Black Iron Burger

January 22, 2011 - SBE XV

Location: 5th Street between Avenues A and B (East Village)

SBE Score: 83

We came, we saw, we conquered. The list of pros is longer than the list of cons for good reason - Black Iron Burger is a great spot, and even though it's not the fanciest patty, it's a great burger. Also, BEST onion rings in New York.


Pros

1. Black Iron Burger is a good place to bring a date
2. and a great place to come with friends.
   
3. Relatively inexpensive
4. Good beer list
5. A great 80s music playlist

Cons

1. The vent was broken (though in fairness, they chose to push through and cook anyway)
   
2. Cash only

An iceberg wedge with an equal ratio of lettuce and blue cheese...

The Burger - $6 (plus add ons)
Black & Blue Burger - blue cheese and cajun seasoning $8
Iron Horse - double patty with horseradish cheddar & grilled onions $9


The Results:

• Burger Patty: 6.75 [6.5 - 8]
  
• Burger Experience: 8.25 [7.5 - 9.5]
  
• Fries: 6 [4-7]
  
• Onion Rings: 8.5 [5.5 - 10]
  
• Iceberg Wedge: 4.25 [3 - 5]
  

The total bill was $150, including tip.

www.blackironburger.com

Balthazar

December 17, 2010 - SBE XVI

Location: 80 Spring Street, SoHo

SBE Score: 80

An awesome restaurant and fantastic service, but why Balthazar, do you even put a burger on the menu? Even WE wanted to order everything BUT the burger.

After a round of cocktails, we ordered a bottle of red and white to start the night. Although Balthazar is by far the most expensive restaurant we have reviewed (and consequently, paid for), the wine menu is extremely diverse and has reasonably priced bottles.

The White: ST-BRIS - Sauvignon G & J-H Goisot ‘08 . . . . . $35
The Red: BEAUJOLAIS - Château Cambon ‘09. . . . . . . . . . . $35 ... anddddd back to the food.

The starters: White bean soup (of the day), Frisee Aux Lardons ($15), Pumpkin Ravoli ($13/19)

The Entrees: Grilled Brook Trout ($23), Lobster Ravioli ($15/24), Cheeseburger ($17)

We really didn't want to get burgers because there were so many great things on the menu, so, for the entrees, we did a family style surf & turf.

The Results

Pumpkin Ravioli: 7.75 [7-9]
Frisee Aux Lordons: 8.25 [8-9]
White Bean Soup: 6.75 [5-8]

If you're asking yourself, "why is a burger club giving a salad the highest rating among appetizers?" - "aux lardons" means "with bacon"....really good bacon

Lobster Risotto: 8.75 [8-10]
Trout: 7.66 [6-9]
Burger Patty: 5.75 [3-7]
Burger Experience: 4.75 [2-7]
Fries: 9.25 [8 -10]
Cookies: unreviewed, but eaten

Given the subjective nature of these reviews, it is hard to tell whether the Burger Experience deserved more than a 4.75. Maybe it was just bad comparatively to everything else... but then we go back to... don't put a burger on the menu if it's only going to be OK.

As per Holiday party tradition, we played White Elephant. The consequences of this are;

• Leila is now a Rangers fan
• Brian was the proud new owner of a knock-off Snuggie for an hour, until he lost it
• Kate had to lug olive oil, vinegar, and salami all night
• Luke has a board game none of us understand, or were able to learn....
  

Even though our total bill was a whopping $373 (not that it justifys anything, but that was including tip), we recommend that you go to Balthazar. Just don't order a burger.

Happy Holidays!

http://www.balthazarny.com/

Spitzer's

December 4, 2010 - SBE XIII

Location: Ludlow and Rivington, LES

SBE Score: 85

Sometimes we go to a restaurant because of the reputation of the burger. Othertimes, we review places we like, and hope that the burger stacks up to the restaurant's other good qualities. Even though Spitzer's burger was juicy and flavorful, it was not magical, nor was it an SBE favorite. However, the appetizers and sides are American tapas at its best, which is our version of a silver lining.

