smash (The Meatball Shop) 9★

$8

The Meatball Shop

84 Stanton Street, New York, NY 10002-1420

★★★★★★★★★☆

smash

Back to The Meatball Shop... for the fourth time? Yes, it’s the fourth. Actually, the fifth if you also count the time I went twice in one night. It’s that good!

Unfortunately, they messed up our booking. They took the wrong number, so we lost our reservation. Too hungry to wait, so we opted for a take-out on a nice sunny Sunday. No sliders on the take-out menu, so I went for the Smash, 2 balls smashed on a toasted brioche bun.

You choose the balls.

You choose the sauce.

You choose the cheese.

You can never go wrong. I got the spicy pork + parmesan cream + provolone cheese. Gnam Gnam!

However, if you get a table, I still recommend the sliders. And don’t forget the sandwich dessert!

mikey's burger with cheese (Mikey's burgers) 8★

$6.50

Mikey’s burgers

134 Ludlow Street, New York, NY 10002-2211

★★★★★★★★☆☆

mikey's burger with cheese

Hey Mikey... Hey Mikey...

Don't worry... I'm not gonna sing the song!

After 3 shots of tequila... this burger tasted like pastizzi from Champs after Paceville, i.e. delicious! Right in the middle of Lower East Side, perfect spot to end a great night out.

The patty? A huge ball of freshly minced meat. I liked the place. I liked the burger. So if you’re out in Lower East Side, you should definitely try Mikey’s... even though there’s The Meatball Shop just a block away. Oh well.. your pick!

cowboy burger (Bergers on the go) 3★

$6.50

Bergers on the go

2 East 39th Street New York, NY 10016-0108

★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

cowboy burger

Bleh... An overdose of oil. These places make this quest a tough challenge.  Thank God I didn’t order the fries with the burger.

It’s a deli in mid-town east... so as you can imagine, no points for the place.

One star for the burger, and two go to the funny burger maker who told me you’ll have the horse waiting outside... (got it? Cowboy burger + horse)... unfortunately I forgot what I ordered, so he had to explain the joke. Sorry dude.

Bergers on the go... do not go!

bacon cheeseburger (The Little Owl) 9★

$16 (including fries)

The Little Owl

90 Bedford St, New York, NY 10014

★★★★★★★★★☆

bacon cheeseburger

Killian Fox, from the guardian, classifies this burger as the third best thing to eat in the world.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/sep/13/best-foods-in-the-world

So I obviously had to go… and glad that I did. One of the best indeed. So juicy, it hit the lady sitting next to me from my first bite. Luckily, she loved burgers, so she forgave me. Cooked to perfection. Great fries.

Nice atmosphere. Very New Yorkish, and in the heart of West Village, still my favorite neighborhood in Manhattan. I definitely recommend.

So, is it the third best thing to eat in the world? Looks like Killian still needs to try my Mum’s bragioli and lasagne!

(Cheers for recommending this place Mike).

bacon cheeseburger (Best Burgers and Shakes) 6★

$6.75

Best Burgers and Shakes

416 West 46th Street, New York, NY 10036

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

bacon cheeseburger

A place called Best Burgers and Shakes... easy tiger!

Hungry on a Friday afternoon... no time for a break... these are the guys who deliver burgers to your workplace. A burger with full extras: the usual, American cheese and bacon. The patty was too dry for a medium. Don’t worry, I ate it all. The fries weren’t the best either, but I ate them all as well!

Good job Dario... now back to work!

black shack burger with cheese and bacon (Black Shack) 7★

$8.25

The Black Shack

320 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10016

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

black shack burger with cheese and bacon

A cool burger joint in Mid Town.

I went for the Black Shack burger with bacon and cheese. Small patties. Fast food, rebranded! With a touch of retro and coolness. It only had one thing I really hate: the cheese was not fully melted! OH MY GOD!  The bacon was a good add. Oil was dripping from this burger. Maybe that’s why it I liked it. Healthy food doesn’t usually taste good right?

It’s not easy to find good burgers in mid town, so most probably I might end up at Black Shack once again.

bacon cheeseburger (J.G. Melon) 8★

$9.50

J.G. Melon

1291 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10021

★★★★★★★★☆☆

bacon cheeseburger

It was finally Amanda’s turn to this Sunday’s burger place... J.G. Melon. All the way up to Upper East Side.

I was late... but was told the manager was a bit rude. Mamma mia! In some way or another, they managed to fit us, 6 on a small table. What about the burger Dario? It was in a bun. Ok, we’re being funny Dario. Come on... blog!

It was a good burger. Maybe I’m having too many burgers lately so I wasn’t that impressed with this one. It’s one of the good ones. But it had nothing unique. Quite similar to the Corner Bistro one. Maybe just a little bit overcooked.

Nice place, cosy atmosphere, only the service made it a bit cold. If you’re in Upper East Side, might as well check it out, but no need to go there just for this burger.

juicy lucy (Whitman's) 8★

$9

Whitman’s

406 East 9th Street, New York, NY 10009

★★★★★★★★☆☆

juicy lucy

Look at the pic... can you see the cheese inside the patty?

Yes! Finally I found Whitman’s, the place where they do Lucy, the burger I mean... pfff what did you think?! Heard about it on Food Wars, but the real Juicy Lucy is only found in Minneapolis. Where’s that?

One must be careful when biting Lucy. You know what will happen right? It is definitely a better than average burger, but the meat was a bit dry. That’s the only but. If I’m ever around East Village, I’m curious on their Pb&B burger: ny grass fed beef, peanut butter and bacon... there had to be a burger with pb in NY!

