Burgers with Kate

burgers are Kate's favorite food. sometimes i eat a burger with Kate. here is where i'll review those burgers.

[burgerswithkate]

My Birthday Burger

Today was my birthday! this time Kate made *me* a burger -- with painted hills ground beef! finally i get to have this beef again after having it for the first time at spaghetti western back in january (RIP :( ). 

i bought a pound of the ground beef at a market called the swinery in west seattle and kate offered to cook it for me so i said sure why not.

her burger:

1/2 lb patty cooked with butter

american cheese (kraft lol)

sauteed onions

pickles

LETTUCE WTF

macrina bun

she also bought me wednesday cat beer, an expensive belgium-style beer from japan, and a rainier super tall-boy.

seriously i’m being objective here: this burger killed it! painted hills beef really makes a difference and you should try it if you love yourself. i like it so much i’m thinking about buying a hat or shirt from there (and more beef...maybe some jerky too). i can only hope she’ll be willing to make me more burgers in the future. what, you want me to be fair and find a fault? fine, i think the lettuce should’ve been on top of the cheese.

another photo for yall cuz i’m nice:

Rating: 9/10

[burgerswithkate]

Kate’s Birthday Burger

happy birthday Kate! today i made her burgers for dinner. i wanted to buy painted hills ground beef but the central co-op didn’t have it so i just bought their wagyu ground beef. according to wikipedia the wagyu beef in the US are from cattle that were bred with the Japanese wagyu cattle (although some cattle in the US are direct descendants). 

the breakdown of my burger:

double patties

american cheese (organic lol)

grilled onions

macrina burger buns

that’s it! i prepped by molding the beef into patties and then chilling it in the fridge overnight.

overall i was disappointed with how they turned out mainly cuz they were so messy. kate will tell you they were really good but i dunno maybe you shouldn’t believe her. once again i flipped the patties too early and so i had to flip it back and forth, losing some of the precious juices. for some reason i felt i had to rush the onions so instead of being patient and letting them get nice and golden they only soaked up the oil. i tried to crisp the buns but i accidentally left it on the skillet for too long and ended up burning my buns (oh no!). 

can’t wait to make more burgers for her.

and look at this here’s a photo!

Rating: 6/10

[burgerswithkate]

Lil Woody’s: Out-n-In Burger

the burgers never end! after four weeks of special burgers made local chefs lil woody’s announced another special burger -- this one called the “out-n-in burger” by anthony bourdain! except that it was an april fool’s day joke...the chef’s involvement, not the burger itself. got it?

duh it was inspired by the in-n-out double double burger. description:

2 1/4 lb patties american cheese tomatoes lettuce pickled onions special sauce

it’s a classic burger! how could i not like it? at this point i’m feeling a bit tapped out on burgers but every time i see a pic of one i get a small craving. i think i’m starting to get on her level.

we got this burger after going to the sounders/dynamos match. the sounders won 1-0! Kate saw a soccer goal by oba! our seats were pretty good! not sure if she liked it but she says she wants to get into soccer. tbh i’m not a big fan either, i just like the game’s atmosphere and pace. her wine was frothy. gonna see if she likes baseball better. 

rating: 8.5/10

[burgerswithkate]

Lil Woody’s: Brendan McGill’s Hitchcock Burger (Seattle Burger Month)

Kate finally came back from china and i couldn’t be happier that didn’t have to get this last burger with a stranger/co-worker/kinda-friend. we had the cashier once or twice before and i think he’s progressively gotten more stressed out than before. we turned in our completed stamp cards to little fanfare. 

the burger’s description:

The final burger for ‪#‎SeattleBurgerMonth‬ is Chef Brendan McGill's ‪#‎HitchcockBurger‬, made with Hitchcock Delicatessen & Charcuterie's own Russian Dressing, Kraut, and Pastrami! Also with Swiss cheese, 1/4lb NW grass fed beef, & Mayo.

straight up i think this was the best burger of seattle burger month, but not because it had the most toppings. i usually don’t like hefty burgers. it was simply because i liked every part of it. that said, i couldn’t help but feel that this was a messy mash-up of a reuben and burger. but i guess what burger isn’t a messy mash-up? the whole thing just didn’t feel cohesive enough...felt like i was eating two sandwiches at once.

i’m kinda glad this is over. tbh i never had so many burgers in a month (i know, four isn’t even that many) and if i hadn’t been running i’d probably be feeling a little sick right now. Kate told me she wants to try the special burger next week so we doing it (cuz i’m a completist). and then we’re gonna do our own burger month competition where we make our own burgers for each other so stay tuned for that. 

