Top 10 burger places in South Florida according to Urbanspoon

If I had to pick my favorite burger joint so far, I would pick Heavy Burger in Aventura; their Motley Burger was insanely good and so was the vibe of the place and the service.

Now that's just me. To get a more general idea of what people consider "good" burger joints, Urbanspoon, a website where people can write reviews and rate restaurants, has put together a top 50 list of the best burger places in South Florida.

The list is made using complex algorithms that combine positive and negative reviews. Whoever has more and better reviews comes out on top. The results in the list show that by far Five Guys Burger and Fries is the people's choice.

Here are the first top 10 burger joints on the list:

1. Five Guys Burgers and Fries in Kendall/Pinecrest (13440 S.W. 120th St.)

2. Five Guys Burgers and Fries in Kendall/Pinecrest (10471 S.W. 88th St. Ste B-10.)

3. Charm City Burger Company in Deerfield Beach.

4. Five Guys Burgers and Fries in Fort Lauderdale.

5. Big Pink in South Beach.

6. Big Bear Brewing Company in Coral Springs.

7. Jaxson's Ice Cream Parlor in Dania Beach.

8. Yard House in Palm Beach Gardens.

9. Center Street Nook in Jupiter

10. Five Guys Burgers and Fries in Boynton Beach.

For the complete list, check out Urbanspoon.com.

Yard House's burger in Hallandale was a pleasant surprise

Heading to Yard House at the posh Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach I wasn’t planning to do a review—in fact I wasn’t even planning to eat a burger.

The place looks like a high-end mix between a pub, a bar and a restaurant; it includes elements of all three: a huge selection of beers, deep leather booths, dark wood tables, outside seating and a massive open kitchen.

The menu cover the entire realm of American cuisine, from pizza and sandwiches to anything seafood.

As far as the burger offerings go, they got my attention. Most burgers go for about $11. Here’s the burger menu:

Avocado Swiss: lettuce, tomato, red onion and roasted garlic aioli.
Classic Cheese: lettuce, tomato, red onion, roasted garlic aïoli and choice of cheese.
BBQ Bacon Cheddar: applewood smoked bacon, rum bbq sauce and roasted garlic aioli.
Hawaiian: fresh chopped pineapple, pepper jack, aloha sauce and roasted garlic aioli.
Pepper Jack: roasted green chiles, roasted garlic aïoli and pepper jack.
Turkey Burger: house made, roasted roma tomatoes, mozzarella and roasted garlic aioli.
Pepper Crusted Gorgonzola: marsala sautéed crimini mushrooms, caramelized onions and baby spinach.
Béarnaise: classic béarnaise sauce and fried onions.
Surf & Turf: maine lobster sautéed in garlic butter, grilled asparagus, Swiss cheese and tomato béarnaise.

I had the Pepper Crusted Gorgonzola burger

Let’s start with the meat. The patty looked to be eight or nine ounces even though the menu didn’t specify. Flavor wise it was great: really smoky, juicy but not rare and good chunky grounding.

Everything else was not extremely tasty but served to add layers of flavor.

If the menu didn’t say the cheese was gorgonzola I would have thought it was brie; it was very creamy and rich. The crimini mushrooms tasted more like a roasted green pepper and the caramelized onions I could not taste at all.

The potato bun did not stand out but was in tune with the rest of the burger.

Overall the burger was very good and beats out burgers I’ve tried at some of the so-called gourmet burger joints. The patty was the main character in this act and that’s very important. The other ingredients were a fitting supporting cast.

Here's what other people are saying about Yard House:

Urbanspoon:

Frank B. - Fun place in the Gables to hang out, drink beer and eat. Their Bernaise Burger is the bomb.

Zagat:

David D. - Great location, often crowded and noisy indoors but worth the wait. Extensive menu with something for everyone. Good burgers, sandwiches, and main dishes as well. Try the vodka spiked Brazilian Lemonade for a refreshing drink.

Yelp!:

Patricia K. - This place is NOT GOOD. Its a nice place to go watch a game, but the food here is embarrassing- specially the salads and burgers, which are usually the only eatable things at bars. The service is lacking, and I recommend you don't bother with the truffle fries!! (worst truffle fries ever) TVs, onion rings, and beer are the only things that I would go to Yard House for.

Megan W. - My bf and I split the lunch sized Mac and Cheese and the Bernaise Burger. The food was very good and reasonably priced.

Sergio F. - My BBQ burger was actually well done as requested while retaining some juicyness. The included BBQ sauce was thinner than most other places but at the same time sweeter and spicier than Ive had lately. Big WIN on the sauce!

Recipe: Chef Michael Symon's Lola Burger

Chef Michael Symon knows a thing or two about burgers.

In 2010, Bon Appetit Magazine included his Cleveland restaurants, called B Spot, on its list of “Top 10 Best New Burger Joints.” And B Spot’s Fat Doug burger won the People’s Choice award at the 2011 SoBe Wine and Food Festival Amstel Light Burger Bash.

Here is his recipe for his "Lola Burger," which has a burger patty sandwiched between muffin halves along with pickle slices, red onion, bacon, an egg, and spicy ketchup. Via foodnetwork.com:

Lola Burger

Ingredients:

8 slices bacon
24 ounces ground beef, 75 percent lean
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
4 thin slices Cheddar
4 English muffins, split
4 large eggs
1 dill pickle, thinly sliced
1/2 cup Pickled Red Onions, recipe follows
4 teaspoons Spicy Ketchup, recipe follows


Cook's Note: Symon's favorite mix of meats for this burger is chuck, sirloin, and brisket

Directions:

Build a medium-hot fire in your grill or preheat a stovetop grill pan.

Cook the bacon in a saute pan over medium-high heat, turning once, until crisp, about five minutes. Remove the bacon to paper towels to drain. Reserve the bacon fat in the pan.

Form the ground beef into four patties, each about 3 1/2 inches in diameter. Season the patties with salt and cracked black pepper, to taste. Put the burgers on the grill or in the grill pan and cook for 3 minutes. Flip and top each burger with a slice of cheese. Grill for three minutes for medium-rare. Remove them to a plate. Add the English muffins to the grill or grill pan and toast for 1 minute.

