In early April, Citizens Bank Park challenged local fans to pick a signature hot dog from three gourmet choices (all of which are far too good to be placed into an air powered hot dog launcher). The winner, the South Philly Dog, consists of broccoli rabe, spicy roasted peppers, sharp provolone and a grilled, juicy Nathan’s dog in an Italian roll.

Bridget Foy’s hosted its own in-house hot dog contest using the same choices and the South Philly Dog was again a clear frontrunner. Originally offered as a special during home games only, due to popular demand you can now get the South Philly dog, fries and a Kenzinger draft for $8 during all Phils games this season. All of the flavors are balanced wonderfully – the rabe is not at all bitter and the spicy roasted peppers add just enough kick. Most enjoyably, the entire thing is slightly toasted allowing the cheese to melt and cover the rest of the ingredients.

What’s also delicious are each and every one of the new burgers offerings on the menu. All of the burgers are made from a generous half-pound Angus beef patty. Traditionalists can enjoy the Standard Burger with Wisconsin cheese, shaved romaine, tomato and red onion. For veggie lovers, the house-made veg burger is a solid choice with black beans, mushrooms and spinach, topped with gruyere and pesto aioli.

We specifically sought out the Head House Market Burger, which has herb mayo, gruyere and sauteed mushrooms, indulgently topped with a fried egg. Truth be told, gruyere simply isn’t one of my favorite cheeses and I honestly do not even like mushrooms. However, this burger had flavor unlike many.

Unfortunately waiting for a repeat visit, the New Mexico Burger (roasted green chilies, pepperjack, chipotle aioli) and Turkey Burger (cranberry relish, avocado aioli, gruyere, alfalfa sprouts) each sound like winning decisions. All of the burgers can come with a side of greens and of course fries. The hand-cut fries can be paired with two of several house-made dipping sauces: house mayo, chipotle aioli, jalapeno ketchup, bourbon dijon and my personal favorite, garlic cumin ranch. One of those repeat visits might just have to happen on a Wednesday night for Bridget Foy’s Beer & A Burger $10 special, available on their 2nd floor Copper Bar from 7-10pm. Watching a Wednesday night Phillies game with friends and prefacing the burger special with a South Philly Hot Dog as an appetizer might just be the recipe for a fantastic evening.

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Bridget Foy’s
200 South St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 (Google Map)

When we sat down with chef Rich Landau of Horizons, we knew what to expect: incredibly current, creative, fresh, full and layered flavors in food that just so happens to be vegan. The only thing we didn’t know is how exactly we’d be tickled.  If you don’t know Rich and Horizons, you need to get yourself an education.  Rich is a pioneer in the vegan scene, but is also breaking ground among the top chefs ever in America, earning the historic distinction of being the first chef honored to cook a full vegan menu for the James Beard House. That’s why we were so excited when Rich accepted our invitation to create a burger for National Hamburger Month.

Full Disclosure:  I am a recovering (relapsed?) vegetarian that is currently considering the transition back to plates of beans and grains, greens and roasted tomatoes.  See, the problem that I have is the same one that inspired Rich’s culinary journey into ethical food.  Vegetarian food at restaurants is usually so very bland, utilitarian and lacking in character.  Rich didn’t choose not to eat meat because of his disgust for flavor, in fact he still is inspired by meat dishes that he encounters during weekly discovery at local restaurants.  He and his wife pastry chef Kate Jacoby are always devouring new food knowledge and encouraging one another to push flavor and creativity further.  He certainly flexed his culinary muscles for us with his Seitan Banh Mi Sliders.

The sandwich starts with seitan made especially for the restaurant by Ray’s Seitan, which the chef infuses with lemongrass and kafir lime stock and red chili.  The seitan is browned on a flat-top grill before being ground and formed into burger patties.  After griddling the burger, it’s topped with a pickled diakon slaw made with carrot, green chili, cilantro and scallions with a bit of rice-wine vinegar.  The burger is served on baguette rounds spread with vegan sriracha-infused mayonnaise and a bit of cumin oil.