Overall - it was a fun way to begin a Saturday night....It was the first time that everyone gave 6+ on EVERY dish... which is a testament to non-mediocrity, at the very least.

Above: Brussell Sprouts with cranberries, Pork-Fat edamame ($5), Fois Gras ($15)


Below: Medium Rare with cheddar ($11), French Fries ($5), Truffle Macaroni & Cheese ($11)


The Results...

Burger Patty: 7.75 [8 - 9]
Burger Experience: 7.87 [6 - 9] ... the bun gets a gold star
French Fries: 6.7 [6 - 7]

Brussell Sprouts: 7.5
Mac & Cheese: 9 [8 - 10]
Fois Gras: 7.75 [6 - 9]
Pork-Fat Edamame: 8 [7 - 9]


The Pros

• The food is very well plated (shout out for the pickled vegetables on the side of the burger)
• Awesome beer list
• Great waitress
• Kate's favorite bar in NYC
• Casual atmosphere and no pretension - a running theme of our pros....
• The beer garden style seating - Spitzer's has picnic tables in the middle of the room, which are communal, and also a dining area with smaller tables in the back of the restaurant.

The Cons

• You have to get your hand stamped when you come in- an unfortunate new system, about one year old. I know they are trying to prevent underage kids (don't want to pay for the fines when they get raided), but it detracts from the overall vibe.
  
• Limited Liquor (if any?)

We drank a lot and ate a lot. Total bill: $164 + tip

no website...

Whitman's

October 27, 2010 - SBE XII

Location: Corner of 9th and 1st Ave, East Village

SBE Score: 79

We loved the atmosphere, but were disappointed with the backyard burger.


Thank goodness for SBE. It was the perfect Wednesday pick-me-up. We were initially very impressed with Whitman's, which may have contributed to our ultimate disappointment. Maybe Whitman's was having an off night, but we didn't love any dish. Actually, none were spectacular.

On the appetizers - The fried pickles were too sweet and the dressing on the iceberg salad tasted like bottled Caesar.

On the burgers - Brian and Kate ordered 'Juicy Lucys,' and Luke and Leila ordered Upstate Burgers. All hungry, we were dreaming for juicy and flavorful. They weren't cooked to order (medium rare became medium well) and, all over, they were equivalent to summer, backyard burgers, because the patty was less flavorful and seasoned than you expect from an NYC restaurant.



Above: Fried Kale, Iceberg wedge, Fried Pickles

The Results...

Iceberg wedge: 4 [2-6]
Fried pickles: 3.5 [2-5]
Fried kale: 5.75 [1-8] .... I'm calling out Leila - she scored it a 1

Burger Patty: 4.5 [3-6]
Burger Experience: 6.25 [6-7]
Fries: 5 [4-6]





Above: Fries, the Organic Upstate Burger, the 'Juicy Lucy' burger

Below: the inside of the Juicy Lucy (see that pimento cheese?)



Pros

• Awesome service (Really. They were really friendly and attentive)
• Great atmosphere downstairs - the lighting and the acoustics works really well - great as a date place or dinner with friends
• No pretension

Cons

• Cash only. They can get away with it because it's not super expensive, but it's NYC, and almost 2011. Guess we can't complain too much, considering we did like the 'no pretension' thing.

Final thought. We scored Whitman's a 79 because we were disappointed with the burger. However, we all liked Whitman's, and unlike Rare, we would all come back. It's a cool place, so check it out.

Total Bill: $100 (tip included)

There's nothing actually on the website (yet?), but for good measure... http://whitmansnyc.com/

Smith & Mills

October 6, 2010 - SBE XI

Location: 71 N. Moore (Corner of Greenwich)

SBE Score: 89

"I could see how to the untrained eye, these people could be mistaken as hipsters; however, it’s way classier" - Luke

There’s no name on the outside of the building, but you’ll see a glowing red 71 above the door in the window. The kitchen opens at 8:00pm, which we didn’t know, so we were lucky to seamlessly arrive around 7:40, get a table, order a drink, and order.

