Andrew Mark Veety

Guest Post - Matthew Ward At The Grape In Dallas

Every once in a while a friend finds themselves outside of the cozy confines of St. Louis and on the trail of a burger that the parishioners of the Church of Burger (juicy, salty, and exquisitely charred be thy name) need to know about. My friend Matthew Ward (a gentleman of the finest order, collector of diverse tallents and interests - and most importantly - purveyor of tasty adult beverages for StewedSTL) recently found himself back in his home state of Texas, digging into one of the finest burgers in the Lone Star State. He reports:

I was recently visiting a friend in Dallas, when our discussion turned to plans for Sunday brunch. His first suggestion was a cozy, long-lived neighborhood wine bar/bistro nearby (in the hip Lower Greenville area): the Grape. And—oh yeah, he mentioned—they have the best burger in Texas.

Texas, monthly

Texas Montly, the self-proclaimed “national magazine of Texas” covers life, politics, and culture in the state. While there’s much to recommend the publication, particularly if you are a current or former Texan (and I do fall in the latter group), the magazine’s always meant one thing to me:

Barbecue.

The magazine is famous for its yearly list of the top 50 barbecue joints in Texas. Texas is a (self-evidently) a big state, and it’s a state that takes the cuisine of barbecue seriously, so Texas Monthly’s list represents the crème de la crème of the state’s unique barbecue heritage.

Thus it was that when Texas Monthly in 2009 decided to establish a definitive list of the best of another Texas favorite, the hamburger (paywalled; sorry), I took notice—burgers being, if not at the top of my list of favorite foods, certainly in my personal top five[1].

The Grape

But that was several years ago, and, although if you had asked me what the best burger in Texas was, I would have probably remembered that it belonged to a Dallas bistro, the subject hadn’t crossed my mind in some time. Having been reminded of this, I quickly made my preference for a visit to the Grape known, texted Andrew to let him know the opportunity I had before me to honor the Church of Burger, and set my heart on the #1 burger in Texas.

It was quickly established that, given the lack of parking in the neighborhood, a half-mile walk on a warm Texas September afternoon was the most effective way to reach our destination. I had twisted my ankle a few days prior due to a literal misstep, but for the best burger in Texas, I decided it was worth my while to man up.

As I mentioned, the Grape is cozy. There’s probably not much need to dwell on the place, but I’ll mention that I ordered a glass of Côtes du Rhône (in retrospect, something big and Californian might have been a better fit), and quickly claimed my burger. I’ll also note that I was very impressed with service at the Grape, which was friendly and efficient. My needs were generally anticipated and met with no effort on my part. The staff didn’t have the creepy, ninja-like manner of some high-end restaurants, but it was the kind of service that’s so good that you only realize it in retrospect.

Burger architecture

The burger in question is the Grape’s “Classic Cheeseburger”[2]. At the time of the publication of Texas Monthly’s list, the burger was only available as part of the restaurant’s Sunday brunch menu; thanks to the media attention, it’s now also available for Sunday and Monday dinner[3], and listed prominently as “‘Best Burger in Texas’ —Texas Monthly”, with the “classic cheeseburger” designation listed in smaller type below.

The burger arrived partially open-faced. Here are the burger’s constituent elements[4], starting from the bottom:

• the lower portion of the burger’s pain au lait bun
• house dijonnaise
• 10 oz., house-ground chuck-eye
• Vermont white cheddar
• house-cured peppered bacon
• the upper portion of the bun, askew

Salad stuff was piled to the side:

• Texas hydroponic Bibb lettuce
• Lemley tomato
• Red onion
• Nathan’s half-sour horseradish pickles

This is the Church of Burger, not the Church of Fries, but the accompanying fries bear mention: I thought they were pretty much perfect. They were clearly fresh cut, in a size that gave the perfect balance of golden crisp fried outside and warm, soft potato inside. The outside was fried to a wonderful crisp (perhaps double-fried?). So far, so good.

Eating

I grabbed the lettuce and tomato and assembled the burger (eschewing the onion as a matter of personal taste), noting that the lower portion of the bun already seemed soaked with burger runoff and dijonaise. I gave the whole assembly a squeeze to compact it to the point that I could take a good first bite, and laid into the thing.

