Bridge and Burgers

By Natalie

Have you ever ordered a burger at a restaurant and been served a sorry patty of something-or-other on two plain, lifeless buns? There's nothing worse, especially when you were expecting a heaping helping of burger surrounded by folds of crisp lettuce, sweet tomatoes, crunchy pickles and tangy red onion. Past experiences have schooled me well, and now I know that the best burgers are made right at home.

Lately, turkey burgers have been my thing. While I am still perfecting the cooking of the burger itself (I tend to overcook the patty no matter how hard I try - suggestions anyone?) I like to think I have perfected the art of toppings. It's most fun to create a topping bar of sorts, where you can pick and choose which veggies you want to load on your bun.

First, it's best to keep in mind if you are cooking for yourself or if others will be joining you. You'll be sure to make a fast friend if say, you lay out some sliced jalapeno for that friend who loves a spicy kick, or grainy mustard for your cousin who hates ketchup. Anything goes!

My favorite toppings are fresh avocado, red onion, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, and a flood's worth of ketchup. My boyfriend loves to add jalapeno, and of course, a few generous shakes of Tabasco. If you happen to have good cheese (no Kraft singles, please!) and something salty like french fries on hand, it never hurts to throw those in there, too. For a change of pace, try shoving all of this into a whole wheat pita instead of the typical hamburger bun. Taking that layer of thick bread away from the burger allows all of the flavors to really shine through. Don't get me wrong though, I love a good bun. All depends on the day!

Picking all of this up to take a tidy, lady-like bite can be rather difficult. Extra napkins are a must, and if that still doesn't work out, a good old knife and fork will do the trick.


Above is my latest foray into turkey burger land, complete with wine, tossed salad, and no judgements here, baked beans. Yum! There is no better way to pretend it is summer in these very early weeks of spring!

After shoving this huge meal into my face in about five minutes, it was only fitting that I try to walk off some of the calories. This weekend, I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge for the first time ever, all the while annoying the other passersby by taking an obscene amount of photos. Some evidence that I actually made it to the other side:


Having made it that far, I decided to ruin everything by eating one of these:

Totally worth it. To get your own honkin' roast beef sandwich, mounded with sauted onions, cheddar cheese, mounds of tender roast beef, and crusty roll, all double dipped in savory au jus, head to Brennan and Carr's allllll the way out in the far-away land of Gravesend, Brooklyn. Seriously. You should go. Now.