[Review] BuJo Burger, Sandymount, Dublin 4

It's hard to keep a good thing down, and right now chef Gráinne O'Keeffe is the woman on top. Not only is she head chef at the wonderful Clanbrassil House (read my review here), but she is also culinary director at BuJo Burger, Dublin's newest burger joint. 

BuJo is a simple restaurant where you order, take a seat, and wait for your order to cook before collecting at the counter. It's bright and cheerful, perfect for family parties, teenage dates or a casual quite bite. On the day we visit, owner Michael Sheary is busily hands-on, refilling the soda dispenser and directing his young and cheerful team. 

For all its simplicity, BuJo comes with serious food credentials. Whole cuts of West Cork beef go into the burgers, while the brioche bun comes from Coghlan's Bakery in Newbridge, Co Kildare. Ice cream comes from Wexford, while Wicklow Wolf brewery and Dan Kelly's cider feature on the menu. In a forward thinking move, the disposable cutlery and cups are biodegradable. Top marks so far. 

BuJo burger and spicy fries

[Review] Wowburger, Wellington Quay, Dublin 2

If you've been a regular reader of my blog for any period of time, you should know by now that I like a good burger. If you're a new reader to my blog, let's get the awkward introductions over, and let me tell you one interesting fact about myself. I like burgers. 

I especially like American style or dirty-style burgers. For me, this means burgers with soft, thin, juicy patties, fluffy buns (I'm flexible on bun style, as long as they're not overly crusty), lots of melty cheese, probably crisp bacon and then other optional stuff. I dislike thick, dry, mealy burgers, or hockey-puck burgers, as I like to call them. 

Right then, I think you've got a good understanding of my burger philosophy. So therefore, I am pleased to introduce you to Dublin's latest burger joint, Wowburger. In a move that relegates genius to the dumbass zone, Wowburger has been installed in the top floor, outdoor area at the superb Workman's Club. If you're not familiar with the Workman's Club, this means that Wowburger is located in a cool outdoor smoking area, in one of Dublin's best pubs, that also happens to be one of Dublin's best music venues. 

Yellow and red at Wowburger

Collect here at Wowburger

The colour scheme at Wowburger is bright yellow and candy apple red in thick diagonal stripes. I did wonder if these colours were selected based on their association with a famous burger chain and their clown mascot. Either way, it's fun and bright and the inner child within starts clapping their hands in anticipation.

The menu is simple and I choose a Wow Bacon Cheeseburger (€6.95) with regular fries (€2.95) and a thick vanilla milkshake (€3.95). Himself also chooses the bacon cheeseburger, albeit with different toppings, plus the wonderful sounding garlic butter fries (€2.95). After payment, we sit down at one of the eclectic mix of tables and wait for our order to be called. 

The burgers are served in de rigeur style, on an aluminum tray lined with greaseproof paper and wrapped in foil paper. Upon opening, the burger is revealed in all its juicy glory. It looks great, with two patties, oozing cheese and a super soft, slightly squished burger bun. As I bite in, the crisp, smoky bacon kicks into effect, along with my chosen grilled onion and Wowburger sauce toppings. The soft bun holds up very admirably to the challenge without disintegration. In short, it's a great burger. 

The fries are good, and a special mention must be made for the garlic butter fries, which are exactly as described on the tin. 

Burger and regular fries at Wowburger

Bacon cheese wowburger

I wish that someone had created Wowburger when I was a student. But then, I often wish that Sir Henry's in Cork was still with us and hadn't been demolished to make way for a carpark. I especially wish that Wowburger had been created in Sir Henry's. That would have been epic. But there's little point in wishing for things in the past, but there's much to admire about wishing for better things in the future. 

My single grouse is that the outdoor area is also the smoking area for the Workman's. Sorry, but I'm never going to be a fan of smoking when eating. It's just not nice. Putting that aside, Wowburger nails the dirty burger perfectly. Simple burgers, cooked exceptionally well, and served in a relaxed and cool location. Only thing to watch is that Wowburger stops serving at 9.30pm in the evening. That's probably a good thing!

