This Burger was indeed the cat's meow.

Cat's Meow Burger 9-17-09
The Black Cat, off Remesen Street, Cohoes, NY

I cannot speak too highly of this burger. A nice 8 oz. burger, cooked medium, with bacon, swiss, onions and peppers under the melted swiss, a little lettuce and tomato, mayo and ketchup. Great steak fries.

The best part of this burger was the juiciness of the meat itself. It was well-cooked, rich in flavor, not too dissimilar from the 4 Corners Burger from the other day. Because of it's wetness, it was a bit messy to eat and I did have to resort to fork and knife, but only at the very end.

The service, provided by a young lady named Shannon, was accommodating, and I talked with her about the possibility of painting a picture of this meal and offering it to the establishment.

Love burgers, love painting. When the two meet...it's magic.

The Short Sabbatical Is Over

4 Corners Burger, September 16, 2009
Lark Tavern, Madison Avenue, Albany NY

After a 4-week sabbatical from my cheeseburger odyssey and a bit of concern over the impact of the burgers on my cholestorol, I returned to the road with the 4 Corners Burger at the Lark Tavern.

This burger, which I ordered medium (of course), includes carmelized peppers and onions under melted white American cheese, bacon, two tomato slices and a huge leaf of lettuce. I added mayo and ketchup to this and proceeded to devour it in good time. The side was onion rings, with the onions soft and well cooked and a lovely dark brown batter. The beer: Saranac Black Forest.

This was a good way to return. The burger was medium but wonderfully grilled and a bit blackened on the outside. The combination of onions, peppers, cheese and bacon made for great concert of flavors. It was a bit messy, no doubt and mostly due to the addition of ketchup and mayo, but well worth it.

And as far as art goes, this was one of the more colorful burger pictures I took, and it will made a lovely painting, when I get around to it.

For record, the Willett Burger is also a good time at the Lark Tavern. The bartender was gracious and accommodating (the other day, she went out of her way and was able to find in the back the last available Anchor Steam and the patrons very friendly. I am enjoying the occasional mid-day visit to the Lark Tavern, especially if a burger is on my mind.

Burgers in Atlanta

I am in Atlanta, GA this weekend, and my brother in law and I hit a couple of burger places and had some exceptional burgers.

The first was Flip Burger Boutique, which is a very trendy place. We ate at the bar, where we had a lovely dark-haired bartender who looked NYC but had a soft southern accent.

I had the Butcher's Cut, a 5.5 oz burger with carmelized onions, blue cheese and a red wine jam. The burger tasted great, and the only problem was that the red wine jam was overwhelmed by the blue cheese. The fries that accompanied it were tasty as well, and offered along with ketchup and a smoked mayo.



Butcher's Cut, Flip Burger Boutique 8-7-09.

The highlight of the visit though was the nutella-burnt marshmellow milkshake. A very thick shake with actual marshmellows lightly burned by a blow torch. I would go back just for the shake. Although it would be great to try the other burgers some day.



On Sunday, my sister, brother-in-law, and niece joined me at George's, a 41-year old burger joint in the Virginia-Highlands neighborhood. I had the bacon and monterrey jack burger with tomato and guac, and a side of potato salad. This burger was exceptional, larger than the the Flip burger, juicy and wonderfully cooked on the outside. Of the two burgers, I would go back to George's first.



Bacon and Monterrey Jack Burger, with guac. George's, Atlanta, GA.

Poppy's Burgers

Poppy's Classic Big Burger, August 1, 2009

Last weekend, I took a trip down to Beacon to visit with friends. We met up at Poppy's Burgers. I had the Classic Big Burger: two grass-fed burgers with melted cheese on sesame seed buns. Medium cooked. It was an outstanding burger.

It was an outstanding day.

No Snob

Every now and then...probably more often than necessary...a double cheeseburger and Coke from McDonalds suffice. The other day, I took my daughter through the drive-thru: a happy meal for her and a double cheeseburger and coke for me. It is no great burger, but sometimes it does the trick.

And at $1.39, it's a good deal.

This blog will not avoid the McDonalds, Burger King, or Wendy's burgers; nor will it turn its nose up at Red Robin, Applebees or Chilis. All make respectable cheeseburgers. Five Guys is on my list too...although their burgers are a cut above the rest, and their fries are outstanding.

And, having a fast food burger now and then makes one appreciate the other burgers made by independent businesses all the more.

Diner Burgers

Depending on the diner, a cheeseburger can be a hit or miss. The bison burger at the Circle Diner (Route 9 & Troy Schenectady Road in Latham) was neither hit nor miss. Bison has an enjoyable, richer flavor than standard beef burger, and I had this one medium-well last Sunday (before seeing the light about having a burger cooked medium, see prior posting), with not-so sauteed mushrooms and cheddar cheese...and a side of onion rings.

