Saturday, 7 June 2014

Mmm... Flippin' Burgers - Stockholm


On my quest dungeons and dragons styleeee for hunting down the best burgers I decided that on my trip to Stockholm I would have to hit a good burger joint. 

I had worked for it considering I'd run the Stockholm marathon and then spent two days kayaking around a bunch of Islands.
The only way to reward myself was with a  good piece of meat. And so far my luck on Tinder on the continent hadn't really paid off! Ha Ha! So the next best alternative would be searching for a burger joint.

With that I decided that the best place to find a recommendation would be through a native blogger. Sophia from Girl in Menswear had recommended Flippin' Burger so it made sense. I was intrigued as she'd said the place had queues round the block. This is always a good sign!



Our trip up there from our beautiful boat moored in the heart of the city was dampened by the weather. We were all wringing wet by the time we arrived and not in a good way might I add.

We couldn't even bag a table indoors and it was a late on a Wednesday evening. Damn! Not deterred we were relegated to the tables outside, of which all bar one was occupied. And it was still pissing it down! Luckily they had awnings! I am dedicated to meat, rain, awning or not! 



The server was a lovely bearded chap who kind of looked like he'd had a long day but happily gave us recommendations on what we should order. Straight up he said the flippin burger. 
A classic double cheeseburger, with mayo, mustard, ketchup and white onions. So that's what we got. I settled for a hard shake comprised of chocolate ice cream, and rum. Bloody excellent. Did I mention they use Ben and Jerry's ice cream? Even bloody better! 

When the burger arrived all the cheese of which I believe were two slices had melted in between the giant inch thick patties and it looked a sight to behold... Possibly on a par with how I looked at the end of my marathon. Ha! Slightly messy, and maybe a bit sweaty! Ha ha gross! 
But this was not a burger that was gross. It was juicy, actually it was a little dirty. 




Our mantra on the trip had been 'keeping it slutty' and as most of our group were single and checking out the goods on Tinder it made sense... All to no avail might I add. Anyway this burger was just slutty enough, the juices escaping and running down our hands. I've said it before and I'll say it again; A sign of a good burger. 




Cooked medium rare it filled me up and the silence except for the odd pleasure filled groans around the table let me know that my newly initiated burger buddies enjoyed it too. Fries were plentiful and the shake found a little way into my heart, I wish I'd written down the recipe! I am a sucker for chocolate delights... 

And our visit wasn't even dampened by the weather. All in all a fabulous place to visit! 



I later found out some interesting info via that the owner of flippin burger decided to search out the best burgers in the US and so travelled across the states looking for the best burger, so he could come back to Stockholm and open his own joint. How awesome is that! When it first openend it had queues around the block and still does. Oh yeah.



If you're going to Stockholm, live in Stockholm or fancy a burger and don't mind jumping on a flight go there. It was very good. Or should I say mycket bra! 

Bx

Flippin' Burgers
Observatoriegatan 8, 11329 Stockholm
info@flippinburgers.se (Vi tar inte bokningar)
Öppettider: Måndag - Fredag 16-22, Lördag 12-22, Söndag 12-22

Friday, 11 April 2014

Mmm... Bukowski Grill

The fat gringo at bukowski in box park. No 61.



My mate and I needed a beer and a burger. There's an array of burger joints in Shoreditch and I saw that Bukowski had opened up in Box Park, so what better way to see how it compares to the Brixton one. So after checking out the bow and arrows at the Truman brewery we headed up Brick Lane and to Box Park. 
Thursday nights are a mash up in this part of town, where the suits meet the cool kids. There was some kind of beat box rapping comp taking place in the middle of Box Park and the kids were too cool for school, or at least too cool for the suit/football kitted up city boys. After walking the length of the shipping containers twice we found Bukowskis at no 61. It's tucked away in the corner and we walked straight past it at first. It's a tiny place with only three booths, but luckily there's a load of seating outside so we were able to order from the lovely bearded man at the beer pump and get a seat and wait.

We both went for the Fat Gringo. I like a good name.
And we weren't disappointed. Cooked a little more than the medium rare I ordered, it didn't make too much of a difference as the juices and quality of the patty were good. 



I clearly have feeble girl hands because the contents of my burger were falling out of the bun as soon as I took my first bite. In my opinion it makes it all the more fun. But my burger buddy teased me about it and said if I really was such a Burger connoisseur I ought to learn how to hold it properly. Whatevs. He has big hands. And giant bites. He had an unfair advantage! 

