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)

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.

Gallery

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!