I am sorry in advance for being a burger-tease, but I just have to share the news of the new burger place being opened in Arlington VA, by my friend Michael Landrum. Already the owner of a nationally acclaimed steakhouse, this is what he is bringing to the burger world:

“As those of you who were too foolish to heed my warning on Monday already know, Ray’s Hell-Burger (street name), aka Butcher Burgers (government name), is due to open today, Tuesday, July 1st.

We will be serving one thing only–10 ounces of our secret blend of premium and prime aged beef, char-grilled over an open flame. This is the same single-breed, farm-raised beef that we use at Ray’s The Steaks and Ray’s The Classics, aged in house ridiculously long, hand trimmed to the same exacting standards as all of our steaks, and ground fresh daily, several times throughout the day.

Free toppings include: sauteed mushrooms finished with sherry and brandy, grilled red onions, sauteed peppers, charred jalapenos, vine-ripened beefsteak tomatoes, roasted garlic, and dill or bread and butter pickle chips.

Applewood-smoked bacon (the same that we use for the grilled bacon app at Ray’s The Classics) and guacamole are available for an additional charge.

In addition to the regular quality cheeses on offer (’Merkin, aged Vermont white cheddar, imported Swiss, imported Gruyere, aged Danish Bleu/Italian Gorgonzola, smoked mozzarella, Monster, Brie, pepperjack) we wil also be offering a changing selection of specialty and artisinal cheeses–currently, Epoisse, Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue, Queen Anne Stilton, Pa Noble Cave Aged Amish Cheddar, Chimay a la biere, Taleggio, and Bel Paese.

Throughout the summer, Hell-Burgers will be served with fresh, buttered corn on the cob and a slice of cold, juicy watermelon AT NO CHARGE!!!

Dominion root beer ON TAP and other great sodas and 8-10 flavors of MOOrenko’s ice cream for cones and floats (no shakes, maybe later–I don’t want to be the one to push shakes into the trite category, too many others stand eager to do so soon enough).

Ray’s Hell-Burger (imagine the “Hell” part in flamey letters) is located at 1713 Wilson Boulevard in the same strip mall as Ray’s The Steaks. We plan to open Saturday and Sunday from noon on and weekdays from 5 pm, for the time being, with expansion into weekday lunch hours possible, maybe.

The best part about all this, for me at least, is that since Ray’s Hell-Burger is located several doors down from Ray’s The Steaks, now whenever someone becomes tantrumishly nasty at the door due to the wait at The Steaks, I can kindly suggest an appropriate alternative destination to them.”

The price for all of this goodness, including corn on the cob, watermelon and gourmet cheese? $6.95. Are you kidding me?

Can you imagine if this kind of joint opened up in Vancouver? It really makes you think about the downright thievery going on at Vera’s Burger Shack, and the garbage they call “Vancouver’s Best Burger.”

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Alibi Room
(604) 623-3383
Address: 157 Alexander Street, Gastown
Homepage
Food menu

Of all the watering holes in all the cities…
a restaurant review

By Jason Chin
Eat Vancouver writer
Saturday, June 28th 2008

** (of four stars)

Alibi Room feels like it was cooked up behind a bar by a couple of industry vets, “You know what I’d do if I started my own place?”

The reply, sarcastic in a I’ll-keep-this-going-if-at-least-to-kill-time-kind-of-way: “Yeah, what?”

“Well there’d be a huge draft beer list. Stuff you can’t get anywhere else.”

“Obviously, what else?”

“A kick-ass burger.”

“And laid back service, you know, so it’d feel like you were just hanging out at someone’s house?”

“Exactly.”

You know the conversation I’m talking about.

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I recently received the following press release from Darby’s Pub, advertising their new late night menu. I gotta say, I have often found myself in that area late at night when the only option around was The Naam. So I can see this being a good thing.

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Red Robin at Broadway and Oak
Address: 1001 West Broadway (map)
Phone: 604-733-6494
homepage

In the Catbird Seat
a Summer Eatin’ feature

by Jason Chin
Eat Vancouver Writer
Monday, July 9th, 2007

My history with Red Robin goes all the way to my discovery of the chain as a young boy in Oakland where I believed it to be the height of fine dining. Then, more recently during my time as an undergraduate in Charlottesville, where our dorm was generously furnished with an assortment of their glassware thanks to sticky-fingered past residents. But now that I’ve grown older, I’ve often wondered if these warm feelings are simply nostalgia, or a more or less accurate representation of this burger joint.

I’ve been putting off testing these questions because, well, sometimes I don’ really want to know. It’s sort of like in 8MM, when Nicholas Cage’s character was getting ready to investigate the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles’ hardcore porn industry, and he was warned, “you are going to see things that you can’t unsee.” Now, I don’t mean to compare Red Robin to snuff porn, but it’s hard to ignore the similarities: I didn’t want to taste things I couldn’t untaste. That was until I heard that the patio at the Red Robin on Broadway boasts one of the most spectacular views in the city. My dedication to blissful ignorance would have to wait – there was summer eatin’ to be had.

