Happy Birthday, Blog!

YumVeggieBurger just turned three years old!  
...two days ago, that is.  But I was working on a film shoot and got distracted and didn't remember until today. Oops. Happy Belated Birthday, anyway!

This has been a big milestone month for my blog - first my 100th post, and now celebrating 3 years of blogging about veggie burgers!

Yup, three years ago I posted my first review - of Sparrow Tavern's veggie burger


I recently ate that same veggie burger at Sparrow Tavern again, and I can happily say three years later it is still delicious!
(read my original review of it here.)

How do you follow blogs?

With the imminent demise of Google Reader, which I had used for the past I-don't-even-know-how-many years, I've been giving a lot of thought to how people follow blogs and how they find out about new updates on blogs they enjoy reading - and, of course, how I can make it easier for readers of my blog to see my latest posts (which is why I finally gave in and made a facebook page for YumVeggieBurger).

I loved Google Reader, but I don't know how many other people used it (I guess not enough?) At first I was nervous about finding a replacement for it, but I've been trying out Feedly for the past month or so, and now I'm completely converted. I actually like it better than Google Reader in some ways, which surprised me.

But I'm curious - how do you follow your favorite blogs? 
RSS feeds?
Facebook?
twitter?

Any other options I've missed?

Maimonide of Brooklyn

This is it! I've finally reached 100 reviews of veggie burgers on this blog!
Thank you for all the support, many more to come! <3



I’ve been looking forward to trying Mainoide of Brooklyn since they first opened – but it’s not often that I end up in that part of Brooklyn, and previous plans to go there with a friend specifically to try the restaurant had fallen through. But last weekend I took my sister out for brunch for her birthday, and she lives nearby, and although she is an omnivore she very much enjoys vegetarian and vegan food... So we finally went to M.O.B.



The decorations on the inside of the restaurant are really cool, there is a lot to look at – but it was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and the patio was open, so we sat outside for brunch.



Of course, I ordered the MOB Burger Deluxe (vegan, as is everything on their menu).



Wow. Where to begin? I just loved this burger! The sweet potato bun was soft and sweet, the perfect ratio of bread to patty and toppings – although some toppings still fell out while I ate it, because there were just SO MANY things stuffed inside! “Secret Sauce” (which was tangy and tasty), pickles, charred onion, smoked eggplant, and fresh lettuce and tomatoes. The eggplant in particular was a really nice addition of flavor.



And the patty itself – delicious, chewy, and held together perfectly (kudos to M.O.B. for that accomplishment!). It kind of tore apart between my teeth like, well… meat! (or what I remember of meat, at least. It’s been awhile, obviously). I don’t know how to describe the texture other than that! The flavor was delicious and savory – and I am not even a huge mushroom fan, so if you aren’t either, don’t be dissuaded by the fact that the menu says “crimini mushroom burger”. There were some small pieces of mushrooms visible but it was not enough to scare away a mushroom-avoider like myself at all.


My sister and Emily really enjoyed their food as well – my sister got a gluten free Bright Eyes MOB, and Emily had the Buttermilk Biscuit Sandwich.


Me and my sis – Happy Birthday!

“That was a lot of flavor,” said my sister, “For a bunch of Vegetables!”

Cost: $16 (includes side salad or fries)
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Burger patty: 4       Bun: 5      Toppings: 5

Maimonide of Brooklyn
525 Atlantic Ave
between 4th Ave & 3rd Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11217
718.797.2555

YumVeggieBurger review #100

Veggie Burgers in Advertising

Has anyone else heard about or seen chain restaurant Red Robin's video advertisement for their new veggie burger?

Here's a link to a news article about it: "Red Robin's Garden Burger Ad Says Vegetarians Are Like Teen Girls 'Going Through A Phase'"

What do you think? Is it patronizing to vegetarians/vegans, or should we be grateful that they could be bothered to add a veggie burger to their menu?

Not that I was planning to travel to Long Island or New Jersey just to eat at a chain restaurant anyway... and from the brief look I got at that burger in the advertisement, I imagine it's nothing that I can't buy in the frozen food section of the grocery store... but I do find it disheartening that a national chain seems to think vegetarianism is nothing more than teenage angst and rebellion. Talk about missing the point entirely! For the record, Red Robin, I think my decade of eating veggie burgers qualifies as more than a "phase" by now, don't you agree?

...

By the way - I am one veggie burger review away from my 100th VEGGIE BURGER REVIEW!
Wow, I can't believe I've eaten that many veggie burgers for the blog by now! I've got a great review coming up tomorrow to mark this special occasion.

And hey, if you haven't already - please like my page on facebook, especially if you prefer to get updates that way! :)

Quorn Vegan Burger

The nice people at Quorn recently contacted me and asked if they could send me a sample of their Vegan Burgers. Well, of course I said yes please!



