The last time we talked burgers, the discussion was about how great Twisted Root was and how much I miss my Double-Doubles. Then Michelle chimed in with a turkey burger, which I was quite skeptical of at first, but after getting to try them a couple of times, was thoroughly won over by not only the health benefits, but the taste too. Quite a nice departure from the red meat variety and something I could get used to if cows ever became endangered….but, since we are in Texas and that’s likely to never happen, lets get back to the beef!
Upon first searching out a great burger in DFW I noticed that Kincaid’s was mentioned by many people in many different places. They lauded how it used to be a meat market of sorts and that the burgers were made from choice beef that was ground daily. It was painted as a no frills, no fuss establishment that housed a lunchtime line that sometimes stretched out the door. A burger institution if you will.
This sounded like my kinda place, so the next chance I got, I headed out west to Fort Worth to see what was going on.
Now I went to Kincaid’s twice for this review because sadly, the first time was quite a let down. I ordered a cheese burger, fries, and a drink, sat down and waited for my meal. They called my order shortly after that, which brought about my first suspicion: they had signs up that read ‘this isn’t fast food, so please be patient’, so why did my order cook up so spooky fast? I sat down with the burger and opened up his greasy case. He was thick and messy and I was hoping juicy, but this just didn’t make sense. There was no way this size of a burger cooked up that fast. I then noticed that the table across from me was still waiting for their food and they had been there before I even ordered. All of this was highly suspicious and then my fears were confirmed when I bit into the moisture deficient patty that was almost an inch thick. Gross. Maybe the fries will redeem the meal. Nope. Soggy and over-fried. I was severely disappointed and decided that they had either pawned off someone else’s overcooked burger on me, or served me up a par-grilled patty that was ready and waiting. How was this possible for such a lauded burger joint? I was perplexed and later found out that I wasn’t alone in this dry-burger problem. Ed Levine of Serious Eats had a similar adventure at the Fort Worth Kincaid’s and was similarly disappointed.
I left confused. Befuddled at the fervent hype of the Chowhound message boarders. Could so many people be so collectively wrong? I knew I had to go back and give them one more shot and as it turns out, Kincaid’s second showing was much better. The burger came out messy and greasy, but this time had plenty of juice. I had it piled high with delicious chili and the fries were fresh and perfectly golden. I did however order the smaller sized hamburger which was a much thinner patty and less susceptible to overcooking. I would recommend taking this route if you ever venture into Kincaid’s. While not the best burger in town, I will definitely head back in when I’m looking for nice chili burger to fill me up.
If you don’t feel like driving out to Fort Worth, they also have new locations in S. Arlington and Southlake. Look them up!
Price: $4
4901 Camp Bowie Boulevard | Fort Worth, Texas
(817) 732-2881
When it comes to almost any topic, I will invariably have something to say. So, one would think that after I had the most amazing slice of pizza at Fireside Pies, my words would be positively pouring! Surprisingly, that’s not the case. I’m finding myself so short on words to describe the pizza because it’s basically… perfect.
Over the weekend we discovered the Fireside Pies location in Grapevine. Same excellence as the Dallas locations, minus the see-and-be-seen vibe that results in the usual two hour wait on a Saturday night at the Henderson spot. We decided on the Hot ‘n’ Crumbled pizza because it features a local fave: Jimmy’s italian sausage (just like another pizza we recently tried at Bolsa!) Unlike the Bolsa pizza, this one had a very spicy italian sausage. I really liked the kick! The pizza also featured dollops of very rich roasted garlic and herb ricotta. Chopped fresh tomatoes balanced out the richness.
I love the sauce, the wood-fired rustic crust, and the traditional four-cheese blend that Fireside uses. With nary a complaint, I whole-heartedly recommend Fireside, especially this more low-key location. Delish!
Price: $14
1285 South Main Street | Grapevine, TX 76051
817.416.1285
In connection with the previous post, here’s a picture of a Starbucks cake that I made for a friend. Nothing exciting about the ingredients; this cake is all about the design!
Themed cakes are my faves. Anyone interesting ones you’ve made? I’d love to see!
Sunday night and I’m going through my weekly ritual of lamenting the end of the weekend and getting ready for the work week ahead. Though tonight I’m not so sad about Monday morning because I know there’s something to really look forward to tomorrow. I have a new drink at Starbucks that will definitely make my morning.
(Sidenote: As I’ve mentioned before, I love indie coffee shops. However, because they’re aren’t really any around me to support, Starbucks is my coffee crush #1)
I saw the sign for the Caramel Chai at a Barnes & Noble Starbucks (which is not actually a real Starbucks) and was intrigued/puzzled. I love chais; I order them all the time when I’m not getting coffee. But mixing them with caramel?? I went ahead and tried it…
Divine.
The black tea and spices mix really well with the sweetness of the caramel. Since it’s not on the corporately-owned Starbucks’ menus (yet?) I paid really close attention to the way the B&N barista made it so I would know how to ask for it later. For a grande, it was the usual chai recipe plus four pumps of caramel syrup and caramel sauce on top. The result was a little too sweet for my taste, so today when I went to a real Starbucks, I skipped the caramel sauce on top and asked for only three pumps of syrup. It was perfect… just the thing to make me feel cheerful on a Monday!
If you try it, let me know what you think!
