The Real Deal

You guys have probably been wondering where I've been.  At least I hope you have.  I feel guilty and a bit off my axis because it's been so long since I've written.  You see, our nephew got married on October 26 in Lakeville, Minnesota.  I've never been there and of course, the wunderkind hasn't either and she'd never flown before.

Seriously, is this not the cutest thing you've ever seen?  Still hasn't mastered the spelling of her middle name yet though!

  Neil hasn't been back since 1994. As a Southerner, born and bred, here's what I thought I knew about Minnesota:

• Everyone, I mean, everyone is of Viking descent
• All 10,000 lakes are freezing cold
• With the exception of July and August, it's numbingly cold and snowing all the time
• They have a killer restaurant scene, if you believe Guy Fieri or Adam Richman

Turns out I was right about one of these.  The restaurants.  Think it about a minute.  If you watch Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, Man -vs- Food, etc., you may have noticed the disproportionate number of MN restaurants featured on these shows.  Why, I often wondered?  

One that caught my eye a long time ago was about two joints in the Twin Cities area that have a long time feud about who invented the "Juicy Lucy."  You may remember this post after I saw this on TV.  I told Neil back then, "One day, when we go up there, we're finding this place and having a Juicy Lucy."  The place I'd decided looked and sounded the best to me is called the 5-8 Club.  So, when we booked our flight for the wedding, I promptly went to the 5-8's website for their address because, as I said, WE ARE GOING TO GET THIS HAMBURGER. Since I now have crazy coupon lady syndrome, I noticed a little place on the site that said "Join our email club."  This, of course, made me say to myself, "hmmm, I bet if I do that I'm going to get something."  Well, sure enough, I instantly received an email coupon for a FREE Juicy Lucy.  We're officially in business.

We arrived on Wednesday and I mentioned this Juicy Lucy obsession to my brother-in-law.  His response?  "Let's go tonight!"  And it was so.

Friends, this was a hamburger. I split one with the little one because they are 1/2 lb.  Just as expected and promised, I cut it in half to see golden, oozey cheese burst forth.  The meat was well seasoned and cooked just right. A nice crust that comes from a nice, hot flat top. The closest I have been able to come to this is with a good ol' fashioned cast iron skillet.

Did somebody say Ooey Gooey Good Golly?

 To make the whole experience even better was looking around and recognizing where we were from the TV shows.  Oh yeah...we also had real, Minnesotan cheese curds.  Not familiar with these?  More on that later.

Authentic Minnesota Cheese Curds!

 Our trip was fantastic on many levels.  My nephew's wedding was beautiful, the parties were rockin' and the food, drink and dancing kept us all busy well into the night(s)!  Jackie and her wedding party were all gorgeous and her style was evident in all the details.  

Neil's old house

Como Park, St. Paul MN

We also got to see Neil's old childhood home, the ski slope where he trained (and so did Lindsey Vonn), went to the 1st zoo established in the state of Minnesota (Como Park), saw St. Paul, saw Minneapolis, and got to visit the 5-8 Club for the original Juicy Lucy.  I'd say this was one successful voyage!

Smashing Burgers

If you live on the east side of Columbia, you know about all the buzz and excitement surrounding the new Whole Foods and all the change and growth around that corner of Jackson Blvd and Devine Street.  You may have noticed the facelift that even Applebee's gave itself.  And, you probably also noticed the new building going up next door with a sign for both Moe's and something called Smashburger. I've been watching that building being built and wondering what in the world Smashburger is.  Well, now I know.

Along with other local bloggers, I attended a preview yesterday of the new restaurant, which opened today.  We were invited in to try out the menu, learn about the restaurant's concept and give the staff & kitchen a run-through.  The founder of the company, Tom Ryan, was there to talk to us, explain how he came up with this idea and then to demonstrate the true burger smashing technique for us in the kitchen.  It was fascinating to learn how they make these delicious burgers so delicious and of course, being able to order a gazillion items off the menu to try was quite fun indeed.

Tom Ryan is a super cool guy who was a genuine host and spent a lot of time with all of us asking for our opinions.  You should see this man's bio...I don't think I've ever met someone with so many degrees in food science.  You can read about it here.

Me and founder Tom Ryan

I was the first to arrive and was able to have about 10 minutes with Tom; he showed me around the restaurant and then took me up to the front counter to go over the menu with me.  

 

 Now you guys know all about my coupon addiction and thrifty nature.  It was really tough for me to actually follow his instructions and order multiple items from the menu.  He told me several times not to worry about wasting, order anything that sounded interesting and try it all.  That's what we were there for.  It was still hard as hell to order all that food, but I did it.  My buddies TheAprilBlake & TheHungryLady experienced the same hesitation, but together, we made it through and got over it.