Wowburger, (Upstairs at the Workman's Club), 11 Wellington Quay, Dublin 2
Tel: +353 (0)86 056 3144
URL: www.wowburger.ie
Twitter: @wowburgerdublin
Instagram: @wowburgerdublin

[Review] Aussie BBQ, Rathgar, Dublin 6

Last summer, I ate my way through a fair amount of Dublin's burgers in my research to find Dublin's Best Burger. Back then I promised that I would no longer hold back when I encountered a burger that I felt should be best avoided. Since then, I've only spoken out about one offender (at House bar on Leeson Street) but that's probably also because I'm being selective. I don't order burgers in many places any more simply because I think that place won't produce a good burger, and there's no point in wasting my time, money and simple enjoyment. I'm just not into masochism. 

One name that popped up time and time again on my radar was Aussie BBQ. This started out as  "Ireland's Only Authentic Barbecue Restaurant" on South Richmond Street and the menu certainly has some exotic items like crocodile and kangaroo steak. I did sample their burger during the course of my taste testing, but a bog standard bun and weak patty doomed them to a non-ranking in my results. 

But clearly things are going OK in the land of Australian barbecuing in Dublin as Aussie BBQ have opened a second outlet right in the heart of Rathgar. And one night, Himself had a hankering for a burger. Not a gourmet, posh burger but a proper burger. The kind that often accompanies several pints and the need to line your stomach. And so dear reader, we walked to Rathgar to check out Aussie BBQ. 

The Brizzy Burger

His Brizzy Burger (€6.00) is described was described as a half-pounder with chili relish, jack cheese, jalapeño peppers and the usual trimmings. To be honest, it looked just like a regular old chipper van burger with it's un-toasted, pasty white Bundy-type bun, but it hit the spot. A portion of Boomerang fries, double cooked apparently, were exceptionally good (€3.00). I am quite partial to leaving a bit of skin on fries and these didn't disappoint, especially as they appeared to be dusted with Aromat, or something similar. 

Disclaimer:  I love Aromat. Who cares that MSG is a primary ingredient? It's delicious stuff and takes me right back to memories of late-night cooking with my father. Long live Aromat, and especially its cousin, Meat Aromat which is great on a cheese toastie.

Boomerang Fries

I had chosen the Original Meat Box which is a half-pounder, corn-fed chicken fillet and your choice of organic pork sausage or pulled pork (€9.00). It arrived on a paper-lined wooden board, with a very disturbing looking dollop of sauce on top of the pulled pork. To be brutally honest, the look of the sauce nearly deterred me from trying it at all. Overall, the chicken fillet was the best thing on the board. Simply cooked, it was uncomplicated. The burger was grainy in texture and the taste reminded me of a Findus pancake from the poverty days of the 80s. I sometimes buy a particular type of food for my dwarf hamsters than contains dried meal worms, and this burger made me think of that. The dubious sauce on the pulled pork turned out to taste quite nice, which was required as the pork itself appeared to have been sitting around for a while. 

The Original Meat Box

You could argue that Aussie BBQ is just a fast food joint, but they do claim themselves to be an Australian Barbecue venue. You could argue that the prices are low, and I couldn't disagree with that. But that's about as far as I can go, bar those exceptional fries. Aussie BBQ is probably best suited to fulfill the post-pub stagger home. Don't expect any more than that. 

Aussie BBQ, 9 Orwell Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6
Tel: +353 (01) 412 5555
URL: aussiebbq.ie

[Feature] A burger manifesto for Ireland

I don't know who was the first person to think of placing a grilled meat patty between two slices of bread, along with salad and condiments, but I thank that person from the bottom of my gluttonous stomach. The burger probably started out as a quick dining option, and while it still serves that function, it's also possible to dine on gourmet burgers. The burger is truly a king among foodstuffs.

Across the pond in the US, they take the burger pretty seriously. Patties are juicy and often cooked to order, even to my preferred medium rare. In recent years, several hamburger chains have achieved something close to cult status, including Five Guys, In-N-Out and Fatburger. Even the Wahlberg brothers have a hamburger restaurant, the cleverly titled Wahlburgers. Recently, I found myself running through Washington Dulles airport, hoping my make my connecting plane to Newark, where a plane home to Dublin awaited me. But, just a short distance from the gate, I noticed a Five Guys outlet. I skidded to a halt. 5 minutes later, I was sitting at the gate gleefully wolfing down my lettuce-wrapped, bacon cheeseburger and praying to St Jude (patron saint of lost causes) that this burger would not leak it's juicy goodness over my work clothes.