Bolsa is an extremely interesting affair. Part bar/restaurant/market all mashed up into a renovated yet respectful installation in the historic Settles Garage just west of Bishops Arts District. The building is quite beautiful, with elements of the old mixed with more modern fixtures. In the cool evening the place transforms into one big patio, opening the giant bar windows and garage doors and allowing the breeze to flow through the establishment. I guarantee that even if you don’t like the food, the architecture of this establishment will impress you with originality and uniqueness.
Fortunately the food was great too! I’m all about pizza and the different forms it can take. Variations on sauce, toppings, or bread. Thin or thick. Warm or cold. It’s all lovely to me, so when I saw that Bolsa had Flatbread/Pizza on their menu, I immediately knew what I was going to order. Another notable thing about Bolsa is that everything they serve is fresh and locally grown. No fryers or freezers. I like that.
All the flatbread variations looked delicious but I had to settle on the sausage and pepper variety. I immediately noticed that it was called ‘Jimmy’s’ and wondered if that referred to Jimmy’s Italian Market in Dallas, because it seemed to fit (local ingredients). My suspicions were then confirmed when I overheard one of the owners who had been walking around the patio and checking in on the patrons, mention that fact to a customer. So I definitely knew it was going to be good, Jimmy’s is great.
The flatbread did not disappoint. It was quite a big portion, about the size of a medium pizza, thin and full of flavors. The sauce was a tad sweet, but was offset nicely by the spicyness of the sausage and peppers. It made for a great combination. The mozzarella was melted in white gooey pools, all over the pizza, and the whole combination was a perfect package of meat, cheese and bread. I was thoroughly impressed with the quality of food, and when coupled with the great atmosphere, architecture, and patio, made my trip to Bolsa into a great night out.
Also if you are looking for a quality cocktail to compliment your patio dining, let me recommend the watermelon margarita: Patron, fresh muddled watermelon juice and a dash of sweet and sour. Simple, yet one of the best drinks I’ve had in a long time.
Go check out Bolas and their patio before nature decides put a hiatus on our outdoor dining here in Texas.
Price: $11
614 W. Davis | Dallas, TX 75208
(214) 367-9368
While I do love seeing which burger my cohort Brian will try next on his quest for the best in the metroplex, I can’t shake the feeling that he’s being a little… biased. His choices so far have been undeniably tipped on the red meat side of scales. What about turkey? Veggie? Salmon? Inspired by all the political buzz of the conventions, I feel compelled to make my case for a delicious white meat burger! I don’t want to start a little dish war, but it’s gotta be done.
It might be a surprise, but I’ve turned to catastrophe-chef Rachel Ray for this one. I can’t even begin to touch on the subject of her as a TV personality, commercial entity, or “chef.” I have a strange hate/love/hate feeling towards her that would take up another post entirely. But, say what you will about her “EVOO” and “choups” (chowder + soup), she is the champion of making all different kinds of burgers. Salmon, lamb, “tur-chicken,” you name it.
This recipe for southwest turkey burgers was recommended to be by a friend who said “it’s actually… surprisingly… really great.” I decided to give it a try because I was intrigued and motivated by Ratatouille who says that anyone can cook” (even deranged people who use the word “sammies” a lot).
Sure enough, they were good. Awesome even. The sauces, peppers, onions, garlic, and fresh herbs make the meat very juicy, which can be a concern when you’re cooking a lean meat like turkey. The ingredients mixed in added so much flavor, the burgers really didn’t need condiments when they were done. I added a little more hot sauce and skipped the bacon because, after all, aren’t we using turkey to be a little healthier?
The only danger with these is that because of all the extra ingredients, they were a little hard to form together. We threw in one egg and that definitely helped. If you’re going to cook these in a pan, you’ll be completely fine. However, if you’re doing this on a grill, make sure you form them nice and tight.
Either way, do try these! They are… actually… surprisingly… really great.
Southwest Turkey Burgers
From 30 Minute Meals with Rachel Ray
8 slices turkey bacon or turkey bacon with black pepper or applewood smoked bacon
1 1/3 lbs. ground turkey breast (the average weight of 1 package)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large shallot or 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
2 tbs. chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
2 tbs. chopped fresh cilantro leaves (optional parsley may be substituted)
1/2 small bell pepper, green, red or yellow, seeded and finely chopped
1 serrano or jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 tsp. (2/3 palm full) ground cumin
1 to 2 tsp. cayenne hot sauce, several drops (recommended: Tabasco)
2 tsp. grill seasoning blend (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
Vegetable oil or olive oil, for drizzling
1/2 pound deli sliced pepper jack cheese
4 crusty kaiser rolls, split
Chop your garlic and veggies.
Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until crisp. Wipe excess grease from pan and return skillet to heat.
While bacon cooks, combine turkey meat, garlic, shallot or onion, thyme, cilantro or parsley, bell pepper, serrano or jalapeno pepper, cumin, hot pepper sauce, grill seasoning or salt and pepper. Divide mixture into 4 equal mounds then form meat into patties. Drizzle patties with vegetable oil to coat. Cook in skillet over medium high heat for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Place sliced cheese over the patties in the last 2 minutes of cooking, use 1 or 2 slices for each patty, as you like.
Pile cooked cheeseburgers into buns. Top cheeseburgers with 2 slices of cooked, crisp bacon or turkey bacon and lettuce.
