Articles tagged ‘grass-fed’

Local 149

July 1st, 2011 by Richard Chudy

The food at Local 149 can described as uneven; this after multiple attempts, a couple of very good burgers, and a couple less than stellar. The people behind The Biltmore in Newton take on a similar vibe in the new Southie spot, a very ambitious gastro-pub of a menu, that isn’t always triumphant. At it’s best, the Local Cheese Burger is a delight; with grass-fed sirloin, cheddar, pickled green tomato and seaweed salt fries. Trust me, this is as normal as the menu gets, which isn’t to say I don’t appreciate at least reading the menu, the flavors are often presented as bold and unique, but my taste buds don’t always agree. The Patty Melt is less successful; two all-beef patties, sauerkraut, Muenster and 24 hour ketchup. Yeah, there’s a lot going on, individually the components work, but never fully unify to become the great burger they could be. continue reading »

The Blue Room

May 31st, 2011 by Richard Chudy

Photo courtesy of Christine Liu, http://cmliu.com/

I’ll never complain about the lack of cheese on a burger again. At least not in the case of The Blue Room, a little hideaway of a place in Cambridge. Accompanied by my buddy Christine, this was not a restaurant I had heard all too much about, best case scenario it would be another Fireplace situation. A great burger in an otherwise unsuspecting environment. They really put the cheese in cheeseburger, no question about it. The cheese is a Bouche du Poiton. Don’t worry, I hadn’t heard of it either. It’s basically a goat-meets-brie-meets-blue kind of cheese. And they are not shy about it, a huge hunk, rind and all, sits atop the burger, just about larger than the patty itself. It’s not melted at all, but I’m not even sure that it could or needs to be. It is warm though, and it is delicious, but shouldn’t it be more about the beef and less about covering it up with a very strong (yet flavorful) cheese? continue reading »

Cafeteria

December 17th, 2010 by Richard Chudy

I can usually detect when a burger will be memorable or when it will be forgettable, sometimes I day dream before heading into a place that this may be the one, the best burger I’ve ever had, or at least a new favorite that I can rave about. Cafeteria, at least on paper, looked very promising; griddled, house sauce, Parmesan fries. What’s not to love? Also priced at $12, which I believe to be almost the perfect price because it could be delicious enough without breaking the bank, superior to some mediocre pub burger and not snobby like some $16 burger. A guy can dream, but Cafeteria failed on almost every level, a real bummer for what sounded so damn promising. continue reading »

Atwoods Tavern

November 29th, 2010 by Richard Chudy

I don’t know how to figure the burger at Atwoods Tavern, it’s the ultimate two-face burger, a few good biters here and there, and a few rather offensive bites in between. It bursts with juice immediately, almost violently and slightly painful on my wrist and onto the plate, which is fine for some, but me, I like my juice in the burger and not on the plate. Yes, leave it to me to complain about a juicy burger, but a little resting of the burger before it’s sent out and those juices will naturally redistribute back into the meat and not onto my wrist and plate. But the meat is flavorful, grass-fed and local, it can be sweet and luscious, which it was partly, and then inexplicably tasted of liver, and not the good way liver can taste when medium-rare, but that nasty, chalky taste of over-cooked liver. Is this a grass-fed quality or the cuts of beef used? Either way, it’s incredibly unpleasant and unflattering, all due to inconsistent cooking. The parts that are cooked to a medium-rare are lovely, otherwise it’s a roller-coaster of tastebuds and it’s not a good experience.  continue reading »

Local Burger

August 29th, 2010 by Richard Chudy

I’m fine with the fact that my friends think I’m a food snob at this point. (probably not limited to burgers I imagine)  I make no apologies for my opinions, especially when I don’t like something, and I did not like the burger I had at Local Burger in Northampton. No, technically it’s not Boston, but if it’s in Massachusetts, it’s fair game. I can applaud Local Burger the way I’d applaud b.Good, using local, sustainable ingredients is terrific, but if it doesn’t taste good, what’s the point. And there wasn’t much to like about Local Burger, the fries are way oversalted, not fried properly, and are downright greasy. The burger itself, on a cold, plain Jane sesame bun, has too much stuff on it. Stuff in the form of lettuce, tomato and onion, the normal routine, but it’s practically a veggie sandwich with a thin layer of sad, rubbery meat underneath. And that beef, grass-fed and local, does nothing for me, and quite honestly, most grass fed burgers aren’t worth the hype, as it’s missing the one key component that makes a burger great; the fat. I’m speaking, of course, about local beef, which is often quite lean. The real trick and the real challenge, would be to eat a local, grass-fed burger that tastes delicious, it has been done before (Craigie, of course) but can it be done again? I can’t deny the enthusiasm of the staff and the atmosphere here, but it’s the same problem as b.good, all the passion and dedication in believing what you’re serving is great, but at the end of the day, so few people care about sustainability and sourcing entirely local (this writer does, vehemently) the common thread is flavor, and Local Burger forget the most important ingredient of all.

Overall Score: 60