Cook the eggs sunny side up in the bacon fat while the burgers rest.

Build the burgers by sandwiching them between the muffin halves along with pickle slices, red onion, bacon, an egg, and some spicy ketchup.

Pickled Red Onions:

2 pounds red onions, sliced
White wine vinegar
Sugar
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
4 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves

Pack the onions in 2 (1-quart) jars and cover with enough water to come within 1/2-inch of the rim. Pour the water out into a measuring cup. Note the volume, pour off half the water, and replace it with vinegar. Add two tablespoons of sugar and two tablespoons of salt for every three cups of liquid.

Pour the vinegar mixture into a nonreactive saucepan, add the mustard seeds, red pepper flakes, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, garlic, and bay leaves, and bring to a boil over high heat. Allow the liquid to boil for two minutes, and then remove it from the heat.

Pour the hot liquid into the jars to cover the onions and screw on the lids. Refrigerate for up to one month.

Spicy Ketchup:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
Kosher salt
5 Fresno chiles, seeded and minced
1 ancho chile, seeded and minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 cups water

In a nonreactive 2-quart saucepan over medium heat add the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, and a large pinch of salt. Saute until translucent, about two minutes. Add the Fresno chiles, ancho chile, and red pepper flakes. Cook for one to two minutes. Add the brown sugar, cumin, cinnamon, tomato paste, and vinegar and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in 3 cups of water, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook over low heat for two hours.

Remove the ketchup from the heat and let cool for 15 minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick. Puree the mixture in a blender and strain through a sieve, pushing down on the any solids. Let cool and pour into a storage container. Cover the container and refrigerate for up to one month.

Check out this video of chef Symon making his signature burger at ABC's The Chew:

Burger Beast Burgie Awards on Nov. 19

2011 Burgie Awards poster
by Andrew Shirey.

A few weeks ago I wrote that tickets were available for the 2012 Amstel Light Burger Bash, a food gathering that brings some of the most renowned chefs in the country to compete for the best burger title.

The only problem for some of us is to have to dish out $250 per person for tickets. I just found the solution: don't go. Save the cash and head to Magic City Casino for the 2011 Burger Beast Burgie Awards on Nov. 19. It's free.

About 10 South Florida burger restaurants will be present at the event serving food and vying for the title of "Best Burger 2011," including Charm City Burger Company from Deerfield Beach, Gilbert’s 17th Street Grill from Ft. Lauderdale, Quickie’s Burger & Wings from Hollywood.

Over 40 food trucks from as far as Tampa and Orlando will also be at the event duking it out in their respective category.

The event will take place from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Magic City Casino is located at 450 N.W. 37th Ave. in Miami.

Sef “The Burger Beast” Gonzalez started blogging about burgers in 2008 much like me, because he loved to eat them and was trying to find the best one. Now, he also blogs about other types of comfort foods and has been putting together the event for the last three years.

There will also be a showing on a big screen of the documentary called Hamburger America.

Here's a list with the burger joints participating in the competition:

Burger & Beer Joint (South Beach)
Charm City Burger Company (Deerfield Beach)
Cheeseburger Baby (South Beach)
Georgie’s Alibi (Wilton Manors)
Gilbert’s 17th Street Grill (Ft. Lauderdale)
Jr’s Gourmet Burgers (Miami Springs)
The Local (Coral Gables)
Pincho Factory (Westchester)
Quickie’s Burgers & Wings (Hollywood)
Sakaya Kitchen (Wynwood)
Tobacco Road (Brickell)

For a list of participating food trucks, check out Burger Beast's post.

What: The Burgie Awards 2011
Where: 450 N.W. 37th Ave. in Miami
When: Saturday, Nov. 19 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Smashburger opens locations in South Florida

Another national chain of semi-fast food restaurants jumps on the gourmet burger wagon that’s sweeping through South Florida.

This time is Smashburger, a Colorado-based chain of burger joints with over 100 locations nationwide that’s set to open its first South Florida restaurant on Nov. 15 in Coral Springs, according to Broward New Times.

The name of the place comes from the way the burgers are prepared: by smashing the patties on a 400-degree flat grill using a metal plate to sear in all the juicy flavors.

Besides the Coral Springs location, two other Smashburgers are set to open in Kendal and North Miami Beach. I’ve actually seen the “coming soon” sign and Smashburger logo outside the soon-to-be NMB restaurant, which is going to be located near Florida International University's Biscayne Bay Campus.

All three locations are part of a plan by the company to open close to 200 restaurants nationwide by 2012, writes Inc.com.

A few weeks ago I went ahead and asked Smashburger through Twitter when their NMB location was going to open:

It seems like plans have delayed a bit.

Local food blogger Burger Beast says Smashburger's menu will have new items just for the South Florida market, including:

Spicy Baja Black Bean Burger: Pepper Jack cheese, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, onion, spicy chipotle mayo and jalapenos on a spicy chipotle bun.

Skinny Chicken: All-White Meat, grilled or crispy chicken sandwiches combined with toppings such as goat cheese, spinach, avocado, mango, pineapple or grilled onions.

The Coral Springs’ Smashburger will be located at 1840 N. University Drive.

Guy Fieri's "Inside Out" Burger with Worcestershire Tomato Ketchup

Food Network star Guy Fieri probably has the best job in the world. In his show Diners, drive-ins and dives, Fieri gets to travel the country sampling the best, greasiest comfort food the 50 states have to offer.

But he's also got some skills in the kitchen, here's his recipe for an inside out (read two huge patties with ingredients sandwiched in between) burger with Worcestershire tomato ketchup. Via foodnetwork.com:

Ingredients:

1/4 pound bacon, chopped
1/2 cup minced red onions
3 tablespoons fresh uncooked chorizo, out of casing
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds ground chuck, 80/20 mix
1/2 pound Swiss cheese, thinly sliced, about 8 slices
4 kaiser rolls, split and toasted


Worcestershire Tomato Ketchup:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup diced red onion
8 Roma tomatoes, skinned, seeded, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch allspice
Pinch celery salt
Pinch mustard seed

In medium saute pan over medium heat, add oil and onions. Cook until brown and caramelized. Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook for a few minutes, just to soften the vegetables. Then add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes.