Together the sharp spice of Sriracha and fresh green chili, the sweet of lemongrass and cilantro, the crunch and oil brought by the grilled Seitan, the tangy daikon slaw and my “carnivorous” ripping into the chewy homemade baguette left me grinning that food smile from the first bite.  In my mind I’m not eating vegan food, and I’m not necessarily eating a burger: I’m eating a delicious flavor and texture combination that I wish there were more of (perhaps it’s the free glutamates/Umami in Seitan?).  In essence, my reaction is exactly what Rich is going for, as evidenced with his proclamation that “it’s all about reaching out to the mainstream.  I want the suit and tie wearing, motorcycle riding, family raising, aspiring, thriving community to eat these ingredients and enjoy fresh food.”  While everything that goes into Horizon’s food is ethical, environmental and healthy – none of it works unless the food is this dang good.

The Banh Mi Sliders will appear on the weekday, weather permitting Happy Hour menu which starts Tuesday, 5/18, served between 5-6 pm outside and are an absolute bargain at $4 for two.  We expect this to become one of Philly’s staple happy hour foods.  Go here. Eat this. Expand your horizons with some food that does no harm and tastes so fine.  With meals this delicious, I could definitely look past meat again, even with all the ridiculous meaty treats Philadelphia has to offer.

Horizons
611 South 7th Street – Philadelphia, PA 19147 (Google Map)

We just received this awesome news from Poses’ people:

Frög Commissary is rolling its latest project right out onto the front lawn. Frög Burger, a no-frills hamburger and ‘shake stand, will open this June outside the Franklin Institute on the Parkway, the home of its catering division for decades. They aim to be known as much for what they aren’t (chic and overpriced) as much as what they are (burgers “so juicy you might want a bib”).

The Franklin Institute has long been a family place – the Parkway, too – and what Steve Poses and his team, which includes his son, are working on is informal and homegrown, a simple burger “shack” with grills and picnic tables and kids playing. It will all be on the grass beneath the gleaming Budd BB-1 Pioneer, the stainless steel airplane on display since the mid-1930s.

The logo, like the menu and details of the burgers themselves, is still a work in progress, but Unbreaded has an exclusive first look – four of them, in fact. Following are the concepts currently under consideration, designed by a democratic combination of chefs and graphic designers and they want your feedback!

Hit the jump to find out how you can help choose Frög Burger’s logo and a chance to win free lunch!

Below you’ll find the four logos under consideration. Leave a comment telling us which you like best (1, 2, 3 or 4) and we’ll pick two winners at random to receive a $20 gift card each when Frög Burger opens in June! Voting ends at 11:59pm on Monday, May 17th.

Be sure to sign up on their e-mail list to be notified when the official menu and opening date are revealed!

Looking for a healthy way to celebrate National Hamburger Month? We were sent this recipe by Michael Scipione, fitness/lifestyle consultant and owner/personal trainer of Absolute Definition in Philadelphia. Most recently Scipione decided to combine his passion for cooking and provide a private/personal catering/cooking service for his clients named Sano, meaning healthy in Italian.

The Sano Burger, made with 100% ground turkey breast, served on a whole-wheat roll is a Greek/French fusion, with Sano’s own eggplant/sun-dried tomato yogurt spread in lieu of mayonnaise. This low fat, low glycemic, high protein burger creation is accompanied by oven roasted yam fries. Scipione proves that “eating healthy does not have to be boring with his flavorful burger.” Hit the jump for the recipe.

The Turkey Burger
- 1 LB of ground turkey breast
- ¼ LB of French Feta Cheese
- ¼ cup of 2% milk
- 1 Tbsp. of Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp. of catsup
- ½ tsp. Sea salt
- ¼ tsp. course ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup of the prepared sautéed eggplant mixture (see recipe below)

Directions
1. Combine all the ingredients into a bowl and hand mix
2. Form the turkey into 4 patties about 1½ inch thick
3, Add a couple of drops of olive oil onto each patty before placing on the grill pan
4. Cook on high for approx. 4 – 4 ½ min per side, flipping once, until medium well or until juices run clear

Sautéed Eggplant and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lg. eggplant (purple) cut into ¼ inch rounds approx. 1/8 inch thick
- 1 medium red onion (cut into thinly sliced halves)
- 1 cup of fresh spinach
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp. of dried oregano
- 1 handful sun-dried tomatoes (finely chopped)
- zest and juice of ½ of a lemon
- ¼ cup of pitted kalamata olives (finely chopped)
- ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp. of red wine vinegar
- 8 oz fat and sodium free chicken stock
- ½ tsp. Sea salt
- ¼ tsp. course ground black pepper

