Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Bad Boys Burgers – Punch Lane (off Lonsdale Street), Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Burger:
Bad Boy
Serviettes:
1
Dress Code:
Casual
Sleepiness:
7 minutes
Would we recommend:
If you’re in the area
Price:
$9.50
Summary
It’s hard to find, only seats a few people and pumps out a modern take on a classic – all the makings of a successful Melbourne eatery. Bad Boys Burgers are cheeky and definitely don’t take themselves too seriously, apparent in their burger themed artwork that covers the walls. They’re run by a small crew but that doesn’t mean they’re not up to the challenge of serving the flurry CBD lunchgoers that you usually see lining up out the door. The hungry folk of Melbourne can choose anything from a chicken, pork, mushroom or beef option but there’s also sweet treats like Hershey’s milkshakes if your in that thirsty hungry zone. I went for their namesake and ordered the Bad Boy that came on a brioche bun with a Wagyu patty, bacon, cheese, cos lettuce, tomato and Bad Boy sauce.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
The Grosvenor Hotel – 10 Brighton Rd, St Kilda East, Victoria, Australia
Burger:
The Grosvenor
Serviettes:
3
Dress Code:
Smart Casual
Sleepiness:
8 minutes
Would we recommend:
Don’t expect much
Price:
$22
Summary
The Grosvenor is an establishment that runs all the way back to the late 1800s. It’s seen it’s fair share of locals, but it’s probably getting some attention from near and far these days ever since they remodelled in 2011, and since former owner of the famous Albert Park “The Point” took over. As much as owner Rabih Yanni may claim he wants a good simple pub, he’s doing things that go beyond the norm of a local watering hole. When you walk in you’re greeted with something that you’d be more used to seeing in a ritzy steakhouse like Rockpool – a display case of dry aged meats of different cuts. But then they go and offer a Parma night and Trivia night, which seem totally at home at a pub that’s connected to a Bottle Shop. It may be a little inconsistent but it’s a classy looking place that offers almost something for everyone. From their Steak nights to Trivia or a selection of burgers each going for $22. I strolled in one particular Sunday and ordered their namesake, The Grosvenor burger that came with a Dry Aged Angus beef patty, cheese, smokey bacon, lettuce, tomato, pickles all on a soft and sweet seeded bun.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Tuolumne Meadows Grill – Tioga Rd. (Rte. 120),
Yosemite National Park, California, USA
Burger:
Cheeseburger + Bacon
Serviettes:
1
Dress Code:
Casual
Sleepiness:
5 minutes
Would we recommend:
If you’re in the area
Price:
$8 USD
Summary
If you drive 5 hours east of San Francisco you’ll encounter some of the most breathtaking views on the planet. Yosemite National Park’s incredible vistas attract everyone from lollygagging tourists, avid hikers, animal lovers and artists. There are plenty of things to do and see in the park but chances are you’ll be driving through Tuoumne Meadows; a popular spot to set out for a range of hikes and trail-rides. Not far away from the visitors centre you’ll find a shack with a flyscreen door where hungry campers and hikers can get their fix for classic Americana. They do mostly sandwiches, burgers and hot dogs but you can always get a nice plate of bacon and eggs if you’re there before 11:30am. I ordered a Cheeseburger with extra bacon that came with an oat/flour topped bun with a beef pattie, lettuce, American cheese, onion, tomato and pickles.
Friday, October 17, 2014
We’ve always said that McDonald’s isn’t an Adventure. But, when they got in touch with us a couple of weeks ago, they promised a Maccas experience like never before. We receive emails all the time to come in for a burger “on the house”, but always decline in favour of coming unannounced where we’re sure we’ll receive the same burger as the guy walking in behind us. In this instance, we had the chance to be one of the first people to check out a new concept that’s somewhat of a big deal to a company who’s served billions of burgers world wide. So, before we knew it myself (Z) and D were on a plane up to Sydney to build our own custom McDonald’s Gourmet Burger.
After a few handshakes with the McDonald’s folk we were standing in front of some touch screens punching in a variety of different options we’d like in our burger. You get an interesting amount of choice that we really didn’t expect to find in an Australian McDonald’s. Options like a Brioche bun, Tortilla chips and Applewood Smoked Bacon were all a surprise. We decided that we were going to make two different kinds of burgers: something that the average punter would try and make (basically throw anything and everything in a burger) and then something that would make Ron Swanson proud (meat x meat x meat).
D threw in mushrooms, caramelised onions, fresh onions and jalapenos amongst the traditional McDonald’s burger fair and I went straight into double beef, Jack cheese, 4 x bacon and jalapenos. Once we’d finalised our order a receipt was spat out, we found a table outside and observed. Within about 5 minutes our burgers were brought over by an enthusiastic Maccas team member posing as a waiter (table service is all part of it) and hoed in.
It’s probably the first thing I thought of (and the last): it doesn’t taste like McDonald’s – not the McDonald’s I’m used to anyway. Granted, D’s burger was an utter mess and no doubt there’ll be plenty of people getting a product that they think might taste great when ordering, but really shouldn’t even exist. If I were in charge I’d actually have the people who select certain combinations like no bun ( yes you can do that ) escorted quietly out of the store. There is a reason why Big Macs have stood the test of time. First off, McDonald’s are a squillionaire corporation so everything they do will be thought out and researched. And, secondly, because everyone knows what you’re going to get with a Big Mac; familiarity. So, when people start creating God Knows What, we’d probably advise them to get a side of Cheeseburger to carry them through the rest of their day.
The Double Meat Quad Bacon creation on the other hand was seriously a pleasure. You probably wouldn’t want to run a marathon afterward but it’s more in line with the McDonald’s most of us know. The patties tasted like an upgrade from the normal menu and with that amount of bacon plus some Jack cheese you shouldn’t be able to mess it up.The things that let D and I down though were the details. When opting for a more meaty burger other things need to be upped to balance it out. The same amount of sauce and jalapenos were used that a single patty might’ve just covered, so the zing of spice didn’t really come through. I guess thats something that a production line might miss when you compare it to a local burger joint.
So, we had some ups and downs, but generally we had a decent feed. Some chains like Grill’d might feel a pinch in the big cities, but where this is really going to take off is in more rural areas where they don’t have more Gourmet Burger options. It’s hard to predict how Australia will feel about paying over $16 for a meal at Maccas though.
The enormity of the task at hand for McDonalds is rather scary: within the next 6-9 months they plan on rolling this out to every store in the country. So, start thinking about what you might want to cram into a burger now, because you might not have to wait too long (unless there’s a line of course, then you’ll probably wait a while). We have no idea how they’re going to pull it off but if anyone can do it it’s probably these guys.
P.S They flew us to Sydney, paid for our transfers and our meals, then left us to it.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Ripponlea Food and Wine – 5 Glen Eira Road,
Ripponlea, Victoria, Australia
Burger:
Wagyu beef burger
Serviettes:
3
Dress Code:
Smart Casual
Sleepiness:
17 minutes
Would we recommend:
If you’re in the area
Price:
$24.90
Summary
Located opposite Ripponlea train station this little restaurant will charm the pants off you with its friendly staff, open kitchen and a comforting food menu, making you feel like you’re at your Mama’s house for dinner. There is something quite soothing about the how the heat from the kitchen enters the dining area with its white tiled walls and dark timber seating giving you a warm sense of familiarity. We went for the Wagyu beef burger that came with mustard, crispy bacon, tomato, cornichons, smoked cheddar with a side of fries and habanero mayo.
