The Burger. The perfect meal? Yes, Like Pizza and Salads, you can make it any way you want :-)
Many of you probably saw this on Huffington Post, but I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't share this:
It's pretty fascinating how much can change in the world of burgers in a single year. Conversations and articles about the "best burger" are omnipresent, and pretty much everyone has an opinion on what defines the perfect hamburger. It's been another banner years for burgers, from fast food chains revamping old recipes to upstart chains gaining traction. Couldn't keep it all straight? Click through the slideshow below to catch up on this year's burger news.
Last month, Forbes declared that Smashburger was "America's Most Promising Company." The rapidly-growing fast food chain isn't just expanding in the U.S., the company is opening outposts in three countries in the Persian Gulf: Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The concept of Smashburger is simple, yet smart. You can choose from various items on the menu, or you can build-your-own burger with a variety of sauces, cheese, etc. If you haven't yet heard much about Smashburger, it sounds like you will be hearing more and more in the future.
Shake Shack started as a small burger joint (with the backing of Danny
Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group, a major New York restaurant
group). In the past year, it has expanded to D.C., Miami and the Middle East,
as well as other locations in the New York metro area. The burger is
tasty, juicy and well-priced -- we're not wondering if it is expanding
to more cities, but rather when. With his expansion strategy of starting
out slow and then picking up speed, Danny Meyer has learned that he has
a winning concept on his hands.
Separately, Michelle Obama chowed down on a Shackburger this year, which started a weird pseudo-scandal if we've ever seen one -- that burger is delicious.
Umami Burger is a Los Angeles burger chain, that along with Father's
Office, has become a hot burger spot. Earlier this year, Umami opened
its first San Francisco outpost and plans to make an East Coast debut are on the horizon as well. Dana Goodyear in the New Yorker recently unwrapped the success of the recipe:
In-N-Out probably has the biggest cult following of any burger chain -- and it is no doubt partially due to its locations only in the western part of the U.S. The many off-menu ordering possibilities also contribute to the chain's lure. This year, history was made. In-N-Out Burger expanded to Texas. Predictably, there was pandemonium...and tears. It takes some real burger love to make that happen.
In 2011, Burger King got tired of living in McDonald's shadow. The chain de-throned the iconic BK mascot, The King. In place of the creepy King, Burger King focused its ads on a revamped focus on the food itself. It relaunched its dessert menu, changed the french fry recipe and introduced oatmeal to the breakfast menu.
In the burger arena, Burger King launched the California Whopper, which is basically a burger with some avocado. The company also launched the BK Chef's Choice, which is another normal-ish sounding burger, with the addition of ground chuck and bacon.
Are all these changes enough to make Burger King the next McDonald's? It more feels like Burger King is catching up from being behind, rather than actually doing anything so different.
Ok, this one is growing on me BIG Time :-)
In Zagat's annual fast food survey, Five Guys topped the list for favorite fast food for large chains and for best burger. In another poll, this time by MarketForce, Five Guys was deemed the favorite fast food chain. So what is it about this burger that makes everyone go crazy for it? Well, for one, it's made to order. It's a nice classic burger, made well. And sometimes, that's exactly what you want.
I'll stop with Five Guys, because, well, I'm getting too hungry LOL.....check out the rest here!!! We should all go and jog after reading this article.
Many of you probably saw this on Huffington Post, but I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't share this:
It's pretty fascinating how much can change in the world of burgers in a single year. Conversations and articles about the "best burger" are omnipresent, and pretty much everyone has an opinion on what defines the perfect hamburger. It's been another banner years for burgers, from fast food chains revamping old recipes to upstart chains gaining traction. Couldn't keep it all straight? Click through the slideshow below to catch up on this year's burger news.
Last month, Forbes declared that Smashburger was "America's Most Promising Company." The rapidly-growing fast food chain isn't just expanding in the U.S., the company is opening outposts in three countries in the Persian Gulf: Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The concept of Smashburger is simple, yet smart. You can choose from various items on the menu, or you can build-your-own burger with a variety of sauces, cheese, etc. If you haven't yet heard much about Smashburger, it sounds like you will be hearing more and more in the future.
Separately, Michelle Obama chowed down on a Shackburger this year, which started a weird pseudo-scandal if we've ever seen one -- that burger is delicious.
Umami burgers, in my experience, are greasy, juicy, and fat, with a deep, pickley tang; they stuff you, and make you want more.
MY PERSONAL FAVORITE!!!!!
In-N-Out probably has the biggest cult following of any burger chain -- and it is no doubt partially due to its locations only in the western part of the U.S. The many off-menu ordering possibilities also contribute to the chain's lure. This year, history was made. In-N-Out Burger expanded to Texas. Predictably, there was pandemonium...and tears. It takes some real burger love to make that happen.
In 2011, Burger King got tired of living in McDonald's shadow. The chain de-throned the iconic BK mascot, The King. In place of the creepy King, Burger King focused its ads on a revamped focus on the food itself. It relaunched its dessert menu, changed the french fry recipe and introduced oatmeal to the breakfast menu.
In the burger arena, Burger King launched the California Whopper, which is basically a burger with some avocado. The company also launched the BK Chef's Choice, which is another normal-ish sounding burger, with the addition of ground chuck and bacon.
Are all these changes enough to make Burger King the next McDonald's? It more feels like Burger King is catching up from being behind, rather than actually doing anything so different.
In Zagat's annual fast food survey, Five Guys topped the list for favorite fast food for large chains and for best burger. In another poll, this time by MarketForce, Five Guys was deemed the favorite fast food chain. So what is it about this burger that makes everyone go crazy for it? Well, for one, it's made to order. It's a nice classic burger, made well. And sometimes, that's exactly what you want.
I'll stop with Five Guys, because, well, I'm getting too hungry LOL.....check out the rest here!!! We should all go and jog after reading this article.
