No to the Foreman. Not hot enough. I use a cast iron grill pan that works great, but I don't have a vented kitchen (no window, recirculating hood), so it filled my apartment with smoke. Does anybody have any advice on avoiding this problem?
Oh yeah, riverside lunch is at 1427 Hazel St in Charlottesville.
WOW! I'm so excited to see this, but there is one major flaw. Not to bash The White Spot (I've had many a late night drunken burgers there), but the best burger in Charlottesville by far is at Riverside Lunch. I feel qualified to make this statement for a number of reasons: 1. I love burgers. 2. I lived in Charlottesville from birth until 23. 3. I now live in NYC and go to all of the burger joints suggested on this site and I still can't find one to match. The White Spot is good and there is no better end to a night out then the Gus Burger, but let's face it - they use store formed crap patties that are always over cooked and really only taste good when you are drunk. Riverside Lunch is an oldschoolish burger joint where the Charlottesville townsfolk go for great burgers, really good fries, and ice cold bud longnecks. It is off the beaten path in Charlottesville and hard to find if you don't already know about it. Burger Lovers if you are ever in Charlottesville, Va this is the burger to try.
Add my "NO" to the George Foreman grill. It's okay for some hotdogs, but definitely no good for steaks. I don't even want to tell you about the grey, steamed NY sirloin that was ruined by the GF grill...it's just too painful.
Anywho, my experiences with the indoor, stove top, grill pans, like you see used on the FN, produce copious amounts of smoke. Good grill marks, good color and flavor, but lots of smoke. The advice above to finish cooking in the oven is smart, but handling a hot grill pan doesn't sound like fun. So if you have a poor vent/hood, I would skip it and go to the park with a little Smokey Joe or mini-Weber.
I'll use my George Foreman for fajita chicken, but that's basically it. I wouldn't put red meat on it, definitely not hot enough and you miss that smoky flavor and charring! I'm in a similar situation, and have been grilled food-free so far this summer :( except for occasional visits to the parents'. Maybe I'll have to invest in one of those grill pans, except I have a stupid electric stove, will it work okay?
Go to a park where grills are available to all.
So, essentially, if you're into the *flavor* of grilling, e.g., kiawe, mesquite, charcoal, versus form, you're SOL w/o an outdoor grill or hibachi. :(
love love the Delonghi indoor healthy grill... I bought the one with the glass cover though, to retain moisture (avoid the smoke alarm) and cook faster. I did a lot of research first... glad i bought it. Paid $79 Amazon or Macys.
I have been an avid fan of Riverside Lunch in Charlottesville for years. By far, they have the best "good ole fashion" hamburger in VA. It slipped some when they moved to their current location and it is more of a family spot now, but the burgers are still tops, the french fries are great and the beer is ice cold.
I have enjoyed most of the other burger places mentioned, except Kenney's in Lexington. I have to wonder if this is the original Kenney Burger that had a burger spot in Charlottesville and Waynesboro that are no longer there. I am going to have to check them out.
That's a good starte on a list, but this is the birthplace of the awesome 5 Guys Hamburger establishment (unfortunately it doesn't look like the 5 Guys guys have the same franchisal OCD that McDonald's Kroc had to keeping the food consistent from franchise to franchise).
There's also Elavation Burger in Falls Church which is a 5 Guy wanna-be, but with their higher prices and smaller fare (as well as french fries fried in a "healthier" olive oil) they have a long way to go.
I just saw a pic of people cooking on a metal grocery shopping cart parked over a camp fire. Don't know if I'd recommend that, but it was fairly funny.
Ditto on the Foreman not being hot enough -- I tried to do some steaks and they were terrible. Its great for brats, though.
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