Laura, April & Me

So, let's cut to the chase, shall we?  In a nutshell, I love this place.  It's characterized as "fast casual" which means you order & pay at the counter but your order is delivered to your table.  The decor is clean, crisp, hip and conducive to a date, dinner with the girls, family supper or just hanging out with friends.  Smashburger franchisees feature classic Smashburger menu items, but include a "regional" item to appeal to its market.  For instance, here in the glorious South (especially Columbia), our Smashburger features the "Carolina Chili" burger: American cheese, beef chili, chopped onion, coleslaw and Duke's mayo on a pretzel bun.  You see, nobody in Seattle, Newark or Chicago knows what Duke's is. I chose to try the "Classic" because I wanted to make sure I could really appreciate the burger and not just the toppings.  Then, I ordered the "Spicy Baja" to preview it for Neil and the "Buffalo Smashchicken."  As sides, I chose the "Smash Fries", fried pickles and fried onions.  

I tried the Classic first and with the first bite, I just looked at April and Laura and exclaimed something like 'oh my God, that's a good hamburger."  The meat was simply delicious.  

Holy Classic Smashburger, Batman! And Smashfries too.

Too often I think hamburgers really only taste like whatever is put on them.  This was a juicy, well-seasoned and high quality tasting burger. The fact that it's seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic reminds me of how my dad's steaks and burgers always taste, which is perfect.  The smashfries are madness:  rosemary, garlic, olive oil.  It's like the nectar of the gods, it is. Next, I tried out the Baja.  

Spicy Baja Burger with fried pickles

Neil will love this one, for sure!  Pepper jack, guac, lettuce, tomato, onion, fresh jalapeno (fresh, not pickled is a biggie for Mr. Jalapeno Connoisseur), spicy chipotle mayo and a chipotle bun.  Nice and spicy indeed.  I also really liked the Buffalo chicken sandwich.  I order this type of sandwich pretty frequently in casual restaurants.  

Buffalo chicken with haystack onions & yummy dipping sauce

At Smashburger, you can get your chicken fried or grilled.  At Tom's suggestion, I got it fried.  It was very crispy & light, despite being fried, and the chicken was an even thickness and therefore, well cooked and juicy.  The haystack onions are a great side order...thinly sliced onion rings with a spicy/horseradishy sauce.  I'm a sucker for fried pickles and theirs are excellent.  I also tried April's "Veggie Frites" which are non-battered flash-fried carrots & green beans.  They end up kind of blistered, like when you saute them and get them just this side of charred.  Excellent choice of side!  

April's Spicy Baja black bean burger, fried pickles & "veggie frites"

Laura's friend "R" (as we'll call him) went crazy over the black bean burger. (He's a carnivore but loved the black bean nonetheless.)  In fact, he said he just couldn't put it down.  Now I have to try that one next time! "R" also got the "Carolina Chili" and was diggin' that one too! Then, Tom came over with the Cobb salad.  Wow!  What a beautiful salad...classic Cobb ingredients, beautifully grilled chicken and instead of icky hard boiled egg, this one comes with a fried egg. 

Tom says: Try this beautiful salad, you'll like it!  He's right.

The smashing is really interesting.  They use chopped Angus beef, as opposed to ground, and it's shaped into a loose 5 oz. meatball.  The meat is placed on a buttered spot on the flat top and pressed (smashed) with a patented press that sears the meat without allowing the juices to escape the burger by running willy-nilly all over the grill. Once flipped, the burger has a nice crisp crust and that seared steak flavor.  We all tried it right off the grill and I swear it tasted like a fresh steak. 

What I think is going to make this restaurant a success here is that it's not just a burger joint.  It's a better quality product than what we're used to here in Columbia as far as casual dining is concerned.  Yes, we have burger restaurants that we all love, and you know who I mean, but on a recent visit, I was startled to learn that one of these favorite hangouts has hit a minimum of $10 for a hamburger. And, it's not as flavorful as this new place, folks.  Promise. And, if you want to take your kids out for burgers, this is about the only place I know of where you can get a real salad that isn't a rip off...

Check out the menu, stop by 4601 Devine St. and give it a try.  I can't wait to take Neil and Vivian to see what they think!

The Burger Challenge Continues

The hamburger is distinctly and uniquely American.  We all make them at home, we grab them from a window and eat them at 80 mph, we order them in bars, restaurants, at cookouts, birthday parties, even fine dining restaurants have gotten in on the action.  It seems to be the one food we Americans can't live without.  Proof?  Even the vegetarians still wants burgers, thus the invention of the veggie, or veggie-substance, burger.  

