The Orange County Register reports that Carl's Jr will be adding a turkey burger to the menu starting Wednesday, March 23, 2011. They menu item was created in a colloboration between Men's Health Magazine and Carl's Jr. There are three options, standard, guacamole, and teriyaki. Check back here for a review.
Article Here
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Islands in the Stream
I was stuck working late and my wife and our kids wanted to go out to meet some friends for dinner. They decided on Islands due to its location and kid-friendly atmosphere and menu. I have been to Islands many times and have always enjoyed the food.
Tonight, my wife selected the Kilauea Burger to bring home to me. It is described on the menu as a Jalapeno & black pepper crusted burger with pepper jack cheese, chipotle aioli, lettuce, tomato & Island Reds (crispy onion strings).
The burger itself was good. Not too big, but great flavor (especially with the jalapeno and black pepper crust) and a solid foundation for the toppings. The chipolte aioli provided a smoky and spicy kick, and the Island Reds (which were placed in a very generous fashion) were oustanding.
It was a great burger and I enjoyed it tremendously, HOWEVER, as you may have starting noticing, chain restaurants in California have started adding nutritional information on the menus. When you look at the specifics of this burger, it is simply astounding how bad it is for you. Consider the following:
SERVING SIZE (oz) 18
CALORIES 1560
CALORIES FROM FAT 1030
TOTAL FAT (g) 115
Uggggghh...I didn't even get fries with that. Great burger, but you should probably run to and from the store to get one...
Islands Restaurants
Numerous Locations
Website
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Deemers = Delish
The names of the burgers alone got me excited: "Caliente", "Napa" and "Californian". And the menu is just the start. Before I dive into the food, first a bit on Deemers. During our recent lunchtime visit we spoke to the manager, who was friendly and eager to share the restaurant's story. Recently opened by Kevin Deemers, a Newport Beach chef and restauranteur, Deemers American Grill offers a straightforward menu of burgers (beef, turkey or chicken), salads and sandwiches. Kevin was the man behind the former Yankee Tavern in Newport Beach and also spent time in the kitchen of the Ritz Carlton. Deemer's, his latest venture, is focused on gourmet burgers in a non-white table cloth environment. The competitive advantage: Deemer's is one of the only burger joints to grind their own meat. According to the manager, most of the competition buys their patties pre-made.
The friendly staff, comfortable and clean interior and enticing menu forshadowed a tasty Sunday afternoon lunch. I ordered the Caliente burger while my wife sampled the Classic with Cheese. The Caliente was a no-brainer order for me:queso fresco cheese, sauteed jalepenos, beefsteak tomato, iceberg lettuce, with Deemer's fire sauce. We also ordered a basket of fries and a side of peanut coleslaw.
The Caliente was fantastic and the freshness was obvious. The patty itself was slightly crumbled (in a good way) and to me indicated that it was not a pre-formed patty. You know those hand-formed homemade burgers that sort of crumble when you sink into them? Not sure how these guys form the patties, but I got the feeling of homemade while I was eating. My wife thoroughly enjoyed the Classic with cheese...so much that I wasn't able to steal a bit for research purposes!
The Caliente was fantastic and the freshness was obvious. The patty itself was slightly crumbled (in a good way) and to me indicated that it was not a pre-formed patty. You know those hand-formed homemade burgers that sort of crumble when you sink into them? Not sure how these guys form the patties, but I got the feeling of homemade while I was eating. My wife thoroughly enjoyed the Classic with cheese...so much that I wasn't able to steal a bit for research purposes!
The fries might have been the dark horse of the whole matter. Thick-sliced potatoes lead to crispy and lightly seasoned goodness. The peanut coleslaw was a bit of a let down. I love peanut coleslaw, but this one left much to be desired. I think the peanuts were on strike--I couldn't find them in my bowl.
Bottom line: Deemer's delivered a fresh, tasty burger and an overall great experience. So far my favorite burger of the year and I can't wait to go back to test the "Buffalo": blue cheese, red hot sauce with two cabbage peanut coleslaw.
Deemer's American Grill
27221 La Paz Road
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
(949) 425-8770
-B
Thursday, February 24, 2011
The Luck of the Irish...
“Best Burger in the O.C.” Award
-Orange Coast Magazine
“The Best Hamburgers in O.C., At This Celtic Bar that has Something For Everyone”
-ZAGAT Guide
Newport Beach, California, Thursday, 11:30 am. Three friends in business suits sit down next to a crackling fireplace in the dark back room of an irish pub across the street from Fashion Island. In researching the state of burgers in OC, all signs had pointed this direction as an example of the best.