The best part of the meal was the onion rings. Perhaps I'm too picky, but when I want sauteed mushrooms, I like them cooked down as much as possible and very hot. These were still somewhat firm and not as flavorful as they should have been. The cheese was ok, but nondescript. The bison was rich.

Because I was driving, I opted for a glass of cold milk (usually I would have ordered a Coke, but the Circle only offers Pepsi and I despit ande Pepsi). The milk was cold and delicious and added to my enjoyment, such as it was, of the burger.

I did enjoy this meal with a lovely friend of mine, a fellow traveler and a poet, an hour before taking her to the airport. Overall, it was a good time.

But the burger almost didn't merit a post, as it was nothing horrendous or great.

I'm Beginning to See the Light

It has always been a preference when ordering a burger to have it cooked medium-well. I had this irrational concern that if a medium burger is undercooked, it would be too pink for my tastes and even that I might get sick. Again, irrational. So I always had my burgers cooked medium well. They tasted great, but I did not realize that something was missing.

Today at Justin's at 301 Lark Street, Albany, I moderated this position and ordered the burger medium. What a difference it made. No longer will I be satisfied with a dry burger when I could savor the richness of a burger with a moist and juicy interior. I have seen the light.

Today's burger included bacon and sauteed mushrooms, on top of which lay a wonderfully melted slice of swiss cheese, which draped over the burger and helped contain the toppings. Two slices of tomatoes and a piece of romaine lettuce on top of the cheese, mayo and then ketchup on the top bun, and then the first bite.

Justins makes a solid cheeseburger to begin with, but this one may have been the best yet. The subtle sweetness of the swiss/bacon/mushroom flavors in concert with the juicy medium burger, complimented by a tall pint glass of cold Coca Cola made for a wonderful lunch experience.

But most importantly, I learned not only to accept but embrace medium as my temperature of choice, and it made all the difference.

Inaugural Post for Albany Burger Exmainer

This post also appears at www.examiner.com, Albany Burger Examiner.

Welcome to Cheeseburgers in Purgatory, and welcome to my inaugural column on a meal that most of us take for granted yet appreciate greatly: the cheeseburger. As a painter and poet, writing an article about cheeseburgers in the greater Albany area provides an opportunity to share with fellow aficionados my passion for my favorite everyday food. Along with the written description, pictures – possibly even paintings – might accompany this column.

Almost every self-respecting restaurant or bar that serves food will likely have a cheeseburger on its menu. Some will offer a number of different burgers with different toppings, naming them related to the toppings (e.g., Bacon Blues Burger at Brown’s Brewing Company) or to something specific about the area or neighborhood (the Willett at Tess’ Lark Tavern). Some will graciously allow you to create your own burger. My mission, with this column, is to explore all these options – within my means and without pushing my heart to its limits – and share my feelings on the burger, the environment in which it is served, and any other thoughts that enjoying the burger evokes.

Over time, there are three ways that this column will try to approach the burger. The first is to pick a single place, and explore all of its different burger options. The second option, is to seek out a number of different places and sample burgers with a similar design (example: a bacon, swiss and mushroom burger), or to find places that allow me to create my own burger and experiment, without limitations. This last exercise would be reserved for places that I consider the best burgers in town.

Additionally, I will write about what I drank with the burgers, whether it is a soda or a beer or a glass of wine, and how that beverage interacted with the flavor of the cheeseburger. I will also try to write about the local flavor of an establishment, if there is anything unique to it. This column is dedicated to and organized around the cheeseburger, but it is important as a writer to keep my eyes open and share experiences that you, the reader, might appreciate.

Lastly, the title of this column needs a little explaining. Due to various external and internal forces, my life is going through a period of major transition. A lot of change, a lot of movement. It is neither a utopia nor a dystopia; nor is it a heaven or hell. It is purgatory. While transitions occur, one sometimes feels that one is in a state of limbo, trying to take action but waiting for movement in any direction. This is the state I find myself. Perhaps this odyssey with the cheeseburger will push me along to a better place. At the very least, I – and my readers – will enjoy each moment as we savor our cheeseburgers in Purgatory.

Nearer my God...

The Bacon Blues Burger, Brown's on River Street in Troy.
417 River Street, Troy, NY ph. (518) 273-2337

Writing about a cheeseburger is actually harder than anticipated. I've sat on this post for a while, started to write a piece describing the restaurant and the burger, deleted that, and then wrote about two false heart scares I had and whether it was in the best interest of my health to engage on an epic journey involving cheeseburgers (which inspired the title of this posting). The health scare writing just seemed too dark and almost discouraged me from taking on this column at all, so I deleted that as well. The best thing I could do, I figured, was just write and edit and see what happened.

