The 'Sauer Krause' Burger - Essex St. Pub and the Custom Burger Challenge

Two weeks ago, Bob and I went to Essex St. Pub for some late night beers and eats following the Mexican International Dinner, as per our tradition. Jillian, Macky's badass and bodacious waitress, told us about the custom burger challenge and pointed out the board which had four burgers listed.


We ended up choosing the 'Holy Moe' which includes peperjack cheese, jalapenos, mushrooms and macaroni & cheese on a smoked burger. It was pretty tasty.

It got us thinking about all the times we came up with really great burger combos at home and how we could totally create a burger that would leave these four in the dust.

And lo, the 'Sauer Krause' was created!

The marble rye bread, which is like eating a pillow (Oh, it's so soft!) is toasted on the inside. Yes! The inside!

Then a nice layer of not too little and not too much sauerkraut is added. A smoked burger is sliced in half and then drizzled with roasted garlic and cilantro dressing. Served with kettle chips and a crisp pickle, this slim burger eats like a sandwich with a punch of flavor in every nibble.



Like a mouthgasam in every bite. I kid you not, this burger is fan-fuckin-tastic!

Notice the perfection in the close up on the right? I know, right?! Amazing!

You should also know that the best beer pairing for this is an amber. Nothing dark like a porter or a stout, and no pale ales either. We had ours with the ever perfect, Flying Bison, Rusty Chain.

Next time you get a hankering for delicious meat, stop by the Essex and say, "Eins 'Sauer Krause", bitte?"

The Lunch Box

          

I recently drove up to St. Catharines, Ontario Canada to visit with girlfriends. While there Suzy took us to the Lunch Box. Described as a mom and pop place, the eclectic mix of decor and people were endearing.

The burgers are hand formed, the slab bacon rich and meaty, the hot sauce is housemade.

This was a really great place and the food was just outstanding! If you are ever in the area, check it out.

Duff's

Duff's brought Buffalo one of the finest versions of wings back in 1969 and has continued to do so ever since. They are hot, there doesn't appear to be a mild, but even so, despite the heat, the flavor is full on from first taste to finish. To top it all off, they are undeniably addictive.

Their hot sauce is locally made and their house beer is brewed by Rochester's CB's Brewing Company. If you visit their home base in Amherst, NY, ask for Maggie as your waitress, she's a real sweetheart!








We ordered the 1/2 pitcher of house brew, fries, and 20 wing special and Blue and Bacon Burgers. What impressed me were the crisp shoestring fries, the equally crisp bacon, and the soft rolls from Costanzo's Bakery!

Nothing destroys a perfectly good blue cheese and bacon burger than stringy under-cooked bacon or a crappy cheap roll, and as you can see pictured below this was not the case. It was a stupendous burger! If only this post was scratch & sniff.

      

Black Rock Kitchen & Bar

Since it's opening, The Black Rock Kitchen & Bar has been near the top of our must visit restaurant's list. We had all decided that twice a month we would, the four of us, visit an eatery we have never been to. I picked up a pack of Buffalo Dining Cards from the Lexington co-op two months ago and we've been steadily working our way through it.

On top of all of this, this is Chef Berdine's home and since watching and cheering him on at the Nickel City Chef Battle earlier this month we had to go to eat his tasty vittles!

We weren't disappointed! The place was bright, clean and in the setting sun, very winsome. The stunning and provocative art was created by Jackie Felix.

My oldest had the macaroni and cheese and the lamb and sweet pea pastries with curried yogurt sauce.

 I had the ocean perch tacos with guacamole and pico de gallo.

The fish was light and crisp and had a superb sharp lime taste. The pico de gallo was fresh and well seasoned, the guacamole was delicate and not grainy or overly seasoned.

My husband picked the 12 oz strip steak sandwich with onions, peppers and provolone. The fries were perfect, right mix of crunch and softness.

Juicy huh? Was so good I nearly yanked it out of his hands!

This was the biggest hand formed burger I'd ever seen and she ate every bite! This was a fantastic visit, the girls really liked our time there and we will certainly be returning.