We perused the menu, but had no time this day for bangars and mash or corned beef, all three of us zeroed immediately in on the burger choices. We decided to go in three different directions and to split potions with one another. All burgers are hand-formed 100% certified Angus half-pounders. All burgers came with an inordinate amount of lettuce, tomato, choice of raw or grilled onions, and a REALLY good brioche-esque grilled bun. They asked for our temperature prefences and actually did a perfect job meeting the requests of two mediums and one medium-well. The burger quality and flavor was very high and all ingredients were high-quality and fresh (two characteristics not usually associated with Irish food. There were several sides to choose from, but we all chose pub fries which were good, although a tad bit undercooked.
Burger Choice #1: The Bleu's Burger
Our waitress recommended the Bleu's Burger as a "must have." Listed as having crumbled blue cheese and onions, it actually was more of a blue cheese dressing-type spread with crumbles in it, this is a good thing, not a bad thing! The flavor of the blue cheese dressing was very good, however, against the overall size and number of ingredients, it was not overly forward. It contributed to the overall flavor rather than overshadowing it. If you wanted more flavor, you could always get a side of blue cheese dressing and add even more (which we may or may not have done).
Burger Choice #2: The St. Patty's
Although our waitress steered us in a different direction than the St. Patty's we all wanted to order it. Listed as having tillamook vintage cheddar, oak-smoked bacon, and homemade guacamole, it was an interesting option at an Irish pub. One would assume a burger named the St. Patty's would be a patty melt (which, if Muldoon's wanted to be really creative, they could do with soda bread, irish cheddar, and corned beef or something suitably irish like a Guiness reduction sauce or something). BUT, this St. Patty's Burger must be named in honor of the green guacamole. We all agreed that this was the best of the three burgers because the guacamole really added a lot of interesting flavor to the overall taste.
Burger Choice #3: The Macho
The choice of the Macho Burger was really just to try something totally different since we figured it would be academically lazy to order more than one of the same burgers. Listed with jack cheese, sliced avocado, and grilled ortega chili, it was another unusal option for an Irish-themed place. It was very good and the sliced avocado was very generously added.
Overall Impressions:
I don't know what it is about Irish pubs, but I have never left one without feeling happy. Beyond that, Muldoon's is a "best of breed" Irish pub that has something literally for everyone. Were the burgers as good as all of the hype? The jury is still out according to us since there are many other burgers to try before labeling them the best in OC, but there really isn't much that Muldoon's could improve on. The highest quality ingredients, handled properly (we could hear and smell our burgers being cooked on the char-grill ten feet away from us), and served in a friendly and happy environment (our sassy waitress Amanda was a good combination of engaging when she was there, mocking when we mocked her, and not overly present when we didn't want her there) probably add a few points to the overall review. A burger eaten in this environment, with good friends, will always taste better than the alternative. Imagine the review if we had been drinking pints!
Note: We cut a piece of burger for our missing wingman, reviewer B who couldn't make this particluar outing. We didn't let it sit for too long though...all pieces were consumed by the end of the meal.
Muldoons
202 Newport Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949) 640-4110
http://www.muldoonspub.com/
-Orange Coast Magazine
“The Best Hamburgers in O.C., At This Celtic Bar that has Something For Everyone”
-ZAGAT Guide
Newport Beach, California, Thursday, 11:30 am. Three friends in business suits sit down next to a crackling fireplace in the dark back room of an irish pub across the street from Fashion Island. In researching the state of burgers in OC, all signs had pointed this direction as an example of the best.
We perused the menu, but had no time this day for bangars and mash or corned beef, all three of us zeroed immediately in on the burger choices. We decided to go in three different directions and to split potions with one another. All burgers are hand-formed 100% certified Angus half-pounders. All burgers came with an inordinate amount of lettuce, tomato, choice of raw or grilled onions, and a REALLY good brioche-esque grilled bun. They asked for our temperature prefences and actually did a perfect job meeting the requests of two mediums and one medium-well. The burger quality and flavor was very high and all ingredients were high-quality and fresh (two characteristics not usually associated with Irish food. There were several sides to choose from, but we all chose pub fries which were good, although a tad bit undercooked.
Burger Choice #1: The Bleu's Burger
Our waitress recommended the Bleu's Burger as a "must have." Listed as having crumbled blue cheese and onions, it actually was more of a blue cheese dressing-type spread with crumbles in it, this is a good thing, not a bad thing! The flavor of the blue cheese dressing was very good, however, against the overall size and number of ingredients, it was not overly forward. It contributed to the overall flavor rather than overshadowing it. If you wanted more flavor, you could always get a side of blue cheese dressing and add even more (which we may or may not have done).
Burger Choice #2: The St. Patty's
Although our waitress steered us in a different direction than the St. Patty's we all wanted to order it. Listed as having tillamook vintage cheddar, oak-smoked bacon, and homemade guacamole, it was an interesting option at an Irish pub. One would assume a burger named the St. Patty's would be a patty melt (which, if Muldoon's wanted to be really creative, they could do with soda bread, irish cheddar, and corned beef or something suitably irish like a Guiness reduction sauce or something). BUT, this St. Patty's Burger must be named in honor of the green guacamole. We all agreed that this was the best of the three burgers because the guacamole really added a lot of interesting flavor to the overall taste.
