Double Windsor

Venue: Double Windsor

Location: 210 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, NY

Date of Visit: Saturday, November 10, 2012
Burger: Burger and Fries

Average Score: 7.5
Price Range: $$$$$

Mike: The latest Burgerler episode brought us to Windsor Terrace, in Brooklyn, to sample the burger at The Double Windsor.  We were a man down, but as they say, “the show must go on.”  With views of Prospect Park, an inviting atmosphere, and an extensive craft beer menu, this was a fine place to settle in on a Saturday afternoon.   According to their menu, this burger is Creekstone Farms Beef, courtesy of Pat LaFrieda, on Amy’s Bread bun, whatever that means!  So, I had to do a little research after the fact to find out.  Basically, its Angus beef on, from what I could tell, a brioche bun.  It also came with red-leaf lettuce, tomato, diced onion, and pickle slices.  I walked up and ordered one medium-rare, then went over to the bar to grab a beer and waited.

            When the burger came out, I was both surprised and dumbfounded by the diced onions that lay upon my tomato.  This had to be the first time I’ve seen this on a non-fast food burger.  Secondly, I noticed the single, flimsy piece of red leaf lettuce.  It was tissue-paper thin and all but hidden by the massive tomato slice.  Strangely, I noticed the meat last, especially considering it accounted for about 85% of the burger’s total volume.  Don’t take this as a slight; as a matter of fact, I found the patty to be the perfect size.  It matched the diameter of the bun to a T, and had an appropriate thickness that when prepared, it achieved a savory char on the exterior, while maintaining the mid-rare interior to lock in the flavorful juices. 

            The next-best part about this burger was the bun.  There wasn’t anything exceptional about the bun, itself.  As I mentioned, it was from Amy’s Bread, which holds little meaning for me.  The significance, however, had to do with the hint of sweetness the bun possessed. This bit of sweet paired magnificently with the savory of the meat.  Not to mention, it held up quite nicely to the onslaught of juices that were discharged.  Though there were a mere three of them, I had to give honorable mention to the pickles.  I like pickles on a burger, and these ones didn’t disappoint.  They provided a tanginess to rein in the trifecta of flavor profiles for this burger.

            Though the tomato slice was a tad thick and the diced onions were annoying and kept falling off, I thoroughly enjoyed The Double Windsor’s burger.  For me, it came down to the preparation and flavor of the meat and its perfect union with the bun.  The pickles gave this burger a third dimension that caused its shortcomings to fall not so short. 

Overall Rating: 7.9

Jeff: A number of my friends have mentioned that I should try the Double Windsor burger. I’m always open to burger suggestions and having been a patron of the bar in the past, I thought why not.

            First off, the flavor of their beef was really good. I didn’t notice any seasoning, it might have had some salt and/or pepper sprinkled onto it while cooking; but if that was the case, then it was minimal. The flavor of their grass fed beef was truly delicious. The brioche bun, while tasty, could’ve been toasted a tad longer or at least warmer. I’m not sure why so many places serve their burgers on cold buns. And while the bun here tasted good, a little toasting or warmth would’ve made it just that much better, as it’s flavor did work well with the patty. Toppings wise, the burger was a mixed bag. While I appreciated the thick, hand cut tomato, it totally dwarfed the lack luster red leaf lettuce. Red leaf lettuce, although preferred over iceberg lettuce, is really too thin in it’s leaf to compliment the tomato and patty, in the case of the Double Windsor burger. Had they used a butter bib or romaine, or added more red leaf, then I’m guessing the outcome would be better suited for the patty, bun, and tomato. The most surprising thing about this burger was the diced onion. Why on earth they would put diced onions on this burger is beyond me, especially with the bun and beef being as flavorful as they are. All the diced onion did was slide out onto my plate, causing me to think about the use of sliced red onion instead.

           I’m going to return to the patty; it really stood out. It was one of the finer examples of a kitchen serving a medium patty that I’ve had. The outside had a balanced, soft, yet firm texture. The inside of the patty was a nice hue of pink and brown-gray cooked beef, and it was juicy. I’m not sure what color one attributes to medium cooked beef, but whatever it is, the cook at Double Windsor has it down. Again, the flavor of this beef patty was really good.