A selection of US burgers (from top Houlihan's, Stanford Grill and Five Guys)

All these wonderful burger experiences have made me despair of the standard of burger production in Ireland (with some obvious exceptions, which I'll get to later). If you order a burger in most pubs or casual dining spots, chances are that you will receive a hockey-puck lump of dry grainy meat, cooked to an attractive grey wallpaper paste colour. A slice of tomato and a few lettuce leaves usually sit miserably on top as garnish, unsure as to how they ended up there. I understand that cooking meat through is a food safety issue, but there is no excuse for much of the woeful mistreatment of burgers to which I have been subjected in Ireland. Most of them belong to a monochrome world which has been sucked dry of all pleasure and joy.

It really a travesty. The chefs who cook and serve these monstrosities should call themselves aside. If they don't understand the burger, then they shouldn't have it on their menus. So this is is my manifesto. If you are a restaurant or venue that serves up a burger crime, I will critique you. Simply put, Irish diners and Irish beef deserve more respect.

There are some bright spots of burger cuisine, enough to make me optimistic that there are some chefs  and restaurants out there who really do understand the burger. For me Bunsen Burger on Dublin's Wexford Street serves up the best burger in Dublin. Their offering is a juicy and flavoursome dirty-style burger, the complete opposite to standard grey Irish burger.

The Bunsen Burger

The Morrison Grill at the newly refurbished Morrison Hotel also serves up a burger worth eating. It's a substantial beast with a thick patty but their Josper Grill ensures that the meat remains juicy. Half the burger was more than enough for me, especially as it comes with additional sides such as pickles and crispy onion strips.

The Morrison Grill Burger

During my quest around Dublin for the best burgers, I revisited Bóbós. Several years ago, I hadn't thought much of their burgers, but I was quite pleased by their bacon cheeseburger offering. It ticked all the boxes with a juicy, tasty patty and clean simple toppings. Extra marks were awarded for the excellent fries, plus who can resist a restaurant packed with cow pictures?

Bóbós Burger

My final mention is for Gourmet Burger Kitchen, a chain of gourmet burger restaurants. While this place does suffer from a soulless atmosphere, a forced Kiwi jollity and a tendency to construct burgers Pisa-style, it must be said that the burgers are good, plus they have a brioche bun option.

Bacon Cheeseburger at Gourmet Burger Kitchen

What do you think about burger crimes? Which places serve the best (and maybe the worst burgers)? Please comment below, especially if you have any hidden gems which deserve to be praised.

[Travel] October in Amsterdam

I fell in love with Amsterdam several years ago, and the love affair is still ongoing. The Dutch treat their capital city with such respect, maintaining a beautiful balance between modernity and tradition. To paraphrase the Lotto, the first thing I'd do upon winning would be to buy a canalside apartment in Amsterdam.  As hotel rooms appeared to be a premium price when booking our recent trip, I expanded my search, and we found ourselves a lovely apartment on Weteringschans via Airbnb. Why on earth would I pay over €600 for two nights accommodation in any of our usual spots when a charming  apartment would cost than half?

As this was our first Airbnb experience, I wasn't too sure what to expect. However, our host was perfect, quickly getting us settled in and then leaving us to our own devices. Our choice of location turned out to be a winner, with light wooden flooring, white walls and lovely views over Stadhouderskade and the famous Rijksmuseum. Over the course of just two days, I fell in love with sitting on the leather sofa, watching the city fade into twilight. 

Our Airbnb apartment on Weteringschans

During our earlier visit in February 2013, we had explored some of Amsterdam's cocktail scene, and I was determined to continue. Door 74 (Reguliersdwarsstraat) is a private bar, with reservations only possible on the same day. I left a voicemail at approximately 11am and waited. Not knowing if I had a table or not didn't sit comfortably with me, but eventually a text message arrived at 4pm confirming our reservation. 