Burger Choice #3: The Macho
The choice of the Macho Burger was really just to try something totally different since we figured it would be academically lazy to order more than one of the same burgers. Listed with jack cheese, sliced avocado, and grilled ortega chili, it was another unusal option for an Irish-themed place. It was very good and the sliced avocado was very generously added.
Overall Impressions:
I don't know what it is about Irish pubs, but I have never left one without feeling happy. Beyond that, Muldoon's is a "best of breed" Irish pub that has something literally for everyone. Were the burgers as good as all of the hype? The jury is still out according to us since there are many other burgers to try before labeling them the best in OC, but there really isn't much that Muldoon's could improve on. The highest quality ingredients, handled properly (we could hear and smell our burgers being cooked on the char-grill ten feet away from us), and served in a friendly and happy environment (our sassy waitress Amanda was a good combination of engaging when she was there, mocking when we mocked her, and not overly present when we didn't want her there) probably add a few points to the overall review. A burger eaten in this environment, with good friends, will always taste better than the alternative. Imagine the review if we had been drinking pints!
Note: We cut a piece of burger for our missing wingman, reviewer B who couldn't make this particluar outing. We didn't let it sit for too long though...all pieces were consumed by the end of the meal.
Muldoons
202 Newport Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949) 640-4110
http://www.muldoonspub.com/
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Classic Burger Cafe is Just OK
Sunday afternoon, President's Day weekend, out at the Park running after a three year old all morning, it's Burger Time. I headed towards Peter's Gourmade in Tustin without really knowing why, but as I pulled up, I noticed that they are closed on Sundays. Realizing that Classic Burger Cafe is literally just around the corner, we made a right hand turn and entered the CBC (#7 apparently).
Upon entering the restaurant, the menu made my head spin with offering ranging from Breakfast served all day to pork chops to burritos to burgers. If it can be grilled, fried, or served with salsa, CBC has it.
I had high hope for the burgers given the name of the place, so I ordered a Cheeseburger for my wife ($3.25), a Western Bacon Cheeseburger (at their recommendation and with trademark infringement belonging to them, not me) for me ($4.85), and my son inexplicably wanted a Carne Asada Taco (inexplicably because he has never ordered a carne asada taco AND because he passed up things like corn dogs and chicken nuggets)($2.25). My wife asked me to get mushrooms on her burger (despite me explaining that it wasn't really a Counter-type "build your own" kind of place).
Due to the language gap, we received her cheeseburger with the standard fixings, lettuce, tomato, diced onions, and thousand island with a SIDE of FRIED MUSHROOMS. Good, but not what we expected.
Here is her burger pictured (white plate is ours, not theirs). For research purposes, I tried a quarter of it. As you can see, the burger patty is very thin and is totally overwhelmed by the condiments. It tasted pretty smoky and charred which I liked, but she didn't like the thousand island dressing.
So how was the Western Bacon Cheeseburger? As you can see, the same small burger was now dressed up with onion rings above and below it, cheese, and a drenching of tangy barbecue sauce. Did it taste good? Yes, but that is because there was a serious amount of non-burger tasty items on the bun. The burger was secondary. Was it worth $4.85? Absolutely, but I would prefer the option to pay more for a hand-formed burger patty made from fresh ground beef.
So, I know what you are wondering...how was the carne asada? Again, for research purposes, I tasted some of the taco (which was accompanied by a really good salsa verde). It was great tasting asada.
Based on all of this, would I go back to Classic Burger Cafe? Yes I would, I wouldn't go out of my way to do so, but if I was hungry and in the area, it would be worth a stop. Would I order a burger again? Probably not since the burger itself was underwhelming and the mexican food seemed to be the better option.
Classic Burger Cafe #7
15712 Tustin Village Way
Tustin, CA
(714) 667-3884
Saturday, February 19, 2011
The Slopper
A blogger writes here about a Pueblo burger invention called a Slopper where a hamburger is submerged in green chili. This would be wonderful to try, but also got me thinking about trying to find the best chili size in the OC. The chili size is a unique concoction that merges two of the best comfort foods; chili and burgers. Stay tuned to see if an OC chili size can be located.
image from A Hamburger Today blog
These are a few of my favorite things...
Slashfood points out here that a Philadelphia chef is trying to draw attention to the plight of the company that makes tastykakes by serving sliders made with peanut butter tastykakes as the bun. Despite the fact that I love sliders and LOVE chocolate enrobed peanut butter tastykakes, I am not sure that this would be a good combination. I would try it though...
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