One of this burger lover's saddest days of 2010 was the day that Tesar's Modern Steakhouse closed in the Woodlands. Tesar's Magic burger had become the thing of local legend; to this day I've been searching for a burger that comes close to that remarkable creation.
But good things have followed for those involved with Tesar's. Chef Jeromy Robison landed the exec spot at La Colombe d'Or's popular new CINQ restaurant, and has been on everyone's short list of talented young chefs.
The other member of the dynamic duo, Chef Austin Simmons, was recently promoted to Executive Chef at Hubbel & Hudson, the hot gourmet market and bistro in the Woodlands. Austin and I talked burgers on numerous occasions at Tesar's, and I was excited to see how he'd influence the already excellent burgers at H & H.
So I was pleasantly surprised not only to learn of Chef Austin's promotion, but to be invited to sample some of his new dishes on the winter Hubbell & Hudson menu. And I was hoping a burger would be one of the offerings.
After rolling out several new dishes (which will be written about soon) a burger appeared.
Wagyu Burger at Hubbell & Hudson |
I smiled when I noticed that instead of one of H & H's excellent buns, Chef Austin had selected an English Muffin as the foundation for his burger. The half-pound patty was hand-formed Wagyu beef, from an American breed of cattle that produces Kobe beef in Japan. Instead of bacon, crispy prosciutto di Parma was artfully arranged. Fresh arugula and a unique tomato remoulade were piled atop a sunny-side-up egg. No ordinary condiments were to be found. These prime ingredients do not result in a bargain burger - served with the excellent house cut double dip frites, the cost of the burger is $25, not an insubstantial sum.
(I hate to second-guess a chef, but I'm not an egg-on-a-burger guy. When I mentioned this, the burger was whisked into the kitchen, and reemerged in short order without the egg.)
I bit into the burger, and it was a revelation. Front and center was the lush, beefy flavor. The wagyu had been expertly ground; so many times super premium beef doesn't stand up well to grinding, but in this case it had been handled expertly and cooked to a perfect medium rare. The juicy ooze was in full force; this was a rare case where wagyu beef delivered fully on its promise.
The tang of the tomato chutney was a delicious counterpoint to the swaggeringly rich beefy flavor, and this is coming from someone who typically doesn't like tomatoes on a burger. The smooth, almost sweet flavor of the cured prosciutto provided balance, and the subtle crunch added textural interest.
This could very well be the best burger I've ever tasted.
Chef Austin is still fine tuning the burger. He's contemplating a version replacing the egg with one of Hubbell & Hudson's artisan cheeses.
I shudder to think about the difficulty in resisting the result.
Hubbell & Hudson Bistro | 24 Waterway Ave, Suite 125 | The Woodlands, Texas 77380
281-203-5641 | hubbellandhudson.com
As a high school student, one of my favorite hamburgers was a Wendy's double. From the iconic square patty to the much-better-than-McD's toppings, Dave Thomas's chain served the first burger that caught my attention. But over the years new competitors appeared on the scenes, and Wendy's never really made improvements. The awesome burger of my youth became one I would only order in an emergency.
But now there's something different. Wendy's is upping their game.
Called "Dave's Hot 'n Juicy Cheeseburger", it is the first upgrade to Wendy's hamburger offerings in several decades. From thicker patties to better quality toppings to a new toasted, buttered bun, Wendy's has responded to both the Better Burger competitors like Five Guys and SmashBurger, and to the higher-end burgers rolled out by McDonalds. The advertising photos look very promising.
Dave's Hot 'n Juicy Cheeseburger - The Promise |
I was anxiously anticipating sampling this big deal that Wendy's just released, so I stopped by a local Woodlands-area Wendy's to see whether it lives up to the hype. I was immediately put off by the rather dated look of the store - other than new signage, this restaurant could be a Wendy's from 1990. But I'm here for the food, not the atmosphere, so I ordered my benchmark double, and waited for its appearance.
What greeted me on the tray was this:
Dave's Hot 'n Juicy Cheeseburger - The Reality |
I returned to Coal Burger on Thursday. After eating a superlative burger, I was eager to sample more from the menu. Unfortunately they were closed; problems with the ventilation system meant that the restaurant was too smoky when the coal-fired oven was operating.
Chef Bradford Thompson (Photo courtesy Culinary Vegetable Institute) |
Thompson also worked with the legendary Chef Daniel Boulud in Manhattan, helping plan and develop both Cafe Boulud and DB Bistro Moderne. Chef Thompson also was in charge of private dining at New York's famed Restaurant Daniel.
We're always skeptical when a successful restaurant group branches out into a new type of restaurant. Too often we've seen incredibly successful organizations stumble when they try to translate their successful formula to an entirely different cuisine.