Door 74 is dimly lit, with a group of mixologists working behind a very bottle-laden bar. Large bowls of olives and snacks were delivered to the table and water glasses were kept continuously topped up throughout. The current menu is tattoo-themed with prices on the slightly high side. My first cocktail, a Dia de los Waffelos, featured a smoky and sweet mix of mezcal, yellow Chartreuse, lime, stroopwafel, speculaas and black walnut bitter. The uniqueness continued with the Message on a Bottle (thyme-infused Blanton's Special Reserve bourbon, Fee peach bitters, Bonifatius bitters and a homemade apricot-lime cordial) which came served in a small glass bottle ready for pouring. 

Cocktails at Door 74

The Philosopher at Door 74

After Door 74, we decided to hop on the tram and head out of town towards the De Pijp district. I had heard rumours of a secret cocktail bar and restaurant behind The Butcher burger bar on the famous Albert Cuypstraat. Unfortunately, I couldn't secure a reservation, but we decided to visit for burgers anyway. The minute I saw the grill chef heavily salt a patty with rock salt and place it on a charcoal grill, I knew we were in business.

My Daddy burger was the veritable father, featuring a 250g patty topped with Edam cheese and grilled bacon (€10.95) with a side of perfect fries (€2.50). His smaller truffleburger was wonderfully pungent from a truffle glaze atop the usual salad accoutrements (€9.45). 

The Daddy burger at The Butcher 

The fun menu at The Butcher

The truffle burger at The Butcher

The next day we got up late and caught a tram to Dam Square so we could visit de Bijenkorf, Amsterdam's famous department store. It was the final day of a 3 day sale and the store was hopping with bargain seekers. We joined the untypically chaotic Dutch shoppers with gusto, finding ourselves some excellent deals. But however good the deals were, one of the best things about de Bijenkorf is their excellent self-service cafeteria on the top floor. 

There's a wide range of fresh foods on offer, stretching from burgers and salmon which are grilled while you wait, glasses of fresh smoothies embedded in ice, a wok station, traditional Dutch sandwiches and patisserie. Oh, and did I mention the pizza and sushi? In short, there's something for everyone. On our visit, he made straight for the tuna sandwich and a flaky kaasbroodje (cheese roll). I filled a plate with sushi, and chose a nutty meringue dessert as a sweet treat. 

The best self-service selection at de Bijenkorf department store

Another favourite casual dining spot when in Amsterdam involves Burger Bar, with three locations throughout central Amsterdam. The basic burger option features Irish beef, with Angus and wagyu beef available at extra cost. The special featured topping changes monthly with Old Amsterdam cheese available on this visit, while foie gras was available on an earlier trip. The fries are really superb, and I always choose a pot of spicy samurai sauce for dipping. For a quick, but high quality meal, Burger Bar comes recommended. 

Great burgers at Burger Bar

Another long-term favourite is Cafe de Klos (close to Leidseplein). In a city where spare ribs are a borderline obsession, the ribs at de Klos surely reign supreme. de Klos is full of the traditional Dutch brown bar atmosphere with gilded crests and Old Master style paintings on the wall, but in reality it's the grill at the end of the room which is the real heart of the bar. It's always busy, but you will understand why when the scarred and battered wooden platter lands in front of you. 4 small slabs of ribs, a side salad, sliced baguette and some sauces will cost €16, with plenty of toothpicks to help remove the inevitable meat pieces. 

Rib platter at Cafe de Klos

On our final morning in Amsterdam, we walked the short distance to the Rijksmuseum. This grand old building had been swathed in sheeting during my time in Amsterdam, but now the 8 year renovation project is complete and the results are magnificent. An arched and vaulted tunnel allows you to walk through the building, opening out onto Museumplein. It's a little surreal to have bicycles whizzing past as you walk through, with large windows granting views into the supersleek museum. 

We didn't have time to explore the galleries, but we did stop for a quick morning coffee. I was delighted to see that the patisserie in the cafe is supplied by the delicious and wonderful Holtkamp patisserie, which was located just around the corner from my apartment. So in order to finish our Amsterdam trip, we enjoyed two slices of cheesecake, topped with a sharp blackcurrant layer. 

Passage through the Rijksmuseum

Cheesecake from Holtkamp Patisserie at the Rijksmuseum

And then it was time for home. But first there was shopping at Schiphol Airport where I filled up on the delectable stroopwafel for my friends and colleagues and a block of mature Repyenaer cheese for myself. Then it was time to say "vaarwel" to Amsterdam and take my weary feet home. 