Have you ever gotten veggie burgers delivered to you by FedEx before? It’s quite exciting. They came in this big box – and inside the box was a styrofoam cooler, and inside the cooler, surrounded by ice packs, was the box of veggie burgers.


Lynx was very excited by this delivery, too.



This was my first time trying any Quorn products – although I’ve heard people recommending them before. These patties at first looked more chicken-like than burger-like (they were a lighter coloring than I had expected), but once I actually tasted them, I decided they were definitely more burger-like. They are both soy-free and vegan, made with "mycoprotein" (which is fungi - but don't worry, even an avid mushroom-hater like me can enjoy these!)





I fried them in a pan, with a little olive oil. They fried up to a nice crisp on the outside, but were still deliciously moist on the inside. If you are not a fan of faux-meat textures, these may not be for you – although I think they are one of the best faux-meat products I have tried. There was a unique flavor to them that I could not quite place, but it said “protein” to me, haha. It was a nice flavor – you could easily enjoy these on their own without the bun, if you desired (I later tried one on its own for comparison, and quite enjoyed it).



But for this first tasting, I went with the classic toppings: mayo, fresh spinach, and tomato (on a multigrain bun, of course). Yummy.



The next week, I finally fired up my barbecue grill (I am so happy it finally feels like Summer here in New York!) and tried one of the patties on the grill. Delicious! The smokey grilled flavor really enhanced the taste. And I didn’t have any trouble with the patty sticking to the grill either (that’s a common problem with veggie burgers, but not this one!). I just took it out of the freezer and put it on the hot grill. No oil or anything. Don’t leave it on for too long, because it does get a little drier inside after being grilled, but it got nice grill marks on the outside and heated through very quickly.



Thanks, Quorn!

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Quorn Vegan Burgers

Price: As previously stated, I received a complimentary sample of these from Quorn, who contacted me through this blog. I checked my local natural foods store, and saw that they sell them at $5.79 for a box of 4 patties.

YumVeggieBurger review #99

Veggie Burgers in the news: Chickpea & Olive

Congrats to Chickpea & Olive for the mention their phatty beet sliders got in this week's Time Out New York.

I reviewed these tasty vegan sliders last Fall, and apparently they will be available at Williamsburg's Smorgasburg again this summer, so go try them if you didn't get a chance to last year!

Open City

Last month I took a bus down to Washington D.C. to visit my friend Michael, and meet his lovely wife and baby. It was a great weekend – adorable baby, trip to the zoo… and they were so kind that they even picked out a restaurant with veggie burgers to take me to for dinner!



Open City was pretty busy at dinnertime on a Saturday night, and we had to wait a few minutes for a table to be available. Once we were seated, I was pleased to see that the menu had all the vegetarian, vegan, and even gluten-free items clearly labeled. Of course, I already knew I was ordering the vegan veggie burger.



The homemade patty consisted of lentils, barley, oats, and a mix of vegetables. It was nice and hearty – I liked the blend of lentils and grains. Sometimes a burger patty that is too heavy on one ingredient is a little boring. The best burgers are usually a winning combination of many different textures and flavors.



The toppings were fresh and crisp – pickle slices, lettuce, tomato, and red onion (far too much red onion for my taste, I only put a few slices on the burger – does anyone actually like eating huge chunks of raw red onion?). I wished there was some kind of sauce included in the toppings though – that extra bit of moisture would have helped (the whole grain bun was rather dense, although tasty), and a bit more spice or sweetness would have been a nice addition to the flavors. I substituted chips for the fries that came with my burger, because Michael’s wife Steph told me that the chips were made in house – and they were quite tasty indeed! So I’d recommend getting those as well.



Cost: $8.49
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Burger patty: 4       Bun: 4      Toppings: 3

Open City
2331 Calvert Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20008
202.332.2331

The rest of my visit in D.C. was equally enjoyable. When I wasn’t stuffing myself with veggie burgers, I modeled for some of Michael’s photos:

© Michael Shevitz

You should check out Michael’s photography website here: MichaelShevitz.com
He is quite talented. And if you live in DC and want to hire a professional photographer, I would definitely recommend him!

YumVeggieBurger review #98

Bliss Grand

I was recently in Williamsburg early on a Sunday morning, and thought I’d take the opportunity to try out a new veggie burger. Bliss Grand was nearby, I had never been there before, and their vegan “Two Fisted Lentil Beet Burger” sounded pretty darn appetizing!



The bun was soft, slightly sweet wheat bread. The toppings included a tangy “special sauce” that oozed and dripped out of the burger when I picked it up (not just “two handed”, but many-napkins-required!), as well as lettuce, tomatoes, pickle slices, and red onions.



