Vegas Baby!

Sorry I've been away.  Things have been very very busy.  Early in September I took a quick 3 day trip to Vegas.  Just needed sometime in warm weather.  I sat by the pool and drank and gambled and read and enjoyed life.  While I was there I had a couple of things that are worth posting about.
1st- I was shopping and saw a Pub by Todd English in the Aria hotel.  I figured how could I go wrong.  I thought I would have a burger since it was a pub but instead I got sucked into the Lobster Roll.  It was heaven.  I love a good lobster roll.  Big chunks of lobster, butter, a little mayo and delicious bread.  Plus, homemade chips.  I could have gone back again that night because it was so good.


Lobster roll



Vegas

The next day I ate at the bistro in the Paris Hotel.  This time I got a hamburger.  It was pretty good.  It had brie cheese and a buttery bun.  Everything is delicious with Brie Cheese.  It's hard to compare it with the burgers from the burger joints I go to because this was a $15 burger not a $5 burger.  It was thick and juicy and the fries were skinny and crispy.  Overall it was a delightful few days out of town.

Paris Burger

9/2- Kangaroo and Kiwi- Ballard

http://kangarooandkiwi.com/
I had not planned on eating a burger on Sunday.  I have picked up the habit of eating one after my long run/walks over the weekend.  I use the excuse that I just exercised for 1-2 hours and I can eat whatever I want.  My pants would say otherwise.  I might need to spread out the burger stops to every other week.
But, I was in Ballard at the farmers market and I was starving.  It was 1pm and hot outside and I thought it would be really nice to have an ice cold beer and a burger. Surprise...  I was standing in front of a pub called Kangaroo and Kiwi when I had this thought.  So, I popped in and ordered.  It's an Aussie pub which is pretty interesting so everything on the menu had that Aussie flavor- Vegemite, New Zealand lamb, NZ sharp cheddar, etc.  The building is very cool and the outside patio is great for a summer day.
The burger was called the Back Shed Burger.  It might just be the craziest burger I've ever had.

Beef patty, fried egg, pineapple, grilled onions.  Not sure that the pineapple really went with the rest of it but that's how they list it so that's how I ordered it.
My complaint was that there was so much stuff on it that I couldn't taste the burger.  Plus, it was extremely messy.  No bun in the world could hold together with that much runny stuff on it.
It was interesting and I didn't dislike it, but I'm not sure I run back for the burger.  I love a fried egg so that part got a thumbs up.  I think holding the pineapple would have been a plus.   It ended up falling all apart and becoming a crazy salad.  Next time I think I'll try one of their other offerings.
On the plus side, it came with yummy chips and the beer was perfect.

Dick's Hamburger

I have picked up a bad habit!  Every Saturday after my run with Team in Training, I've been eating a Hamburger.  There was Red Mill, Claim Jumper and a couple of runs to 5 Guys.  I can't seem to help it.  Running makes me want a burger and fries.
This past week I went to Dick's hamburgers.  It is a classic in Seattle and a lot of people argue that it is the best.  I have to admit it was pretty darn good.  First thing, they will not let you change what comes on it.  I choose the cheese burger and asked them to hold the pickle and they said no.  So no brownie points for customer service but I think that's part of the charm.  You walk up and you either take what they have or you don't.  So, I got the pickle.  The burger was really good.  Meat was really tasty, bun was perfect and even the pickle was good. It had that burger dive, greasy grill taste.   It wasn't anything different but it was just a good satisfying burger.  Believe it or not but I didn't get the fries.  I went with the chocolate shake because everyone said the shakes are to die for.  The shake was good.  Creamy and the perfect amount of chocolate.  I will definitely return.

Going to Hell

Ray's Hell Burger!  
http://rayshellburger.com/

I was in Virginia last week visiting the family and we decided to hit a burger joint.  I did a little research and one burger joint kept coming  up-  Ray's Hell Burger.  Since it wasn't far out of the way, we decided to visit it after a day at the National Cathedral.  The Cathedral was pretty darn fabulous but a bit hot and exhausting.  A burger and a shake were just what was needed. 
The place is definitely a hole in the wall.  Nothing fancy about this place.  You walk up and place your order and then they bring it out to you.  No frills.  I got the basic Cheese burger, my usual.