Directions
1. In a large heated pan add 2 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil, along with the red onion, bay leaf, salt, black and red pepper flakes, sauté for approx. 2 min
2. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, lemon zest, sauté another 2-3min add the eggplant and sauté’ an additional 3-4 minutes
3. Clear off a hot spot in your pan, add the Dijon mustard into the center of it, then a minute later add the red wine vinegar, lower the flame to medium-high heat, stir to coat the rest of the ingredients
4, When the vinegar smell dissipates, add the chicken stock and reduce until almost all of the liquid is gone
remove from flame and wilt in the spinach

Greek Mayo
- 8 oz fat free Greek yogurt
- 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- zest of ½ lemon
- 1 ladle of the sautéed eggplant mixture

Directions
1. Combine all of the ingredient into a food processor for approximately 45 sec to a minute, mixture should be thick in consistency

Oven Roasted Orange Coriander/Sage Yam Fries
- 2 lbs yams
- ½ lb shallots (sliced thin)
- 1 tsp. ground sage
- 1 tsp. ground coriander
- zest of 1 large orange
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- ½ tsp. Sea salt
- ¼ taps course ground black pepper

Directions
1. Peel the yams and cut into ½ inch strips lengthwise
2. Place into large bowl and add the shallots and the rest of the remaining ingredients, mix with hands
4. Be sure to coat all of the fries with the herbs and spices and place in a single layer on a baking sheet (mix with your hands for the best results
5. Place on middle oven rack in a pre-heated oven at 425 degrees for 30 – 40 minutes

Plating Your Burger
1. First, remove most of the dough from the roll and spread the topping on both sides of a whole-wheat roll. 2. Place fresh spinach on the bottom of the roll, add the burger and the sautéed vegetables for the topping
3. Place the yam fries and the Greek yogurt eggplant spread in lieu of catsup for a dipping sauce

I never did get to experience the old Twenty Manning. However, after a complete interior redesign and the introduction of an almost-entirely new, affordable, American bistro menu and a variety of burgers, I had to go. I met with Chef Kiong Banh, who has spent 10 years within these walls, and is excited for some change.

Taking feedback from over the past year, Banh and owner Audrey Claire Taichman re-invented the concept of Twenty Manning from the ground up. Banh invested a lot of time in receiving feedback to create a selection of dishes at a price that would keep customers coming back, adding a bistro feel and a slight modification to the name. Though his background is a mix of Chinese and Vietnamese, Banh’s culinary focus is primarily French and Italian. He’s truly excited about the breath of fresh air that has been introduced to the restaurant and looks forward to serving the neighborhood as a destination with a focus on local, fresh and organic ingredients.

As we’re celebrating National Hamburger Month here at Unbreaded, I decided to go with the flagship (namesake) TMG Burger. Featuring a generously sized half-pound organic patty made from a combination of sirloin, tenderloin and beef chuck cuts, it’s no small sandwich, but a bit sized down from the 9.5oz Bison burger (Twenty Manning’s only burger in its past life). Although the Bison burger did have a good run, it was just a little too big, said Banh. And with the nature of it being sourced from Colorado, it simply doesn’t have a natural fit with the new local flavor of TMG. The TMG Burger is formed from grass-fed and pasture raised local beef. The produce is sourced locally as well: iceberg lettuce, juicy garden tomato and raw purple onion. Naturally, I opted to add the optional Kentucky bacon and Vermont cheddar to my TMG, which sits atop a fluffy bun, designed by Banh and baked at George Perrier’s commissary in Wayne. The accompanying shoestring fries and pure kosher dill pickle round off the experience.

Though the menu is very new, TMG has already set a record of selling an excess of over seventy burgers. Though half of these are the TMG Burger, the remaining Turkey Burger (half-pound patty sourced from pineland farms free range gobblers, goes well with pepperjack cheese), Ahi Tuna Burger (thick slab of tuna with ginger-soy marinade and avocado-wasabi mayo), Veggie Burger (whole lot of local market veggies: onion, mushroom, roasted peppers and even avocado all held together by a white bean puree and some oil) are all strong performers as well.

