People who love to eat are always the best people.
-Julia Child
Happy birthday Julia! Thank you for condoning my behavior. ;)
Burgers Worth Blogging - Olivia Hardt, professional burger connoisseur
Good Afternoon fellow Burglars!
Burglars- A word for burger lovers.
I started this blog with a little intro and a shout out to my burglars on the west coast.
It seemed appropriate to start with Hinano considering it has held my heart for 3 years now. The Hinano burger stands at the top of my list with consistent perfection that is rarely challenged.
BUT It’s time for a little shout out to my party people in East Texas…
A big part of my inspiration for this blog has been my recent adoration for a local… He goes by the name of “The Green Munster”
Where? ”Where’s Rufus Sports Bar” You’ll find it in a strip center off of Broadway not far from the famous, Andy’s Frozen Custard.
Like? This ‘upper class hole in the wall’ is not a place you’ll find me spending my Friday or Saturday nights. The weekends at Rufus never fail to deliver a fest of beefy sausage wrapped in Tap Out gear complete with the guy who flashes his abs on the dance floor (Yes, this happened.) Rufus also has a variety of activities to entertain it’s visitors; You can shoot pool, throw darts, do the wild thing on the dance floor, play photo hunt, or even better…gawk at the sweet blonde waitress with a smokin’ hot body!
My personal preference is Rufus on a lazy Sunday afternoon or lunch during the work week. You’ll still get the burger and the cute blonde bartender, but you’ll be able to hear the person next to you.
THE BURGER? WOW… This thing is by FAR the best burger in East Texas.
**MENU FLAW** the Green Munster is listed with munster cheese, advocado, jalepeno, mayo, lettuce, onion, and tomato for $7.99, BUT you can order the BYO and get the EXACT same stuff on it for only $6.99.
Personally this menu flaw makes the experience even more appealing to me. I feel like I’m beating the system by saving a dollar! That might not seem like a big deal until you start eating 3 of them in one week (like I do).
There are a few key elements that strongly contribute to it’s excellence:
-The ultra soft hawaiin style bun goes unrivaled in the buns category
-High quality beef that is seasoned and grilled into moist perfection and topped with the most delicious muenster cheese
-Freshly chopped toppings including my personal favorite, the chopped jalepenos delivering a kick so hard that I’m positive they came from someones garden in Mexico
From the sweet, to the salty, to the hot… This burger has it all!
Served? As pictured above, this burger is served on a platter next to some thick potatoey looking fries… I’m not typically into thick fry cuts, so I was pleasantly surprised by these. They are sprinkled in what I believe is Lawry’s Seasoning Salt with just the right crispiness on the outside and potato fluff on the inside.
No beverage can wash down a delectable burger like a cold beer. They serve an array of beers and offer great draft prices during lunch.
And, if you’re extra hungry- I highly recommend their fried pickles. ;)
Well Burglars… It’s dinner time and I’ve made myself salivate. I think the Green Munster is in order!
Your taste BUD,
Olivia Hardt P.B.C.
Allow me to introduce myself- Olivia Hardt, professional burger connoisseur.
Now, I may not look like your typical “burger connoisseur”- but do not let that fool you..
Standing at 5’4” weighing in at a whopping 106 lbs… I often hear comments like:
Coworker: “You don’t eat much do you?”
In fact… I’d say I hear at least 1 comment like that a week!
I’ll smile and nod my head and make sure to invite them to lunch. :)
Their opinion may be a little thrown when I invite them to a grimy dive bar with nothing but greasy deep fried foods… And, when I don’t order the “side salad” on the menu- consisting of only the most nutritional ice berg lettuce, tomato slices, onions, and the thousand island dressing (burger toppings on a plate?!)
The bartender approaches with a smile (happy to be serving someone other than the local day drunks)
Bartender: What can I get ya?
Me: “I’ll have the bacon cheeseburger.”
Bartender: “How would you like that cooked?”
Me: “However the executive chef recommends.” (wink wink)
I glimpse over at a slightly perturbed face… this lunch invitee was tentatively going to order the least exciting thing on the menu, ‘the chicken sandwich.’
But wait… their true desire has been unhinged, the big juicy burger their eyes kept wandering back to suddenly seems like the feasible choice…
The built up excitement rushes to their lips and out comes:
Coworker: “I’ll have the same!”
They say this so fast, it’s as if they were afraid to be heard…(really it was just the rush of their rebelliousness unleashed)
Bartender: “Ok, I’ll be right back with your drinks.”
Feeling the release my coworker quickly glances back to the menu, and then…
Coworker: “Oh and fried pickles with ranch, please!”
After SHARING those pickles, they are about half way through their burger when they notice mine has disappeared…
A brief perplexed look hits their face accompanied by a VERY TINY gasp. It’s as if they are going to look under the table.
…Really.
For a moment I feel like a child who’s performed a successful magic trick; The adult in the room never actually expected me to make that pet bunny disappear.
Well…*Poof biatch!*
And, this isn’t complex psychology- shock is followed by acceptance…typically a nod of approval and a comment along the lines of:
Coworker: “Wow, It’s really cool that you DO eat!”
(these comments have brought me to the realization that some people may ACTUALLY believe that I don’t?!?!!!)
These lunches are always filled with conversation, laughter, and happiness… Thanks to the endorphin rushes brought on by the pleasure experienced in each bite!
And, it never gets old watching their moment of liberation when they throw health to the wind and order the best damn thing on the menu…
I hope this gives you a good idea of what a typical work week lunch is like for me. You’ll have a little extra insight on days I blog of my lunching adventures.
Time to get down to the JUICY- I decided to start this blog off with the photo/experience of my all time favorite burger:
The Hinano Burger Experience
Where? Hinano Cafe is tucked away on Venice Beach at Washington and Pacific just across the street from the famous smoothie bar, Cow’s End.
What? The name Hinano comes from a nutty Brazilian beer the owner fell in love with during one of his many excursions. Though Hinano is refered to as a cafe.. it is a TOTAL Dive bar.
Like? HOLE IN THE WALL! You will walk into a cozy dark bar with a dart board, a pool table, and a wrap around bar. Nights bring out the pool sharks of the boardwalk and the occasional beach/reggae band.
THE BURGER? Tucked behind the bar is the simple flat top grill that produces this pure perfection! I don’t know what’s in the meat that makes it so amazing, but… lets just say I used to eat at this dive for BREAKFAST!
Served? This place is so basic, they don’t even have a french frier. This burger comes in a paper carton with your choice from the Frito Lay variety pack. They put two cherry peppers on the side and allow you to squirt your choice of condiments. With a burger this good- you won’t concern yourself with the frills.
My Los Angeles friends- If you haven’t been… GO RIGHT NOW!
Other friends- If you ever find yourself in the hot hot city of Los Angeles, MAKE THIS TRIP! You will not regret it!
Tastefully yours,
Olivia Hardt - P.B.C.