The burger was pretty  great.  It tasted just like the kind you prepare at home.  Really thick and juicy.  The meat was very tasty.  So big I could hardly bite into it and what I loved was it was not all the toppings that made it so big, it was the actual burger.  The bun was a nice sweet egg bun which held together nicely.
I decided to go with the chocolate milkshake instead of fries.  Good choice.  Really good and creamy.
If you are looking for a great environment or something other than a burger, this is probably not the place for you.  But if you are looking for a great burger and you don't care so much about the decorations of the locations,  Ray's Hell Burger is perfect.  Yum!

extra burger photo's

Willie Burger

As I was going through photo's on my phone recently, I realized I had some burger photo's that I didn't write about and that I honestly can't remember if I even liked them.  Both were from May.








John and his prom date

This first one I know is from Willie Burger in Sacramento.   The burger on the right is mine and the one on the left is John's.  Jane and I took him out for a burger on Prom day.  It was fun because he was preparing for a full night of dancing and dining and agreed to spend the day with us.  We talked about the prom and then went and picked up the flowers for his date.  I know the burger was good but honestly I couldn't tell you much else about it.  Not a good thing for a blogger.  What I do remember is the great conversation and a little sadness as I realized he is so grown up and at some point might not want to hang out with his mom and his aunt.  But for now, we pay for the burgers and he seems to still enjoy the time so I'll take what I can get.   Willie Burgers is a definite dive so this is no gourmet burger!  This next photo I know is from a lunch with Jane.  I believe it was on Mothers day weekend but I can't even remember the restaurant.  Must not have been that great.  So... I'm sharing the photo but have no recommendations.  Just didn't want the photo's to go to waste. 

Unknown burger

Serious Eats

Found this article on Serious Eats- A Hamburger a Day.  I've had Tom's burger at Palace Kitchen and it is pretty darn good.  Of his 5, I've only had Redmill.  I drive by Dick's all the time but have never stopped.  I think I need to get there!

With 10+ restaurants and a James Beard award for Best Northwest Chef under his belt, Tom Douglas is a staple of the Seattle dining scene. And if there's one thing Tom does best, it's burgers. Chefs city-wide source their buns from his bakery, Dahlia Bakery, and diners come to his restaurants Palace Kitchen and Brave Horse Tavern to experience his elevated renditions of the fast-food classic. Since it's hard to imagine a burger that sounds better than his—using beef hand-ground on the premises, crisped over an applewood grill, and nestled into a Dahlia onion bun—we've left it to the master to enlighten us.


Here are Tom's top five Seattle burgers:

1. The burgers at Dick's Drive-In are a great balance of fat, special sauce, meat and bun. But what really makes them taste great is when they are paired with a shake. They were just voted by Esquire readers as the "most life-changing burger joint." Multiple locations listed at dicksdrivein.com




2. Red Mill's Verde Veg is the best veggie burger in Seattle. The combo of the mill sauce with the roasted peppers is unique and delicious. Multiple locations listed at redmillburgers.com‎



3. Ma'ono does the classic bacon cheeseburger, but executed perfectly (and on a Dahlia Bakery bun!). 4437 California Ave SW, Seattle WA 98116 (map); 206-935-1075; maono.springhillnorthwest.com



4. Zippy's Giant Burgers grinds their beef fresh daily, which makes this meat stand out. They also keep their menu fresh with out-of-the-box tastes like a Mama Lil's peppers and chipotle mayo combo. 9614 14th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98106 (map); 206-763-1347; zippysgiantburgers.com



5. Loretta's Northwesterner in South Park is such a hidden gem, I'm tempted not to advertise it. You can't get more bang for your buck than their $3 tavern burger, made with a buttery toasted bun and special sauce. Wash it down with a $2.50 draft...and then get another one. And you can't miss the hand-cut fries! 8617 14th Avenue South, Seattle WA 98108 (map); 206-327-9649; lorettasnorthwesterner.com‎

Claim Jumper

I was at the Redmond Town center today and thought I'd grab lunch at Claim Jumper.  I've only eaten there a few times and have found the food to be pretty good.  They seem to be known for their giant servings.  Not sure that is a good thing.  I ordered the hamburger, of course.
I got the basic cheese burger with the usual toppings.  The burger was just okay.  It was a bit dry.  I added some BBQ sauce which helped.  The bread was a butter egg bun.  Really good but a lot of bread.  At the end I just picked the meat off and ate it.  The fries were yummy.  Really skinny and lightly seasoned.   Overall it was a mediocre lunch. Next time I'm there I will get a salad.  They are delicious!