Unlike SBE X, Smith & Mills only offers one burger: Brioche Bun, Cheddar, Caramelized Onion, Pickled Beets, House Made $15

Burger Patty: 7.5 [7 – 8]

Burger Experience: 8.6 [8 – 9]

Chips: 7.3 [6.5 – 8]

Meatballs (appetizers): 7.9 [7 – 8.5]

Artichokes (appetizers): 8.8 [8 – 9]

Bread and Ricotta (appetizers): 7.5 [5 – 9] …Brian gave the 5, which is weird, because if I remember correctly Brian didn’t stop to breath

Above: Bread and Ricotta, Meatballs, and Artichokes

Below: Same burger...three different shots!!

Overall, we thought very highly of this place at the time, and gave Smith & Mills great reviews. This might have been influenced by the stylish but understated crowd. Other external factors may have been the crisp fall weather – the perfect temperature according to Leila, Luke, and Brian.

Cons:

Seating – low couches and somewhat uncomfortable chairs

Mediocre wait staff, but not over attentive so it’s cool

Burger was slightly too salty (we then went on a long tangent about the perfect equilibrium)

Total Bill = $160 plus tip

http://www.smithandmills.com/

Rare

September 17, 2010 - SBE X

Location: 303 Lexington, corner of 37th Street

SBE Score: 72

Leila was waivering about Rare, but a long email chain later, on top of a long week, we arrived in Murray Hill, ish? To get to the rooftop bar, you go through the side entrance on 37th street, and up. It was kinda cool, the service was ok, the drinks were EXPENSIVE. $9 for a bud light? really? After about an hour of catching up, we went to the restaurant and were able to get a table immediately.

The menu is overwhelming and we anticipated that we make feel that 'overfull' feeling, similar to Five Napkin Burger. We tried to stay somewhat true and consistent, so we avoided the organic lean beef, the steak 'burger,' and the bison burger. The orders....


Kate: Artisanal Burger $11 - Cheeseburger of the day - Medium Rare (Today's was Teriyaki sauce burger with a fried onion ring, lettuce, tomato, peppers, and what tasted like fried pineapple) [side note: learn how to pronounce artisanal]

Luke: Classic $9 - Medium Rare, plus cheddar cheese and caramelized onions

Brian and Leila shared a Classic with American Cheese, and an M and M $15 (flambeyed in whiskey, with caramelized shallots, cheddar cheese, and bacon)



Above: Luke's Classic, Leila's Class
Below: Kate's Artisanal, Brian's M and M



Burger Patty:

• M and M: 7.5 [7-8] anndddd M and M wins for patty!!!
  
• Classic: 6.6 [6-7]
  
• Artisanal: 7
  

Burger Experience:

• M and M: 7.1 [6-8.5] anndddd M and M wins for experience!!!
• Classic: 6.6 [6.5-7]
  
• Artisanal: 7.5
  

Fried Potato Things: 5.5 [4-7] ..french & sweet potato fries microwaved? but waffles were good
Fried Pickles: 5 [3-7] ... (I'm not sure why Brian gave these a 7... no one seemed to like them)


Below: wine with dinner, wine with dinner, fried pickles



It's hard to describe what this place is like. Maybe it's having an identity crisis, but it has elements of a steakhouse and elements of a California Pizza Kitchen. We gave it a score of 82, because we couldn't really say it was better or worse than Five Napkin Burger. The two images below are in favor of the CPK comparison. The $15 price tag on a burger is the counter argument. Having said that, we ordered a bottle of red (from Washington State, if anyone's interested) and our total bill ended up being $120, plus tip.

It's a convenient after work location, if you do in fact work in the area, but the fact that we went out to Blind Tiger Ale House afterwards, versus staying and drinking at the bar, says it all.

http://www.rarebarandgrill.com/lexington.php