[Q] The Best Burger in Dublin?

The arrival of the epic Bunsen Burger on Dublin's Wexford Street has got me thinking. Where is the best burger in Dublin to be found? A few quick questions on Twitter, and I had assembled a list of candidates. Some were obvious like Jo'Burger, Bunsen and The Counter. Others were a little less obvious.

Not all burgers are created equal and everyone has a different opinion. Some prefer the more American (broiled) style, while others choose the gourmet burger style. All have their merits, but surely there are some common elements that all burgers share. At the very least, a good bun, a juicy patty and a tasty selection of toppings should all feature. 

The cheeseburger at Bunsen Burger

The burger at the Wild Boar pub, Stepaside

The glamburger from Rustic Stone

I plan to visit a selection of the candidates listed below in an effort to find what I think is Dublin's best burger. In order to baseline the judging, I am proposing to only choose cheeseburgers or house special burgers, while sides will be limited to classic fries. (Lamb burgers or other variations will not be considered). I am yet to figure out a scoring system, but I'd imagine that the different criteria will include bun. patty, toppings and sides/sundries.

UPDATE: See here for my results, including my best burger in Dublin

The candidates so far are listed below. If you know of any stand-out burgers that you think should feature, then please comment below.  I look forward to your comments, and make sure to return later to see how I'm getting on with this quest.

• Bunsen Burger
• Jo'Burger
• The Counter
• Eddie Rocket's
• Rick's
• Izakaya
• BóBós
• Gourmet Burger Kitchen
• Real Gourmet Burger
• Rustic Stone
• Jamie's Italian
• Damson Diner
• Whitefriar Grill
• Elephant & Castle
• Aussie BBQ
• Woolshed Baa
• Moo Burger Bar, Liffey Valley Shopping Centre
• Yum Yum
• O'Connells, Donnybrook
• Dillinger's
• Tribeca
• Canal Bank Cafe
• The Sussex
• The bar at the Four Seasons
• The Morrison Grill at the Morrison Hotel
• The Hole in the Wall
• McGettigan's
• The Bridge Bar & Bistro

[Review] Bunsen Burger, Wexford Street, Dublin 2

Sometimes all you want is a good juicy burger. Unfortunately that's not something we get readily in Ireland. Order a burger in any generic bar and odds are it will arrive dry and overcooked with all the flavour profile of sawdust.  You end up wondering if the chef has ever tasted one of his creations, because there really isn't any other explanation for the existence of these bricks. 

Then there are several "gourmet" burger joints which do a great job of making creative burgers with loads of flavours. But in the case of most, when you peel away the toppings and chipotle sauce, the patty itself isn't often great.  Believe it or not, Eddie Rocket's often gets my vote as a venue with a great burger as they don't mess too much with their burgers, and produce a pretty decent end result. 

New joint Bunsen Burger believes that it's time to take burgers back to basics. Owner Tom Gleeson missed the great burgers he'd enjoyed in New York, and wanted to recreate the simple, perfect hamburger here in Dublin. The menu at Bunsen literally fits on a business card-sized menu, with just two options: hamburger or cheeseburger. The patties are made from Black Aberdeen Angus which is ground fresh daily and served on a custom variation of an Amish bread roll. 

The Bunsen menu

First impressions are suitably cool - the Bunsen logo, a nicely stylised letter B, is branded on the fries holder, the burger wrapper and the paper liner which covers our lightweight aluminum trays. The fries are thin cut and crispy, while the burger looks tall in its wrapper.

Fries

The burger

Unwrapping the burger reveals the soft Amish roll, which looks light and fluffy. The crumb nature of the patty shows that it is clearly made with ground mince, which hasn't been over processed or handled.  Melted cheese, mustard and ketchup ooze from the edges. When I pick it up, the juices immediately start to run over my hands, onto the paper, while the roll compresses nicely in my grip. 

The burger is juicy, juicy, juicy, cooked to light pink in the middle. Every bite has pickle or onion, mustard or ketchup to complement the meat. The patties aren't actually very big, so the burger disappears in a few mouthfuls. I like this as it means that you don't fall into a meat coma after eating. 

