Finally made the Pendulum $6 Burger lunch! It was everything I heard it was and more. They service it with a garlic mayo that was crazy, I had to get more so I could dip my seasoned fries. A must try if you can make it out on a Friday.
Happy Birthday Shelby!
Bloody Bay, my favorite Bloody Mary at Bay Local
Double "D" Cheeseburger, outrageous!
"Yumbos" all around!
Shelby and Madison
Burger Night
Shelby and I took a walk earlier, the weather was beautiful, there was a breeze and people were grilling. As soon as you smell it you immediately want to bust out your grill and cook something outside!
We committed to hit the store after our walk and pick up something to cook. I was thinking maybe doing BBQ chicken but Shelby said it had been a while since we grilled burgers and went with that instead. When I make my patties I like to take two small plates and smash the ground beef thin. Shelby really likes when the burger is larger than the bun. We also love to toast and butter the bun - a pet peeve of mine is if you get a burger and the bun isn't toasted. It really does make it that much better.
Jasper wants a burger too
I used a pound of Angus 80/20 and I made a tiny burger for Jasper. He's really is spoiled. I dressed my burger up with some American and cheddar cheese. I cut up a whole onion and put it on the vegetable grill rack too. I made two layers of cheese, onion, and burger. I also added a little pickle, mayo and a ton of lettuce (I love lettuce on a burger!) This is how it came out.
Love those smokey backyards this time of year...
Fourth of July 2016
I hope everyone is having a fun and safe Fourth of July holiday! It's been great here, spending time with family, eating some great food and enjoying some good beers.
Fire & Vine - Virginia Beach Restaurant Week 2016
It’s Virginia Beach Restaurant Week 2016! You have till Sunday to enjoy great specials at some of the area’s best eateries! We stopped by Fire & Vine for lunch, $12 gets you three course. I left happy :)
Needed a Burger
Last weekend Shelby mentioned grilling burgers for dinner but we ended up making this instead. It was super tasty but for the next few days I just wanted a burger!
Yesterday I came home later than usual and Shelby was in Norfolk, I figured I'd grab a bite to eat somewhere and get my burger fix. It had been a while since I visited Home Republic at the Oceanfront and they have one of my favorite burgers in the area called the Galaxy Burger.
The Galaxy Burger has thick applewood smoked bacon, grilled onions, hop infused cheddar cream and Galaxy Sauce. All of these things makes a great burger - check out the photo, I had it in a to-go box and it still looked great!
Jeremy
Keith
When I got to the restaurant I said my hellos and chatted with Keith and Jeremy in the kitchen briefly. I ordered a Juice "Sea" Fruit IPA that Home Republic brews in the shop and sat down for a bit. It's Shark Week and one of the televisions had some knucklehead swimming around on a shark-silhouetted board mounted with cameras baiting the sharks. Real smart...
I asked for my burger to be put in a to-go box because I planned on giving Shelby half of it (mmm...maybe a little less) but I ate about three-quarters of it and all the fries.
Sorry Shel!
I finished my beer and headed out feeling satisfied and full. Grab a Galaxy if you're in town, it's a good one.
Home Republic's Juice "Sea" Fruit IPA
"Killa B" from 80/20 Burger Bar, Norfolk, VA
HRBSS at 80/20 Burger Bar - 21 Oct 2014
Every third Tuesday of the month the Hampton Roads Beard and Stache Society meets at a predetermined location--which has been 80/20 Burger Bar in Norfolk lately. 80/20 is where The Boot used to be on 21st St. I spent a lot of time there mainly to see shows, my favorite band passed through there back in 2008 right before they broke up...good times, good times.