So back to the burger. The Jalapeno Mustard was spicy and sweet and just the right side of hot. 
The cheese mixed with the mustard creating this beautifully gooey mess, and licking my fingers was a bit of a treat! I like it dirty evidently. The candied bacon was good but I could have done with it a little more on the crispy side. And the brioche bun was a real winner, like a good band manager dealing with too many crazy guitarists... It's a tough gig but it managed to hold everything together! A special mention must go to the smoked pickles garnishing the top of the burger. They were very special. I wanna know where I can get a jar of those!  

After we polished off our plates we finished the rest of our beers and rubbed our well fed bellies. "That was a good shout Burger bitch" my mate said. 

I'd have to agree.

The Fat Gringo £9.95 
Beef patty, topped with Monterrey Jack cheese and candied bacon, jalapeno mustard, red onions, tomato, lettuce and a smoked pic

http://www.bukowski-grill.co.uk/






Monday, 24 March 2014

Mmm...Mishkins

Mishkins

I've been here before, I remember... The last time was with an old chum, no she's not dog food. And we had a sumptuous feast of halve platters and rolled out rubbing our bellies.

So a couple things about Mishkins set up.
Their menu is pretty extensive, covering sandwiches, sliders, hot dogs, macaroni cheese and a special of the day list. Most of its available as a whole, or a half. So it's good if you're in the mood to share or if you want to be greedy (I fall into the latter category)

I took my mum, so to be a nice polite young lady I offered to share this time. Once and only once will this ever happen.

We were sat at the bar, my favourite place. I like the interaction with the bar dudes and you feel like you have something to watch. It helps too when they've got pretty hefty beards and tats that I can ogle over.... I was on best behaviour today as Burgerella's mum was in attendance however....

The service was quick and we had a Salt beef half sandwich, Half and half which is fries and onion rings and a Beef and pork hot dog, only because the friend chicken burger had run out. sad times. I've been going through a phase of wanting dirty chicken. This time the hot dog would hve to do.

Disappointingly the half and half skewed towards chips rather than onions, which was a shame as I much prefer onion rings. The bun of my hotdog was pretty sub standard, and literally fell apart in my hands! I like when things get messy but this was crazy!  The dog itself was good. And the dressing was super tasty. 
I was a little jealous of my mum's Salt Beef Sandwich, but luckily we were sharing. And as always it was gorgeous! 

So all in all not a bad visit to Mishkins.
The burgers are still my favourite though! 

Mmm... Meat Mission

It seems that I have a regular crew of burger companions. I'm a lucky girl. Especially when I am suffering such an addiction that I can visit three burger joints in one week. Lets not get into that. And no I'm not a lard ass. Thank God!

But back to my latest foray into the world of burgers. I went with my good friend P. She was tired, after a creative meet up thing in Shoreditch and I had plans of a greater night on the cards. Which means only a couple of options. A good Burger, or a good fella ;D ha ha.

Anyway, so I convinced her that we needed to go to Meat Mission for a meat fest... Well it was definitely that. I'm quite a fan of the Dead Hippy. I go to Meat Market regularly. I've still not been to Meat Liquor, but being in London for so long I try to avoid the places that get the hype. I mean it's been open for a couple of years and there's always still a massive queue outside. The same can't be said to Meat Market. I never wait there. I'm sure the proprietors would hate to hear that, but I like it. I have little patience and I never share. This is all you need to know about me!

So back to our arrival. We didn't wait long at all. we had enough time to order a beer and next thing we knew we were being sat on the pews in between some restaurant goers tucking into their patties. I was salivating.

I loved the look of the place, it took me back a bit to my artsy fartsy days of Art Foundation where I was obsessed with Tracey Emin and Gilbert and George. Both of whom I stalked in the old days of Shoreditch when it wasn't cool and definitely not trendy.



The ceiling at Meat Mission is like a kind of churchy homage to G and G. I love it.
Apart from the colour situated above the diners the rest of the place is black. Walls, floor tables. all black. I'm not sure why the place is in mourning, maybe black paint was on offer that week? he he.



