glorified bison at the burgery company

 

I would be remiss if I didn't decide to reveal my latest, crazed place of my burger-scarfing repertoire during National Burger Month. And, taking until the 20th of the month to offer you delicious words to munch on is because I am well, preoccupied celebrating one of the best months of the year (i.e. eating loads of all-beef patties).

But, as I am avid fan of always ordering medium-rare beef, my newest burger stop praises patties in many forms—think besides beef toward bison, elk, venison, pork, lamb, fish and veggie.

The Burgery Company, a counter-service burger joint on the brims of Route 100, allows for their customers to construct their most perfect composition. Yes, you may select one of their booming buns (titled after team mascots, the theme of this edible hub), but the most exciting aspect of this venture is their never-ending choices of all that may be pumped inside their fresh breads.

The bases—ranging from poppy seed to whole wheat—may be layered with smears of smokehouse mayo, roasted garlic spread, sweet bourbon sauce, Caribbean jerk, roasted pineapple sauce, and even, the Burgery's secret sauce. The meaty, generous marvels, which I've previously mentioned above, are always expanding, and have recently included the offering of a lemon-and-pepper seasoned ostrich burger.

And, if I couldn't say more, the tricked-out treasures that may be seen atop your medium-rare (their suggested cooking temp) round are mouth-watering, which include fried Anaheim chiles, oven roasted tomatoes, black-and-tan onion rings, sauerkraut, snow pea cashew slaw, as well as all the norm' classics.

The Burgery doesn't forgot your favorite fried, crunchy sides, either. Chow down on fried dills, sweet potato fries, tater tots, corn nuggets, psychedelic slaw, and of course, above par fresh cut fries.

Seen above, my constructed bison burger on a hearty, whole grain bun loaded with oven roasted tomatoes, bleu cheese, caramelized onions and bacon. My dining companion also opted for the delicious bison patty on whole grains, paired with cheddar cheese and crisp bacon.

The Burgery Company, 1458 Chestnut St., Emmaus, 610-966-9900. Mon.-Sat., 10:50 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Sun., 11:50 a.m. - 7 p.m.

the chompable pups of puttin' on the dog

Opened at the close of November of 2009 at the Market Place at Oaks, Puttin' On The Dog succeeds in providing frankfurter fanatics with a new savory, bun-packed standard.

In a compact, unpretentious storefront shop, owner David Carpani provides area diners with the "best dressed hot dogs around," and there is no need for him to be modest when promoting his slogan. His all-beef frankfurters split down the middle and dressed up with whatever you can heart desires, far surpasses your casually plopped ketchup-and-mustard picnic classics.

From sauerkraut, bacon, chili, bruschetta and spicy mustard, his decorations for his dogs are endless, and his concocted specialties do not fall short, either. The most popular combination found in this street food shop is the Hot Smokey Dog, which loads a sliced, jumbo beef sausage in a nicely toasted bun that is drizzled with a decent dose of spicy mustard. Fried peppers and onions finish off this beloved staple, and the ambitious bite is born.

Other interesting iconic bites include Carpani's Tixxie Dog, which mashes a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich with a gigantic beef hot dog. The Tixxie is finished off with a comforting amount of cheese, while the Mighty Dog may fall short on dairy, but doesn't forget anything from the garden. Relish, chopped onions and tomatoes, pepperoncinis and kosher pickles are loaded atop the all-beef wiener, while yellow mustard and celery salt round out the bun.

Puttin' On The Dog, the new and upbeat paean to the frankfurter in all its variations, is also keen in providing an edible paradise for all those who are not victim to hateful heartburn. The Sloppy Dog, their perfectly juicy chili dog is hefty and delicious, and is also layered with crisp coleslaw and yellow mustard.

However, hot dogs aren't the only handheld meats that trump this counter service spot. Bite-size chicken nuggets and tenders are available for the anti-tubular eaters, and are willingly served with honey mustard, barbecue or ranch dipping sauces. Of course, the perfect companion to any hot dog is served here, too. Their Royal Burger is simply offered with all the necessary condiments like lettuce, tomato, mayo, cheese, etc. and grilled to perfection. The side order of french fries are top-notch, also, served in small and large sizes and sprinkled with a seasoned salt blend that is ideal for any fried food lover who enjoys a light kick.

Carpani's unapologetically high-cholesterol glory of all-beef sandwiches may additionally be seen as the perfect all-American snack bar because he offers equally as many dessert and ice cream options as he does dinnertime dishes. From gooey brownie sundaes and fudge nut parfaits, to M&M shakes, malts, latte freezers and root beer floats, an option for everyone taste buds is available at this one-stop shop.

Affordable with speedy service, Puttin' On The Dog soars in huge heaps of comfort food that will most definitely, have you barking back for more just after one bite of their dogs' buns.

