The Straight Beef Podcast #9
What’s better than a good burger and cold beer? The Straight Beef and the NCBeer Guys on the same podcast. Belly up! Download from iTunes or from the Libsyn feed.
Category: Features
Review #48 – Village Draft House (Raleigh): The Straight Beef and NC Beer Guys Join Forces
Podcast Super Combo
Man, podcast #9—featuring our buds Glenn and Dave, the NC Beer Guys—is a good one, frothing with craft beer wisdom aplenty. Download it from iTunes or directly from our Libsyn feed.
As a special holiday bonus, here’s some stuff that doesn’t appear the podcast (including our verdict on the Village Draft House). It’s just like the podcast, except the content is completely different, and it’s less about the listening and more about the…you know…looking.
The Beers
Glenn and Dave introduced us to Deep River Brewing’s 40-42 Stout, a rich, creamy stout with hints of chocolate and a bit of residual sweetness. A huge hit with everyone at the table.
For Chad’s Maxmillian burger (with bleu cheese and bacon), Glenn and Dave recommended an IPA to cut the richness. The Maxmillian also paired very nicely with Highland Gaelic Ale.
Devil’s Tramping Ground Tripel from Aviator Brewing in Fuquay-Varina drew mixed reviews. Glenn gave it high marks, while Chad—not a fan of the bubblegum and clove flavors found in some Belgian beers—was less enthusiastic.
The Burgers
Feeling nostalgic for 80s techno-rap, Michael, Scott, and Dave opted for the Der Kommissar Burger, which featured dark ale mustard and sauerkraut on grilled rye. Scott reported that his was well balanced, while the other two felt overwhelmed by sauerkraut. All three agreed that the massive rye slices made the burgers too bready. All in all, a good burger that would be better with more consistent construction and a better burger-to-bread ratio. Scott gave his a 4.0 on the five-point scale, while Michael and Dave both ended up in 3.5-town.
Glenn opted for the Chicago Burger, a classic pub-style cheeseburger with bourbon-cured bacon. He gave it 3.75.
Chad’s Maxmillian burger delivered salty hot goodness in the form of bleu cheese, Frank’s Red Hot sauce, and bourbon-cured bacon. Glenn was skeptical of the burger’s pretzel roll, but Chad appreciated the flavor and structure it brought to the burger. Chad scored the Maxmillian at 3.75.
We were very pleasantly surprised when the manager of Village Draft House, upon learning of the presence of the state-renowned NC Beer Guys, comped our meals. Good beer and no bill? Now that’s a pairing.*
Chicago Burger — photo courtesy of Village Draft House
The Verdict
On the beers: An excellent array of craft beers, with NC breweries making up a good portion of the tap list.
On the burgers: Solid renditions of pub-style burgers, both classic and inventive. With a TSB score of 3.75, the Village Draft House ranks 23 out of our 48 official reviews.
And by the way…
Podcast listeners know that Hot Pistol—the NC Beer Guys’ brew that won Best in Show at the Top of the Hops pro-am competition—was headed to Denver for an exclusive debut at the Denver Rare Beer Tasting. So how’d it go? Sounds like the chocolate raspberry habanero stout was extremely well received. And while there is nothing definite yet, the brewers at NoDa have hinted that it may return to the lineup as a seasonal offering next year.
*Faithful readers know that we have never asked for — nor will we ever ask for — anything for free. It was a very kind gesture on the part of the manager. We will always be absolutely transparent when something like this occurs.
The Straight Beef Podcast #8
The Straight Beef brings burger podcasting to a new level with its interview of George Ash, owner of the legendary Buns of Chapel Hill. Come for the burger wisdom, stay for the condiments game.
Download this episode and all of our back episodes with iTunes or directly from the Libsyn feed.
Reverend Rants: Beware O Faithful!
My flock!
I stand before you today with a warning. Yea, I beseech you to turn away from the allure of the ever-unholy combination of meats and sauces and frivolities known as the “signature burger.” These “unique combinations” are ne’er less than distractions, ruses, barriers to burger enlightenment.
Barriers, my flock!
False burger prophets preach the graces of their scandalous creations, tempting you with their “unique combination of select ingredients” and the impossible enlightenment that you, my brothers and sisters, will surely attain. I beg you, rebuke this temptation! Rebuke it!
Only through the basic burger may true enlightenment be achieved. Only through simplicity may the burgiatric kingdom be built.
Amen.
There’s a McDifference – EXTRA!
Courtesy of our McDonald’s-lovin’ burgiatrist-in-residence, here are some fun facts about everybody’s [TSB: Dave’s] favorite restaurant.
- McDonald’s sells more than 1/3 of all the French fries sold in restaurants in the U.S. each year.
- Nearly one in eight workers in the US has at some time been employed by McDonald’s.
- Sälen, Sweden, opened the first SKI-THROUGH McDonald’s in the world.
- More than 50,000 students from all over the world have graduated with “Bachelor of Hamburgerology” degrees from McDonald’s “Hamburger University.” Our own “Burgiatrist” is being considered for an honorary degree.
- McDonald’s’ three kosher restaurants in Israel are the only McDonald’s in the world where you cannot buy a cheeseburger.