You can either serve the ketchup chunky or puree it in a blender first and serve it smooth.


Directions:

In a medium pan over medium to high heat, add bacon and onions, cook until the bacon is rendered but not crisp. Add the chorizo and cook until done. Remove the bacon mixture to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool.

Divide ground chuck into eight equal parts. Form into a loose ball, and create 4-inch patties. Layer one piece of cheese onto the center of one patty. Top with 1/4 bacon mixture, another slice of cheese, then add another patty on top and gently seal edges and form into a patty, about four inches wide and one and a half inches high. Repeat with the remaining patties to make a total of four large patties.

Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat. Place all four patties in the pan and cook for three to four minutes on 1 side, then gently turn over and cook for another three to four minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and pop it in a 250-degree Fahrenheit oven for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven, place onto rolls and serve with Worcestershire tomato ketchup.

If you're too lazy to read the instructions, you can just go ahead and watch Fieri as he makes his burger recipe:

Miller’s Ale House in North Miami Beach didn't deliver on its promise

My experience at Duffy’s Sports Grill had been positive, so I decided to check out Miller’s Ale House, a sports bar in North Miami Beach, to see what they had to offer in the burger realm.

Miller’s Ale House is arguably one of the biggest sports bar chains in the country. While most locations are in Florida, others are also spread out in Georgia, Illinois, New York and Pennsylvania.

I’ve been to two so far, the NMB one and another one in Orlando. Both looked exactly the same: a larger version of Flannigan’s—with its wooden walls and all-American feel—minus the fishing artifacts plus more TV screens.

The burger menu was extremely uninspired and claimed all burgers weighted 8 ounces, which I soon found out it wasn’t even close to that. Here are NMB Ale House’s burgers:

Basic Burger: half pound (8 ounces) of fresh broiled sirloin.

Cheese Burger: choice of Swiss, American, cheddar or provolone

British Burger: topped with swiss cheese and bacon strips.

Bistro Burger: stacked high with cheddar cheese, bacon, sliced pickle, an onion ring and bistro sauce served on a toasted ciabatta bun.

Turkey Burger: no description other than “seasoned to perfection.”

I had the Bistro Burger

Let’s start with the bread. On paper, a ciabatta bun seemed like a creative and unusual option that could have added a layer of garlicky flavor to the burger, but in practice it was a total failure. The bun was tough and quite dry.

The patty was tiny, closer to 6 ounces than 8 ounces. Although it did have some nice charbroiled flavor the execution was totally off—the meat was cooked “well done” making it very dry.

The high points were the bacon and the bistro sauce.

The bacon was good because there was a lot of it and it was perfectly cooked; not too crispy that when you take a bite it breaks in pieces and not too raw. The bistro sauce tasted like a mix between Argentine chimichurri and ranch dressing--it was the star of the burger.

Conceptually, the Bistro Burger seemed like a good idea, but NMB Ale House completely failed to deliver on their promise. I’m sad to say it was by far the worst burger I’ve had since I started the blog.

This is what others are saying about NMB Ale House:

Reviews on Yelp!:

Ivonne Marie C.- I ate at the North Miami Ale House for the second time in my life last night. It was not bad, it was not great. Our waitress was nice, very friendly, perhaps overly friendly. I ordered the zinger tacos, which is a new menu item. They were good. I should have thought that I'm not a big fan of buffalo sauce, but hey, my hubs is and I saved one for him, which he had after his burger and he loved it. Thought it was better than the burger itself. It had medium sauce, and according to him it was the right mix of spicy and mild to not cause your stomach to explode. He had their main burger, can't remember the name right now, the ones that comes w/the onion ring. It was alright, I've tasted better - but don't take it from me, I'm not a burger person.

David G.- I was looking for some good, cheap bar food after kayaking all day at Oleta State Park. I really didn't expect too much... maybe a good burger. It's funny how bad this place was

Reviews on Urbanspoon:

Ric Stolz-I've had a couple burgers and some salads here. The salads were surprisingly fresh. The burgers were ok. My sweet potato fries were cool-ish, but otherwise good. The service is lacking - it always takes forever to put in your order. Getting it takes even longer. Getting your check is a hassle. And the staff is always trying to up-sell you - "NO! For the tenth time, I don't want a shot."

Monstrous 350-pound Michigan burger vies for Guinness World Record

A burger in Michigan weighs the
same as a quarter of a Holstein cow.

When I’m at a restaurant and the burgers on the menu read “8 ounces,” a shy grin lights up my face. When the menu indicates “10 ounces,” the excitement continues, but accompanied by a slight feel of insecurity: will I be able to finish this?

Now, if a burger on the menu reads “350 pounds,” I would run out the door in desperation—that’s a quarter of a Holstein cow.

A Michigan restaurant hopes to break its own Guinness World Record by concocting a monstrous 350-pound burger, which they've appropriately named the "Absolutely ridiculous" burger.

“I got the idea to do this from the Guinness World Record book. I was actually thumbing through it and I see Thailand had the world record for a 78-pound burger. It just didn’t make sense having it in Thailand. So, I thought it would bring it home,” Steve Mallie, owner of Mallie’s Sports Grill and Bar in Southgate, told Channel 4 Detroit.

Mallie said they first got the world record with a 134-pound burger, then they stepped up the bar with a 319-pound one, and now they want to establish a new record.

According to him, it takes 20 hours to bake 270 pounds of hamburger and eight hours to cool it in a freezer (This cooks down to about a 180-pound patty. You actually lose about 100 pounds of grease). The bun weighs 100 pounds and takes four hours to bake.

Then there’s 20 pounds of American cheese, 15 pounds of tomatoes, 15 pounds of onions, 10 pounds of pickles, 10 pounds of bacon and 10 pounds of lettuce.

Best part about it is that the burger is not just to show off, customers can actually order it for a heavy $2,000 price tag and have give the restaurant a 72-hour notice.

To find out more, read the Channel 4 Detroit story.