Puttin' On The Dog, Market Place at Oaks, 180 C. Mill Rd., Oaks, 484-924-8940.


Also published here.

taste of hamburg-er festival

It is almost unreal to me that less than a year ago, I had not devoured a juicy all-beef patty for over eight years. (You hear that? EIGHT!) It was by choice, of course, and in my past vegetarian ways, I did grill many amazing all-veggie patties. But since abandoning those ways, I have gobbled a ton of juicy hamburgers (excuse: have lost time to make up for) and can't imagine ever going back to a non-beef burger life.

So, being a self-proclaimed burgeraholic, it was only fitting that I attend Hamburg's 6th Annual Hamburger Festival. With over 21 burger vendors, in addition to a handful of other food-themed stands, it is recommended that each attendee chowdown on as many burgers that seem feasible in your soon-to-be stuffed stomachs, and then, vote for best burger in all of Hamburg, Pennsylvania.

Hecky's Sub Shop, located on one of the main streets of the burger-loving town and also, the main route of the festival, luckily enough didn't have to set up shop in the humid outdoors. Conveniently offering up their cool indoor dining pleased any sweaty attending fiend, but the fact that their newest burger, The Dutchie, was the best I had tasted all day, I could not ask for any less (or even, a better name).

The Dutchie, a decent-sized beef patty smeared with a sweet barbecue sauce and glopped with a cheddar and bacon cheese spread, was served fresh on a pretzel bun. The sweet of the sauce, paired with the savoriness of the roll, made for ideal bites of the day.

My second favorite show-stopper, Kooper's Tavern's Chowhound Burger Wagon, travelled all the way from Baltimore to hopefully become the renowned Burger King. Offering everything from a one-pound beef patty, to a turkey, veggie and bison, the tantalizing truck boosts for their build-your-owns, crunchy sides of fries and pickles, and makes a mean-and-gooey bleu cheese concoction, titled the Elvis Got the Blues.

Kooper's bag of sweets.

Elvis Got the Blues, a mix of Maytag blue cheese and crispy apple-smoked bacon, squeezed in a fresh and fluffy Kaiser.

Other tasty creations included Laurel Center's two 'wich creations: The Texas Toast Southwestern served coated with homemade coleslaw and cheddar cheese, and The Surf and Turf layered with fresh crab meat and a nicely tart remoulade.

Next year, I plan to squeeze in five whole-burger bites, or maybe, being ambitious, enter the burger eating competition.

a pleasuresome peek into collingswood's pop shop

Nothing screams "summertime" more than a spontaneous field trip to an quasi-new place to tantalize my always grumbling tum'. My oldest brother, once a resident of Collingswood, NJ (the destination of my brief road trip), never once mentioned visiting The Pop Shop. Yes, he is a fan of the overcommercialized Cherry Hill, but come on, his sister is a food-obsessed fiend!

So, on a tip from myself, and also, a reminder that a few months back I had enviously viewed my food editor Drew Lazor chowing down on the shop's specialty, a mighty grilled cheese, while participating in Bobby Flay's Throwdown, we put the pedal to the metal.

Without a doubt or a single second of hesitation, a journey across the Ben Franklin became immediately in order for B and I. Located on downtown Haddon Avenue, a street flooded with cutesy small-town boutiques, sits the retro-styled and adorably-decorated Pop Shop.

Splashed in my utmost favorite color, turquoise, the soda shop is quaint and cozy, and supplies it's guests, at seating, with a newspaper-styled menu that's pounded with an overwhelming choice of options. Do you want the served-all-day breakfast, lunch, snacks, a vegan option, one of almost 30 grilled cheeses, ice cream, just sodas, etc.?

Being that Bobby Flay beat the shop at their own grilling game, and then, in exchange, the eatery created a similar 'wich in the episode's honor, I opted for just that, the 5B's -- a crunchy and toasted country white smeared deliciously with brie and goat cheeses, applewood-smoked bacon, watercress and tomato.

For B, he was giddy in anticipation on building his own burger (can choose between an old-school Black Angus beef burger to a salmon, veggie and chicken patty), without an exchange for an extra add-on charge for his obsessive-layering addiction. From caramelized onions, Granny Smith apples, Swiss cheese, applewood-smoked bacon -- all on sliced sourdough --his build-your-own reached an impressive top-notch slot as one of his top five favored burgers.

Other necessary notables do include anything from the fountain (I'd be a jerk not mentioning the soda at this shop!). Opting for swirls of vanilla and chocolate in my creamy and bubbly coke was definitely one of the better decisions I've made in the prime of my chowdowning. For B, he kept his build-your-own theme alive by sweetly stirring together seltzer with chocolate and raspberry.

The Pop Shop, excellent in its attempts to replicate a 50's diner without being too smack-in-the-face showy, will be seeing this girl again 'cept next time, I promise to save room for the ice cream!