So, head over to the Rittenhouse Square area and check out the brand new Twenty Manning Grill. Be sure not to miss it; a new bright white facade shines as a beacon, in stark contrast to its old one.

Twenty Manning Grill
59 South 20th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103 (Google Map)

There’s certainly no shortage of fatty-tastic burgers in the city, nor a shortage of great, innovative kitchens. In honor of National Hamburger Month, we took a look at some burgerless menus and decided to challenge some of Philly’s best chefs to create a unique burger worthy of their menu space. Each week in May we’ll hit you with an exclusive interview and review of each handcrafted burger.

Up first: Chef David Katz, owner of rustic-casual restaurant Mémé (2201 Spruce Street).

Katz, a self-described American hamburger traditionalist, accepted his mission and turned out an out-of-the-ordinary Middle Eastern style sandwich, inspired by ingredients left over from a recent Moroccan barbecue. He said he’d recently invited some friends over for a cookout in his upstairs digs, resulting in a few odds and ends. After throwing a quick dinner together with the remaining bits the next day, inspiration struck.

The Moccocan Burger starts with a 6oz meat patty called kefta, a mix of ground beef and lamb traditionally grilled over charcoals. The ground meat is blended with cumin, coriander, parsley, cilantro, cinnamon and cayenne pepper, adding some deep and complex Middle Eastern flavors.

Using recipes passed down through his family, Katz finished it off a hot pepper tomato paste (“an all-purpose Moroccan condiment”) and a cold traditional carrot salad, dressed with lemon and olive oil. This burger plays with flavors and textures well; in one bite you have the warm and distinct flavor of the kefta, in another the cool acidic crunch of carrots. We loved the pepper spread the most, which was spicy and robust enough that it left our lips tingling long after we had finished.

“It’s not entirely traditional,” said Katz. “But this is pretty damn good.”

Notice something different about these photos? That’s right – no glossy, egg-heavy brioche globes here. Everything is nestled between a soft, flour-dusted Snowflake bun, at the chef’s insistence.

“It’s an old school American bun,” he said. “Brioche is bullshit. Just because something is the most trendy doesn’t make it the best.”

You can catch the Moroccan Burger on the Mémé menu all week, for about $8.

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Mémé
2201 Spruce Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 (Google Map)

It’s true. Although our extensive research has yet to produce the origin, or original person who proclaimed it, we’ve been informed by several sources that May is National Hamburger Month. What better way to ring in the summer, than with a celebration of burgers?

For the rest of May we tip our hats in salute to the almighty burger; we’re grilling up some really fun posts, so stay tuned! Is there a burger we must check out, have a recipe you want to share, or any other great ideas for burger related content you’d like to see this month? Let us know in the comments!

Since the opening of The Wishing Well on 9^th and Catharine early this month, we have been receiving emails directing us to the burger that got kicked out of Atlanta for being too rib sticking.

The SHAME burger was invented by chef Carmen Cappello at his southern location, where he improvised on Pennsylvania tradition in creating this enigmatic creation.  A bit of background- the restaurant is part of the Slow Food Movement – meaning that they pledge to bring ingredients in that are grown within 100 miles of their location, contributing to the local economy and respecting the environment.  The Burger is made of local Lancaster sirloin, bought fresh right down the street in the Italian Market.  It is topped with house-made scrapple, American cheese and a runny fried farm fresh egg. Yep. It’s ridiculous.  Carmen calls it a “gluttonous treat that you can feel good about eating” and we definitely agree.

The burger is cooked well-done because the gooey cheese and fried egg provide all the juiciness you need. The fresh scrapple is well spiced with thyme and sage, and is both creamy and crispy – it’s fried, as it should be.  The multiple textures and contrasting breakfast and lunch flavors, shifting back and forth depending upon the ratio of what you get in each bite, together make this a fascinating sandwich.