         Later that week, I told one of my friends of my experience.  It was said that what they had when they went was actually a special that the Double Windsor was offering, versus their regular burger. Don’t get me wrong, the burger here tastes good; there are just a couple of things (literally) that they could change that would change it from good to great.

Overall Rating: 7.1

Disjointed

Venue: Burger Joint

Location: 119 W. 56th St., New York, NY

Date of Visit: Tuesday, Sept. 25 , 2012

Burger: Cheeseburger

Average Score: 4.9
Price Range: $$$$$

Mike: Burger Joint is quietly tucked away in a discreet corner of the lobby in Le Parker Meridien Hotel in Midtown Manhattan.  Their burger has been raved about by locals and tourists, alike; placing it on a pedestal among New York’s best burgers.  Burger Joint has been on the Burgerler radar since the beginning, so I relished the opportunity to finally check it off the list.

            Ordering was simple, as you're offered only two choices: hamburger or cheeseburger.  I ordered the cheeseburger, medium, with “The Works,” minus mayo.  The Works is their preferred method of ordering a burger with everything; which includes lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and mayo.  As I waited patiently for my order to come up, I took a moment to take in the atmosphere.  There were several tightly knit tables and a few booths, parted by the line that quickly grew beyond the entrance way.  As I scanned the room, I noticed that many of my fellow diner’s consumed their food with what I identified as a primitive haste.  Once my name was called and I returned to my table, I immediately understood why. I felt the pressure from the patrons waiting in line, their eyes fixed on the crowded tables, mentally coercing us to “eat quickly and leave, so that I may sit.”  Not to mention the impact the claustrophobia had on me to do just that.

             The burger was handed to me (no plate or tray) wrapped in white paper that had become mostly translucent from the grease.  Once unwrapped, it was obvious they hadn't prioritized form over flavor; my only hope was that they didn’t forget about the latter.  The patty was of average size, blanketed with a melted slice of American cheese, and sat on a humble supermarket bun.  The toppings were dumped on the thing with the systematic assemblage of mass production that reminded me of various less desirable fast food establishments.  The burger was prepared as ordered, but the meat was lacking enthusiasm in the flavor department.  The patty kind of rode shotgun while the mash-up of toppings took the driver’s seat; and the bun was in the back, just along for the ride.  The only thing the bun did do was soak up the extra grease; which it did quite well, without falling apart, I might add.

            Overall, the Burger Joint Cheeseburger is a basic, no frills no thrills, American classic, designed for one purpose: to ebb one’s hunger pangs.  Neither flavor, nor presentation, was a factor for this underwhelming experience; but, who has time to appreciate these luxuries, anyway, when you're choking down a meal.  With that being said, I can understand the hype this place gets.  Burger Joint is a treasure for New York residents and a landmark for tourists, which gives the place a nostalgic charm that beckons people to experience it at least once.  Show me someone who keeps returning for the burger quality and I'll show you a liar or a fool.  Then again, there is no accounting for taste, is there?

Overall Rating: 5.1       

Kenny: Who wouldn’t be excited to go into Le Parker Meridien Hotel for a burger? When you walk into the hotel, you are hit right away with a faint smell of burger meat; but the source is nowhere in sight. After walking behind a curtain and around a corner, there is a little neon sign pointing to Burger Joint, whose direction we blindly follow. When we turned the corner, we were quite surprised by what we found. It was like walking into a little wooden burger shack, small and cozy, except for the fact there were tons of patrons. Finding a seat became a bit of a challenge, since there were more people ordering burgers then there were seats. Like in war, we divided and conquered to get seats. Mike stayed in line, and I secured our seats. I ordered the cheeseburger medium with lettuce tomatoes, onions, pickles, ketchup, and mustard with an order of fries to share. This is going to be a short and sweet review. The patty was cooked well and was juicy, but the meat could have had more spice. The cheese was a good touch, I think it was provolone but I'm not really certain. The bun was average but  was toasted, and kept the greasy burger in check. The topping were fresh and the mustard added a good flavor; however, I just wish there was more burger. Maybe I was hungry, or maybe it was the environment, but I killed that burger in no time; and there weren’t any distinct flavors that stood out. This was a standard burger, comparable to Corner Bistro but not nearly as big, just a simple American cheeseburger. If you are in the area, it’s worth it to stop in for the experience, but if you’re hungry, order the burger and fries for yourself, or two burgers. Oh yea the fries…. They weren’t quite impressive. 