The burger, unwrapped

Halfway there

There's no doubting that this is a damn fine burger. Somehow it reminds me of eating chip van burgers as a child huddled against the rain at summer agricultural shows (Ireland, eh?), or crowding around in the gang after a teenage disco. It reminds me of how good and simple a burger can be. 

One negative. We eat at lunchtime and the total for two cheeseburgers (€7.45), one fries (€2.95), one coke (€1.95) and one sparkling water (€2.50) comes to a total of €22.30. It just felt a tad too dear, especially with the small portion size of fries. 

But I must admit that I did enjoy the burger. I enjoyed it so much that while eating, I wished it would turn into a never-ending burger, along the lines of Willy Wonka's Everlasting Gobstopper. Sadly that didn't happen, which means that another visit to Bunsen is required.

UPDATE: Since my trip to Bunsen, I've decided to launch a quest to find Dublin's best burger #BBID.  Feel free to add your thoughts and candidates.

Bunsen Burger, 36 Wexford Street, Dublin 2
Tel: +353 (0)1 552 5408
URL: www.bunsen.ie
Twitter: @BunsenDublin

[Review] Cornelia & Co, Carrer Valencia, Barcelona

It's all too easy when in Barcelona to fall into the habit of eating nothing but tapas. It takes a little effort and digging to find something a bit different. But Barcelona does have plenty happening behind the tourist scenes, and hip websites like 60 by 80 show the way to some really interesting alternatives to the usual tourist haunts.  

Cornelia & Co, located on Carrer Valencia, takes inspiration from famous New York deli Dean & Deluca. The window proclaims it to be a "Daily Picnic Store" and the interior is not your typical Spanish tapas joint. It's bright and airy with white columns and walls, balanced by dark wood floors and furniture while chairs decorated with decoupage fashion images add some vibrancy.

The light and bright interior at Cornelia & Co

The attention to detail continued with the menu which came on a clipboard with layered sheets of varying lengths for the different sections. I also loved the fact that the knives and forks were bound together with old-fashioned wire ties.

Attractively presented cutlery at Cornelia & Co

Himself was feeling a bit peckish so he ordered two courses. First up was a club sandwich (€8.80) which was unwrapped by the barista and fried on a hot plate behind the bar. The end result was somewhat like an American grilled sandwich and came crustless, served with lightly salted crisps. His second course was a tartar of salmon served with a layer of avocado (€9.50) and various savory crisps.

Grilled club sandwich

Tartar of salmon with avocado

I had opted for a decadent lunch, as one does when one is on holiday, namely the hamburger with foie gras and truffles (at a whopping €18.00). A very lightly cooked patty came served atop a bird's nest of crispy, thin fries, along with a bowl of truffled eggs. It felt somewhat like a reconstructed steak tartar and was deliciously indulgent. The crispy fries were a magnificent contrast to the soft juicy meat and velvety dripping eggs.

Hamburger ternera foie gras

Cornelia & Co is probably more expensive compared to many daily lunch options in Barcelona. But it is also something special, with a lovely interior and modern cuisine. If you want a break from tapas, then take a trip to this chic New York-inspired location.

Cornelia & Co, Carrer Valencia 225, Barcelona 08007
Tel: +34 93 272  3956
URL: http://corneliaandco.com/

Whirlwind New York - Day One

Back in November 2011, we recently spent a few whirlwind days in New York. I was passing through on my way to a week's work in North Carolina and I had managed to wedge in a short layover in New York. It was all decided in quite a hurry, which meant that we travelled to New York with no real plans. But as always, New York didn't disappoint.

After a hairy taxi trip, where the driver spent most of the time getting incomprehensible directions from someone on the other end of the line, we arrived at our hotel in Brooklyn. Brooklyn is changing rapidly into a cool spot, providing a nice alternative to staying on Manhattan. Following check-in we headed out into a bright but cold winter's day for a walk. We wandered along the Brooklyn Heights Promenade which has great views onto Manhattan Island. From there, we wandered northwards until we came to the magnificent Brooklyn bridge.