The best thing about the burger was its juiciness. The meat was clearly high quality, with a good, natural beefiness, but it was by no means lean. Between that, the natural juiciness of the perfect medium rare to which the burger was cooked (just as I requested), the dijonaise, and the extra fat of the melted cheddar, I was thankful for the availability of a stout, cloth napkin. In St. Louis terms, I found it somewhere between the classy restraint of the Five burger, and the joyful, fatty hedonism of the Home Wine Kitchen cheeseburger.

Most of the rest of the elements played second fiddle to that wonderful juiciness. The bun (at least the top part) was firm enough to stand up to the mass of burger, but not crusty, and had a pleasant sweetness. The dijonnaise mainly offered texture; I didn’t notice much mustardy sharpness. The bacon and cheese added some needed saltiness, the tomato a burst of acidity, and the perfectly-sized lettuce leaves a freshness that cut through the fat. The pickles, though, managed to stand out, adding useful elements of sweet, sour, and horse radish sharpness.

I had some complaints, though. In particular, the beef struck me as under-seasoned, though the toppings helped somewhat to compensate for that. The bacon got a little lost in the larger burger context; I think a thicker cut would be beneficial. I found the tomato particularly disappointing: it was mealy and bland. Perhaps the end of Lemley’s tomato season is approaching; perhaps the Grape sources their tomatoes differently these days. Given the generally high esteem the tomatoes are held in, I’m inclined to write the tomato off as bad luck.

Those quibbles aside, I give the burger high marks over all, primarily on the merits of its lovely juiciness, due in no small part to a judicious combination of sauce, cheese, and beef. And credit to some of the toppings, like the lettuce and pickles, that also helped the burger stand out.

Conclusion

Texas is a pretty damned big state, and, judging from the rest of Texas Monthly’s list, there’s no shortage of good burgers. I think it’s clear that, just as St. Louis has a number of worthy contenders for the title of “Best Burger”, declaring a single best burger in the state of Texas is going to be fraught with controversy. I’ll give TM credit, then, for avoiding the temptation to pick a burger that pulls crazy stunts, and choosing what ended up being a straight-forward, great all-around burger. Certainly the Grape’s burger is good enough to be an asset to any city, but even if it were transplanted to, say, St. Louis, I don’t think it would be unambiguously the best burger in town.

Which is to say: I suspect there probably exists a burger in Texas that’s better than this one, and I suspect there are a fair number that are comparable. But if you’re in Dallas on a Sunday or Monday and want some juicy, beefy goodness, I don’t think you’d regret stopping by the Grape and savoring their classic cheeseburger. I could certainly go for one right now.

R. Matthew Ward lives in St. Louis, writes about audio equipment for Macworld, and writes (very occasionally) about tech, audio, food, drink, and other cool stuff on his personal blog.

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1. Growing up, I was quite the picky eater, and my burger preferences developed from that—usually, my standard burger consists of ketchup, pickles, cheese, beef, and bun, eschewing things that I historically didn’t like, such as lettuce, fresh tomato, mustard, mayo, and onion. I’ve come a long way since, and though I’ve come around on just about every one of those fixins (excepting onion, of which I still have a profoundly strong and, seemingly permanent, distaste), I maintain a preference for my standard burger order (with some variation). But when presented with a burger of this pedigree, well, I take it pretty much as it comes. ↩

2. Well, there’s only one burger on the menu, so that’s probably over-specific. ↩

3. Seems like so many good burgers are available during only limited times at nice restaurants. There’s an argument to be made for keeping special burgers special, but I say liberate the burger from the confines of schedule! Let the people eat! ↩

4. As you can see, the burger’s menu entry isn’t particularly detailed, and fact-checking is beyond the purview of this piece, so some of this info is cribbed from Texas Monthly’s writeup, which is, hopefully, still accurate. ↩

The Counter Burger

Thanksgiving found me at my parents home in Charlotte, North Carolina visiting with family and taking some time away from the stress of moving and finding a new home. And while these things are important, it was also a chance to follow up on some of the great eats that Charlotte has to offer. Long time readers may remember the amazing burger I took down at the Penguin Drive-In in 2008.

This year I found myself sitting at the counter with family members at a burger joint in South Park named appropriately - The Counter - which was packed with a well healed lunch time crowd of business people and families who were taking a lunch break from shopping at the nearby mall. We opted for the counter due to the wait for a table and I was immediately reminded of this great scene from one of the greatest Seinfeld episodes ever - The Maid.

The concept behind The Counter is a customizable burger with enough combinations of burger, toppings, sauces and buns to result in over 300,000 different flavor combinations. 

