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Lauren Krueger's Profile

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Location: Woodside, NY

About: Hungry!

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The Ten Most Recent Posts By Lauren Krueger

From A Hamburger Today

City Burger; Fashion District, Manhattan

City*Burger

CITY BURGER

Address: 1410 Broadway, New York NY 10018 (at 39th Street; map)
Phone: 212-997-7770
Website: Listed as cityburgerny.com but not operational at this time
The Skinny: A very decent burger for the neighborhood. It's still early, and they're working out the kinks. The staff is learning on the job. Irate, impatient customers in a small space is no fun.
Want Fries with That? Steak fries are $2.75 or $3.95 with cheese. The beer battered onion rings looked great.

Inside my City Burger

The Fashion District is a great place to be if you're a clothes buyer and one of the last places you want to be if you're looking for a good meal. Within a four block radius of where I work there are five Starbucks, five Pax, two Hale & Hearty Soups, several McDonald's, and countless steam-table, pay-by-the pound delis. That's a lot of repetition and a lack of good choices. City Burger opened Monday, and I've been there twice already.

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From A Hamburger Today

Smörgås Chef

Smorgas Chef

Enticed by the Smörgås Burger, optionally topped with Jarlsberg or Ski Queen goat cheese, we chose Smörgås Chef over a handful of restaurants we'd never visited. I should have walked out the door the second I realized the burger on the menu wasn't the one I had my heart set on, but at that point we had our drinks, and it would have meant being late to the awful play we had tickets to that night.

No, the burger on the menu was simply a burger, and no Ski Queen cheese was offered. It hardly mattered to me, as I happily asked for Jarlsburg. We also ordered Swedish meatballs and a herring plate, but that's only worth mentioning because later Mike asked if we were eating Polish food. He knows I love him because I thought really hard about whether or not to share that with the world. And you know I love you because I decided to share it.


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From Recipes

Procrastination Picadillo

Procrastination PicadilloIf anyone ever challenges my right to the title of Ultimate Procrastinator, they'd better look out ... eventually. Last night I was approaching the last hours of a deadline and had buckets of laundry to do, but instead, I decided to make picadillo. Managing to turn a simple 40-minute recipe into a three-hour one is a skill that takes years to master. But if you'll allow me, I'll attempt to share.

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From A Hamburger Today

Love Hurts

Don't be fooled: This may look like a delicious cheeseburger, but it's actually a nuclear weapon.

Looks Innocent Enough

Don't ask me what it tasted like; I don't know. All I know is, I took one bite, and the juices shot out in a scalding hot projectile, landing on my delicate skin and leaving me in pain.

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From Required Eating

Pickle Sickle, Anyone?

Nothing beats the heat on a hot, sweaty day like a...frozen pickle pop? These kids seem to think so.

picklesicklekids.jpg

Photograph from picklesickle.com

Bob's Pickle Pops are gaining in popularity, both in schools and among those watching their weight. Made "not from just the brine left over from pickling, but from freshly squeezed pickles, much like an apple or orange is pressed," Bob's Pickle Pops are consumed either "frozen or unfrozen".

As a pickle lover, I'm torn; is this the best or worst idea ever?

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From A Hamburger Today

Happy Valentine's Day, AHT Style

For Valentine's Day, Mike and I decided a small restaurant in the neighborhood would make for the best evening.

The Restaurant

So we ended up at White Castle, of course!

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From A Hamburger Today

Royale: Alphabet City, Manhattan

Or, 'But What Do They Call it in France?

Royale with Cheese - Retouched

Hype never moves me the way it should. In fact, it turns me off. I refused to see Pulp Fiction for three years after its initial release for that very reason, and even then wasn't that impressed. But when multiple trusty sources of mine collude to recommend a burger, I feel I owe it to myself to at least give it a try.

