Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce...

For lunch the other day, a friend and I decided to test out the newly opened HB Burger on 43rd St, between Broadway and 6th ave. Surprisingly bigger than it seems, this is a great lunch spot. Owned by Heartland Brewery, they not only serve those delicious lagers, they serve their own homemade sodas as well. And the best part, nothing on the menu is over $9!

Now, I've only eaten burgers for a little over a year, so as a late-comer in the burger game, I do not believe I know what the BEST burger is. But I know I've had some DAMN GOOD ones. I also know I've had some OK ones. I've had dry turkey burgers before and I did not like it. I prefer a nice, juicy burger. So when I ordered the Taco Turkey Burger from HB, I was a bit nervous that I might be let down. Well, I was not! It was absolutely delicious. The turkey burger was cooked wonderfully, still juicy! Topped with jalapeno jack cheese and homemade salsa, it wasn't too much in between the bun. Now, I'm used to a burger and fries, but to keep their plate prices down, HB sides have to be ordered separately. My friend and I ordered fries and tater tots. Once again, we were not disappointed. It was easy to see the fries were from freshly cut potatoes and fried. Meanwhile, the tater tots had bits of bacon and jalapeno jack cheese blended in, but the flavors did not take over. Ordering both sides was a bit much for lunch, we didn't come close to finishing them, but who knows how hungry you are!

Overall, HB Burger was a great lunch, and we were in & out within 45 minutes. Their menu is mainly burgers (obvi), but they do have a few other items. One other item is the World's Smallest Sundae. We didn't try this (we were busy with the tater tots) but saw it being served at another table. It looks as if it is your basic hot fudge sundae, served in a shot glass. Just the right amount of sweetness after a meal!

I recommend this spot for a good burger (turkey burger too). Also, I'd like to add that I love Five Guys for a burger too. Doug should be blogging about that soon, and he'll have a pic from when we went last week.

A bit of bragging, but at least you get a recipe.

In honor of the 24th year of my life, my parents lovingly bought me a KitchenAid Stand Mixer in apple green. This beauty automatically makes my kitchen look better and puts a smile on my face when I look it. After dreaming of it for so long, I just had to make something immediately. But what? Something that would be a pain in the butt to make without it, something that's delicious. Pizza? PIZZA!

Substituting a cookie sheet for a pizza pan, we (Doug helped) made a great Sicilian pizza. We kept it just sauce and cheese for our first run and it came out delicious. I'd like to experiment with different toppings in the future, but for now, original works. If you'd like to try it on your own, here's the recipe for the dough we used:

Ingredients
1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (we added a couple of drops as it mixed, as necessary)
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 1/2-3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Some corn meal for sprinkling on the pan

Directions
1. Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed bowl.
2. Add salt, olive oil, and 2 1/2 cup flour.
3. Attach bowl and dough hook, turn to speed 2 and mix 1 minute.
4. Continuing on speed 2, add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough clings to dough hook and cleans sides of bowl. Knead on speed 2 for 2 minutes.
5. Place in greased bowl, grease the cover as well.
6. Cover, let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour).
7. Punch dough down.
8. Brush 14 inch pizza pan with oil and sprinkle with corn meal.
9. Press dough across bottom of pan forming collar around edge to hold filling.

10. Top with fillings and bake at 450°F for 15 to 20 minutes.

Makes 1 14 inch pizza

An evening with Spitzer... not Elliot.

This weekend I had the pleasure of dinning at a place that is fast becoming one of my favorites: Spitzer's Corner, fittingly located at the corner of Ludlow and Rivington.  This "American Gastropub" serves up some delicious food and drink and is a great destination for showing friends a good time.  If you haven't had a chance to investigate, a gastropub serves up high quality food a level above the typical "pub grub".  As an example, Spitzer's menu includes items such as hand-cut French Fries, Truffle Mac and Cheese, Braised Pork Belly, and a Kobe Beef Burger.  The beer list at Spitzer's features an extensive variety of foreign and domestic beers (including my arch nemesis: Delirium Tremens), complete with great descriptions of how each should taste - Eric would like to give a special shout out to the Peak Organic Espresso Amber Ale, which smelled amazing.  If beer isn't really your thing, the wine list certainly hasn't been neglected and there is also a full bar.  The atmosphere is another reason why I love to bring visitors here.  Long communal tables give the place a beer hall feel, while the wood panels almost make you feel like you’re in a spa.  But on nice days they open all the windows, giving the dinning room an open and airy feel.  It can get a bit loud, and my parents complained about having to yell, but it’s normally a younger crowd, so they tend not to mind.  On Saturday I met my cousin Rory and his wife Elizabeth who were visiting from Ireland at Spitzer's.  I picked it because I know the food will be delicious, but also not intimidating (the Irish are not what most would consider culinary adventurers).  I had the PBLT, braised pork belly with lettuce and roasted tomatoes.  The pork was so tender, it barely required a knife, and very tasty.  Rory had the Hickory Short Rib Burger, a favorite of my boyfriend Eric's, and Elizabeth had the Black Angus Steak Salad - I’m pleased to report everyone enjoyed their meals.  As one might imagine with Irish cousins, the drink was flowing copiously, and we probably cleaned them out of Pinot Grigio.  They do serve brunch, which I haven't tried yet, but seeing as that is my absolute favorite meal, better believe I will be tasting that soon!  Cozy up next to your fellow New Yorkers and the conversation will flow with the help of some great beers and fine food.  Spitzer's Corner