With mini-pencil in hand I began to work this menu with the ultimate goal of creating the famous Aussie Burger, but I was quickly distracted by the lack of pickled beets on the menu. With over 300k + combinations available, you would think a pickled beet would be found someplace.

Undaunted I created the Andrew burger, a 1/3 pound patty topped with dill pickle chips, grilled onions, grilled pineapple, roasted red peppers, honey cured bacon and a roasted garlic aioli. Ridiculous is size and scope, I quickly added a tall chocolate shake to my order and the turned my attention to the first round of appetizers, ordered by my sister at the end of the counter.

 
First up we had a shallow plate of fried pickle chips, a staple of southern bar menus and a treat that I find largely missing here in St. Louis. I've had fried pickles across a broad swath of the south - from the Carolina's to Texas, and while all fried pickles are good, some are just better. They are the best when they have a light, almost tempura coating and are paired with a tangy ranch dressing. They are even better when instead of pickle chips - they are made from dill pickle spears - like they make at The Alamo Drafthouse in Austin. 

Sadly, the pickles at The Counter have a heavy breading that the pickles can't really compete with and it was more like biting into a poorly executed fried zucchini than a crisp fried pickle.

Next up we dug into a plate of sweet potato fries coated liberally in sea salt. The fries were perfectly cooked, crisp on the outside and waiting for a pairing with mayo or the ranch dressing from the fried pickles. For the most part I watched these fries from my end of the counter, tasting once but not really getting to dig in. Everyone seemed to enjoy them, I know I would have had I been sitting more towards the center of the counter. Bummer - such is life when you are eating at a counter with a crowd.

As the apps were swept up and carried away my shake appeared - a picture of ice cream, whole milk and whipped cream in a tall glass.  As a good shake should be, this one was way to thick to pull through a straw until you hold it in your hand for a while, allowing your body heat to melt the drink just enough to begin sipping. I moved the shake to my side and leaned forward to hide it from my wife's roving hands with my arm - alas she never orders her own shake - opting instead to "tax" mine at will - the cost for ordering such a decadent burger side.

After some good natured ribbing of my little brother and a few quick scans of the burgers that were making their way out of the kitchen and too waiting tables, my burger appeared on the counter before me. My first thought was amazement at the construction of this burger as it was obvious that there is forethought given to which toppings ride under the patty and which ride on top.

My burger came with a solid foundation of dill pickle chips and then a liberal coating of roasted red peppers, forming a nest for the 1/3rd pound (after cooking) burger, charred in a manner that suggested it was broiled instead of grilled or smashed out on a flat top.

On top of the patty came a layer of thick cut and grilled onion, several slices of grilled pineapple and then some crisp bacon. Roasted garlic aioli came on the side and I applied a healthy coating to the grilled bun before placing it atop this monstrosity. 

What did it look like? Well I'll show you.

The burger lasted in this state for only a moment before I attacked it in the only way I know how - for a burger this tall you can only knife it down the center, pick it up side ways and eat your way to the other side. 

The burger was moist and cooked to a perfect medium. I found myself trying to get a taste of pineapple into every bite as it played so well with each ingredient, especially the grilled onions and the bacon.

Delicious.

Here are some of the other burgers my family tried that day. I didn't bother to ask them what they put on them because I was to busy focusing on my own. 

Distraction - its a five inch tall burger.

My brother in law took down a onion rich western burger.

My sister in law ordered a 2/3 pound cheese burger.

My wife ordered a veggie burger - huh?
 

Best of 2008

This has been a great year of travel and eating, discovering new tools and techniques for cooking, experiencing great slices of Americana and time spent with friends and family. I thought it would be a good idea to capture a few of my favorites for the past year.

A New Perspective Via A New Grill:

Well constructed and sporting thick cast iron grates, this Brinkman grill creates enough smoke and grill marks to turn my back yard into a decent smokehouse. In short order I adjusted to this new tool and turned out top notch whole chickens, ribs, briskets, massive steaks, pizzas and deserts. 

I really like the front loading door which allows you to feed the fire without lifting the lid and losing heat. Maintaining a steady 220 degrees with minor heat management is priceless, but at around $200.00 this grill is a steal. It takes a bit more work than my old gas grill to prep and clean, but you can't beat it as a cooking tool.

Texas Potatoes:

Potato, onion, butter and bacon in a cast iron skillet. From my post "Roasted Garlic Strip Steaks with Texas Potatoes".