Check out the video of this record-setting burger in the making:


Order Up! Michigan Restaurant Cooks 350-Pound... by NewsyVideos

Jack-o'-Lantern Halloween Burger recipe

You don’t have to be a kid to celebrate All Hallows’ Eve.

If you're going to dress up like a creepy character or a sexy fill-in-the-blank, why not enjoying some scary good Halloween burgers as well?

Here's a quick recipe for some Jack-o'-Lantern burgers, via tasteofhome.com:

Jack-o'-Lantern Halloween Burger

Ingredients:

1 envelope onion soup mix
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons chili powder
2-1/2 pounds ground beef
10 slices process American cheese
10 hamburger buns, split

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine soup mix, ketchup, brown sugar, horseradish and chili powder. Crumble beef over mixture; mix well. Shape into 10 patties. Grill, broil or pan-fry until the meat is no longer pink.

Cut eyes, nose and mouth out of each cheese slice to create a jack-o'-lantern. Place cheese on burgers; cook until cheese is slightly melted, about a minute. Serve on buns.

Yield: 10 servings.

Mixed emotions about BGR burger joint in Coral Gables

I wanted to try Fatburger in Coral Gables, but when I got there, it turns out the place had been replaced for a different burger joint, BGR The Burger Joint.

BGR is a chain of burger restaurants, with three locations in Miami and several more spread throughout nine states.

Once inside, the place’s décor was somewhat confusing. Eighties rock band posters lined the walls, yet everything else—from the tables to the floors—looked more like a hybrid between a McDonalds and an Art Deco diner.

The burger joint is self serving; you order your food at the counter, get your soft drink, plastic silverware and ketchup, and once the order is ready they bring it to your table and never come back again.

The burger offerings were quite gourmet, which was surprising given the look of the place. It’s definitely not cheap, with burgers ranging from $8 to $15, and one 9-pound monster burger for $80. Here’s the burger menu:

The Burger: This burger doesn’t have a description, all it says is “this is the one that put us on the map.” Served on a fresh, buttery-toasted brioche bun.

Veggie Burger: House-made recipe including brown rice, black beans, oats and molasses. Served on a fresh, buttery-toasted brioche bun. Specify lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, mojo sauce.

Turkey Burger: Freshly ground and blended with portobello mushrooms and a hint of gorgonzola cheese, then cooked sous vide (very low and slow). Served on a fresh, buttery-toasted brioche bun.

The Cuban: Burger topped with slow roasted pork, ham, sweet pickles, dijon mustard and swiss cheese. Served on our brioche bun and grill pressed.

The Greek: Fresh ground leg of lamb, seasoned with cumin, mint and garlic. Topped with tzatziki sauce and feta cheese. Served on a fresh, buttery-toasted brioche bun.

Ahi Tuna: Sushi-grade tuna topped with grilled pineapple, pickled ginger, a touch of teriyaki sauce, and our mojo sauce. Served on a fresh, buttery-toasted brioche bun.

The Wellington: Roasted mushrooms, caramelized onions, garlic with a touch of mustard seed and blue cheese all atop our burger. Served on a fresh, buttery-toasted brioche bun with our mojo sauce.

The Southwestern: A 9oz burger infused with southwestern influences, like chipotles, poblanos, onion and chilis. Topped with pepper jack and served atop our black bean salsa. Served on a fresh, buttery-toasted brioche bun with our mojo sauce.

The Lobster (seasonal): Lump claw and knuckle meat pulled from Maine Lobsters, served on our slider buns with a special dressing and crisp cold lettuce.

The 9 Pounder: Actual weight including bun and condiments is 15.4 pounds. Two heads of lettuce, eight tomatoes, three red onions, four whole pickles and a river of our mojo. Comes with a bottle of Maalox. If one person can eat it in one sitting it’s free. Feeds approx 10-15.

I had the Wellington and the Greek

The Wellington

The patty had a really smoky flavor and a chunky grounding, which I really liked. The main stars of the burger were the combination between the mustard seed and the blue cheese; the two flavors are very strong by themselves but when meshed together made for a great sauce. Then there were the roasted mushrooms and black truffles. This fungi duo added great texture and an earthy flavor to complement the patty and the sauce.

If anybody told you they would put all these ingredients together, I’m sure you would probably say it wouldn’t work, but it did. It was the Picasso of burgers.

The only issue I had with the burger was that I ordered it cooked medium-well and it was done medium-rare. The red juices dripping into the bun were kind of a turn off.

The Greek burger was a major disappointment.

In the menu it said that the burger had been featured on Food Network’s “Throwdown with Bobby Flay,” and had actually beaten the grilling master.

The flavor profile was just too mild, nothing stood out except the mountain of feta cheese on top of the patty. It was so-not memorable than I even forgot to shoot photos of it.

Overall, I can’t really make my mind on whether I liked BGR The Burger Joint or not. I think it’s expensive for what it offers, but it also makes me want to go back and try other burgers.

This is what other bloggers are saying about BGR The Burger Joint:

Fatgirl Hedonist on the Greek burger:

The bun was a freshly baked, soft brioche topped sesame seeds. The seasoning on the burger was amazing and the meat was tender and insanely flavorful. The tzatziki sauce was also fresh and and very creamy and played perfectly with the feta cheese and super fine cucumbers.

Food for Thought on the Cuban burger:

My initial foray into BGR-ville was the "Cuban." Before getting to the toppings, let's focus on the burger itself. On the plus side, it's cooked to order and to requested degree of doneness - and my requested medium was in fact delivered. But texturally, this burger was unusually dense and monolithic, despite being cooked only to medium temperature. It felt like a solid block of meat, more meatloaf than burger, with no tenderness to it. And while I liked the idea of a Cuban burger, the toppings turned the thing into a salt lick. I usually have a pretty high threshold for aggressive seasoning, but between the salty pork, the salty ham, and the salty cheese, I was in the market for hypertension medication before I finished it. A light, fluffy brioche bun was rendered irrelevant by being pressed, Cuban sandwich style.