Rule G
HRBSS is a local group of facial hair enthusiasts that volunteer for events and will be staging their first official competition. These meetings let people interested in the group to meet each other and discuss what's happening around town. It's also a good excuse to have a beer and grab something to eat. I had a couple of drinks, my first was a Rule G from Smartmouth. The award winning IPA is always a sure thing when you're having a problem figuring out what you want to order. From the burger menu I picked the Killa B which is 80/20's version of a "black and blue". The burger is dressed with bacon, fire aioli, bleu cheese and a seasoned patty. I love bleu cheese and Jamie (80/20 owner) stated that he buys the cheese in wheels and they break it up on site. It came with house fries--garlic, parm and parsley. My friend Jeff ordered the Heritage burger which is made from bison. Both burgers were cooked perfectly and I was extremely satisfied with mine.
After eating and chatting we all went outside for a group shot. Lots of beard going on in this photo. Check out the groups page, linked above, and definitely hit 80/20. Good menu and beer selection, you'll definitely find something you like.
Burgers, kinda like how we used to cook them
So we had some good beer, good ground Angus, Smoked Gouda and Mushrooms. Let’s make a burger! Shelby actually asked me to make the beef patties the way I used to years ago before we got all fancy pants. Basically sprinkled the beef with garlic powder, salt, and pepper—that’s it. I did season the pan with some chopped onion and garlic but it was just like how I used to make a ground steak. We used to cook everything in a pan—no grill, no Dutch ovens or Crock pots.
I sauteed some mushrooms for her and a little onion. Covered the pan with a little beer to melt the smoked Gouda and done. I guess that part was kinda fancy.
Campus U-TOTE 'EM Burgers
I was in Ellensburg, WA recently for my brother’s Army commissioning and graduation from Central Washington University. While in the tiny college town I grabbed a burger from one of the U-Tote’Em establishments. They have the look and feel of something you might have seen back in the day when the burger shop was the place to hang out and meet up with friends. You could drive-up, eat-in, or order from a window. You would be called by number when your food was ready.
At the Campus U-Tote’Em they have a Campus Burger so I tried that. Not bad, typical burger you’d get from a fast food joint. It was more about the experience than the burger.
Second Street Bistro
Second Street Bistro in Williamsburg, VA. Excellent food. Top to bottom: 2nd St’s Famous O-Rings, Bread with Herb Oil, Grilled Salmon on Sweet Potato-Sage Risotto, Signature Burger, Grilled Bison Meatloaf.
Fired up the grill this evening and the burgers smelled great cooking!
Grilled Burgers
Uno Chicago Grill
We spent a few hours at the local Uno Chicago Grill for a group birthday party my wife’s co-workers were having. Had a good time and the Happy Hour menu was good. The Steak on a Stick was cooked perfectly. Top to bottom: Samuel Adams Octoberfest, Pomegranate Margarita, Steak on a Stick, Shrimp and Crab Fun-Doo, Wildberry Lemonade, Mint Mojito, and Burger Sliders.
Five Guys Bacon Cheeseburger. Good :)
Dub Burger from Hubcap Grill, Norfolk, Va. Jack cheese, Fried Onion, Chipotle Mayo, and the rest of the dressing on a Hawaiian Roll. Asked for it medium and it was cooked perfectly pink in the center.
Hubcap Grill's Dub Burger
Angus Burger from Fresh Crust in Virginia Beach. This place has a great menu and the owner, who is Turkish, knows how to make a good sandwich. The shawarma/gyros are good and the fries are great too.
Recently took my brother-in-law to Public House in Norfolk for lunch. Of course, we had to have the Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots to start. Our entrées were the Public House Burger and Oyster Stew. The Oyster Stew was different than any I’ve had before, but it was delicious. I’m excited about having Shelby try it; if you’re in the area make sure you swing and buy a bowl.
The Public House Burger @ The Public House, Norfolk, VA.
Our friend ordered this, so I can’t tell how it was but it looked very tasty.
Todd Jurich’s 21st Century Burger Bar @ Rudee’s Inlet. I’ll be honest and say I was underwhelmed with the service and the food (we had to ask for another menu after waiting about 5 minutes.) I went with a friend on that trip, I told my wife we’ll try it together in a few months, after they get their legs under them.