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From Recipes

Gametime Guacamole Goes Head to Head

20080201-guac.jpgFrom 1995 to 2003 the California Avocado Commission held an Avobowl, in which guacamole recipes relating to the regional specialties of teams playing in the Superbowl were pit against each other in a taste test. Five out of eight years, the winner of the guacamole contest accurately predicted the winner of the football match. Eerie, eh?

Well, it seems as if the Avobowl is no longer a contest, as the Hass Avocado Board would prefer it if we all just get along. They don't care who wins, just as long as you eat your share of Superbowl guacamole. And you probably will:

The HAB estimates fans will eat 49.5 million pounds of Hass avocados on this year's Big Game Day—enough to cover Arizona's University of Phoenix Stadium football field, end zone to end zone, more than 19.1 feet deep in avocados.

Though the Avobowl is no longer, the HAB has provided different recipes for Giants fans and Patriots fans, based around team colors (in one case) and regional foods (in the other). If these guacamoles were to do battle, who would win?

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From A Hamburger Today

Bummed About Burgers

20080129-burger.jpgDear Readers,
The world is raining on my burger parade today. On Sunday night I watched Year of the Dog, in which Molly Shannon's character becomes a vegan. She is completely consumed with rescuing animals from food production, to the point where everything else in her life crumbles. The movie struck a chord in my brain, and I woke up feeling less than grade A. I'm not sure why this movie stuck with me so, but it did. Now the only thing which will make me happier is an adorable beagle puppy I can name Pencil.

Then, yesterday morning, Serious Eats greeted me with Ed's post asking, "If we eat less meat, can we save the planet and ourselves?" The facts about factory faming conditions, and CO2 emissions are not new to me, but they are weighing heavily. How can I be a passionate burger blogger and still consider myself a good global citizen? Being a vegetarian is something kids brag about on MySpace. Is it still cool to be seen eating meat?

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From A Hamburger Today

Somerville, Mass.: R. F. O'Sullivan & Son

It is a well-accepted fact that if you live in the Boston area long enough, you're going to have a buddy named Sully. With that in mind, I'd like you to meet mine:

Outside O'Sullivan's

Located in Somerville, Massachusetts, next door to my friend Pete, O'Sullivan's serves up some amazing burgers. They're thick, they're tall, and they take a long time to cook. I would suggest showing up at O'Sullivan's about a half an hour less hungry than you think you are. That's complicated math, but trust me, it's worth figuring out. You're going to wait, and it's worth it. So, sit down and relax, pally.

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The Ten Most Recent Comments By Lauren Krueger

From Required Eating

In Videos: Drive-Thru Rap at McDonald's

Dang, Robyn. I've been sitting on this one for a while and just couldn't think of a thing to add to it. Well played.

My favorite part is where they go "Big Mac?" and "Yeah, I got that." Worth waiting until the end.

And then there's the fact that they never actually asked for a Big Mac in the whole thing.

From Eating Out

Fort Worth, Texas: A Serious Eating Tour

Bummer about that burger though. At least you have a reason to go back.

From A Hamburger Today

City Burger; Fashion District, Manhattan

Zach: I knew I was inviting trouble by saying that. Next time the rings are on me.

From A Hamburger Today

Openings: City Burger

Went there for lunch today. I'll try to get a post up tomorrow. Not bad at all!

From Required Eating

Ed Interviewing Alton Brown; Adam Live-blogging Soundbites

I hope you blew him a kiss for me, although that might have been weird.

From Talk

Yeah. Pittsburgh.

I loved Pittsburgh when I was there for three days. We managed to eat at Primanti Bros (of course) as well as have dinner at the Brew Church (decent food, excellent atmosphere), eat a pretzel on a sandwich, and drink Yuengling from morning until night and back again. Maybe it was the company, but I loved it.

It's not fancy like Philly, but satisfying and filling. I consider moving there all the time.

From Required Eating

German Packaged and Fast Foods: Ads vs. Reality

That's funny, I took a picture of my microwaved dinner next to its box last night with the same idea in mind.