The patty itself had a nice earthy spice to it - but it was too mushy, I thought it would have been more enjoyable with a crisp outside or some more texture inside. The overall consistency was as smooth as mashed potatoes (although it did hold together quite well, and did not drip out of the bun the way the sauce did!). It was also a bit dry, but at least the plentiful amount of sauce helped compensate for that.


ha, it becomes one-fisted after you eat half of it!

It came with fries, but I was too full to eat more than a couple of them after that burger! The rest of the brunch menu looked amazing, so I definitely want to come back sometime to try some of the other offerings (all vegan).

Cost: $11.95
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Burger patty: 3       Bun: 4      Toppings: 4

Bliss Grand
167 Grand Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
718.302.4726

YumVeggieBurger review #97

Big Nick's Burger & Pizza Joint

UPDATE: the Big Nick's location I visited is now closed.
Yelp says a second location is still open.

Original review archived below:



Last month, a few friends and I went to see Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds perform at the Beacon Theater in Manhattan. We met early to grab a bite to eat before the show, and Adam suggested Big Nick’s Burger & Pizza Joint because he used to eat there often when he lived on the upper west side.

I ordered the “hot vegan Cajun burger” – despite our waiter’s not-so-funny attempt at a joke: “isn’t that an oxymoron? A hot vegan?” (lame, dude, really lame!).



Despite being labeled as “vegan”, I am not tagging it as such on my blog. Maybe Big Nick’s just doesn’t understand that the yogurt in tzatziki sauce isn’t vegan – but if I were a vegan, I wouldn’t feel confident in trusting that the rest of the burger was vegan even if you ate it without the sauce.



That said, the patty itself was actually okay. I was impressed that it was made in-house – I’d been expecting the standard awful frozen patty that most diner-type places have! It was a mix of vegetables and grains, held together fairly well, and was slightly spicy - but I think the “Cajun” description was a misnomer. I've had better tzatziki sauce before, but I'm spoiled by living in Astoria. The lettuce, tomato, and onion were okay, and the toasted whole wheat bun was boring but pretty standard as far as buns go. I thought it was rather overpriced, unfortunately. I don’t mind eating mediocre diner burgers out of necessity now and then, but I hate when I pay more for a disappointing burger than I would pay for one of my 5-star favorites! Then again, I guess I should have expected it to be overpriced since we were in the upper west side!



At least I wasn’t hungry during the concert – which was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. It was my first time at the Beacon Theater, and that place is simply gorgeous! Nick Cave was just as wild and energetic as he was the last time I saw him (if you haven’t seen him performing live, you really should!), and it was an awesome night.


Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Cost: $12.95
Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Burger patty: 3       Bun: 2       Toppings: 2

Big Nick’s Burger & Pizza Joint
2175 Broadway
between 77th & 76th Street
New York, NY 10024
212.362.9238

YumVeggieBurger review #96

Hanalei Taro & Juice Co.

This is my 6th and final veggie burger review from my recent vacation in Hawaii (yup, that’s right, I ate 6 veggie burgers – 2 on each island that I visited!).

On the island of Kauai, I spent several days hiking the Kalalau trail and camping on Kalalau Beach, a.k.a. my favorite place on earth:






Eventually though, I had to leave paradise and return to the real world. As I hiked back out of the valley, I was looking forward to eating a veggie burger once I got back to the town of Hanalei. @janakj had given me a recommendation via twitter: The Hanalei Juice & Taro Co.

(oh yeah, I’m on twitter @yumveggieburger if you want to follow me and give me recommendations too!)



When I first stepped up to the truck window, the girl working there apologized and said they had run out of food after a big tour group came through, and all they had left were smoothies. I felt my heart sink – until she added “the only food we have left is the veggie burger.” And this is yet another reason why Kauai has always been a magical place to me – how lucky was that??? “Perfect!” I told her, “That’s exactly what I wanted to order!”

The Hanalei Taro Veggie Burger: a vegan patty made from taro root and leaves, black beans, brown rice, quinoa, flax seed, rice flour, acai, and a special blend of herbs and spices.



Now, I realize it’s a little hard to objectively judge a veggie burger when it is your first “real” food after backpacking for several days and eating mostly dried fruit and nuts and granola bars (with the exception of the amazing campfire pizza party I was invited to on my last night in the valley!)

But even if I hadn't been hiking all morning looking forward to this burger, I would have definitely still said it was delicious! The patty was richly textured and well-flavored. The bun was soft and fresh (and vegan – they checked the ingredients list for me, so nice!). The taro hummus was excellent, a little lighter than regular chickpea hummus but still flavorful, and a nice addition to the burger. And the cucumbers and lettuce added the perfect green crunch to the whole thing.