Overall Rating 5. 4

Jeff: You definitely forget that you're inside Le Park Meridien Hotel when eating a Burger Joint. I understand the decor of it, being a burger joint. A place to transport you away to some far away downtown, or outer borough place, letting you forget that you're in mid-town Manhattan. The thing is, if all I wanted was a run of the mill burger from some nondescript joint, I wouldn't travel to mid-town for it; nor would I go there if I was already in mid-town, especially for the experience of having people stand directly over you asking if you're almost done, increasing the sense of urgency to woof down your burger without being able to enjoy it. It's a fast pace experience for sure, best suited for the people of mid-town who have a short lunch break.

           My burger was ordered medium and came medium rare. The bun was toasted but squished, which shouldn't have surprised me because you can see the super-market, pedestrian looking plastic bagged buns stacked on a shelf above where you place your order. The onions were thinly sliced and the beef tasted like hamburger from a grocery store-bought package. The tomatoes weren’t mealy, but their flavor wasn’t pronounced either. The lettuce was lettuce. The flavor of the cheese was neither a stand-out or a deterrent, it was just there.

           None of this would’ve mattered so much if after eating my burger I wasn't still hungry, but I was still hungry, and that did not stand well with me. I was so hungry in fact that I ended up going to Chipotle afterwards.

Overall rating: 4.2

I Love Lucy

Venue: Whitman's

Location: 406 East 9th St, New York, NY

Date of Visit: Wednesday, Aug 29, 2012

Burger: Juicy Lucy

Average Score: 7.8
Price Range: $$$$$

Mike: After having failed during our last Burgerler episode with the Plan B Burger, we were looking for stuffed burger redemption.  For that, we went straight to the source, Whitman’s, to try the famous “Juicy Lucy,” herself.  Their version of the Lucy that is juicy consists of a beef short rib blend patty stuffed with pimento cheese, topped with caramelized onion, Bibb lettuce, tomato, spicy pickles and special sauce atop a sesame seed bun.

            When my burger came out, the first thing I noticed was the tomato slice; this thing was huge!  It was like Saturn’s rings, if this burger were a planet.  So, in contrast, the tomato made the patty appear even smaller, which was already somewhat dwarfed by the bun.  Albeit, the patty did have a hefty girth, being that it was stuffed with cheese and all.  After I topped off my burger with the upper half of the bun and took my first bite, any reservations I had toward the size had immediately left my mind.  This burger really packed in the flavor, let me tell you!  The blended beef short rib was savory on its own; but the melted pimento cheese packed inside took it to a new level.  The caramelized onions brought forth a touch of sweetness, along with the tomato, that gave the burger more dimensional flavor.  If that weren’t enough, the spiced pickle and special sauce combination rounded out the flavor profile with perfect completeness.  Additional kudos to the chef for placing the lettuce beneath the patty; therefore, preventing the juices from destroying the lower half of the bun.  Speaking of the bun; it was a sesame seed bun, but because of all of the excitement that was happening in between, the somewhat monotonous nature of the bun wasn’t a critical factor.

            Overall, Whitman’s “Juicy Lucy” was a home run! Okay, maybe it was an inside the parker or a ground-rule double.  After all, it was a bit on the small side and didn’t fully satiate my appetite; but, my taste buds were satisfied.  And, if I had ordered a side of fries for myself, rather than to share, I’m sure my appetite would have been fully satisfied as well.  Plan B, take a lesson!