- On average, there are 180 sesame seeds on a Big Mac bun.
- The northernmost McDonald’s restaurant is located on the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi, Finland. The southernmost franchise is located in Invercargill, New Zealand.
- Antarctica is the only continent without a McDonald’s.
- The most popular international McDonald’s location is located in Pushkin Square Moscow. The store serves an amazing 40,000 people each day.
- McDonald’s is the world’s largest distributor of toys.
- The Queen of England owns a McDonald’s near Buckingham Palace as part of her vast real estate portfolio.
- Americans alone consume one billion pounds of beef at McDonald’s in a year. That’s five and a half million head of cattle.
- Every month, about 9 out of 10 American children visit a McDonald’s restaurant at least once.
- A personal note: I have eaten at McDonald’s almost 2,000 times (visiting restaurants in Mexico, Canada, Austria, China, and the US), consuming an estimated 500 pounds of McDelicious burgers. Oh…in Austria, they serve it with beer.
The Straight Beef Podcast #7
The Straight Beef discusses its top 5 burgers of all time. If you love burgers and the adjectives that describe them, you won’t want to miss this one.
Download this episode and all of our back episodes with iTunes or directly from the Libsyn feed.
Reader Submitted Review – The Wild Turkey Lounge (at Angus Barn) – Raleigh, NC
In what he describes as his “ongoing search for the perfect ground cow,” associate burgiatrist Brian Kachel brings us his review of Angus Barn’s Wild Turkey Lounge.
Most people consider Angus Barn a place for after-work business meetings, birthday celebrations, and people with deep pockets dressed in serious clothing. Well, that’s mostly true. But climb a set of creaky stairs to find The Wild Turkey Lounge, where you’ll find the Barn’s burger—“16 oz. patty [yes—a pound] of our Angus Barn beef, ground by our butchers”—for a measly $17. The staff will gladly explain how the burger can be spruced up with just about anything they’ve got in the kitchen, from the basic toppings to béarnaise sauce and crab. I personally stand by my faithful favorite formation: bacon and cheddar, medium rare, with a side of mayo.
The burger arrives on a large plate surrounded by a buttered, toasted bun, with massive, charred edges, melted shredded cheddar, and three pieces of crispy, curly bacon on top. I’ll admit I’m not a huge fan of the AB bacon. I prefer thick slices on my burgers, but AB puts the little curly crispy guys on theirs. I take a massive first bite to look back and see a pink inside while juice drips down the sides and onto my hands.
Closer to the center I find a warm, deeper pink—almost red—core. The beef is soft and moist on the inside, with a crisp shell from an open flame, with a unique flavor that I can only associate with the seasoned grills of AB. I quickly find my inner peace in this perfectly cooked medium rare patty from heaven.
Brian’s review: 4.5 out of 5.0
Frankenburger!
$380,000 Test Tube Burger Makes its Debut
Dutch scientist Mark Post with samples of cultured meat grown in a laboratory at the University of Maastricht. © Francois Lenoir / Reuters/REUTERS
Could a burger made from artificial meat be the next generation of prime beef patties? The world’s first 5-ounce test-tube burger, made of meat grown in a laboratory, will be served up in London this week, according to a report by The Independent….
First, the stem cells are stripped from the cow’s muscle and then incubated until they multiply to create a sticky tissue. The muscle cells are then grown under tension and stretched. Finally, the lab-grown meat and animal fat are minced and turned into burgers.
Special report: ‘In vitro’ beef – it’s the meat of the future This is the original article from the UK’s The Independent
New York Daily News article here
This is definitely a “Look at Me!” burger, but we’re not sure we’d be willing to review it until we see whether the first batch of tasters grow additional limbs.
Renegade Review – Dish (Prague, Czech Republic)
Brothers and sisters, sometimes a spiritual journey is required in order to test one’s convictions, to exorcise one’s demons—you know, to shake things up. The need for such a pilgrimage led me to Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic. For two weeks, I searched and searched, looking for burger enlightenment. As I grew accustomed to gorging myself on stuffed chicken breasts, wood-fired pizza, and kobassa and beer, my focus was less and less on burgers. I was losing my way. That was until I was saved—yes, saved, brothers and sisters!—by the holy site that is Dish. (www.Dish.cz)
This looks good, but where’s the buttermilk fried bacon?
Dish was a spiritual oasis in a desert of heavy, often overly sauced, foods. Dish just makes burgers—and they make them well. Their menu might be simple, but the flavor of their burgers are complex. I gave witness to the burger they call “Savory,” topped with their homemade ketchup, a Portobello mushroom, caramelized onions, a baked tomato, and parmesan cheese chips. The beef was perfectly flavored and cooked to a perfect medium rare. Customer can see the chef prepare the burgers, and it’s clear that he cares that the build is organized and presented well. The bun was a bit of a letdown, as it overpowered some of the complex flavors, thus keeping this angel earthbound.
But still I left with my faith restored, my pilgrimage complete.
Don’s review: 4.5 out of 5
The Straight Beef Podcast #6
In this episode, we talk about the differences between chains and local burger joints and why we haven’t reviewed certain places. There’s also a little meditative interlude near the end. Download this episode and all of our back episodes with iTunes or directly from the Libsyn feed.