When I first heard, via this NBC Washington report, that former Top Chef contestant Richard Blais was going to open a burger joint in D.C., I immediately thought: God, it’s come to this. Chefs are following Spike Mendelsohn’s lead.

But then I looked further into Blais’ concept at Flip Burger Boutique in Atlanta, the hamburger joint with the pretentious name and the cool concept. The operation combines Blais’ affection for molecular gastronomy with the foodstuff that Washingtonians seem to love more than even Wimpy does.

The molecular gastronomy side of Flip seems, for the most part, limited to the milkshake section of the menu (PDF), where the creamy drinks are flash frozen with liquid nitrogen and come in oddball flavors such as Krispy Kreme and (I kid you not) foie gras. Here’s what the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Meridith Ford wrote in her (I kid you not) four-star review of Flip:

Read More “Former Top Chef Contestant Blais to Open Flip Burger in D.C.” »

Those of you who tried to eat at the new Dupont Circle location of BGR: The Burger Joint yesterday or today, please accept Y&H’s apologies. I reported earlier this week that Mark Bucher’s latest burger emporium would open one of those two days. It didn’t.

I haven’t been able to reach Bucher yet for an explanation, but I’m sure there’s a half-way decent excuse, like he dropped dead in the street. (Just kidding, Bucher!) I did get a BGR press release, though, late this afternoon. The location is now set, officially, to open on Monday.

Though two weeks later than expected, BGR: The Burger Joint will open this week on Dupont Circle, giving that high-trafficked area another hamburger option in a neighborhood thick with them. Founder and co-owner Mark Bucher says the third location of his mini-chain should debut on Thursday, unless there are complications with the city zoning inspection, which would then push the opening to Friday.

The restaurant at 1514 Connecticut Ave. NW is about the same size as the Bethesda location, at least on the first level, but because the Dupont store has a basement for food prep, it can squeeze more seats into the space. There are 60 seats at the new spot, which is good, because interest is high in BGR Dupont, despite the fact that locals can already grab burgers at Fuddruckers, Five Guys, Johnny Rockets, and Darlington House.

“Man oh man,” says Bucher, “People are going crazy, and we haven’t even opened yet.” The founder said he put 1, 000 paper menus by the front door today. By this afternoon, they were gone.

Read More “Dupont BGR: The Burger Joint Set to Open Thursday or Friday” »

Don’t worry,  Y&H didn’t know that the Fast Foodie had left, either. I just stumbled upon these videos this morning and fell for the character played by Hannes Phinney when he said, “I got to get back to basics. I got to get back to my reality. My reality is burgers and fries, tacos, extreme burritos and french fries and burritos and overstuffed nachos and occasional breakfast sandwiches.”

You can watch more Fast Foodie videos here.

Controversy over Esquire’s selection for Chef of the Year. The passing of Ben Ali. The New York Times‘ investigation into commercial ground beef. All of these have been major subjects on the blog this week.

And yet: The most-read item this week beat out Select 55 by a mere five clicks.

1. Barton Seaver to Be Named Esquire’s Chef of the Year, Controversy Ensues
2. Budweiser Launches Select 55, Light Beer Arms Race Gets Absurd
3. Ben Ali’s Son: “We’re All OK.”
4. The Times’ Shattering Expose of Ground Beef: Where Does It Leave Burger Lovers?
5. Despite Founder’s Death, It Was Business As Usual at Ben’s
   

The New York Times‘ investigation of the commercial beef industry has consumed much of Y&H’s attention this week. First, I solicited a couple of burger men to give their opinions on the differences between commercial ground beef and gourmet ground beef. Then, I asked those with a less-vested interest in the subject— readers, in other words — for their thoughts.

Y’all had some good thoughts, like Jamie’s:

Read More “Readers Respond to Ground-Beef Gate” »

Forget hamburgers for a moment. Here’s a beef dish you can believe in, even at a place like Lotus Cafe, which casts a wider net than your average tuna fisherman. Seriously, a Vietnamese restaurant that serves calamari fries, coconut shrimp, and a Sex on the Beach cocktail?  Is this place channeling Saigon or Cancun?

Read More “Dish of the Week: Pho with Eye of Round at Lotus Cafe” »

 Michael Landrum, the man who put the meat into the Ray’s mini-empire, has never been shy about telling the world about the superiority of his beef.  The New York Times‘ investigation of the commercial ground-beef industry gave him another chance to do more of the same.

Landrum responded to three of the four questions posed by Y&H in the wake of the investigation. I asked Landrum — and BGR’s Mark Bucher before him — to try to alleviate public fears by explaining the differences between commercial ground beef and their ground beef.

Y&H: What was your overall impression of the Times‘ piece and what do you think it will mean for ground beef and burger sales in the future?

Landrum: Didn’t see the piece, so I can’t comment on question 1.  Read More “Michael Landrum Makes His Case for Gourmet Burgers in the Face of the Times’ Investigation” »

Following the New York Times‘ investigation of the ground-beef industry, and the failed safety systems designed to protect the public from its worst practices, Y&H contacted a number of prominent burger operators to get their take on the situation.

It was a chance for them to refute any information, argue that the safety of gourmet ground beef is better than commercial ground beef, and generally try to calm a nervous public, if possible.

First up to respond: Mark Bucher, founder and co-owner of BGR: The Burger Joint. He e-mailed answers to four questions. (Responses edited for punctuation.)

Y&H: What was your overall impression of the Times‘ piece and what do you think it will mean for ground beef and burger sales in the future?

Bucher: I thought it was extremely well-researched. This certainly wasn’t the first time we’ve seen this happen in the world. Most of it occurs in fast food restaurants, where they struggle each day to produce a burger that can make them a profit at a .99 cent price point. In my opinion, the entire bulk ground beef issue is one borne by a slow economy and chain restaurants forcing suppliers to “reduce costs,” because they need the financial model to work for a return on their restaurants. I don’t think it will have any impact on the sale of ground beef. Humans love to eat beef; eating a succulent, juicy hamburger is one of the great joys of life.

Read More “Burger Joint’s Bucher Weighs In on the Times’ Ground Beef Investigation” »

According to this CNN Money report from last year, Cargill, the manufacturer of the ground beef that partially paralyzed the dance instructor profiled in Sunday’s New York Times, is the second largest privately held company in the country. Fortune magazine estimates that Cargill’s 2007 revenues were $88 billion. The company’s third quarter net earnings in 2008 were more than $1 billion.

And yet according to the Times‘ story, Cargill, despite its wealth, can’t seem to follow its own safety practices, doesn’t want to test its suppliers’ meat before grinding, and seems to enjoy some measure of protection from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.