We both went for the Dead Hippy. I ought to branch out more often, but I know what I like. I couldn't resist ordering the Chicken fingers. I felt a mix of excitement and repulsion about the idea of 'chicken fingers', firstly the taste of the buffalo sauce, that I wish I could bathe in I love it so much, and yet, the idea of a chicken having fingers... bit gross. Sorry if I've just ruined your idea of this wonderful food. Suffice to say, they were pretty delicious. And without the added hassle of bones. Win Win I say. Fries were epic and the burgers, well, what can I say. Just the right side of slidery. The patty was cooked just right, not too bloody, but bloody enough. It was a bit dirty, with the grease running down my hands. Just how I like it. Sometimes I don't know how such a catholic girl became such a filth addict. But hey, we're all god's creatures..



Go and get holy down at the mission...
www.meatmission.com

Sunday, 23 March 2014

Mmm... Patty and Bun {again}

Patty and bun
Friday 21st March 2014

Queue thirty minutes
Table for two
Burgers, wings, fries and beer. In my opinion the perfect way to spend time on a Friday night. Except the queuing! 



I decided despite my spicy reservations to go with the Jose Jose burger. My last foray into the world of spicy burgers, at Red Dog caused me temporary dizziness and weeping and the loss of respect from my fellow burger compadres. I was understandably nervous. 

There was no need however. This burger was divine. Spicy, but not crazy spicy and kind of sweet. There were a lot of peppers in it but they were small perfectly roasted and added an extra dimension to the juicy patty inside.
The wings as always melted in your mouth and were a tangy sweet affair. I've still not found anywhere in London that does chicken that falls off the bone better. 
I'm warming up to the 'skin on' fries. I wasn't too taken with them at first but I keep imagining them having little coats on, which entertains me and They're actually pretty tasty! I know I'm a weirdo.



I have a feeling that my friend was a little jealous of my burger, he went for the Arri Gold, which I had last time and it's a classic slider. It's bloody good! A recent friend who knows the Patty and Bun dudes says that the Arri Gold is named after a friend. IMO that is something truly epic. I'd love to meet Mr Gold. You gotta be pretty cool to have a burger named after yourself...
What I would give to have a burger named after me! Perhaps my first born?!? Ha ha! I wonder what they'd call my burger. Maybe the Blondie? With a lil' reference to The Good The Bad and The Ugly! Fave film.
God knows what it might have in it. I might start thinking about that one!

I still profess that the Mr Miyagi I had at the burger off in Borough Market courtesy of P and B was one of my all time favourites! 
I'm gonna start a petition to bring it back! 

Overall though this last visit was very rewarding. Especially since upon walking in they were playing old school garage which took me right back about fifteen years. God I'm getting old!!

Patty and Bun is up there in my top burger joints of London. 



Go visit them!

Wednesday, 29 January 2014

Mmm Milk Restaurant, Les Carroz, France


Mmm, well what can I say about this place? Firstly that on the three occasions we've visited the beautiful ski area of Le Grand Massif we've gone to the Milk Restaurant six times! And our group generally all order the burgers because they're so good! 

A handmade toasted soft brioche bun decorated with pumpkin seeds is the first mouthwatering sightyou get, and it's a vision :)

The burger cooked medium rare is juicy well cooked and flavoured with a dill, cream sauce. Every bite is full of flavour. 



I loved the fries and side salad, and the service is always impeccable!

You can't get a more perfect place to enjoy a well deserved burger and beer after a hard morning's boarding... 


So if you're ever on the lookout for a tasty treat on the slopes with a gorgeous view and gorgeous food this is the place

Website here...

Mmm... Kua'aina

 


Wow what a tasty burger. I went for avocado in mine and my companion had avo and bacon. One thing I would say that sets this apart from others is the gorgeous slice of grilled onion that is nestled in the brioche bun atop the patty. It makes for a very special offering. 
Theres so many packed in a lot of them fall out. Making this my favourite kind of burger. That which is dirty and whose juices run down my hands! The avocado was a great choice, soft and perfectly ripe nestled in the bun. 
And the fries were proper, just the right thickness and seasoned well. 



What makes this experience even better is the Hawaii shirts adorned on the waiters... My imagination ran away with me and I day dreamed of sunnier climes by a beach with the surf gently lapping on the shore. 
As I bit into my last bite I was transported away from rainy London and to someplace a bit special.

Mmmm yum! 

Definitely recommended. 

£24 for two burgers, fries and soda. Plus tip. Very reasonable :)

Kua'aina is just off Carnaby Street. Closest tube is Oxford Circus. Enjoy!