Rating: 7.5/10

edit: oops just realized i gave the first week’s burger (the golden beetle burger) an 8/10 i guess that was my favorite burger

[burgerswithkate]

Lil Woody’s: Renee Erickson’s Green Goddess Burger (Seattle Burger Month)

question: if a burger does not satisfy my craving for one is it still a burger? i will still want a burger if my craving was not satisfied -- thus what i ate was not a burger, right? 

i’ve been asking this ever since i had renee erickson’s green goddess burger. here’s how lil woody’s describes it:

Chef Renee Erickson's ‪#‎GreenGoddessBurger‬ — Green Goddess dressing (from her book 'A Boat a Whale and a Walrus'), 1/3lb NW grass fed beef, Mayo.

it’s a minimalist take on the food item that brings to the forefront the dressing. i found the recipe in this article: http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324787004578495142095335984

Make dressing: Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, anchovies, garlic, remaining oil, lemon juice and remaining herbs in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, 1 minute. Season with salt and lemon juice to taste.

The dressing was good, no doubt. i’m pretty sure i wouldn’t be able to make it that good ever. i just wish i had more to say about this burger that had the same patty and bun as the previous two burgers.

this burger was most definitely a burger but i was just expecting something that was more than just dressing poured over beef.

Rating: 6/10

[burgerswithkate]

Lil Woody’s: Big Woody (Seattle Burger Month)

I have a tendency to keep things inside whenever i have a reaction to something because i don’t want to express something that i’ll regret a few minutes later. i usually reflect, cool down, and then bring the issue up. i’d thought that this was the best way to approach matters but what i forget to realize is that people notice that i’m brooding and it affects them just as much. 

so let me start off by saying that i was disappointed i didn’t get to try seattle burger month’s 2nd week burger: matt dillon’s kluck burger.

here was the burger we were supposed to get:

Chef Matt Dillon's ‪#‎KluckBurger‬ — Maple syrup, Grilled radicchio, Fried chicken skin, Beecher's flagship cheese, 1/3lb NW grass fed beef, Mayo, Bun grilled with brown butter.

instead when we got there we were told they had sold out of that burger (at both locations!) so i ended up getting the big woody, which is a classic stand-by:

⅓ lb. burger with Hills Bacon, Tillamook Cheddar Cheese, chopped onions, pickles, lettuce, tomato ketchup and mayo

the kluck burger sounded like the first “challenge” of burger month - if you look at the promo photo the burger is same size as matt dillon’s huge hands! it’s got a bunch of cheese and bacon oozing out of the bun and matt’s expression is basically, “yeah i made this, i dare you to eat it”.

so yeah, i was bummed out i couldn’t try it but glad that i was sharing another burger with kate. 

rating: 7/10

[burgerswithkate]

Lil Woody's:Maria Hines's Golden Beetle Burger  (Seattle Burger Month)

order: golden beetle burger with sumac fries and a lucille beer

It's burger month and lil woody's is celebrating it by offering one special burger a week made by a featured seattle chef. if you eat all four then you get a cool shirt after turning in your stamp card. kate and i finished our thursday run and we couldn't wait to get this competition started. unfortunately kate will miss the third week's burger since she'll be in china for work so i'm going to have to find a replacement.

the first week's burger was the "golden beetle burger" made by chef maria hines. here's how they describe it:

Chef ‪Maria Hines‬' ‪Golden Beetle Burger‬ — Harissa aioli, Lettuce, Pickled Serranos & onion, Gruyere Swiss, Baharat seasoned 1/3 lb NW grass fed beef, Mayo. + Sumac dusted fries are also available!