We speculate that another reason that they belong to the Slow Food movement is because you ain’t moving so fast after you eat one of these.   Next time we head to Wishing Well, we’re going to get the appetizer version of this burger, which comes topped with a fried quail egg, so that we can save room for the fresh fish, inventive meat dishes and seasonal vegetables that they actually work directly with farmers to source.  Wishing Well is a welcome addition to the Italian market.  Co-owner and GM Chris Martino is already seeing repeat customers at the bar, which carries over 50 bottled beers.  Final verdict: do this burger at least once, it’s delicious, it supports the local economy and is definitely something to talk about.

The Wishing Well
767 S. 9th St. – Philadelphia, PA 19147 (Google Map)
(215) 238-6555

• Last week was the official start of baseball season, and our friends over at The 700 Level taste tested the three specialty hot dogs featured at Citizens Bank Park. Head over to find out who they crowned the winner for the Phillies’ signature hot dog. [The 700 Level]

• The Burger Lab takes a highly scientific approach to recreating one of our favorite sandwiches, the blue cheese bomb at April Bloomfield’s Spotted Pig. [A Hamburger Today]

• This poor man suffered from a dislocated jaw after ordering double the meat and cheese on a sandwich that already features five different kinds of meat and three cheeses. Punishment for gluttony? We smell a PR stunt. [Aol. News]

• Tim Hayward introduces us to the “Shooter Sandwich” a mouth watering combination of steak, mushrooms, horseradish and Dijon, all stuffed into a bread bowl. You must check out the photo slideshow. [The Guardian submitted by Marisa McClellan]

Behind the the walls of a currently unassuming brick-faced building on Sansom Street is Center City Philadelphia’s latest burger joint. 500º opens today and features handcrafted burgers and fries using only the highest quality ingredients. Owners Rob and Maggie Wasserman, found inspiration for the restaurant and its menu from the their taste of success with the burger at, Rouge. At the Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival in 2009, Rouge offered a mini version of the burger, with the same ingredients at a much more affordable price. After quickly selling out that day, and the following explosion of demand for burgers in Philadelphia in recent months, the Wassermans set out on their latest concept.

Yesterday, we were granted the opportunity to check out the food and space before the official opening. The summation in three words: precision in simplicity. That precision is indicated in their name, drawn from the operating temperature of the grill. The burger initiative at 500º is being spearheaded by Rouge Executive Chef, Matt Zagorski. He’s told us that 500º will be using 5.5oz Certified Hereford Beef burgers from Ashley Foods with the same proprietary blend from that has made the Rouge burger a national success. The meat is ground thickly to ensure that a texture is retained even when cooked at rare temperatures. All burgers are served on fresh challah rolls from Wild Flour Bakery, from which they’ll be receiving deliveries twice daily. All burgers will also be made to order according to guests’ preferences, fine-tuned to meet the temperature of perfection according to their order (from rare to well-done).

Our favorite burger was “The 500″ with bibb lettuce, tomato, cheddar, bacon and a special house sauce. This sauce isn’t the typical thousand island dressing by any means, it was sweet, mildly tangy and resembled a smooth dijon mustard in color and texture. Chef Zagorski wouldn’t give up any details to its ingredients, with the exception of noting that cloves were used for its aromatic flavor. All five of their burgers can be ordered individually for under $6 or as combos ranging fro $9 to $12.50. Upon opening guests will have access to the entire menu, with a selection of cheeses includes domestic Swiss, provolone, cheddar and American. Along the lines of toppings, pickles, bacon, mushrooms, jalapenos and grilled red onions can be added to any of the burgers. We certainly can’t forget the amazing hand-cut fries that came with our burger. They’re available plain, with spicy seasoning or dressed with truffle oil. Complementing the burgers and fries are fountain sodas and milkshakes (chocolate, vanilla or black & white) made from locally-owned and sourced Bassetts Ice Cream.

We’re sure 500º is likely to be a Center City staple for years to come for those in search of a great quality burger, fast and don’t necessarily want to people watch at Rittenhouse Square. It opens today with various promotions starting at 11:00 am. The first 100 people will be given a free burger of their choice. After that, until 3pm, bring a friend and split the bill with a buy-1-get-1. From 5-7pm enjoy free soda and fries with the purchase of any burger. And then finally, from 11pm until their yet-undetermined closing time, enjoy free fries with any purchase.

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500º
1504 Sansom St. – Philadelphia, PA, 19102 (Google Map)
(215) 568-5000
Twitter: @500_Degrees