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Abigail’s Party
(604) 739-4677
Address: 1685 Yew St, Kitsilano (map)
Homepage

Dear Abi,
a restaurant review

By Jason Chin
Eat Vancouver writer
Sunday, May 20th, 2007

½ (of four stars)

With a wealth of new Kitsilano restaurants (Bistrot Bistro, Gastropod, Fuel et al) soaking up our collective attentional resources, it is easy to overlook the several Kits standards that have already made a name for themselves. One such joint is Abigail’s Party, which opened over a year ago to much critical praise and considerable success. But has this Cinderella maintained her charm, or is she late for the ball, her coach nothing but a dirty old gourd and her hand servants mere field mice? Recent evidence suggests she is showing her age, but with some serious tweaking, this soiree can regain its former splendor.

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Vera’s Burger Shack
Multiple locations around Vancouver
See homepage for details

Hours vary by location

A Tale of Three Burgers

By Lorna Yee
Eat Vancouver Columnist
Monday, April 25th, 2006

** (of four stars)

After reading the rather interesting burger brawl on this site, I was eager for my first experience at Vera’s. I got the cheeseburger with “the works” (the usual sauce condiments, plus tomato, lettuce and onions–all at no extra charge) at the Davie location. I’ll skip the comments on the decor, since Dan and Jason have both given their opinions. The Davie store was clean, and the service was friendly enough. The kaiser bun was good and fresh, as were the veggies. I didn’t ask for my burger to be cooked medium-rare or medium, opting instead to receive what I would assume is the “typical doneness” of a Vera’s burger. The patty was cooked all the way through, and rather dry. There wasn’t too much bread for the patty, and the burger held together well as I was eating. All in all, I thought the burger was OK. It wasn’t bad. I’m not complaining. I’m sure the taste would be improved if the patty was cooked to a juicy medium-rare or medium, though I’ve read Gerald’s comments and realize that half his clientele don’t want to see pink in their burger.

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Vera’s Burger Shack
Multiple locations around Vancouver
See homepage for details

Hours vary by location

A Tale of Two Burgers

–
In an attempt to establish inter-rater reliability, this week’s edition of Eatvancouver features two points of view. Expect a third next week when columnist Lorna Yee chimes in.
–

It was the best of times…

By Jason
Eat Vancouver Editor
Sunday, April 16th, 2006

UBC location: 1/2 (of four stars)
Other locations: * and 1/2 (of four stars)

When I moved to Vancouver a few years ago, Vera’s was one of the first restaurants I visited. I was pleased to find out that what my friends were telling me was true: Vera’s Burger Shack made a name for itself serving well-designed burgers, with fresh meat and toppings and hadn’t deviated from that in twenty-odd years of service. My romance with the burger shack continued, marked by casual encounters whenever I found myself in the vicinity of a Vera’s, usually the Denman or Davie locations. I appreciate a place that takes burgers seriously, uses ultra-fresh ingredients and greets me with a smile – heck, what’s not to like about that? Walk into most Vera’s locations and you can expect a pretty simple atmosphere: wooden tables with napkin dispensers, a couple of bottles of vinegar and a bottle of ketchup, maybe a few signs on the wall explaining the place, and no absence of that smiling, young ginger with a cow-print chef’s hat. The burger, again at most locations, is quite good. To break it down, you’ve got your beef patty, seasoned ever so slightly to bring out the flavor of the meat. There is a kaiser bun that just the right size as to not hide the underlying filling, but big enough to aptly house the burger and allow for hands on eating. The toppings are many to choose from, and always fresh. I don’t like to overshadow the meat so I usually order my vera burger with lettuce, tomato, chopped onion, hot peppers, pickles (sliced nice and long), hot sauce and vera’s sauce. Oh, their poutine is top-notch as well.

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Moderne Burger
Address: 2507 West Broadway
Tel: 604-739-0005
homepage

Hours:
Mon-Fri Noon-9:00pm

Everything Olde…

By Dan Fishman
Eat Vancouver Columnist
Monday, April 10th, 2006

** (of four stars)

The Chairman gave me a call the other day and told me that my output lately has been pathetic. And you know what? He’s absolutely right. So I told him it was time that we finally checked out Moderne Burger, on Broadway just West of Larch. For me, there’s really nothing better than a great hamburger, and I have heard from a few people that Moderne Burger is excellent. Then again, I’ve also heard from some people that Vera’s Burger Shack is excellent, and unless “excellent” is a new slang word for “overpriced and mediocre,” that simply is not true [note from the editor: expect Dan’s review of Vera’s Monday, in which he will expand upon this comment]. So I was very interested to see if Moderne Burger would fall under the classical or the “moderne” definition of excellent.

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Feenie’s
Address: 2563 West Broadway
Tel: 604-739-7115
homepage

Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30am-5:30pm lunch
Sat-Sun 2:00pm-5:30pm lunch
Mon-Sat 5:30pm-11:30pm dinner
Sun 5:30pm-10:00pm dinner
Sat-Sun 10:00am-2:00pm brunch

More than just a Pretty Burger

By Lorna Yee
Eat Vancouver Columnist
Sunday, April 2nd, 2006

*** (of four stars)

Rob Feenie’s role in shaping the restaurant scene in Vancouver is indisputable. His 2004 win on Iron Chef against Masaharu Morimoto cemented his position as an internationally respected chef whose approach to cooking has impressed the likes of Charlie Trotter.

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