The funny thing is that in the burger restaurant world, there is this constant, on-going battle to be the best burger on the planet.  After 44 years on Earth, years of watching Guy Fieri travel the country, experimenting with a gazillion types of burger at home, I've come to the conclusion that WE WILL NEVER CROWN A WINNER. It's just that simple.  For the most part, all burgers are good.  Now, some have their time and place.  For instance, I'd never find myself craving a fast food burger, but if I'm traveling through Beavistown with nothing else in sight, all of a sudden, the Golden Arches seem to have just earned a Michelin star.  As far as real restaurants go, I've decided to quit trying to determine who has the best because there's another factor at play here:  the cook.  One day it may be the best hamburger you've had all year, then next time, someone else is manning the grill, and it's just a whole different burger.  From now one, I keep a list of where my favorite burgers reside, but I won't even make myself crazy by trying to name one as the king-daddy burger master.

Many of you are aware of the new restaurant called Burger Tavern 77 on Devine Street. It's located in the old Yo Burrito building.  This past weekend, I met Neil and the Vivver there for lunch.  We had yet to make it over there, so this was our maiden voyage.  Their menu can be viewed here. One thing to note, that section on the right that says "Build your Burger" isn't attached to the menus that you are given in the restaurant.  Turns out they are in a little rack on the table, but our server didn't point that out.  Neil was pretty disappointed to realize what they were after we ordered, because he would have preferred to go this route.  That would be a good thing for the servers to be in the habit of mentioning.  One other note about the menus.  They were beat up, bent and dirty.  If a 6 year old points that out, your menus need help, people.

Okay, on to the food.  I ordered "the Charleston." I asked for it to be cooked medium-rare and explained to the waitress that I like it just on the "medium side of medium-rare."  She nodded her understanding and told me that they tend to cook on the rare side, so if she put it in as medium, it would be pink and juicy inside.  Well, I guess someone else was in the kitchen that day, because this was one friggin' well done hamburger.  You can tell just by looking at the picture of it.  

But, I will admit that it was still a flavorful burger.  The pimento cheese was pretty tasty and melded well with the good quality bacon they use.  I chose the fries which were presented in a cup lined with a newsprint look paper.  Very cute and they were well cooked.

Neil ordered "The Bleu" and added jalapenos (of course!).  His was also overcooked, but he still enjoyed it.  

For his side, he ordered the tomato/cucumber salad.  Sometimes I think he orders the most bizarre side dish possible.  It's like he worries about all the other weird sides sitting around in the kitchen, little fingers crossed, saying "pick me, pick me!" and he has to help them out.  I mean, a tomato/cucumber salad isn't a bad thing, but with a hamburger?  I just don't get it.

As I was trying to come up with an appetizer or sharing scenario for the Vivver (note that there is no children's menu here), the waitress then let me know that they do indeed have a kids menu, but it's not printed anywhere.  One question:  WHY? Apparently, you have to be "in the know" or hope that your server will casually mention this to you, or you will never know.  So, the little one got a child's plate of 2 burger sliders (I hate this term, but that's a whole other story) and fries.  She was pleased and ate them both.

The burgers were good, although I hope next time we go we can get them cooked the way we want them.  But, there was one major complaint that we had.  In fact, I'm surprised that Neil didn't want to pack up our plates and take them home.  FLIES.  Tons of flies.  There were so many flies buzzing around this place, we might as well have been sitting out in the park trying to eat our lunch.  For Pete's sake, invest in one of those fans that you install at the front door to blow all that air OUT  as people enter, then these vile creatures can't invade your restaurant.  And, the 1" crack under your back door could have something to do with it too.  Seriously, this is a problem that this restaurant must fix.  If I decide to start at $10 to build my own burger, I'm going to be royally pi$%ed off if I have to shoo flies off it the whole time, like I did the other day.  Or, as Neil said, we can only go there in the winter.  

2108 Lunch Date

My friend Holly lives in Cayce.  Recently, she posted this on Facebook:
 Pay dirt!! Less than 1 mile from the crib, $2 draft HH, $3 draft anytime (decent brew selection) and the food is ooh lala! I had the collard spring rolls and Korean BBQ short rib tacos w/ jimaca slaw, w/ a side of jimaca slaw. $6.95-OMG.

 She's talking about 2108 State, which opened in the old "Lizard Woman" building in Cayce just before you hit the train yard.

As the conversation thread grew, she added this:
 I want to make sure the neighborhood bar and grill food critic Elizabeth Webber Akre checks it out and blogs about it:)

Well, how could I not hustle on over there after that? Today was one of the rare occasions that Neil and I were able to have lunch together.  I met him there.  It took me a minute to find him because, much to my surprise, this place is HUGE. I found him seated at the bar talking to one of the owners, Corey.  I joined them in a little chit-chat and then got down to the business of perusing the menu.

I have to echo Holly's excitement.  It's a really cool menu.  It was hard to decide what to try on this initial visit.  We decided to share an appetizer and each order a different sandwich and split them.  The overall theme of 2108 State is salads, sandwiches, burger and appetizers.  But what makes this different is that it's not like other menus of similarly themed restaurants.  For instance, their version of a cheese stick is "Dorito Crusted 5-Alarm" cheese sticks.  Their taco offerings do not include one made with ground beef.  The fries aren't what you expect, they have a Po'Boy du jour and how can you not love a menu that features "Critter Fritters?"  (hushpuppies filled with crawfish & crab.)