Rachel Ray's Lasagna Burger recipe

How do you go from being a small time cook to being an uber famous day-time talk show host? Ask Rachel Ray, she hosts the Rachel Ray show on CBS and three more programs on the Food Network channel.

Ray jumped to stardom for being able to prepare meals in 30 minutes or less in one of her shows.

Here's one of her recipes for a lasagna burger. Via rachaelraymag.com:

Photo by Marcus Nilsson.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef, pork and veal mix
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
One 14.5-ounce can Italian crushed tomatoes1 handful basil leaves, shredded or torn
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, season the meat with plenty of salt and pepper. Form into four patties, thinner in the middle for more even cooking. Drizzle with olive oil.

2. In a saucepan, heat two table spoons of olive oil, two turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes; add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more, then stir in the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes; stir in the basil.

3. In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook, turning once, until medium-rare, 7 to 8 minutes.

4. While the patties are cooking, in a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat; whisk in the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the milk. Season with salt, pepper and the nutmeg, then cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ricotta and parmigiano-reggiano.

5. Spoon some red sauce on the roll bottoms, then top with the patties. Dollop the cheese sauce on the patties and set the roll tops in place.

Amstel Light Burger Bash tickets available Oct. 24

Food on television always seems to look better than in real life, but for once you might actually get the chance to sink your teeth into burgers prepared by some of the most notorious chefs in the country and make your own judgment.

Tickets for the 2012 Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival (Feb. 23-26) will become available next Monday, Oct. 24, according to a press release.

The 11th annual edition of the Festival will feature lots of events for different types of foodies. We are concerned with the Amstel Light Burger Bash, a gathering that brings together chefs like Bobby Flay, Geoffrey Zakarian and Michael Schwartz to see who shows superior burger-building craftsmanship.

Iron Chef Michael Symon’s burger with fried salami, provolone, shasha hot sauce and pickled onion claimed the People’s Choice award in 2011.

Tickets for this event go for about $250 per person in total and can be purchased online or via telephone at 877-762-3933.

Rachel Ray and chef Michael Symon with his burger award at last year's
Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival. Photo courtesy of
sobefest.com

Recipe: Bobby Flay's Green Chile Cheeseburgers

For this week's recipe, I'm bringing something from king of the grill Bobby Flay.

Flay is a celebrity chef who hosts several shows on the Food Network channel and owns restaurants throughout the country; he's best known for his grilling technique.

Here's his recipe for green chile cheeseburgers, via foodnetwork.com:

Ingredients

Queso Sauce:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
12 ounces Chihuahua or Monterey jack cheese, coarsely grated
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Green Chile Relish:
1 medium poblano chile, roasted, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
2 Hatch chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
1 serrano chile, roasted, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pickled Red Onions:

1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 medium red onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced

Burgers:

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted
12 blue or yellow corn tortilla chips, coarsely crushed
For the queso sauce:

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the milk, increase the heat to high and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cheese until melted; add the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep warm.

For the relish:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

For the pickled red onions:

Bring vinegar, water, sugar and salt to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Put the onions in a medium bowl, pour the vinegar over, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 48 hours before serving.

For the burgers:

Heat a griddle or large saute pan over high heat. Add the oil and let it heat until it begins to shimmer.

Shape the ground beef with your hands into 4 round patties about 1 1/2 inches thick and season each burger on both sides with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook the burgers until golden brown on both sides and cooked to medium, about 8 minutes.

Put the burgers on the buns and top each with a few tablespoons of the queso sauce, relish, onions and chips.

Guy Fieri to open burger joints on Carnival cruises

Fieri shows off his new burger.  Bill
Kostroun/Courtesy of Carnival
Cruise Lines.

You turn on the TV and there is Guy Fiery sampling food at some diner in the middle of nowhere. You go to T.G.I Friday’s and his face is printed all over the menu. Then you take a vacation, and the restaurant on the cruise bears his name.

This is no greasy nightmare.

The Food Network star has signed up a deal with Florida’s Carnival Cruise Lines to bring some of his burger ideas on board, according to Miami New Times.

The restaurant chain, called Guy’s Burger Joint, is inspired by roadside diners along California’s coast. They'll be located adjacent to deck-top pool areas and have surfboards and car items as decoration, including car bumpers, grilles and chrome pipes adorning the walls, according to USA Today.

"The burger that we're making is legit," Fieri told USA Today at a press conference. "It's a straightforward, real deal, quality burger. That's what it has to be."

The joint will open on the Carnival Liberty (October 2011), Carnival Breeze (June 2012), Carnival Conquest (October 2012), Carnival Glory (November 2012).

The best part of it? The burgers come free with the cruise ticket.

Comedian George Lopez and Carnival President Gerry Cahill sample Fieri's
new signature burger at the Carnival press conference. Ray
Stubblebine/Courtesy of Carnival Cruise Lines.

Heavy Burger in Aventura rocks

Hidden a few blocks from Aventura Mall is Heavy Burger, a rock-themed burger joint located in the posh city of Aventura near North Miami Beach.

From outside, Heavy Burger looks like a big red tent, that’s because the burger restaurant has a covered patio area, but there’s much more to it.

Once you step inside, the place is a cross between the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and a Wild West saloon: electric guitars, posters and different rock and roll memorabilia line up the walls; there are red leather couches; a bar; and the worn out wooden floor completes the whole décor.

The music matches the posters on the wall, from Led Zeppelin and The Beatles to Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.

The menu is creative and burgers are named to go along with the heavy metal motif:

Most burgers go for $10, with the most expensive one being the Twisted Burger ($14, see below). All burgers weigh 10 ounces except the Twisted Burger (8 ounces).

Heavy Burger (Classic): Black Angus patty, American cheese, crispy apple wood smoked bacon, Bibb lettuce, sliced tomato, fresh red onion, on a challah roll.

Motley Burger: Black Angus patty, barbecue sauce, cheddar cheese, apple wood smoked bacon, frizzled onion, Bibb lettuce, sliced tomato, fresh red onion on a challah roll.

The Destroyer: Black Angus patty, provolone cheese, roasted red peppers, sautéed mushrooms, garlic aioli, caramelized onion, Bibb lettuce, sliced tomato, served on an onion roll.