Sony DSC-T500 Camera:

In a year of great new toys the Sony DSC-T500 camera has been my favorite. Small enough to fit into my pocket with 10.1 megapixels, a 3.5" wide touch screen, HD video recording with stereo mics and a 5X Optical Zoom. I also really like the macro lens which allows me to get great close ups of food for the site. I'm also loving not having to pull out my Nikon D70 in greasy diners. 

The large screen is really bright and eats though the battery in short order. After a month or so of use, I'm thinking a back up battery for this camera might be one of my "Best of 2009".

Float Trip Chicken:

There are few things better in the world than floating down a river with friends, beers and cold picnic chicken. From my post "Float Trip Picnic Chicken".

Tortas In The Park:

From my first "interview" for the site - I exchanged emails with my friend and regular Friday lunch companion Bob Baker as we made Tortas for 50 people on his birthday. He went to great lengths to get all the right ingredients and I was happy to help put together this great sandwich. From my post "Tower Grove Park Tortas".

Crab Boil:

I was so happy when my wife completed her LEED certification in September. We filled the back yard with people and I prepared the crabs the only way I know how - with lots of Old Bay and steamed in Guinness. From my post "Seafood Boil In The Heart of St. Louis". 

The New York Times Columnists:

Many thanks to Maureen Dowd, Tom Friedman and Paul Krugman for the insight, information and entertainment this year.

Llywelyn's Pub Burger:

 

One of my favorite burgers of the past year. From my post "Llywelyn's Pub".

Nunez de Prado Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil:

Happen chance introduced me to this great olive oil as I wandered around Whole Foods this year. It's got a perfect balance for cooking or for dipping bread in. Voted one of the best olive oils in America by Cooks Illustrated, Whole Foods stocks 25 oz. bottles for around 15 dollars. Next to bacon fat, this oil has quickly become my choice fat in the kitchen.

The Salt Lick:

Sure it is for show, but the open pit at The Salt Lick was a treat to see, and the folks were super nice and let me ram around in their kitchen. From my post "The Salt Lick Barbeque".

"My Life in France" by Julia Child

Probably the best book I read this year. In it Julia tells the story of learning to live, eat and cook in France. Julia lived an incredible life and her love of slow-food makes me excited to get into the kitchen.

Carl's Drive-In:

Old school burgers smashed on a flat top griddle. From my post "Carl's Drive-In".

Rear Window Defrosters and Heated Seats:

I said goodbye to my 1997 Mazda Miata M-Edition this fall. While this car was always fun to drive, it was never a great every day automobile. Instead I opted for some features the Miata never had - rear window defrosters and heated seats - attached to an Acura RL. Unceremoniously named an "old man's car" by my wife, it has made the commute into work one of the best parts of my day. Why - because I can see out the back window in the winter without risking a broken convertible top.

Woofies New York vs Chicago Showdown:

This past fall was all about hot dogs, Chicago style. From my post "New York vs Chicago Style Hot Dogs".

Fakesgiving Trisket:

I'm still not sure why I wanted to stuff a turkey into a perfectly cooked brisket, but I did it. From my post "Trisket - A Turkey Inside a Brisket".

Charlie The Butcher:

After a particularly good edition of "Meet The Press", I would send an email to Tim Russert of NBC News to congratulate him on that weeks content. To try to elicit a reply from the busy newsman, I would suggest that he reward his staff with beef on weck from Charlie The Butcher in Buffalo, New York. Tim never replied to my emails, but I got a chance to think again about how much his show meant to my Sunday mornings as I enjoyed a sandwich in Buffalo this fall. From my post "Charlie The Butcher's Kitchen".

The Penguin Drive In:

Punk rock music, burgers named after engines and a sweet soda called Cheerwine. From my post "The Penguin Drive-In".

Fatherhood:

Sara and I recently announced that we are pregnant to friends and family, and I launched another blog to document all the events leading up to the arrival of our first child in June of 2009. I think its a given that updates on homemade baby food will require equal billing with burgers and dogs next year.

The Salt Lick Barbeque

Since 1967, the Robert's family have owned and operated The Salt Lick Barbeque on their family ranch in Driftwood, Texas, using a recipe handed down from generation to generation since the Civil War. I recently got a chance to enjoy a family style dinner at The Salt Lick as we celebrated the rehearsal dinner for friends getting married in Austin. 