a few things i remember of this burger:

it was very fresh looking -- the cool white and green colors of the lettuce, serranos, onions, and gruyere swiss hid the beefy brown color of the burger patty.

the burger became progressively spicier and by the end my eyes watering (just a little). i felt like this was intended to give off a delayed gratification.

the sumac fries reminded me of the fries served at aladdins, a gyro joint on the ave in the u-district.

i should have paid more attention to the baharat seasoning. i'm pretty sure the chefs are using this opportunity to experiment with different burger ingredients but i hope these burgers come back in regular rotation at each chef's respective restaurants. 

i surprised myself by finishing the basket of fries. kate and i talked about white privilege and then walked home...i can't remember why this topic came up.

rating: 8/10

http://lilwoodys.com/seattleburgermonth/

[burgerswithkate]

Pit Pub (Vancouver, B.C.)

my order: cheeseburger deluxe with bacon, fries and a pint of the t-bird lager

it was the last day of our vancouver bc trip and before making the drive back down to seattle we thought it'd be cool to check the university of british columbia campus. i had to circle the campus a couple times before i found parking...kate and i then browsed the bookstore. by this time we were getting super hungry (or at least i was) so we fast-walked our way to the student union building (or at least i did) and holy shit there's pub in the basement and we're still on campus!

a sloping path with a handrail led towards a small counter where we ordered our burgers from a lady. i peeked behind her and there was one other person in the kitchen. the bar was across the way, where one bartender was wiping down the plastic cups that looked like pint glasses. the basement was lit up with a bunch of neon beer signs; the tv was showing a curling match. it was a monday afternoon and there were maybe two other people -- students, presumably -- hanging out.

we sat in a large booth. kate brought over the burgers and then i went to buy a couple pints. i was gonna buy a pitcher but she was smart enough to stop me. i was so pumped to be drinking on campus! i ended up getting the t-bird lager, which is the house beer. it tasted like apple juice. 

ok finally time to eat: the patty was pre-frozen, there was one large token piece of lettuce, and the bun was dry (possibly stale). i didn't really expect more or less -- this food is supposed to feed drunk college kids before they stumble on back to their dorms. and besides, i'm having a good time drinking with kate in a dark seedy bar on a college campus!

before leaving i went to the "washroom" where i was met by a big metal tub with a cylindrical tube coming out from the middle of it. is this where i'm supposed to pee or wash my hands? it took me a good 5 minutes to figure out that i was supposed to step on the metal bar at the tub's base to turn on the water (to wash my hands).

we walked back up into the light and started our drive back to seattle.

rating: 4.5/10 (an extra .5 for the ambiance)

http://www.ams.ubc.ca/at-the-sub/food/pit-pub/ https://www.facebook.com/PitPub

[burgerswithkate]

Spaghetti Western

omg ender i just had this amazing burger today from spaghetti western. i ate the same burger couple weeks ago and i thought it was so good that i had to bring kate here. 

our orders: The La Bete (medium rare)- 7oz patty, caramelized onions, sherry glazed mushrooms, gruyere cheese, lettuce, remoulade sauce and brioche bun and a side of fries

i should mention that this burger didn't have any onions but instead had pickles. i was pretty nervous that it wouldn't be same but it came out just as perfect as before. the burger had a perfect amount of pink without being too bloody. the pickles, mushrooms, and gruyere cheese were a great combo of toppings...nothing too over the top or overbearing. the bun was soft but still had a good crust on the inside...it soaked up the oils nicely. believe it or not i think the fries were just as good as the burger - slightly burnt, deep golden color and not too chewy.

if i had any complaint it would be that there was too much remoulade sauce but i mean come on it wasn't even that much. i knew kate was totally with me on this burger when she said that the patty reminded her of her dad's burgers. what a compliment! i had to ask the waitress where they got their beef from - they're from painted hills natural beef.

rating: 9.5/10 (why didn't i give this burger a perfect 10 if i thought it was was so good? cuz it's still early in the burger-rating game and i'm basically leaving the door open for a better burger. most of the good burgers in the future will probably be compared to this one.)

http://spaghettiwesternseattle.com/ http://www.paintedhillsnaturalbeef.com/

[burgerswithkate]