The Maiden: Black Angus patty, pepper-jack cheese, cucumber wasabi aioli, sliced avocado, Bibb lettuce, sliced tomato, served on a multi-grain roll

The Young Ron: Black Angus patty, dusted with Cajun spice, cheddar cheese, chili red onion, fresh jalapenos, Bibb lettuce, sliced tomato, served on an onion roll.

The Eruption: Black Angus, patty, crispy prosciutto, roasted red peppers, grilled pineapple, siracha hot chili sauce, Bibb lettuce, sliced tomato, served on a challah roll (very spicy).

The Head-Banger: Black Angus patty, hot wing sauce, blue cheese, crumbles, Bibb lettuce, sliced tomato, fresh jalapeno, served on a challah roll.

Twisted Burger: Kobe patty (wagyu) crispy prosciutto, sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onion, garlic aioli, Bibb lettuce & sliced tomato, served on a challah roll.

The Ball Breaker: Black Angus patty, brushed with chipotle aioli, sliced tomato, frizzled onions, Bibb lettuce, served between two grilled cheese sandwiches.

You can also custom make your own burger choosing from a variety of toppings.

I tried the Motley Burger and the Head-Banger Burger.

Motley Burger

The burger is almost too big to finish, which is a good thing. The flavor was great and there were basically two things that stood out, the barbecue sauce and the frizzled onion. The barbecue sauce had a sweet, spicy and tangy touch and was much lighter than the typical barbecue sauce you can get at a supermarket. The frizzled onion added texture and onion ring flavor to the burger.

The key for the whole burger was that it was well executed.

The grilled patty was cooked the way I wanted it (medium well) and the meat had just the right grinding—not too thick where you feel like you’re eating chorizo and not too thin as if you were having a meatball. The bacon wasn’t too crunchy or underdone.

My only critique is that the lower bun was cut slightly thin and got a little bit soggy.

The Head-Banger Burger

Same highs but some more lows for this one.

The patty was well-done rather than medium well. The blue cheese tasted great, the problem is that there was too much of it in the burger, and after a few bites it was all I could taste.

When you take into consideration ambiance, food and price, Heavy Burger ranks among the best burger joints that I’ve been to. I don’t really count service into consideration, but it’s worth mentioning that the server was very friendly and the restaurant owner came by the table several times.

This is what others are saying about Heavy Burger:

Burger Beast:

“I’d skip the Ball Breaker and eat the Heavy Burger (Classic) and if you’re creative, there’s enough choices to create your own specialty burger. I won’t tell you to run here but maybe a light jog will be in order.”

Comment on Yelp:

Jim O.:

“… I ordered the "Eruption", which is basically an Asian hot burger with pineapple, crisp prosciutto, and siracha hot chili sauce. Now the menu makes a very clear attempt to warn you that this burger is "very hot". I know I have a high tolerance for heat, but it is just siracha, not liquid magma. Despite the gratuitous warning, the burger was delicious. Perfectly cooked, with well balanced and thought out toppings. Managed the avoid the "extreme" burger joint pitfall of having the toppings take over the sandwich, and provided a very satisfactory meal…”

Comment on South Florida Menu Pages:

Burger Master:

“I heard about this place from friends who told me that it is a "Must Try." All I can say is that they are right. The burgers a huge, juicy, and delicious. The bread is fantastic and the choice of toppings are incredible. I went to Heavy Burger with my wife. She ordered the Tuna Steak Burger which was Sushi Grade Tuna on a whole wheat bun which she said tasted like cake. The fries are fresh cut and crispy. The atmosphere is sort of club like with comfortable couches that run on one side of the restaurant. There are many TV's that had sports on all except for one that was playing a concert video of "The Who." The music levels were just right for a conversation without having to yell. I really like the fact that Heavy Burger has a full bar with a great Micro Brew selection. I will definitely be back and will also tell all my friend to try this place before it is too crowded to get in.”

Comment on Zagat:

Dori L.:

“Great decor and music. Service was excellent. Burgers and fries are awesome. Too much food, wish I had an extra stomach to be able to finish it all.”

Comment on UrbanSpoon:

WKG:

“We went for dinner and the burgers were fabulous. They use high quality meat with great flavor. The fries were fresh and hand cut and cooked perfectly. We enjoyed our burgers and fries and will be back again.”

Paula Deen's Lady Brunch Burger recipe

It turns out chef Howie Kleinberg's burgers aren't so avant-garde after all. Southern cooking demigoddess Paula Deen had concocted a burger that uses doughnuts as the buns a year before Kleinberg opened Bulldog BBQ in 2009.

Here's the recipe for her Lady Brunch Burger, via foodnetwork.com:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
2 tablespoons grated onion
2 tablespoons butter
3 eggs
6 slices bacon, cooked
3 hamburger buns
3 English muffins
6 glazed donuts
House seasoning (see below)

House seasoning:

1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder


Directions:


Mix the ground beef, chopped parsley and grated onion together in a large mixing bowl. Season liberally with House seasoning. Form three hamburger patties.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add the burgers and cook until desired temperature, four to five minutes per side for medium-rare.

Fry bacon in a hot pan until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

While burgers are cooking, heat a non-stick pan, over medium heat. Add two tablespoons butter. Crack three eggs into the pan. Cook until the yolks are just set and still slightly runny and remove.

Place burger patties on English muffins or buns, and if desired, on glazed donuts, as the buns. Top each burger with two pieces of bacon and a fried egg.

Latin Burger and Taco doesn’t live up to its hype

The Latin Burger food truck.

I had been following Latin Burger and Taco’s every move on Twitter for some months now, and I finally decided to head over to a food truck roundup at the Johnson & Wales campus in Miami and try it out.

This food truck is the brainchild of celebrity chef Ingrid Hoffman, host of the show Simply Delicioso on the Food Network.

Latin Burger and Taco has three burgers on its menu.

The Latin Macho Burger: a mix of chuck, sirloin and chorizo beef with Oaxaca cheese, caramelized onions, jalapenos, and red pepper mayo.

The Machito Burger: same as the Macho Burger minus one patty.