Oh Lucy. You’re good looking and everything... but I think we better remain friends!

shack stack (Shake Shack) 9★

$8.50

Shake Shack

691 8th Ave, New York, NY 10036

★★★★★★★★★☆

shack stack

Shake Shack... told you I’ll be back!

It’s a must have in New York... so that’s where I took my dear friends Louie & Marion for a late night treat. This time I went for the healthy option, a two-in-one, the shack stack: a cheeseburger and a shroom burger in one bun. What’s a shroom burger? Let me explain... a crisp-fried (which means deep-fried) portobello mushroom filled with melted muenster and cheddar cheese. Grade A!

Louie paid, so I also got the cheese fries and a chocolate shake... cheers my friend ;)

jane burger (Jane Restaurant) 9★

$14 (including fries)

Jane Restaurant

100 West Houston Street, New York, NY 10012

★★★★★★★★★☆

jane burger

Justin’s birthday… his pick, and a good one it was.

So we all headed to Jane for a late Sunday brunch. Cool music. Place was ok… not very New Yorkish, but the burger was great! With a ftira style bun, and a medium cooked patty, you need plenty of napkins. Very juicy and very tasty. A bit spicy. I think it had some jalapenos. Was it the special sauce? Anyhow… if you’re close to Jane, you should definitely check it out.

And if you’re really hungry, start off with the Vanilla Bean French toast… listen to this: crème brûlée battered brioche with warm maple syrup!

angus bacon and cheese (Mc Donald's) 7★

$4.59

McDonald’s

Somewhere between Plattekill Mountain and Manhattan, New York

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

angus bacon and cheese

One day or another, it had to happen... McDonald's.

After a day of skiing, I must say this went down pretty well. Angus? yeah yeah... no difference from the regular macs. I mean, no mac can be compared to a real NYC burger, like the one from 5 napkin or Spotted Pig. It’s always junk, but it’s always good... and cheap. The fries are not my favourite. New york does better chips... sorry, fries.

There’s not much I can add that you don’t know. Now bring on the King!

meatball sliders (The Meatball Shop) 10★

$3
The Meatball Shop
84 Stanton Street, New York NY 10002
★★★★★★★★★★

meatball sliders

10 stars ladies and gentlemen... 10 stars!


So I went to the Meatball Shop, again. This time, with my friend Karl from eatmania.com, I was lucky. After a couple of minutes, we got a table.


Oh boy. Smells good!


Do we have to argue why meatballs feature on this blog? Well, it's minced meat, and they also have sliders (1 ball on a bun). Just like a mini burger. They're too good to leave out.


There are different ways to have your meatballs. I went for the sliders. Different meat and different sauce. You choose! And how you order them... heh... you get a marker and tick your pick on the menu! I tried the chicken, pork, beef, and the veggie. They also have the special of the day. Which I also tried, on 2 occasions (I went back, obviously!).


As a side, I've tried the risotto and the market salad. Both are very nice. Great place, good stuff... and to finish it off... dessert! You have to try their sandwich... you choose the cookie... and the ice-cream! And if you're lucky, the special may be maple walnut... oh oh oh!


Ok... so I wasn't served by a naked Angelina Jolie, but a Kat Von D look-a-like. A well deserved 10 on 10! Went back a few days later with a couple of friends... and I'm sure they all agree.


Well done Meatball Shop... I will be back!

pulled pork sandwich (Egg) 6★

$11 (including fries)

Egg

135 North 5th Street, Brooklyn New York 11211
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

pulled pork sandwich

Out from Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn. Good place for a Sunday brunch. Recommended by Time-Out magazine. Is it for the way it’s cheaply furnished? It’s cool. Waiting time: between 30mins and an hour.

Well, I only had the pulled pork sandwich from Fred (reviewed in November 2010). How does it compare? Fred wins!

The pulled pork was a bit dry. Didn’t look like it was marinated much. The fries? I can stop mentioning the fries, as they all make good fries!

This place is worth a visit. However, go for the real brunch menu. And if you’re hungry get some extra sides.

Loved: the crayons so you can scribble on the table.

Hated: my drawing.

What’s next?

Is that a 10?!

beef burger with american cheese (Cafe Charbon) 7★

$10 (including fries)

Cafe Charbon

170 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002-2209
★★★★★★★☆☆☆

beef burger with american cheese

How did we end up here?

Yelped a good place to eat in lower east side: The Meatball Shop. Time to be seated, 1hr 15mins. Too hungry to wait, so this place just across the street with some empty tables looked nice: Café Charbon. The problem was: how do we get in? The left door directs you to the right one. The right one to the left. The middle door, which looks like an entrance to a pharmacy, led our way in to this simply decorated French restaurant.

A beef burger with American cheese. Very French!

Not bad. However, it tasted a bit McDonaldsish, just bigger and with better fries. No need to go into any more detail.

Would I go again? Not really.

Au revoir!

classic beef burger with muenster cheese (Burger Heaven) 7★

$6.55
Burger Heaven
291 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10017
★★★★★★★☆☆☆

classic beef burger with muenster cheese

The first one for 2011... a quick lunch to meet my friend Karl. Burger Heaven, just across the street from where I work. It's not one of the best I've had so far, but would I go again? Yes. Good beef and well cooked. It's simple. Nothing fancy. The bun was a bit dry though.


Muenster cheese? Nah. Go for the traditional American yellow cheese!


The fries? Salty! No surprise heh... that's why they're good ey?!


Salaam