Neil and I unanimously agreed on the "Bacon Bleu Pimiento Cheese Dip."  That alone sounds enticing, but where they really won me over is the dippers are fried green tomato wedges.  Stop the presses!  This girl can dig on some fried greens.  

Sorry about the lighting; restaurants tend to be a little dark & this is iPhone photography!

And these were very well done...thick, but not too thick slices of tart green tomato with a crispy crust.  The pimiento cheese was nice as well.  Very cheddar-y.  I couldn't pick up much bacon or bleu cheese, but Neil could.  Even so, I'd gladly munch on this again!

Yummy warm Caribbean flavors & super tender pork

On to lunch:  Neil chose the "Jerked Pulled Pork Tacos."  This was two soft tacos filled with pulled pork that was delightfully seasoned.  I could detect cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, among other things.  Even though this is called jerk, it's not going to set you on fire.  It has all the Caribbean flavors of jerk, but not the blistering heat.  

After talking more to Corey, I learned that he and his folks lean more toward the spicy side as well, but have toned some dishes down so that they will appeal to all.  I'm willing to bet you could tell these guys to spice it up for you and they'd gladly comply.  And you know how pulled pork can be the most heavenly thing on Earth, but often, in restaurants, it ends up as a pile of dry, chewy shreds.  Not the case here.  The meat was very tender and juicy, as it should be.  It was accompanied by the jicama mango slaw, which again, was nice, but I think could benefit from some heat.



I chose to try one of the hamburgers.  I mean, any good joint must have a good burger.  It's just one of the laws of nature.  Well, not really, but it should be.  I decided on the "Grandpa Burger."  This burger is served with bacon, cheddar, lettuce, tomato and thinly shaved red onion.  I asked for it to be cooked medium-rare and didn't get one word of hesitation about it.  Here's the verdict...this was one kick-ass burger.  In fact, I think it is the best burger in town.  What makes it different is:   

• They cooked it as I ordered it!  It was pink inside, super juicy, and that meaty juice penetrates the bun, giving you one sloppy, delectable hamburger!
• It was served with two thick slices of cheddar, so you could actually taste the cheese.  Tasting the cheese...what a novel idea!
• When they say bacon, they mean it.  Unlike so many other places, I got a burger with smoky, salty and CRISPY bacon, again that I could really taste.  No flabby, half-cooked, no-point-being-on-my-burger excuse for bacon.
• The red onion was shaved, so you can enjoy a little onion flavor without walking out with an onion force field around you.
• Bun...not toasted to the point of scraping your mouth, soft but not chewy, the right size for the burger.
• Bright green, fresh leaf lettuce and two slices of red, gorgeous tomato side by side.
• The meat...this is important, so I saved it for last.  I'm going to put this in caps because it's that important.  IT WAS MADE WITH GOOD MEAT.  You know what I mean.  Juicy, flavorful, no little gristly things to gross me out and you can tell from your first bite that they are cooked over a flame.  Just outstanding. 

This is how it looked as it arrived.  Look at that pretty frilly lettuce!

Look at all that bacon tucked under that cheddar

I guess you've probably concluded that you need to rush right over and order a hamburger, huh?  Sorry Rockaways, Pawley's and every other place who touts themselves as Columbia's burger gurus.  You've been replaced. Your title has been taken. Bow your heads and just walk away.  And before I forget, their fries are awesome too. Instead of the norm, they are waffle cut chips that are cooked semi-floppy, but unlike 'raw fries' they aren't flabby and greasy.  

A really unique order of fries

They are crispy, but still have some bend in them.  We learned that on Fridays you can get some of their bleu cheese sauce drizzled on the fries 'gratis.'  It's "blue Friday."  This is a really nice touch and complements the chips well.


2108 State opened in May first for lunch only.  They are now open for lunch and dinner, have a large full bar with plenty of USC paraphernalia for you sports fiends to gawk at and they cater as well.  Owners Corey & Jeff are both accomplished chefs and have probably cooked for you before in various Columbia restaurants.  Seeing a hands-on owner who is present in the business is always a good sign as well. I really like this place and I recommend that you try it for yourself.  If you're in Cayce, it's on the corner of State St. and Frink.  From Columbia, cross the Blossom St. bridge, turn left on State St.  


If you're lucky, you might be there on a day when the passing truckers' CB radios break into the restaurant's stereo system.  We were so lucky and it was hysterical! 

That's a big 10-4 good buddy.  I'mma gonna give that there 2108 State a big ol' Breaker 1-9.  I believe we got us a convoy.