Underneath the Brooklyn Bridge

At this stage we were getting hungry, but thankfully we spotted Ignazio's Pizzeria, tucked in under the Brooklyn Bridge on Water Street. We were drawn in by the delicious looking pizzas served atop pizza stands. I've since seen these stands in many US restaurants and I think it's quite a clever way of serving pizza, as they free up a lot of table space. As drooling over other peoples food from outside a restaurant is never really socially acceptable, we headed inside, where the air was filled with delicious pizza smells.

My tipple of choice was a bottle of delicious Blue Point Blueberry Ale ($5), brewed locally in Long Island, while he enjoyed another native drink, Brooklyn Brown Ale ($7). We shared a simple starter of baked anchovies ($8) while waiting for our Sicilian pizza ($21). When the pizza arrived at the table, it was a riot of colour. Bright red tomatoes and vibrant green basil jostled for position, and the cheesy topping was grilled to crusty perfection. One pizza was more than enough between two of us, especially considering the thicker New York style base.

Blue Point Brewing Company Blueberry Ale

Pizza at Ignazio's, Water St, Brooklyn

Ignazio's Pizzeria, Brooklyn

Refulled, we headed back out into the cold air and continued our walk along Water Street. We entered the Brooklyn Bridge Park and eventually came to the foot of the mighty Manhattan Bridge. At this stage, the winter sun was starting to sink low, providing some lovely daylight for photos. Being down at the edge of the water provided a magnificent viewpoint to survey the city. Afterwards, we turned inwards, and headed south, passing underneath the huge, sturdy feet of the Manhattan bridge, where the air is constantly full of the sounds of passing trains and traffic. I'd reckon that living anywhere near the bridge would require either being a heavy sleeper, or a set of the finest earplugs.       

Manhattan Bridge

Later that night, we found ourselves having a few drinks in Eamonn Doran's on Montague St. That's the great thing about being Irish, there's always an Irish bar with an Irish barman. Even after only 12 hours in America, it was nice to hear an Irish accent.  With a few drinks onboard, we felt insulated enough to head out into a bitter cold night. We walked back down to the Brooklyn Promenade to see the New York Mahattan skyline at night. Despite the intensely bitter cold, this was a magnificent sight.

Himself is always hungry, so on our way back to the hotel we stopped at a Five Guys burgers outlet on Montague Street. Five Guys is a real success story, having grown from a single Virginia store in 1986, to over 900 outlets in the US. Their burgers regularly receive accolades, and there are apparently 2,500 possible burger combinations. Himself kept it simple ordering a bacon cheeseburger and fries.

The burger was very much an American style burger with two thin but juicy patties, oozing melted cheese. The fries were substantial, with skin-on and lightly dusted with a flavouring mix. This isn't a gourmet burger joint, but it is a fast-food joint where you can get a real burger. (Read this blog post for more about a similar chain, Jakes' Wayback Burgers).

Bacon cheeseburger at Five Guys

Fries at Five Guys

More to follow soon on Day 2 of our New York trip...

Jake's Wayback Burgers, Mebane, North Carolina

So I'm in the US again for 3 weeks of work. When I left work on the Friday evening of Week 1, I went out to Raleigh Durham Airport to pick up my reserverd hire car. It turns out that Americans don't understand "hire car", so I'm starting to learn to use "rental". Sheesh!

Anyway, I had a few drinks at the hotel bar on Friday night to celebrate the end of the week. Obviously, I suffered the inevitable consequences of over-indulgence on Saturday, and having to sit through a work-related conference call at 10am didn't help matters much. Still though, by midday, I was feeling much better, and a group of us headed off for some outlet shopping at Tanger Outlet Mall Centre in Mebane, North Carolina.

After 90 minutes of shopping, I needed to take a break and give my melting credit card some time to cool back down. There's a reasonable selection of dining options in the Tanger Mebane outlet including pizza and juices. However, Jake's Wayback Burgers caught my eye.

I ordered the Jake Cheeseburger ($5.59), which comes with a wide range of toppings, free of charge. I wanted to keep it simple as I'm not a fan of large amounts of cold salad in my burgers, so I simply added grilled onions & relish. A side of fries ($2.99) and a vanilla malt milkshake (3.99) completed my order.

