2010 Burger Shootout II: East Coast

After 2009's LA-Chicago Shootout and this April's Texas Shootout, fans have complained that there was a dearth of representation from the burger boys of the east. And thus your voice is heard: over a period of 10 days, I have trekked along I-95 in search of the good stack. And here are my rankings:

1 (tied). Shorty's 32 (New York, NY)

1 (tied). Stella (Boston, MA)

3. The Breslin (New York, NY)

4. DBGB (New York, NY)

5. Goodburger (New York, NY)

6. Five Napkin (New York, NY)

7. Audubon Circle (Boston, MA)

8. Tunnicliff's Tavern (Washington, DC)

9. uburger (Boston, MA)

Goodburger stands out with its charred aromatics and assertion to be green and certifiably organic. The lamb burger at The Breslin has basically eliminated my heretofore bias against non-beef burgers. Shorty's 32 and DBGB show how to do serious food in a laid-back environment. Due to time constraints I wasn't able to revisit The Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridien or Mr. Bartley's (who was closed on the day I visited, on June 1, allegedly so that he could spend more time coaching and prepping Elena Kagan, a Mr. B regular, for the upcoming confirmation hearings), or try out Shake Shack which my friends in the City have raved time and again. Nevertheless, I am glad to report that the burger scene in the east coast is alive and well and, with the gastro-pub movement thriving (The Breslin, Spotted Pig and DBGB being good examples), even better days shall come.

Audubon Circle (Boston, MA)

Audobon Circle
838 Beacon Street
Boston, MA
(617) 421-1910

Architecture: bun, aged Cheddar, patty, bun. L&T and pickles on the
side. Home fries with BBQ tomato sauce.

This burger was feisty and animated. The bun, well toasted,
encapsulated a cow's worth of bovine madness. The beef was succulent,
with plenty of beefy tones and juices. The Cheddar came to the table
unmelted, but soon melted to yield this mesmerizing, glorious glow.
The fries were excellent, as were the sauce. The only letdown was the
lettuce, which was just a tinge too bitter and not altogether fresh,
in my opinion. Nevertheless, this place was infinitely better than the
better-known uburger down the street, if only for its dedication and
seriousness to food, and a legitimate contender for the best stack in
Boston.

uburger (Boston, MA)

Uburger
636 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 536-0448

Architecture: bun, thousand-island dressing, lettuce shreds, tomato
slices, cheese, beef, onions, pickle slices, bun.

The dinner roll was charred nicely, with a tinge of burnt complexity.
The stack was well balanced, though it severely lacked any beefy
taste. When the beefy taste finally emerged, it was almost too peppery
and manufactured.

Tamarind Bay (Cambridge, MA)

Tamarind Bay
75 Winthrop Street
Cambridge, MA 02138-5927
(617) 491-4552

Dishes: Murgh Angar Bedgi (chicken cubes marinated in yogurt and bedgi
chili; not shown); Panner Shola (Indian cheese with green pepper and
onions in red chili and tomato sauce); Achari Jhinga (shrimp cooked in
pickled spices); Mysore Chili Chicken (chicken in curry leaf); bread
basket.

Stella (Boston, MA)

Stella Restaurant
1525 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02118
(617) 247-7747
http://www.bostonstella.com/

Architecture: bun, cheese, bacon, caramelized onions, patty, bun. L&T
on the side.

This was handily one of the best burger I had all year. The beef was
cooked to perfection (medium, with a robust pink in center), with a
hint of peppercorns and charcoal. The buttered brioche was similarly
broiled over open fire, yielding a feisty carb rendition that stood up
to the beef. Washed down with a couple of excellent bloody marys, the
burger at Stella was simply divine, with a good initial bite and a
lingering beefy finish. This is not to be missed.

Rating: 1 star to the burger.