So we greeted the news of Coal Burger with a good deal of skepticism. This small restaurant chain (the Woodlands location is their third store, and their first outside of Arizona) is owned by the same group as Grimaldi's Pizza, the iconic Brooklyn pizza joint that has branched out into locations all over the nation (and not coincidentally, right next door to Coal Burger.) Would success in the pizza field translate into the highly competitive burger arena?
Half-pound Coal Burger, with cheese and bacon |
We aren't sure. But we love a good burger, and have a great deal of respect for the Grimaldi's organization, so we visited Coal Burger today, on its opening day, to see just what they are all about. It was a rainy Tuesday, so we headed down to Waterway Square in the Woodlands, and managed to snag a nearby parking spot. We zipped through a building to avoid the rain, and came out across the street from the Coal Burger location. There is no sign, but it is located on the back side of the same building that houses Grimaldi's.
Coal Burger in the Woodlands. That's the entrance at the right |
We crossed the street and entered the bright, airy restaurant. We saw plenty of green-shirted staff members being trained on opening day. Everyone was bright and friendly, and we learned quite a bit about the philosophy behind Coal Burger before we even ordered.
Coal Burger isn't an ordinary burger joint. There is a great focus on sustainable, high quality, healthy ingredients. The organization is green, but it's not pushed in the customer's face as a self-conscious selling point. We noticed that the disposable drink containers were compostable, the ingredients are from responsible sources like Niman Ranch, and little touches like LED light fixtures point to a thoughtful focus on the environment. We applaud this approach.
Orders are placed at the counter, so we walked up and gave them ours.
The woman at the counter was very friendly, and in short order we were headed to the table to await our Coal Burgers. On the way we grabbed a soda - no Coca-Cola or Pepsi products here, but rather a selection of Boylan sodas, all sweetened with real cane sugar. So we had to skip our beloved Dr Pepper, and instead chose Boylan Ginger Ale. A sip confirmed that real ginger is a prominent ingredient in this beverage.
After a short wait, the burger appeared, wrapped neatly in paper. Ours was a half-pound of all-natural Niman Ranch Beef, hand-formed into two patties, topped with American cheese, beautiful thick-cut bacon, shredded lettuce, and crisp sliced pickles. Only the bun seemed pedestrian, but we later learned that a Brioche bun is available upon request.
A half-pound burger at Coal Burger |
Biting into this tall, narrow burger was delightful. The first sensation was the crispness of the sliced pickles, which was quickly followed by a rich, charry, beefy burst of flavor. Following the Grimaldi's tradition, the burger patties are grilled in a coal-fired oven.
Coal Burger's coal-fired oven |
This magical device imparts a delightful char to the high quality beef. And it does so quickly, leaving a nice juicy ooze and a pinkish center to contrast to the dark brown exterior char.
The American cheese we selected was thickly sliced and high quality. The bacon had a slightly sweet, smoky bite. The result was a superb rendition of a backyard burger, typically grilled over charcoal. But this one was grilled over real coal, and the result was how one would dream a backyard burger would taste - no home cooked burger we've sampled has sported such an aggressive char and rich, complex flavor.
We realize that it's unfair to judge a restaurant on its opening day, but we were very impressed by the burger at Coal Burger. We were also happy to talk with Darien, the manager, and to see that he and his staff are very interested in feedback and focused on making the Coal Burger experience a good one.
We'll be back. Soon.
Coal Burger | 20 Waterway Ave | The Woodlands, TX 77380 | 281-292-6385
coalburger.com
The man had more cool in his pinky than four dozen hipsters have in their entire bodies ...
OK, I feel better. It's not just me.
Hubbell & Hudson's Bleu Cheese Burger |
A new report released by food industry consultants Technomic revealed that Americans are eating more burgers, and better ones. Nearly half of the Americans surveyed now eat burgers at least once a week.
(I think that they're all in line at Hubcap Grill when I stop by.) That's up from 38% in 2009.
Another encouraging trend - consumers are willing to spend more for better burgers. Taste and convenience were ranked ahead of price when choosing which burger to enjoy. This bodes well for Houston's wide variety of better burger joints, from burger boutiques like Burger Guys to local success story / superlative burger chain Beck's Prime.
A fact that surprises some but doesn't surprise us: 99% of Americans surveyed say that they eat some kind of burger, even if only occasionally.
Source: Huffington Post.
When we visited Jax Burgers shortly after they opened last summer, we enjoyed the restaurant and its signature burger, but felt that it just missed the mark. The hamburger patty was a bit bland and unseasoned. But we generally liked the place, and on a sunny late June afternoon we decided to visit again.
The restaurant was just as we remembered it - sparklingly clean and full of the aroma of grilled beef. The Jax logo was prominently displayed all over the restaurant, and two flat-screen TVs were displaying a couple of different sporting events.
It was time to check and see how the burger had fared after Jax settled in. We ordered at the counter, and our burger promptly arrived. We bit in, and had a surprise...
A very pleasant surprise.
