious. On the other hand, I also felt that the portion was small for the price.
I considered writing this review immediately after my meal; it was that excellent of an experience. However, I then started looking back and questioned the merits of the meal. What I mean is that there is an ongoing conflict which is rarely resolved: quality vs. value. It is very hard in life to ever get both, and more and more I find myself sacrificing one for the other. Rare turned out to exemplify outstanding quality, but the value was not there. On the other hand, my review summarizes the quality of my dining experience and not necessarily the value.
Therefore, let me conclude by saying the following: by all means, go to Rare for a special occasion, or for a high quality meal. However, if you simply want a hamburger that is a good value, I would sooner tell you to try out Shake Shack. That being said, my hamburger at Rare was possibly the best burger I have enjoyed in New York City, ever!
I can't wait to hear your comments about this one, I have imported my blog to facebook so feel free to comment here, there, or in both places.
Sincerely,
Dan
Dan the man's newest review!
In my ongoing attempt to be a full-time food critic, (are you listening New York Times and all prestigious magazines?), I present this review of what might be called the best hamburger in New York City.
Yes, I said it.
The best hamburger in New York City:
Note: Do you know how sometimes the restaurant reviews, like in Zagat's guide, give you an idea of how much a meal would cost in each restaurant by saying what the price is? (For example: $, $$, or $$$?) Well, here is my take on that:
$$$
Rare bar and grill
303 Lexington avenue
New York NY
4.25 stars out of 5
Rare is a high-end hamburger restaurant located in the Shelburne hotel. After reading the menu online, I found that anything you could imagine on your burger is here, including foie gras, fried eggs, Portobello mushrooms and five dipping sauces. However, Rare differentiated itself from many other similar restaurants that I have visited in the past with similar claims of many different toppings, here at Rare it does not detract from the quality of the hamburger itself. Based on the recommendation of my friend, I tried the T-Bone hamburger: this features a blend of sirloin & strip steak, topped with cheddar cheese and onions. It sounded really great, however I didn't want to be disappointed. For the record, I was not.
The burger arrived, and it was thick! I have never "seen" a hamburger, with no fillers like lettuce or tomato, which was as thick as this burger. The first bite was a delight: I found it to be juicy; tasting many tempting flavors at the same time, and perfectly cooked. The actual "burger" was seasoned perfectly, cooked until medium but not "rare" in any place, and was a highlight of the meal. I also tried the French fries: on one hand, they were homemade, fresh, and delicious. On the other hand, I also felt that the portion was small for the price.
I considered writing this review immediately after my meal; it was that excellent of an experience. However, I then started looking back and questioned the merits of the meal. What I mean is that there is an ongoing conflict which is rarely resolved: quality vs. value. It is very hard in life to ever get both, and more and more I find myself sacrificing one for the other. Rare turned out to exemplify outstanding quality, but the value was not there. On the other hand, my review summarizes the quality of my dining experience and not necessarily the value.
Therefore, let me conclude by saying the following: by all means, go to Rare for a special occasion, or for a high quality meal. However, if you simply want a hamburger that is a good value, I would sooner tell you to try out Shake Shack. That being said, my hamburger at Rare was possibly the best burger I have enjoyed in New York City, ever!
I can't wait to hear your comments about this one, I have imported my blog to facebook so feel free to comment here, there, or in both places.
Sincerely,
Dan
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