Burger & fries at Jake's Wayback Burgers

My burger came simply served on a platter lined with greaseproof paper. It consisted of two thin, but very juicy and tender patties with good flavour. Fries came with skin still on, and the vanilla malt was excellent, and gave a great contrast to the salty fries. The burger simply melted in my mouth and into the soft burger bun. It reminded me of a cross between a gourmet high end burger and a burger from a famous burger chain. It was thin and easy to eat (like the burger chain version) but juicy and succulent (more like a gourmet burger). 

Later, I found the website for Jake's Wayback Burgers, which describes how the brand started as a single burger joint in 1991. It's grown since then, but still strives to deliver an authentic burger, with a home-cooked, old-fashioned feel (hence the Wayback title). All I can say is that I'm glad to have found a burger chain that provides a burger that is both great value and real.

Jake's Wayback Burgers, Unit 100 Tanger Mall Outlet Centre, 4000 Arrow Head Blvd., Mebane, North Carolina 27302
Tel: +1 919-563-2888
URL: http://waybackburgers.com/homepage/
Twitter: @waybackburgers

Gourmet Burger Company, Ranelagh, Dublin 6

It was Friday evening, and we were faced with a dilemma - what to do with ourselves. I'd had a stressed week at work, which when combined with two hours of daily driving, means that I'd finished the week tired and drained. I'd managed to leave an hour early for the weekend, and all I wanted to do was to relax and not do anything strenuous, but he wanted to get out of the house for a bit. As a result, we decided to go out but stay local, and after a quick Luas trip, we were in Ranelagh.

A few days earlier, I had purchased a Living Social voucher for the Gourmet Burger Comapny which had offered four beers or glasses of wine with a bowl of buffalo wings (€14) or two steaks, salads and glasses of wine (€27). As I'd been to Gourmet Burger before for burgers, I  went for the steak voucher. I hadn't reckoned on using it so soon after purchasing, but it fitted nicely with our desire for an easy evening.

Gourmet Burger Company is one of those fancy burger joints that seemed to appear everywhere a few years ago, but it has the distinction of trying harder than its competitors. We took a seat close to the window, and I did take some small pleasure in watching all the late commuters on their drive home. It felt good to be home and not out on the road in the dusky light. Himself asked if  he could swap a glass of wine for a beer, but our waiter informed us that this was not possible. Not to mind, and a Flensburger Pilsener beer was ordered, which comes in a flip-top bottle (€6).  I chose a glass of the house white wine, which was a very serviceable Sauvignon Blanc.

Flensburger Pilsener beer at Gourmet Burger Company

I'd heard great things about the chicken wings at Gourmet Burger Company, so we decided to share a bowl as a starter to our steaks (€9.75). With several sauces to choose from, we went for the Suicidal sauce, which turned out to be just right. Not too hot but still with plenty of tang and bite, the wings came served with an unfortunately dull blue cheese dip and crunchy batons of carrot and celery. The portion size was extremely generous and one bowl of these wings would easily serve as a meal in its own right. If these was a best wings in Dublin competition, these would be serious contenders.

Chicken wings at Gourmet Burger Company

Our steaks came served on a half-ciabatta, with garlic mayonnaise, fresh horseradish and portobello mushroom. Perfectly cooked, they were juicy and well-sized. A simply dressed side salad comprised the advertised "salad" from the voucher. Being greedy gits, and not realising our own limitations, we had also ordered a side of hand cut fries (€3.40) which were excellent chips, crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. 

Grilled rib eye steak at Gourmet Burger Company

We took our time over dinner and service was excellent throughout, managing that fine line between friendliness and over-familiarity. The decor is simple and clean, with dark wood against lime green walls,  leather seats and little amusing motifs featuring the little character from the branding. All burgers are 100% Irish organic beef, and if you're looking for something a little bit different, it's even possible to enjoy a Kobe beef burger. 

Our total bill came to €19.15, once our voucher had been deducted. Ranelagh is a suburb that demands sophistication, particularly in its restaurants, and Gourmet Burger Company more than meets these requirements. Personally, I'm already contemplating another trip for some more of those spicy chicken wings.

Gourmet Burger Company, 97 Ranelagh Road, Ranelagh, Dublin 6
Tel: +353 (0)1 497 7821
URL: ww.gourmetburgercompany.ie
Twitter: @GourmetBurger