Overall Rating: 7.5 

Kenny:  August 2012 is now the month of the stuffed burger.  This brought us to Whitman’s to try their famous Juicy Lucy, which on paper seems to be a step above the Plan B Burger.  Their Juicy Lucy is created from a beef short rib blend stuffed with pimento cheese and topped with caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, spicy pickles and their special sauce.  Let’s not forget the warning label on the menu: Caution: Juicy Lucy is VERY HOT in the middle and might squirt.  That got a giggle out of me.  Before ordering the waiter comes by to state the specials, wings and a "Bluesy," a Juicy Lucy with Blue cheese.  The Bluesy sounded interesting but we were here for their flagship, which I ordered medium like everyone else. 

            About ten minutes later the waiter came up the stairs with a few small plates and a bowl of sweet potato fries, and yes, we roll that way.  The Juicy Lucy was served on a small white plate that appeared very comparable to the size of the burger without making it look small.  The patty is about the size of my palm, and what was that, the largest tomato slice I have ever seen.  It was slightly bigger in area than the top of the sesame seed bun.  Under the large tomato slice was a light spread of their special sauce with three of their spiced pickles, and below the patty was the lettuce; this was a very pretty composition.  After inspecting the burger, no squirting had prematurely occurred, so I went in for my first bite.

           This bite was full of all types of flavors and textures all mixing together.  First, the meat was seasoned well and had a good mixture of grease with flavor and texture.  Then there was the mixture of the meat with the warm pimento cheese, which was delicious and maybe my first experience with this kind of cheese.  The special sauce was like every other special sauce, but the spicy pickles brought a little bit of heat with them.  The onions added a sweet flavor and contributed heavily to the overall texture of burger.  There was only one thing I wanted, the patty to be a little bigger.  Don’t get me wrong, I was satisfied with the burger and a few sweet potato fries, I just wanted a little more meat.

Overall Rating 7.9       

 

Jeff: This would be our second go at a cheese stuffed burger; and with a name like Juicy Lucy, it better not disappoint. The burger is made with a beef short rib blend and stuffed with pimento cheese. The day we arrived, they were also offering it with blue cheese. I’ve never had pimento cheese but was game to try it, so I ordered mine in it’s normal fashion. Whitman’s shows a small looking burger on it’s webpage, so when the Juicy Lucy arrives, you will see a familiar site. This thing is small. Kudos to Whitman’s, though, for serving it on a plate that compliments the burger's dimensions. Oddly enough, emphasizing the burger's smallness was the massive tomato slice that, not only dwarfed the width of the patty, but extended out past the bun as well. What’s going on here?

              I’ll tell you what’s going on, flavor. My god, this is one of the best tasting burgers I’ve had yet. The moment you bite into the burger, the flavor of the beef short rib shines, and you know everything else you’ve ever had is just ground beef, probably purchased at your local Associated Grocers. Seriously, if more burgers were made with ground beef short rib, then more places could actually claim being the “best burger” of whatever year. Well, maybe they’d have to do more than that, but it would at least help in that proclamation.

             Now, once you get over the taste of the beef, you have to recon with the caramelized onions and the pimento cheese. Are you kidding me!? This is a win-win combination. Both of them compliment each other, yet neither overpower or are unjustly affected by the light spread of special sauce that’s on the bun. The sauce has a slightly sweet flavor that works well with the onions and the tanginess of the cheese. I’m still not sure what pimento cheese is, but after this, I think I’m going to seek it out. Even after having cheese ooze out the back of my burger, it still had plenty within the patty. That’s how you stuff a burger. Stuff it! Speaking of the bun, it’s nothing special. It could be your generic store bought sesame seed bun, and maybe that’s the perfect pairing. In this case, the bun is only there to hold everything in place. Yes you’ll taste it, but it’s presence, I feel, is really to let the flavors of the beef, cheese, onions, tomato, and butter bib lettuce shine through. Well played Whitman’s, well played. 

              One thing, I have to return to is the size of the burger. It is small, and at $10 you may feel as though you’re paying a lot. I am the first to show disgust at overpriced burgers in New York, and let’s face it… New York has a lot of them. Here, however, we have a truly flavorful beef short rib burger and a balance of ingredients that work very well together. Considering the oversized, mediocre burgers costing the same, or more, with lame fries, I will gladly pay $10 for the Juicy Lucy.

           They say big things come in small packages, and oh, what a punch the Juicy Lucy packs. 

Overall rating: 8.0