The Burger Beast Burger: named in honor of the food blogger, it's the same as the Macho Burger but replaces one patty with barbecue pulled pork.

The burgers come with a soft taco of your choice, a generous side of fries with adobo seasoning and a soda can, all for $15. You can also get two orders for $25. Machito Burgers are sold separately for $5.

Some say an important element to good food lies in the way it’s presented—it seems like the guys at Latin Burger never heard about this.

The burger looked messy; there was less love put into the making of this meal than in a McDonalds’ combo.

The bun tasted like a potato roll, which gave it a nice flavor, but the lower half got really soggy from the sauce and the meat.

The patty was done on a flat iron top, something I found to be good and bad at the same time. While cooking the burger with this approach seals all the juices inside, the fact that burgers were probably too close together also boiled the meat and made it taste more like a sweet meatball.

The highlight was the combination of the Oaxaca cheese and the caramelized onions. The Mexican cheese was really gooey and formed a sort of paste with the onions, which provided a fitting partner to the patty.

Overall the burger wasn’t bad and showed some originality. The food truck’s motto seemed appealing: gourmet burgers at the price of street food—but both assertions turned out to be false.

This is what others are saying about Latin Burger and Taco:

Burger Beast:

One of the best burgers I’ve had this year. It was devastatingly good. It’s different and in this case, it’s a way good thing.

Comments on Foodtrucktalk.com:

Carlos says: This truck no longer has ties with Ingrid Hoffman but they are still delivering amazingly fresh and tasty food. Highly recommend their Latin Macho as well as my favorite, the Burger Beast. Great fries as well, ask for the guachup dipping sauce. The tacos are not too shabby either!!

J says: Tried them the other day, really not impressed. Other than the burger being a little spicier than normal it really did not stand out against the other food trucks and restaurants around South Florida. Not to mention they take forever even without a line.

Comments on Yelp.com:

George G.: I haven't dived deep enough into the menu to give the 5 star treatment.
But let me tell you something!!!!! The Macho Burger the s@#t!!!! So good, tender juicy, done just right!!! So far this is the best thing I have had from a food truck!!!! My son has had the pulled pork twice and loves it?

Celia M.: So on this particular night, I bought a latin macho burger. Now, it's not just any burger, prepare yourself for 2 patties filled with chorizo, chuck & sirloin and oaxaca cheese..I asked for no onions and I'm giving them 4 stars because they were out of their avocadolicious sauce; sad but true. On another note, I ordered a large order of fries & trust me when I say, I left a few because I couldn't breathe anymore. Don't let the burger's size fool you! You will be stuffed!!

LGS S.: FAIL. Can I get a refund and 2.5 hours of my life back? This truck has mediocre food and rude servers. After an eternal wait, one server had the nerve to tell a customer "It's not my fault its taking so long, I can just throw away your food right now." .... Um no, you can't, actually. Been to it twice, disappointed both times by the food and the service.

Wendy’s answers the question after 27 years: Where’s the beef?

Ad for Wendy's new campaign answering the question.

It became an instant catchphrase 27 years ago: “Where’s the beef?” barked a cranky old lady demanding more meat in her burger in one of Wendy’s most notorious commercials.

Now the fast food giant is answering that question.

As part of a campaign to revamp its single, double and triple burgers, Wendy’s is reviving the query and answering in the same fashion: “Here’s the beef!” in a commercial that starts running next Monday, according to the New York Times.

The new cheeseburgers, which Wendy’s claims are thicker and juicier than ever, are “part of an effort we’ve been undertaking the past couple of years to rebuild the core of our menu,” Bob Holtcamp, senior vice president for brand marketing at the Wendy’s Company, told the Times.

To find out more, read the New York Times’ story.

Check out the video of the original 1984 commercial asking, “Where’s the beef?”

Recipe: Barbecue bison burger

Here's my weekly recipe so burger lovers can satisfy their crave at home without thinning their wallets on expensive gourmet burgers. Via cheese-burger.net:

Barbecue Bison Burger

Ingredients:

a pound of ground bison meat
1 bell pepper, chopped roughly
1/2 small to medium white onion, chopped roughly (separate a quarter for later use)
1/2 small to medium red onion, chopped roughly (separate a quarter for later use)
1 egg
1 jalapeño pepper with seeds
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red paper flakes
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Sliced cheese
BBQ Sauce
Kaiser rolls or other soft rolls

Instructions:
Mix the bison meat, onions, bell peppers, red paper flakes, jalapeño, bread crumbs, egg, salt and paper in a bowl. Make sure to thoroughly combine everything for an even flavor. Form the mixture into patties (about three to four pieces).

Cook the patties in olive oil on a hot skillet for about three minutes each side. Repeat this two to three times. Be careful when flipping the patties as they break apart easily. Top the patties with cheese and allow to melt a little before taking them out of the skillet.

Do not turn off the heat.

Toss the separated onions on the skillet and stir until they start to turn a little brown. When they do, place the Kaiser rolls on the skillet face down and press them down with a spatula for about a minute.

Remove from the skillet and immediately place the burger patty on the bun, including the onions. Dress the burger with barbecue sauce and serve.

Duffy's Sports Grill offers one hearty burger

I first found out about Duffy's Sports Grill from my apartment’s balcony, when I heard the music blasting out of the waterfront restaurant like a South Beach nightclub.

The place is located at 3969 N.E. 163rd St. in the Intracoastal Shops, just before the bridge connecting North Miami Beach with the tiny city of Sunny Isles Beach. So I decided to walk over to mainland to check it out.

Duffy’s walls are plastered with football paraphernalia, from helmets to framed jerseys. The sports grill and bar is laid out into what looks like three sections.

First there’s the section for elders and families, with carpeted floors and wheelchair access. Walk two steps down and you have the section for middle-aged couples, where there’s music but it’s only loud enough that you can still have a conversation. Then cross the glass doors and you’ll find a huge wooden deck facing the bay, with its own Tiki bar and live music.

Enough with the ambiance, now let’s get to the burgers.