Very good barbeque is both an art and science; skill in the application of heat and smoke, showmanship in how your wares are displayed to waiting guests. After all, we do eat with our eyes as much as anything else. From buildings built of limestone quarried from the family ranch, long wooden tables and benches to accommodate family style meals and the stone holding pit within eyeshot of a framed picture of the owners daughters and Bobby Flay, the atmosphere of the restaurant is well executed and welcoming. 

The staff was very friendly and allowed me to check out the holding pit, which is the centerpiece of the restaurant, and the smokers which are hidden from view and the dining areas. Both were impressive in their design and evidence of day in and day out usage, but it was the holding pit that captured my attention. The limestone theme is continued with the pits construction, which is laid out in a horseshoe shape. The pit was a source of great pride folks tending to its fire, and they welcomed all my questions with a smile. Flanked by stacks of seasoned hickory wood, the fire in the pit is fed slowly all day, adding a last dose of flavor to the beef brisket, pork ribs, chicken and smoked sausage hung from above. 

Where the pit is the art and showmanship, the science and skill is evident in the outstanding meats The Salt Lick prepares. Slow cooked to perfection with ample evidence of smoke ring, the Salt Lick is a perfect example of what is commonly thought of as Texas barbeque - dry rubbed and slow cooked. This is not to do a disservice to the different barbeque styles found across Texas, which actually consist of at least four main regional styles, all with different flavors, cooking methods, ingredients, and cultural origins. It is only to say that when people discuss the barbeque of the United States, The Salt Lick is what people are referencing when they compare Texas to Memphis, St. Louis, Kansas City or North Carolina. 

Whole chickens, racks of ribs and beef brisket are rubbed with house seasoning and cooked slow and low to perfection, leaving the aforementioned smoke ring and interiors that are among the most moist I've ever had the chance to sample. Meats are mopped with a version of The Salt Lick's barbeque sauce as they smoke, but for the most part are left to reflect the unadulterated balance of spice and smoke that can only come after hours and hours over slow and low heat. 

The family style dinner at The Salt Lick includes cornbread, a platter or smoked beef brisket, pork ribs, chicken and smoked sausage, baked beans, potatoes, cole slaw, sweet tea, and a cobbler for desert. All the sides were tasty, but did not steal the spotlight from the barbeque. A sauce that has a hint of Hawaiian flare in the background is provided on the table for those wishing to smother their barbeque. While the house barbeque sauce complements everything well, I found it unnecessary. 

The Salt Lick does not serve alcohol, but our hosts provided coolers filled to the brim with ice and Shiner Bock, which is available here in St. Louis, but for me has never tasted as good as it did that night, with its intended pairing - Texas barbeque.

Opinion: Recommended

18001 FM 1826

Driftwood, Texas 78619

512-858-4959

Hey Cupcake

I recently got back from Austin, Texas were I attended a wedding and generally ate my way around the city and the outlying areas. Austin is an interesting city with a vibe that reminds me of Madison, Wisconsin and Burlington, Vermont. 

The wedding was on the weekend, but Sara and I took a few extra days to go antiquing, check out the local museums and see the Congress Avenue Bridge bat colony. However, with all the great things to do and see in Austin, I was most happy to discover a culture of truck and trailer food vendors ranging from Tex-Mex to gourmet cupcakes like they serve up at the Hey Cupcake! stand on South Congress.

The stand, which appears to be a renovated Airstream trailer is located in a lot on the 1600 block of South Congress. I would have missed this stand entirely as Sara and I walked back to our car if it wasn't for the large, rotating cupcake lighting up the night sky like a confectionery lighthouse.  

We tried the Vanilla Dream (vanilla bottom / vanilla top) and the appropriately named Standard (vanilla bottom / chocolate top). Both cakes were moist and tasty with more than ample frosting riding on top of each. Sara thought there was to much frosting whereas I thought it all came together in a perfect sugary mess. Had we not already eaten several times that afternoon and evening, I would have opted for a Whipper Snapper, where fresh whipped cream is shot into the center of your cupcake. Not bad for 2 bucks a pop.

While you are checking out Hey Cupcake, take in some of the local shops as well. Whereas most of downtown Austin has the feeling of any other gentrified and revitalized small city, this area of Congress seems to stay true to the artistic streak Austin is known for. Of particular interest is an antique shop called Uncommon Objects and a shop featuring Texas designers called Parts & Labor where I got this awesome shirt screen printed by local artist Will Heron.

'05 Burger Family Reunion. Genius.