I had a taro smoothie as well, which was equally tasty. I’d definitely recommend this truck (or “lunch wagon” as yelp calls it) to anyone visiting Hanalei – although it sounds like it’s already a pretty popular destination for lunch without my help! But maybe some more vegetarians and vegans should check it out so this tasty veggie burger gets its rightful share of the popularity too :)

Cost: $5.50
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Burger patty: 4       Bun: 4      Toppings: 4

Hanalei Taro & Juice Co.
5-5070 Kuhio Hwy B
in front of Kayak Kauai
Hanalei, HI 96714

808.826.1059

YumVeggieBurger review #95

Bubba Burgers

The third island I visited on my Hawaii trip was Kauai:

A rainbow before my flight even landed! No wonder this is my favorite island!

My plan was to hike the Kalalau trail – because I had fallen in love with that trail (and the beach and the valley at the end of the trail) five years ago, and have been dreaming of returning ever since. So I stopped in Hanalei for some supplies, and a meal, the day before I began the hike. Bubba Burgers seemed like a pretty popular spot, so I investigated their menu to see what vegetarian options they might serve. Sure enough, they had a taro burger!



The taro patty was vegan, but the bun was not. And it was served with toppings of lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayo - although on their regular meat burgers the menu encourages diners to forgo the lettuce and tomato and try it “Bubba’s way”. I guess they assume vegetarians cannot go without their veggies!



It was pretty good, for being possibly the only real burger joint in town. The bun was nothing special, but the taro patty was tasty and fried well (although on equipment shared with meat-burgers, I should warn people who mind that sort of thing). And with the crispy lettuce and tangy mayo, it was not bad for the last “real” meal before I would spend the next several days backpacking and only eating trail food!



Hanalei is pretty touristy for a small town, so there are a lot of dining options, but Bubba’s was the only burger-centric spot that I noticed. The walls inside the restaurant are covered in photos of celebrities who have eaten there – like Bill Clinton and Matt Damon. When I met back up with Joe on Oahu, he told me about a South Park episode that takes place on Kauai where, guess what! The Bubba Burger restaurant appears in cartoon form! (you can watch it here) I always think it's pretty cool when such a well-known burger place includes a vegetarian option that is actually pretty good and not just an afterthought.

As I was leaving, and taking my obligatory photo of the outside of the restaurant, a man who was eating at a nearby picnic table with his family said “wait, you have to have a photo with you in it too!” so he took this photo of me in front of Bubba’s:

I look pretty sunburned and sweaty, which I certainly was at that point.

After I took my camera back, and thanked him, I heard his little daughter ask “why did you take her picture?” and the dad replied “She’s backpacking, so she doesn’t have anyone to take her picture”. I was so touched by that! Sometimes solo backpacking is lonely or frustrating, but then sometimes you have the most heartwarming moments with strangers you meet, like that!

Cost: $7.75 (includes fries)
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Burger patty: 4       Bun: 2      Toppings: 3

Bubba Burger
5-5161 Kuhio Hwy
Hanalei, HI 96714
808.826.7839

YumVeggieBurger review #94

The next morning I woke up, ate an apple and a lara bar, and started my hike…

The Na Pali Coast


approaching Kalalau Beach - 11 miles later!

Paddler's Inn

Hawaii vacation continued...



For our last day on Molokai, Joe and I finally checked out Paddler’s Inn – which seemed to be a popular social gathering spot on the island, since we’d seen lots of cars parked outside it on Friday and Saturday night, and they advertised live music most nights of the week.



We sat in an open-air patio area with a lot of other tourists who were presumably staying at the nearby resort. There was a live band, but it was pretty low-key, being a Sunday night (Paddler’s was one of the few places still open on Sunday, too!).



Although they had a couple other vegetarian options on the menu, I chose the veggie burger – described as a “garden burger”.



The bun was covered in sesame seeds, pretty standard bread, but soft and tasty. The toppings consisted of lettuce and tomatoes – and a little cup of mayonnaise, which I spread on the bun because it seemed it would be a rather dry burger without some kind of sauce.



The patty was just okay – lukewarm, and pretty much like every other generic veggie patty you’d expect to find at a restaurant that doesn’t make them in-house and probably buys them in bulk from a warehouse. Lots of rice and chopped vegetables inside it (not the faux-meat kind), but little flavor.



The veggie burgers I ate on Molokai were not as exciting as the ones I tried on Oahu, but given the very limited number of restaurants there are to choose from on Molokai, I was honestly just happy to find any vegetarian dishes at all. When you have very few other options, even a bad or mediocre veggie burger can be surprisingly appealing!

Cost: $12
Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Burger patty: 2       Bun: 3      Toppings: 2

Paddler’s Inn
10 Mohala Street
Kaunakakai, HI 96748
808.553.5256



YumVeggieBurger review #93