Fat Burger

I checked out Fat Burger in Lynnwood a couple of weeks ago.  I was a bit disappointed but part of that was my own fault.  I wasn't starving so I decided to just order the SMALL burger.  What I didn't know is that the small is really small.  Slightly bigger than a slider but not a full size burger.  Because I got everything on it, I couldn't hardly taste the meat.  The bun held together nicely but I could not even tell you if the burger had a good taste.  It was gone too fast.  The fries were the skinny fries and nothing special.  The drink choices were pretty cool.  That had all your basic sodas but all kind of flavors to include- vanilla, cherry, chocolate, etc.   I think I need to go back when I'm really hungry and get the full size.   Stay tuned.

Red Mill- 2nd time

I happen to be by a Red Mill Burger today and I decided to try it again.  Since my visit in October, I had been informed many times that I didn't experience the real Red Mill Burger since I didn't have bacon or sauce.  I have to admit...  everyone was right.  This time I got the bacon  burger with sauce and it was delicious!  The bacon is super crispy and the sauce was not what I expected.  I was worried it was 1000 island dressing (which I hate) but it wasn't.  It was a mayo based dressing with just the right amount of zip in it.  I ate the entire burger...  quickly.  The bun started falling about near the end but it wasn't too bad.  The meat was delicious but the smokey, thick bacon had the most flavor.  I will definately go back.  So far one of my favorite burgers!  I will tell everyone...  you must get the bacon and the sauce. 

Plus, the wall of Bacon is worth the trip.

Lunchbox Laboratory

My sister was in town 2 weeks ago and we decided to grab a burger while she was here.  I've been sticking to the 5 Guys in my building lately so I haven't done much exploring.  It was nice to try something new.

Lunchbox Laboratory is located in South Lake Union and we hit it up for lunch on Monday. The place is totally fun, decorated with retro lunchboxes and signs from the 60's and 70's. Jane ordered The Burger of the Gods and I went with The Native New Yorker.   The service was good and the burgers arrived quickly.  Jane's was by far the better burger.  Hers had Candied Balsamic onions and a  Gorgonzola spread.  The burger was well cooked and just the right amount of sweetness.  It was a delicious concoction.  Mine came with Monterey Jack cheese, onions, buffalo ketcup and ranch dressing.  It was good but a couple of problems.  Too much sauce!  It was so messy I could barely eat it.  The buffalo ketcup had more of a kick then I expected.  The Ranch helped even it out but I could have done with half the amount of ketcup.  There was so much sauce on the burger that I can't honestly tell you how the meat tasted.  The bun held together nicely which is a big plus.  Jane got sweet potato fries and I stuck with the skinny fry.  They were good but maybe a bit average. 

The menu features all kind of yummy milkshakes including Nutella, Boston Creme donut and  Butterfinger!  Plus there is a big selection of Boozie shakes including Key West Pie and the Drunken Elvis (Peanut butter, banana, vanilla vodka and Malibu Banana)  I was too full for the shakes but I would definitely go back and split a burger with someone so that I could have the shake. 
Overall it was a great lunch.  Wonderful getting to spend time with my sister, fun stuff to look at and good food!  Thumbs up!
The show, Americas best bites,  featured Lunchbox Laboratory on January 24th when they highlighted the 5 best burgers in the US.  Their pick was the Dork Burger featuring a Duck and pork patty, Monterey Jack Cheese, onions and garlic mayo.  WOW.


http://www.americasbestbites.com/restaurants/580/americas-best-burger-the-dork-burger-lunchbox-labratory/