Twilight Exit

ok this one is gonna be tough because the twilight exit doesn't have a menu online. 

my order: i think it was called the "all-american burger", basically a cheeseburger with american cheese with a side of tater tots.

ok first things first: this bar does *not* serve pitchers! unbelievable!

kate and i actually been here before back in october before i started this blog. at that time i thought this burger was a solid top 3. this time around i didn't think it was as good, probably because it was a busy night. our table alone had about 15 people all eating them burgers. it was a withinreach mini-reunion and i would've felt super awkward if i hadn't already met some of them at other parties and if they weren't all so nice. awkward like that sentence.

the bun was plasticky and could've used more toastin time. the burger was a little dry but the cheese was melted to perfection. and the tots! so good. kate brought me a handful of tots when i was waiting in a long line for another pint. little things.

rating: 8/10

[burgerswithkate]

Two Bells Tavern

i met up with Kate and her coworker for lunch. i sometimes wonder why we don't do this more often but then i remember that we don't work *that* close to each other. anyway, Kate told me earlier that the burger from two bells was one of her favorite burgers in seattle so i was pretty excited to try this out.

my order: cheeseburger with tillamook cheddar and a side of potato chips

i didn't read the menu too well; i just assumed i was gonna get a typical burger. as i waited for my order i noticed that the waitresses were bringing out a lot of sandwiches made with crispy sourdough rolls. "what is that? that looks good!" i thought to myself. the bar served three different types of nuts in a cool looking "nut bar" container that sat under a heat lamp. i wondered if they were free.

my plate was placed in front of me and lo and behold my round burger was sitting in between two rectangular halves of a sourdough roll. seeing that plus the side of (potato) chips really threw me for a loop and i really don't know why. i guess because i didn't think Kate would ever consider this burger as one of her faves. i thought she was more of a traditionalist!

all in all it was pretty good although i can't say i loved it. i definitely want to try it again...this time around i'll be prepared.

rating: 6.5/10

[burgerswithkate]

Dick's Drive-In

After watching "Branded to Kill" (directed by Seijun Suzuki) on Kate's projector we were starving but it was late and we couldn't figure out what we wanted to eat. How about burgers?

We walked to Dick's Burgers on Broadway and both ordered a Deluxe. Here is how their website describes it:

Double 1/8 pound grilled patties, with melted cheese, lettuce, mayonnaise and pickle relish

$2.90

You know it's not a bad burger for what it is...you could definitely do worse at 12am. Personally, I think it has too much mayonnaise and cheese, both of which make the burger pretty soggy. I think the relish keeps this fast-food burger from tasting too bland (now that I think about it maybe it's a little too tangy...) and it's the double patty stack that ultimately makes this burger satisfying. I used to get a stomach ache the morning after whenever I would eat a Dick's burger the night before but I'm pretty sure the alcohol was more to blame for that. These days I can appreciate a Dick's burger by itself. 

We walked back to her place and had our burgers with a bottle of vinho verde. You know how we do.

Rating: 5/10

http://www.ddir.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick%27s_Drive-In

[burgerswithkate]

Lil Woody's

Order:

Li'l Woody burger side of fries Bedford's root beer

we walked to lil woody's during the dark early evening of Monday. Kate had been away for 2 weeks on a business trip and i proposed we get some good american burgers.

only several things stuck out to me with this burger:

the onions and tomatoes were chopped up (i'm pretty sure there were tomatoes...), which made me think i was eating salsa. it was a nice change.

there were a lot of pickles but not to the point where they became offensive.

the bun was kinda plasticky but i was digging it at the time. 

overall the burger was small and dense. next time i'll get the big woody and forgo the fries (they were way too salty). we noticed that my root beer didn't even have sassafras root. this bummed me out at the time because the soda is made in port angeles, wa but i just looked this up on wikipedia and apparently artificial flavors are more commonly used today because sassafras root is known to be a carcinogen. on the walk back we found a deafheaven concert poster - they're playing at chop suey on december 3.  

rating: 6.5/10

http://lilwoodys.com/ http://www.yelp.com/biz/lil-woodys-seattle