We're happy to report that the previous problem we had with the burger has been addressed, and addressed well. The beef patty is still a half-pound of never frozen beef, but it's now sporting a lively seasoning of black pepper and just the right amount of salt. The bite of the pepper is front and center, and it plays a nice counterpoint to the rich flavor of the high fat content beef. There's a new swagger, and a bold, beefy flavor that is worthy of the lovingly hand-formed patty. The difference is like night and day.
The patty was griddled to a nice medium - hints of pink were still present in the center. The thickish slice of good quality American cheese was nicely melted, and the eggy bun also spent some quality time on the flat top, and the result was a gloriously oozy burger. Veggies were fresh, but not terribly crisp.
Interestingly, the burger arrived upside-down - something we can't recall ever seeing before.
We're glad to find that the staff at Jax have improved this burger, and we welcome Jax into the upper echelon of Houston burger joints.
Keep up the good work, guys!
Behold the bacon cheeseburger at Five Guys on Washington Avenue.
I'd not been to Five Guys in too long, and I'm glad I returned. This burger was very good: Two nicely thick patties, cooked medium well but still oozing. Hand-sliced American cheese. Thick cut bacon, slightly chewy. Mild grilled onions. Fresh lettuce.
For $6, this is an excellent value. But is it the best $6 burger in town? I'd rank Smashburger slightly ahead. Burger lovers, what are your thoughts?
You know that great book you've got on the shelf that you've been meaning to read? Or that film in your Netflix queue that you've meant to watch for months, but you keep putting off? If you write a food blog, the same thing happens with restaurants. I've got several that I've been meaning to try, but a variety of excuses keeps popping up. "I'm on the wrong side of town." "My bride won't like it." "James Beard Award nominee Katharine Shilcutt just reviewed it, and I'll never get a table."
Here's what I've been avoiding. Yes, I'm an idiot. |
Be still, my beating heart. |
But wait... there's more. |
Direct from the fryer's duck fat to you |
Superlative ingredients prepared by an expert chef |
In short, Mazzu is a grandmaster of the grill; here is a brief video of him seasoning and starting a phalanx of burgers.
He makes it look so easy. I would no doubt be on the receiving end of third-degree burns if I tried this at home.
Others in our group sampled a variety of burgers, and were patient enough to indulge me and let me photograph them as they came out:
My first rule of dining is to order what a restaurant specializes in, or is known for. That rule rarely steers me wrong, so I tend to follow it almost every time. But recently I broke this rule.
Samba Grille is a new restaurant downtown, one I've visited before. I really enjoyed their churrascaria; as a devoted carnivore, a variety of freshly grilled meats is something hard to pass up. They also have some tempting seafood dishes, many of which I've yet to sample.
But I was on a quest. One of the partners in Samba Grille is Nathan Ketcham, who happens to be a friend of mine. Nathan and I used to eat lunch together frequently when he lived in the Woodlands, often at the late, lamented Tesar's Modern Steakhouse, which was home of one of the state's great hamburgers.
Nathan shares my passion for burgers, and he knows a good one from a bad one. Now that Nathan is helming his own restaurant, I had to sample his hamburger. Of course, his place specializes in the cuisine of South America, so my expectations weren't too high... but I figured Nathan wouldn't disappoint me.
So on a recent Friday, I picked up my lovely bride at her downtown office, and we drove over to Samba for lunch. Parking was a snap (often an issue downtown) and we entered and sat down. After a brief perusal of the menu, we both ordered burgers. While we waited, we snacked on Samba's addictive cheese rolls. In short order, the burger appeared.
Samba's burger has a strong Latin flair. It's made from grilled sirloin, no doubt trimmed from the steaks they butcher in-house. The beef is blanketed with buttery Spanish machego cheese. To this they add crisp, smoky bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, and aji aioli, a spicy garlic sauce made with Peruvian peppers. The burger was built on a soft, slightly sweet bun. I'm a bit of a burger purist, so I vetoed the avocado, but I decided to try the aioli.
Biting into it, I was immediately impressed by the smooth mouthfeel and the balance of the burger. Front and center was the flavor of the meat - a robust beefy swagger that really hit the spot. I've eaten some very good burgers lately, but none have nailed the beefy flavor quite like Samba has done. The counterpoint of the buttery machengo cheese added smoothness, and the heat from the aji aioli popped in a moment later, adding a spicy Latin counterpoint to the flavor profile. Not only has Samba created a great burger, they've done so with South American flair.
The choice of ingredients was masterful. The bacon's flavor was subtle, and the slight crunch was a nice contrast to the smooth feel of the beef and cheese. The difference between good and great is in the details, and it's obvious to me that Nathan and Chef Cesar Rodriguez spent the time to sweat the details.
This is the burger I've been waiting for since Tesar's shut down. Thank you, Nathan.
I came to Samba expecting to enjoy a good burger, but instead I found one of Houston's very best. If you love burgers, go check 'em out.