Duffy’s Sports Grill burger offerings were not the most inspired. Here’s the burger menu:

Rodeo Burger: BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese and tower of onion rings.
Patty Melt: Rye Texas toast, caramelized onions and cheddar
Kobe Beef Burger: Snake River farms, toasted onion brioche.
Grilled Turkey Burger: fresh ground turkey on a whole wheat bun.
Black Bean Veggie-Burger: whole wheat bun, topped with sliced avocado and side of cilantro cream sauce.
Yellow fin Tuna Burger: chopped, seasoned tuna grilled to order, whole wheat bun and side of wasabi mayo.

All burgers go for less than $10 except for the Kobe Beef Burger ($12.99). And you can customize your burger with toppings like sautéed mushrooms, sautéed onions, sliced avocado, pepper-crusted bacon or gorgonzola for 99 cents each.

I had a Rodeo Burger with pepper-crusted bacon.

The first thing I noticed was the amount of food—it was massive: a burger, about 8 onion rings and a large side of fries.

I left three onion rings on the burger and ate the others on the side along with the fries.

The burger was quite good. The bun seemed home-made and had a nice sweetness to it. The patty had good smoky flavor but was a little bit overdone for my taste. What stood out for me was the pepper-crusted bacon; not only it gave it a nice texture to complement the onion rings and the patty, but also added a good spicy punch.

I completed the whole bite with a touch of ranch dressing to cut through the pepper.

Overall Duffy’s Sports Grill left me satisfied. The burger itself wasn't the best I’ve ever had and there weren’t any exotic burgers or anything like that in the menu, but the overall experience was better than Bulldog Burger because the waterfront grill has a nice, relaxed vibe.

This is what other people had to say about Duffy's, via Yelp:

Brian L.:

...There were only two drawbacks during the evening. One of our diners got a hamburger overcooked and with the wrong cheese. But kudos to the server who said she would bring a new one. When that was declined, she said you need to let me do something. Her solution was to remove it from the bill...

Kevin L.:

...This place is amazing. HUGE with tons of t.v.'s! The menu is well rounded and the burgers are great. Prices are in line with portions and desserts are big enough for two. Good food, awesome drink specials (2-4-1) on ALL drinks and decent service will make this a perfect destination during FOOTBALL!!!!! I can't wait...

South Florida Burger Food Trucks finder

Sakaya Kitchen food truck.

Food on wheels has become so popular that there's even a show on the Food Network called The Great Food Truck Race, where trucks compete against each other throughout different cities to see who makes the most cash.

I heard so much buzz about these food trucks in the last year that they were actually the reason why I got a Twitter account, not because I wanted to network and be up-to-date with what's going on in the journalism world

Most food trucks advertise where they are going to be at through Twitter.


Here are a couple of burger-oriented food trucks that you can follow on Twitter and perhaps try out, most of these roam around the tri-county area:

Latin Burger: @LatinBurger

Daddy's Grill: @DaddyGrill

Sakaya Kitchen: @SakayaKitchen

Grill Master Cafe: @grillmastercafe

gastroPod: @gastroPodMiami

Latin House Grill: @LatinHouseGrill

Miso Hungry: @misohungryFT

Monster Burgers: @MONSTERBURGERS

The Rolling Stove: @TheRollingStove

See if you can spot some of the food trucks named above in the video:

Recipe: Stuffed gorgonzola burgers

In the past few years burgers went from being a cheap treat you would get when your mom or girlfriend didn't feel like cooking to being something hip like sushi--and expensive too.

In some high-end places, burgers are going for as much as $39 each (check out Burger & Beer Joint's menu if you don't believe me). So I've decided to start this weekly section where I'll post a burger recipe for those of us who can't afford that price tag every week.

Here's the recipe for a stuffed gorgonzola and bacon burger, via cheese-burger.net:

Makes Four ¼ Pound Burgers or Two ½ Pound Burgers

Be sure your one pound of lean hamburger meat is completely thawed before you begin. Place it in a bowl, and, in a separate bowl, beat one egg with a fork. Add the egg to the meat, and mix it together.

Add the following to the top of your meat:

1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Next, in a separate bowl, mix together ¼ cup crumbled gorgonzola, and ¼ cup chopped bacon. You can use bacon bits if you want – just be sure they’re the real thing and not those fake crumbled soy bits.

Now, you’re ready to make your stuffed burgers.

Use a patty maker if you have one, or form your patties by hand. Since these are stuffed burgers, divide your meat into eight equal portions if you are making four burgers, or four portions if you are making two burgers. Start by making the bottom sections, and lay them out on a plate. Make a slight indentation in the middle of each, and divide the gorgonzola bacon mixture evenly between the patties.

Next, make the top sections. Lay them on top of the filled lower sections, and press the edges securely together to form a seal. Your burgers are now ready to be grilled. Since you’re using lean beef, be sure to oil the grill before you start, so they don’t stick. If you want, you can do them under a broiler on low, but if you can, make them outside on the barbecue.

When they’re finished, top each with a slice of muenster cheese and some grilled bacon. Toast your buns, add your toppings, and eat.

Allen Susser to open Burger Bar in Palm Beach, more locations to come

Celebrity chef Allen Susser is doing much more than opening up a second location—he seems to be creating a strategy to take over the whole burger industry.

The James Beard Award winner has teamed up with real estate giant Tom Prakas and developers George and Lee Heaton to open a Burger Bar in Palm Beach Gardens in October, and map out a strategy to open more locations throughout South Florida and nationwide, according to a press release.

Chef Allen Susser

“Combining Burger Bar’s quality gastropub fare and great ambiance with some of the area’s most covetable sites is going to take the burger concept, already an established American icon, to the next level,” Susser said.

“The stars aligned with this collaboration, and we’re fortunate to be able to combine our respective areas of expertise to bolster the South Florida dining scene.”

The first Burger Bar is located in Terminal Four of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and offers gourmet burgers ranging between 11.50 to $18 (see burger menu below).

The new location would be in Donald Ross Village and a third one is already set to open in the Vero Beach Resort and Spa in March of 2012.

The Sun Sentinel also reports that there are plans to open up to 15 Burger Bar locations in South Florida next year.

Here’s Burger Bar’s burger menu, via Miami Eater: