I refused to watch Mr. Flay’s new reality show, but I cannot refuse his food.  I would normally say the last thing America needs is another chain burger joint, yet I have been converted.

In n’ Out, Checkers, Crown Burger… naw, I still like Crown Burger, will not only be forever relegated to the backseat in my book, but they are no longer even on my map.

Chopped sirloin, arugula, and goat cheese equal bliss.  Add to it a side of sweet potato fries, a dark chocolate shake, and I am falling off my stool in a happy stupor.  Mock my burger for trying to be too froo-froo or shee-shee, or pinkies out, say anything you want, just make sure to take small enough bites to leave room for some crow and your foot.

Surprisingly affordable, very convenient, and worth having to buy larger pants.

This recap is for all those who missed my Burger-vision tweets live from the event last evening, with new and improved, non-Blackberry produced images. *Mainly non-Blackberry… just realized we missed a few burgers while tweeting and eating.

As my first time attending the Bash I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I knew it would involve insane amounts of one of my favorite foods, the burger, and a chance to spy some of my favorite chefebrities, so I was beyond excited. Arriving via cab to the Ritz Carlton South Beach I was a little confused as to where to go based on the lack of signage. BF in tow (always nice to bring an extra photographer/tweeter/foodie) I followed the music and another couple to a sparsely lit walkway and queued up behind a mass of people. Note for next year: Try to arrive early. Pretend you are not in SoBe and it’s okay to be (gasp) early or at least on time, which we weren’t on either case. While I’m making notes… #2: Also, try to wear appropriate shoes for the sand. Not that my new DVF’s with wooden wedge heel and braided ties weren’t hot, I am assured they were, BUT maybe not beach appropriate. Luckily Lee Schrager and his team thought of everything. Especially the fact that many women attending were going to opt for fashion over function. Havaiana’s to the rescue! Every attendee was given a coupon that they could exchange for a free pair of the “world’s best rubber flip-flops”. Nice touch! Although, my anticipation of the succulent burger madness awaiting me (and BF too) within the now reachable tent overpowered any thought of another winding line, even if it may offer me a modicum of additional comfort. Mind over matter people, let me at those patties…

Ok, I’m going to confess here. I’m such a dork. I checked out the Lineup on eater.com and made notes for all the burgers (and sides) I knew I wanted to try in advance because I knew I wouldn’t be able to make it through all the submissions, even after subsiding solely on earl grey tea and wheat crackers with almond butter all day. Yes, it IS that serious.

As a South Florida resident I had to check out my local restaurants first. We made a beeline to BLT Steak for the Butcher’s Burger: Peppercorn crusted grilled USDA burger with caramelized onions & aged cheddar cheese with hand cut fries. It was everything a good burger should be: moist slightly charred beef with the iconic onion and cheddar and a side of fries. An excellent first bite.

Next up: Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink’s Genuine Bacon Egg and Cheeseburger: Heirloom tomatoes and quail egg added an upscale touch to this bacon white cheddar cheeseburger. This burger was paired with amazing fried cheese grit pops. I could’ve popped about 50 of those in my mouth if BF would’ve diverted Schwartz’s attention, but alas it was not so, and we had more burgers to sample…

The one I’ve been anticipating all day: Spike Mendelsohn with Good Stuff Eatery’s Colletti Smokehouse Burger: Beef patty topped with applewood smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, beer battered onion rings, chipotle BBQ on a potato bun. You had me at chipotle. This burger packed a mini punch of heat and the smoky and sweet flavors all blended together very nicely. Speaking of blended… this burger was paired with the most amazingly delicious toasted marshmallow milkshake (henceforth known as… mmm). Seriously? I love marshmallows. I didn’t even know a mmm was possible, but it is and it is magnificent! Also awesome: Spike serving dressed as the Hamburglar.

“I’m sorry you had to follow all that Good Stuff”: Love Shack’s Wild Love burger: Elk with foie gras, arugula, and huckleberry jam paired with manchego-serrano tater tots. An ambitious effort, but a little too complex for this burgerista. Love Shack, I did love your tots and cute logo-ed toothpick flags.

Back to Miami burgers: Bulldog Burger’s Black Truffle Burger with Brie Cheese and Crispy Pancetta. The name says it’s it all. And they are ALL my favorites. (Note: I love, love, love truffles. I have truffle oil, truffle butter, truffle salt, and the occasional actual factual truffle in my home. I don’t really cook either, but when I do, one ingredient is a mainstay. Yum!) Bulldog just bounced Good Stuff eatery for my favorite burger, but the mmm still retains a solid place in my heart. Bulldog, I will be back in the near future with an appetite. ETA: Also paired with cheddar tots. Mini potatoes stuffed with cheddar cheese, not your typical tot. Also delish.

The restaurant that I can walk to, but alas can never eat in…: Morimoto’s Nikomi Burger: Wagyu beer patty stewed in Morimoto sauce and topped with fried egg paired with a pickle. Boca Resort you will taunt me no longer, I have tasted Morimoto’s and deemed it delicious. I wonder if the Morimoto sauce is for sale, because it is insanely good. Going to Google in a minute… The wagyu beef really set this burger apart. I say step away from the chuck.

Another Iron Chef: Jose Garces’ Village Whiskey’s Village Burger: presented on a sesame roll with house-made thousand island dressing, tomato, and bibb lettuce. Paired with duck fat fried potatoes with duck gravy, duck confit and farmer’s cheese. These fries were other-worldly. I have a Canadian friend who always rambles on about poutine, and I never got it. George, I get it now. I really truly get it.

Third Iron Chef in a Row: Bobby’s (Flay) Burger Palace’s Napa Valley Burger Crunchified: Fresh goat cheese, watercress, meyer lemon honey mustard and potato chips on the bun. Yum. This mustard is sick! We have a new favorite, sorry Howie. BF and I are in agreement and Bobby’s leading the pack.

Most enticing presentation: The National’s National Burger: wood roasted burger with gruyere cheese, spicy pickles and the national secret sauce paired with gingered coleslaw. This burger was primed to be photo-ed and the gruyere cheese and secret sauce made it extra savory. Good looks and taste.

And… the final burger of the night: Michael Symon B Spot’s Yo! Burger: Burger with fried salami, provolone, shasha sauce and pickled onion. The sauce set this burger over the edge for us, and was a perfect end to our burger-quest. Bobby, you just may have a challenger…

After we were thoroughly satiated on red meat, it was time to fulfill my need for sweets, which as a general rule need to be consumed after any savory meal. Stop #1 Ciao Bello Gelato.

I opted for malted milk ball while BF chose butter pecan. Both were creamy, dreamy cups of deliciousness. But, after all those burgers only one sweet would suffice: chocolate. Rich, decadent chocolate. Luckily for us, Jacques Torres set up shop and we whisked off samples of a creamy chocolate rectangular creation with signature chocolate flag atop (Does anyone know: Was it cake or a mousse? I really couldn’t decide, but loved every bite!) and chocolate chip cookies.

The evening ended with the hotly anticipated awards presentation.

Best Dressed Burger: Michael Symon’s B Spot

Best Side Dish: Burger & Beer Joint (sadly I did not get to try their winning entry: Truffle baked potato salad. Seriously I missed out on truffles!!!!)

Judge’s Choice Award: Marc Murphy’s Landmarc (The Big Marc: All-beef hamburger on a homemade black pepper and cheddar bun with spiked ketchup and house made pickles)

And the People’s Choice Winner is… Michael Symon’s B Spot, who was incidentally also the 2010 winner.

Congrats to all the entrants. This foodie is full and on hiatus until tomorrow eve for the 10th Anniversary Let Them Eat Cake Party!

The 4 Cheese Burger (American, Swiss, Cheddar and Goat Cheese) topped with two slices of perfectly crisp, cured bacon is a treasure buried deep in the coves of Bobby’s Burger Palace. There’s a certain lure about this burger.  It’s a rare breed in the realm of burgers, fries, and shakes.  What makes it so rare?  Well, for one thing, it’s only available 1 month out of the year.

I know what you’re thinking. What makes this sandwich of meat and cheese so special?  Is the burger crusted with gold flakes?  Is the cheese sliced by world-renowned chefs? No and no.  In fact this burger costs less than $8.  The mystique that surrounds this burger is this; The 4 Cheese Burger is a member of the “Burger of the Month” lineup at Bobby’s Burger Palace at Mohegan Sun.

Each month, Bobby Flay releases a new addition to the BOTM club (Burger of the Month club). It’s an excellent idea and marketing strategy because it keeps bringing you back for more.  It’s sorta like being a member of Oprah’s Book Club, but without Oprah, oh yeah and without the books too.

Pictured above is the current BOTM. The Louisiana Burger consists of a thick, spice crusted, certified Angus beef patty topped with Griddled Tasso ham, Pepper Jack cheese, Hot sauce, and a spicy Remoulade drizzle.  As you can tell they definitely love their spices down on the bayou and the Louisiana Burger proves it.  The addition of the Tasso Ham launches this burgers into the outer space of taste.  Surprisingly, the burger isn’t hot to the point where a tall glass of milk is on standby.  The intensity of the heat blends perfectly with the Pepper Jack cheese giving it a nice kick.  The remoulade and hot sauce seep through the inner linings of the soft hamburger bun enhancing the overall flavor of the burger.

The Louisiana has a special place in my heart because it was the first burger I ever had at BBP.  Most recently, I reunited with my long-lost Louisiana.  I attended a boxing event and made sure to stop by and enjoy one of my all-time favorite burgers.

Bobby’s Burger Palace is also home to 10 signature burgers created by Bobby Flay himself as well as a variety of fries, shakes, and margaritas (I’m a sucker for Sweet Potato Fries). The Dallas Burger (above) is another favorite of Front Row Eats.  This burger is also spice crusted, but it is piled high with Monterey Jack Cheese, BBQ sauce, pickles, and a mound of coleslaw.  The cool, creamy texture of the coleslaw merges effortlessly with the smokiness of the BBQ sauce and Jack cheese.  If you are a first-timer at BBP, I strongly recommend the Dallas.  You go on now ya’ hear!!

Well, partner looks like this rodeo is about over (Sorry, still in Dallas mode).  If you are ever strolling the halls of Mohegan Sun, avoid the long lines of Johnny Rockets and head over to BBP and enjoy one of the best burger you will ever have.

(5 Bobby Flays out of 5)

Bonus: Check out Bobby Flay and a quick tour of BBP!!

Price: $
Service: 9/10
Quality: 9/10
Taste: 10/10

-Chris P.

After spin, I quickly ran home and made myself a Starbucks Via with silk nog while I showered and got ready for the Villanova game. These are so good for a quick coffee drink (didn’t get a pic).

Pre game we all went to Bobby’s Burger Palace in University City. This is Bobby Flay’s burger joint. It’s amazing. I had the LA burger, it had avocado relish, tomato, and cheddar. This was good but Dan got the dallasand it was better.

Dan and I split onion rings and sweet potato fries.

We also split the best milkshake ever! Vanilla caramel bourbon milkshake. “A blast in a glass!” (btw I don’t care for Deana from the j. Shore. But I care for Sammi less. Just a side note). This milkshake was amazing. Lots of gooey caramel and just enough bourbon where you could taste it but ita was delicious and not gaggy. Soooo good. I wanted another! And one after the game but I had to have some self control.

I also had a miller light with my meal. And then, a few blue moons (2) at the wells Fargo center.

Well as you probably know, the game was very scary. Nova turned it around in the end and all was well. The rest of the day was spent lounging around until we had to get ready for Higgins’ birthday extravaganza. Before we left, dan and I had a few pretzels in spicy mustard (no pic)

For said extravaganza, we went to Sampan in center city. Our reservation was at 8:30. We got there at 730 and held down the bar… For what turned into 2 1/2 hours!! It was pretty annoying. We were starving by the time we sat down! They sent out some free stuff since we had to wait so long but I don’t think I would go there again after that incident. Everyone was t.o.ed. Anyway, the food was Asian Tapas and i liked pretty much everything I had. The Pork Bao Buns were my favorite. However after that wait, the ridiculous price of the food added insult to injury. All in all it was a fun night with friends but I would not recommend this restaurant. In general I am not a huge fan of tapas (I’d rather just have an entree), even with a reservation we waited a ridiculous amount of time (we were there 5 hours total!) and it was super expensive.

Ps I had planned to take pictures of the dinner but I was so hungry and ravenous I had to forego.

So there I am, finally eating all healthy, whole grains and carbs, veggies and fruits, meats and proteins and blah blah blah, and also working out and running. Yeah, I’m all proud, and , wait? Am I starting to see a trace of stomach muscle? OH YEAH. And then where do we go? Just the most perfect pig out spot in Paramus New Jersey: Bobby’s Burger Palace.

And yes, it was created by Bobby Flay. I found out about this place while watching the Food Network‘s (and yes, also the Cooking Channel now that we bought an upgrade!) The Best Thing I Ever Ate. They were doing an episode about burgers, and Claire Robinson, the host on Five Ingredient Fix (It’s amazing how many things I remember off the top of my head) was fantasizing and going crazy about a burger with potato chips. Yup. Burgers and chips. Now why didn’t we think of that, Bobby Flay?

Then Claire Robinson mentions the location, and I’m thinking “Paramus? It’s so close to us! We MUST leave right now.” And we did, 3 days later.There are only 5 restaurants so far in the U.S., and 2 of them are in New Jersey.

Anyhoot, it was pretty awesome. The vibe was all perky because of the green and orange palette, and all you have to do to order is go up to the counter, tell’em what  you want, they’ll give you a number and then bring it right to you. Since I’ve been obsessed with barbecue sauce lately, especially since I had just tried my first pulled pork at Chili’s a couple of weeks before, I inevitably got the Dallas Burger (spice crusted/cole slaw/monterey jack/BBQ sauce/pickles). You also get to choose angus beef, ground turkey, or chicken breast. I got turkey cooked to medium well. And I almost forgot, ANY burger can be crunchified, which basically means they’ll throw on a handful of chips and stick the whole thing together with a stick. All of our burgers were crunchified, fyi.

Mom got the Buffalo Style, Claire Robinson’s favorite. (red hot sauce/blue cheese dressing/watercress)

Dad, the Bobby Blue (blue cheese/bacon/lettuce/tomato)Sort of like a BLT-Bobby Lettuce Tomato.

Gia, the crunchburger (double american cheese/potato chips)

Yes. That’s the stuff. You eat it by compressing the chips with slight pressure with your hands, so that you can get some of those chips in every bite. My family and I all agreed that the burger was just the right size, juicy, good bun, and that we want to eat another one. I think this is my mom’s new obsession. Before before, it was carrot cake, before it was Red velevet cake with cream cheese (which is by the way insanely sweet and luscious for a cake made at Costco), and now this. I could probably go for another one right now, actually.

Besides their burgers, they had an assortment of sauces you could put on your burger and experiment with. Burger sauce, chipotle sauce, and jalapeno (goes from sweet to hot), just to name a few. I’ve also developed a new love for sweet potato fries, especially with that tangy honey mustard horseradish sauce they pair with it (ate them all before I could take a picture). So much better than french fries…

T-diddy, Chef Flay, & Me

It’s BOBBY FLAY!!!! Whooooo hooooo!! Anyone who is a Bobby Flay hater can just go ahead and skip this post because I have nothing negative to say about my boo, Bobby…even when he loses challenges I stand by my man! So you can imagine my excitement when word got out that he was bringing his burger chain to Philadelphia! Of course, I was there on opening night even though I’ve waited until now to get to writin’.

Fries and Creamy Crack Fry Sauce

Honestly, this is not the best or most cost-effective burger that I’ve ever had in my life, BUT it’s a darn good burger. I think this place serves as a go-to spot, especially for students and out-of-towners. I like to take people somewhere where I know they’ll be pleased and that may have a nice little story or some hype surrounding it. So when 2 of my friends came to visit and wanted a burger, T-diddy and I took them here.

L.A. Burger with bacon...note Cactus Pear Margarita in the background

If you can’t tell, I like guacamole. So my burger of choice is the L.A. burger which is served with guac, watercress, tomato, and cheddar. (No cheese on mine, please.) I’m also a fan of the regular french fries, mostly because of the AMAZING fry sauce (it’s creamy crack) they come with, which, I just found out I can ORDER!! But why, when I can just go down the street and get it…whatever. S-whineup got the L.A. burger as well and added bacon. T-diddy and C-balla got the Dallas burger, which is a spice crusted burger with Monterrey jack cheese, coleslaw, bbq sauce, and pickles. T-diddy is a bigger fan of the sweet potato fries…they’re good too. T-diddy and S-whineup got the pear cactus margaritas and C-balla had a vanilla milkshake spiked with vanilla caramel bourbon. Everything was tasty and everyone was happy. Bobby uses good products. I like the angus beef to bun ratio. The sesame seed bun is lightly toasted so that’s it’s still soft and not so crunchy that it cuts the roof of your mouth. Nor do you have to bite through 3inches of bread before you get to the goodies. Like any good burger, grease drips down your arm and all the goodies can fall through the bottom if you’re not careful with your first bite…but that’s to be expected with greatness. There are like 4 or 5 different sauces at your table or counter space ranging from chipotle ketchup to a jalepeno sauce, but I like the fry sauce so much I put it on my burger too.

Dallas Burger with bacon...note spiked milkshake in the background

So if you want a go-to burger spot where you might (very slim chance) catch a celebrity chef, check out Bobby’s Burger Palace. The prices aren’t too bad either, burger, fries, and non-alcoholic drink for $12. If I spike my drink, still doesn’t take me past $15. And might I add that that a $4.50 margarita is better than a lot of the $10 ones I’ve had at some up-scale restaurants.

Where is your go-to burger spot? Do you love Bobby too? Why? Why not?

Each month there is a “Burger of the Month” – and this month it’s the Brunch Burger. It’s a Burger with American Cheese, Smoked Bacon and a Fried Egg.

This burger was absolutely delicious. It has to be one of the best burgers I’ve ever eaten.  It was nice and juicy. I will only eat a burger well done (no pink) and there are so many places that think that equals burnt. But not BBP! They cooked it perfectly. The bacon was also cooked perfectly, and the egg was cooked just right.

We also got an order of french fries and they were so good! They had just the right amount of salt on them, and the dipping sauce was amazing. I wish I had a bottle of this stuff at home!

On our next visit we plan to try a Spiked Milkshake, and I want to try the Sweet Potato fries.

My friend Woojin took me out to eat lunch one day to Bobby’s Burger Palace. I was surprised to hear that the infamous Bobby Flay was the owner of a fast food burger place. It was funny because we would order at the register like a regular fast food place, take a number, and a waiter/waitress would bring the food to your table. I was very excited to eat here because of the name and also the huge line that almost went out the door.

My friend Woojin ordered the Cheyenne Burger which was the September Burger of the month. His burger consisted of smoked cheddar, BBQ sauce, shoestring onion rings, and bacon. I had the Dallas Burger which had spice crusted patty, coleslaw, Monterey Jack cheese, BBQ sauce, and pickles. I did not get to try the Cheyenne Burger, but the Dallas Burger was mighty good. The flavors between the coleslaw, cheese, and the patty is to die for. Although the bun tended to get soggy because of the juiciness of the burger, I would not have minded if Bobby Flay would have picked a more sustainable bun.

The onion rings were a bit on the heavy side but the sweet potato fries were amazing. They were extremely crunchy and had a hint of sweetness that really worked well with the honey mustard horseradish sauce they gave us to dip in.

Overall, I had a pleasant first time experience there and it was fairly cheap. Highly recommended.

610 Bergen Town Center
Paramus, NJ 07652
201-368-7001

LA Burger

I ordered a medium-well LA burger made with beef patty, tomatoes, watercress, and avocado relish. The avocado part was alright, but the burger tasted kind of dry in my opinion. There was no juicy meatiness, no flavor, not even saltiness. (I heard that the “crunchified” burgers are way too salty though.) And I paid $7.50 for this thing! The burger wasn’t even big or anything. (Ninja-Kitty complained about the portion size too!)

Close Up on Burger

The sweet potato fries on the other hand were a different story. Those were actually pretty darn good, although the portion was a bit too large for me to handle during one sitting. (Ironically this was the complete opposite story for the burger. I didn’t want to finish that one.) The inside of the fries were mushy and sweet potatoey, like the filling of sweet potato pie or freshly baked sweet potato in winter. This was contained in a crispy fried skin. Some of the fries were a bit hard though, suggesting uneven frying.

Sweet Potato Fries

I tried dipping them in the weird wasabi-like honey-mustard sauce, but it completely ruined the flavor. You gotta eat these fiesty fries unadorned with any dip to truly enjoy the sweet potatoey goodness!

Overall, I don’t think I would ever get another burger here, though I wouldn’t mind trying the fries again if I pass by. I am definitely not going out of my way to walk down to 39th Street for Bobby’s again, except maybe to test out a milkshake. But seeing how mediocre those boastful burgers were, I don’t have my hopes up.

Bobby’s Burger Palace, Paramus, New Jersey

For the past couple of years the good people of the State of New Jersey have been doing everything they can to clean up their state and its reputation and getting little help from the producers of the MTV show Jersey Shore.  Things they have done include building a new state of the art football arena at the Meadowlands, electing Chris Christie governor, and everything possible to clean up the string of shopping malls located on routes 17 and 4 in Bergen County.  My favorite part about the restoration these malls have received has been the name changes.  The Riverside Square Mall became the extremely high end Shops at Riverside; Houlihan’s and Spencer’s Gifts were out, Tiffany’s and Burberry were in.  And the once derelict and seedy Bergen Mall became The Bergen Town Center where Bobby Flay put one of his new, fashionable but low-key restaurants called Bobby’s Burger Palace.

Bobby’s Burger Palace is a cross between fast food and a Bobby Flay restaurant.  The ordering style is much like you’d see at a McDonald’s, with a giant menu on the wall and a woman with a computer to take your order and your money.  From there you’re given a number and a chance to seat yourself and wait for your food to be brought to you.  The menu itself is pretty straightforward:  they sell cheeseburgers.  (The menus do differ slightly from location to location, however.  The BBP in West Philadelphia, for example, serves beer while the one in Paramus does not.)  All in all though you’ve got about ten different varieties of cheeseburger, some salads, fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings, and milk shakes.  That’s it, but what the heck else were you looking for?  Oh, you were looking for them to “crunchify” your burger by  putting potato chips on it?  Well, yeah, they can do that for you, and it’s especially fun to hear them say, “Would you like that crunchified?” with a straight face.

A good rule of thumb I’ve developed for a place like this is that you can really get a cheeseburger anywhere.  You find out where the good ones are and you stick to those places, but the differences between one great burger place and another are generally minimal.  So what you wanna do is try to expand your horizons a little.  Food Network star Claire Robinson of 5 Ingredient Fix chose Bobby’s Buffalo Style Burger (with red hot sauce, blue cheese dressing, and watercress) for her turn on The Best Thing I Ever Ate and I opted for the Burger of the Month (July): The Mulberry Burger.  Named after Mulberry Street in New York City’s Little Italy, this burger had mozzarella, parmesan, basil ketchup, and arugula, all on a toasted sesame seed bun.  It was delicious.  The arugula (which I’ve developed a new appreciation for since my last trip to Brooklyn) is really what makes it, giving it a crunch with more flavor than lettuce does.  C.J. and I also got the sweet potato fries (which are enough for two people and not the best I’ve had) and a milk shake (which was really more ice cream in a glass than a milkshake).

Most importantly, though, this was a reasonably priced venture.  No burger was more than $7.50.  Not bad, Mr. Flay.  Not bad at all.

J.G. Melon, New York City

This was Bobby Flay’s choice for the best cheeseburger he’s ever had on The Best Thing I Ever Ate.  J.G. Melon is located in his old neighborhood, the Upper East Side of Manhattan on the corner of 74th and 3rd Avenue.  This place is as low key as it gets for this neighborhood.  Tiny menu, tiny chairs, tiny waitresses, appropriately sized food, cash only.  People told me to expect a long wait, but C.J. and I got lucky and a table opened up right as we got there.  Many of the people who bothered to post comments on MenuPages.com (losers) complained about the wait and the wait staff.  The service wasn’t great but no one was especially rude or threw food at me.

The burger was good.  It was really good.  Really. There’s nothing else to it.  Nice piece of beef, cooked well, cheese, toasted bun, nine dollars.  End of story.  Its simplicity was something that Flay talked about when interviewed for Best Thing, which is ironic when you consider variety of ingredients he talks about on TV and puts on his burger menu.

And now we come to why I’m putting a halt on the cheeseburger posts (well, this and the fact that I joined Weight Watchers this week): there’s just not much more I can say about them.  One amazing burger is remarkably similar to another amazing burger.  I’ve been lucky in recent travels to only have tried amazing burgers and would certainly recommend everything I’ve written about.  Just don’t expect someone to reinvent the wheel for you.  Don’t let expectations screw with your head.  Take the burger for what it is and enjoy.

And now for something completely different…

http://www.bobbysburgerpalace.com/

Imagine how excited I was that Bobby Flay opened a restaurant on campus (of course it was after I had graduated).  The burgers were delicious, but the sweet potato fries were especially good.

The Jersey Shore Premium Outlets located at Exit 100A off the Garden State Parkway are a shopping mecca for this girl. I work hard for my money and save it for shopping indulgences at the outlets.   Nothing makes a long week more bearable for me than having new clothes at a great price to get me through.  The Back-To-School & Fall Preview Sale will be Thursday, July 29 through Monday, August 2nd. Join the VIP Club and receive a VIP Coupon book with even more savings.  There’s pretty much just mall food here but check out Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen, you can’t go wrong with pizza. Ever.

Red Bank, our favorite Hip City,  will have their Annual Sidewalk Sale lining the streets in the business district.  For complete details click here.  Head into Red Bank next weekend for the festivities, sales start Friday, July 30 and end at the close of business on Sunday. The hours are Friday and Saturday 9:00am to 8:00pm and Sunday 10:00am to 5:00pm.  While you wander the streets of Red Bank you have so many great restaurants to choose from. It’s hard for me to recommend just one.  Danny’s Steakhouse, Sushi and Seafood is fabulous and right in the heart of the Theatre and Antiques District.  Grab a bite and a drink or sit down to a full course meal. I’m starving right now and looking at their website is making it much worse.

Monmouth Mall is perfect for a rainy day or a blazing hot one that is on tap for Saturday. Anchor stores include Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, and JC Penney.  There are loads of stores and restaurants.   Time is running out to try Bobby’s Burger Palace “Burger of the Month” for July. The restaurant that is named after celebrity chef Bobby Flay is featuring the Mulberry Street Burger topped with arugula, mozzarella cheese, basil ketchup and Parmesan cheese. Sounds like cheesy delicious-ness.

Pier Village, located in Long Branch, NJ has over 30 boutiques and restaurants.  Located near the boardwalk and ocean in Long Branch, it is a great place to check out some funky little shops and restaurants you won’t find anywhere else. Clothing, spas, running gear and the list goes on.  After you’ve worked up an appetite or thirst for that matter, stop in at The Wine Loft, winner of Wine Spectator’s 2010 Award of Excellence.  The Wine Loft offers a full service spirits bar, and an extensive wine selection. Choose from various tapas style menu items, and the kitchen is open until 1:00 am every night.

The Grove at Shrewsbury and The Grove West are a wonderful outdoor shopping experience.  When I moved here a year ago, I heaved a sigh of relief to see all of my favorite stores in one location. Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor Loft, Banana Republic, Coach, Gap, J Crew and Victoria’s Secret were all there lined up and well within reach. A very happy girl was I. Of course there’s more shops there, those just happen to be my faves.  The Grove at Shrewsbury, located on Highway 35 one mile south of Red Bank and five miles west from the beach. While you’re there and I am face palming myself, visit d’jeet? for some great food. I am face palming myself because I JUST now got what the name of the restaurant means, I always thought it was  a foreign place. (Duh.) The y are open for lunch and dinner with a cafe style menu. Outdoor dining is available and it is a BYOB restaurant.

If you have any other shopping or dining recommendations, please leave them in the comments section below. I’d love to hear from you.

Dining:

Transportation: The D.C. Council approves an emergency measure allowing overhead streetcar wires on the H Street/Benning Road corridor.  Preservationists argued wires were going to ruin L’Enfant’s majestic views of  the nation’s capital. – Washington Business Journal

Literature: Scandinavian crime novels are “hot properties.” We know Wallander (left) is one of them. – Washington Post

TV:  A documentary on the life of Benazhir Bhutto premiered at the National Geographic Society. A discussion was later moderated by Judy Woodruff of PBS.  Too bad Fatima Bhutto was not invited. – APP

Travel: Air France open’s a new lounge at Dulles Airport. – Flight Global

And then I proceeded to go into convulsions – yes I was SO excited!!!!  As you may know, Bobby Flay is my favorite all time chef and tv personality… you may remember when we went to Mesa Grill for my birthday… well I am so happy that now there is a Bobby Flay restaurant so close to where we live now!  Well, of course, upon arriving, I realized I forgot my camera… I was SOO bummed :/  I carry my camera everywhere with me and of course I was reorganizing my purse yesterday and left it in the camera… Anyway, I took some cell phone pictures but they don’t do the food justice so I’m not posting them.

We waited in line for about an hour but believe it or not it didn’t seem that long, but I think because I was so excited and it was a nice night   Once we made it inside, we were surrounded by bright southwestern style colors… pictures of avocadoes and hot peppers on the wall… a modern take on the old fashioned diner counter… and a friendly staff… So, what did we order when we got to the counter?

I ordered the Napa Valley burger which consisted of angus beef topped with goat cheese and watercress…

• Ok, burger and goat cheese?  Need I say more… The goat cheese was fresh and full of flavor and the watercress complemented the fresh feel of this burger… I think it’s probably the best burger I’ve had (and I don’t say this loosely), even though I thought nothing could ever compare to my previously favorite “Pressed” burger at Cheeseburger In Paradise…

Bill ordered the Santa Fe burger which was angus beef topped with queso, blue corn tortilla chips, and jalapenos…

• I had a bite of this and loved the “crunchified” effect from the chips and the gooey cheese… Bill is making it his mission to try to recreate this burger at home… he declared that it was the best burger he’s had, which is saying a lot because he is a true meat lover!

We shared a vanilla bean milkshake and fries that came with “Fry Sauce”…

• The milkshake was probably THE BEST vanilla bean milkshake I have ever had… it was creamy, smooth, and FULL of pure vanilla flavor… I would definitely come back just for the milkshakes!
• The fries were thin and crunchy- just how I love them… The fry sauce was amazing… it was spicy and tangy… Next time we go back, I am definitely buying the fry sauce, which they sell at the counter along with a number of other delicious sauces!

If you want to view some pictures of our yummy meals, check these out… the presentation of the food we received was pretty close to these pictures, which is admiral considering that the kitchen had to be operating at full capacity given the crowds and lines both inside and outside… What was even more impressive than the food was the restaurant’s staff…

As I mentioned,we ordered a milkshake along with our burgers & fries… It didn’t come out with our burgers, but we weren’t really concerned about it, we just figured it would come out later… After taking a bite of our burgers, the general manager came out with our vanilla bean milkshake and apologized to us for the delay (we were both thinking wow, what delay it was only a few minutes) and gave us a complimentary gift card to apologize… Bill and I were so impressed with the level of service at a casual dining atmosphere that we both thought the service was enough to make us want to come back… Everyone was friendly and sociable which I think was not an easy feat when you are dealing with mass volumes…

Needless to say, I know you probably are all thinking this might be slightly biased because it’s a Bobby Flay restaurant, and maybe it is, but it surely did not disappoint and we will definitely be coming back… SOON!

And I promise I’ll bring my camera next time!

Reminder Philly Area Readers

I, along with other Philly area bloggers, will be participating in the Share Our Strength Great American Bake Sale one week from today on Saturday, April 17th starting at 10am… I will be selling lemon sugar cookies & peanut butter cookies and I promise there will be many other yummy treats… It will be held at A Full Plate on Liberties Walk, on 1009 N. Bodine St, Philadelphia, PA 19123… If you are unable to attend but would like to make a donation, please go here and help us out

Stay tuned because later today, I will be announcing a fun new giveaway!