From Required Eating

Brit Eating Animals, from A to Zed

I'm more concerned about X. Alphabet books usually wimp out and go "xylophone" (boring) or "X-mas" (not a word). What X can you eat?

From Recipes

Procrastination Picadillo

@tamariga - Good tip! Thanks!

From Required Eating

Spumoni: Love It or Leave It?

I adore it. Those are my three favorite flavors, and putting them together is genius!

When I was younger, this flavor would only show up around Christmastime, so I figured it was a seasonal treat.

Responses to Comments by Lauren Krueger

From Required Eating

Michael Pollan's Twelve Commandments for Serious Eaters: Can You Live By Them?

I am SO tired of hearing people complain that eating healthy is expensive. Eating ORGANIC is expensive, but buying and eating lots of fresh produce and cooking at home is much cheaper and better for you than processed, fat&sodium laden crap that is turning the poor/middle class fat. Fast food is a convenience - if you take a *little* time to cook real food, you'll find that it doesn't break the bank and will do wonders for your health. Yes, this can be difficult for those working two jobs or just otherwise stretched to the max, but there are PLENTY of people who aren't so overburedened that they can't cook a simple meal.

From Required Eating

Michael Pollan's Twelve Commandments for Serious Eaters: Can You Live By Them?

I'd like to argue that cows that are grass-fed, grass-finished, as just as good tasting as corn finished. It's also better for the cows, because feeding them grain, such as corn, is stressful to their systems - it also diminishes the omega-3 content they gain while eating grass.

I've found a good brand recommended by Eating Well magazine, called La Cense Beef. They recently sent out an email to their customers letting them know about a giveaway their doing I thought I'd share the site:

www.winagrassfedcow.com

From Eating Out

Fort Worth, Texas: A Serious Eating Tour

Caros...the restaurant I miss the most from Fort Worth. The tostadas make the most excellent nachos. A plate of bean & cheese nachos with a couple of their margaritas...doesn't get much better!

And they're not new...they've been there for years & years...just down from TCU on Bluebonnet Circle.

From Eating Out

Fort Worth, Texas: A Serious Eating Tour

How funny - I read that dessert menu and wondered why Brajas was serving everything from Reata...

I've wondered, though, why no Joe T's in the "Tex Mex Cookbook" or Fort Worth tour?

From Eating Out

Fort Worth, Texas: A Serious Eating Tour

Ed-

We ate those desserts at Reata on Sundance Square, not Brajas, whatever that is.

-Robb

From Eating Out

Fort Worth, Texas: A Serious Eating Tour

Babe's...Mmmmmmmmmm! I live just down the road, so I get to experience the greatness of their biscuits and chicken whenever I want. Though, I try to keep it at every couple months otherwise I would be more than a little rotund. :D

You didn't say how you ate the biscuits. Please tell.

I prefer mine with just the ultra-creamy Plugra butter they have, but sometimes I spread a little sorghum on if I feel like being "exotic".

From Eating Out

Fort Worth, Texas: A Serious Eating Tour

I live within walking distance of Kincaids - don't bother. I prefer Angelo's to Railhead.

From Eating Out

Fort Worth, Texas: A Serious Eating Tour

Maybe you should have Mr. Walsh take you around Houston sometime... We have the best burger in Texas! (Lankford Grill) Plus you'll get a chance to eat Ms. Thelmas BBQ and her ethereal Fried Catfish...

From Eating Out

Fort Worth, Texas: A Serious Eating Tour

I've never heard of Mom's. I did make it to Angelo's yesterday, where I had some of the best brisket of my life. Ask for it moist. Otherwise they just just give you the superlean bottom of the brisket.

From Eating Out

Fort Worth, Texas: A Serious Eating Tour

I've been trying to convince my girlfriend that we should have a holiday to Texas, this post might just be able to convince her (failing that I'll be going alone). Love the photos!