The Bacon Blues Burger, inspired by both the City of Chicago and - in name at least - Jake and Ellwood Blues, is an outstanding cheeseburger. That first bite of medium-well ground beef, melted blue cheese, bacon, and a lightly-battered onion ring (with just a little ketchup in the center of the ring and a tomato for good measure) obliterated any concerns I had for my heart. The second, third and fourth bites, taken with healthy sips of Brown's pale ale, were just as enjoyable.

Also, I had the company of a wonderful woman friend that afternoon. Our discussion about writing, websites, collages, gardening, and being able to enjoy the intricate designs and patterns that appear before our very eyes, if we just paid attention to them, contributed to the experience. It also led me to believe that sometimes having a companion along for each outing might not be a bad idea. At the very least, I would probably slow down my pace of consumption.

Our discussion led me to think about how to craft a column about cheeseburgers so that it is readable and exciting. Sometimes, a short and brief description of the meal is appropriate. At other times, perhaps a comparison of similar types of burgers at different establishments might provide readers with options for their own exploration. Lastly, experimenting with different burgers from the same place could be fun, especially at places that allow you to create your own burger. There are myriad options.

I am glad that I formally kicked off this initiative at Browns and with the Bacon Blues Burger. The beer, the companionship, taking the photograph, and of course the burger itself, all made for a wonderful hour and a great experience.

Creature of Habit

As a consumer of cheeseburgers, I tend to be a creature of habit. This habit involves walking around the corner and sitting at the middle of the bar at Justin's on Lark Street in Albany, ordering either a beer or a soda - depending on my mood or schedule, and then placing an order for a cheeseburger. I am a regular there, and it is usually a given to whichever beautiful woman tends bar that afternoon that I will order the burger. And up until recently, I would order the same burger: swiss cheese and bacon, tomatoes, no lettuce, no onion and macaroni salad. Justin's has a great macaroni salad, by the way; not to heavy on the mayo, lightly seasoned. Sometimes, if famished, I will order their outstanding, well-salted steak fries, but usually I will settle for chips.

When the burger arrives, I will usually spread a not-so-light coat of mayonaisse on the inside of each bun, followed by just a little ketchup. I will then hold the burger vertically, to allow any excess juices or ketchup drip onto the plate, and then I will take that first bite. The best first bite is when I take in the burger, a bit of bacon and the swiss cheese all at once. It is not a big bite, in the Homer Simpson style, but a smaller one, in which I take in the burger and its accessories and chew quietly, savoring the special combination of flavors. Then I will swallow and chase the bite down with a sip of beer, usually a Sierra Nevada.

What makes the experience special for me at Justin's is the fact that I am a creature of habit, a regular, and that I have a good rapport with the lunchtime cook, who is always conscientious about how my burger is done (even one time bringing out extra bacon when he forgot to put it on the burger). I also have a good rapport with whichever bartender is there.

Eating a burger at Justin's is almost a regular religious experience, much in the same way that old men and women attend the same mass at the same church every day or every other day. Sitting there, enjoying my burger, i savor the process of ordering, eating, drinking and conversing (if anyone is around). Upon leaving, I usually feel content and fulfilled, and have faith that when I go back, my needs will be met again.

Welcome to Purgatory

My life, currently, is Purgatory. A state of limbo, neither Heaven nor Hell, where sometimes my best efforts and attempts to improve things end up with me...well, waiting for an outcome, a decision, or an improvement.

This sounds a bit too passive, and perhaps a bit too defeatist, but it is what it is.

This is no way to live.

One of the few affordable luxuries in my life - besides a few oils and some canvases - is the simple pleasure of a cheeseburger. And while sitting at the bar of a local restaurant, savoring my most recent cheeseburger, it dawned on me that it was time to be a bit more proactive. If I love writing, love bars, and love cheeseburgers so much, why not find a way to get paid to write about the various cheeseburgers served at local establishments!

Recently, I applied to do a column for an online newspaper/magazine, where I would discuss the cheeseburger....and where to find good ones in the Capital Region. I would also discuss the different choices we have for our cheeseburgers, what places had the best cheeseburgers, what kind of beer or wine goes well with any cheeseburger, and how I would avoid getting fat while engaging in this odyssey.

Should this attempt to get paid to write about cheeseburgers fail, I've decided that I should write the column as a blog.

This is that blog.

Welcome to Cheeseburgers in Purgatory.