I love Jerusalem Garden’s lentil soup. It’s like having a bowl of heaven and each bite is full of angels. That actually incredibly sacrilegious and even disgusting, but I swear there’s no other way to describe the taste. It’s incredible. I’m currently in talks with several companies about obtaining bowl big enough to fill with lentil soup and bathe in it. Photographic documentation will follow.
Me and Coco aka That Guy aka co-host of the Coco and Warhammer Show went over to Bagger Dave’s for some burgers the other day. There’s one right down the street from our work and I had never been, despite hearing mostly good things. Apparently this location is one of three, with all of them being Michigan based. A guy who owns a bunch of Buffalo Wild Wings decided he wanted to open a gourmet burger joint in Berkely a few years ago with the hopes that it would catch on and become a chain. Not a bad idea. With the exception of the obvious hole in the wall burger joints, Michigan lacked any kind of gourmet burger establishment until Five Guys started moving in recently. With the two additional Bagger Dave’s locations being added since 2008, it looks like the idea is working so far.
Before I walked in I was expecting a mostly carry out based burger joint. The place is actually more of a sit down restaurant(100+ seats) with a pretty solid(mostly local) beer selection. There’s flat screen TVs and a mini train set that constantly runs around the top perimeter of the restaurant. It doesn’t really have the feel of a burger joint, but it’s a comfortable, yet different, environment.
I started off with the “amazingly delicious” turkey black bean chili, mainly because of the whole “amazingly delicious” proclamation. If you’re going to say something on your menu is that delicious, then damnit it better be. I’m not usually a “substitute turkey for other meat” kind of guy, but like I said, the menu says amazingly delicious. I had to put it to the test. Gotta say, stuff is legit. I can usually tell when things are made from turkey. It just has a weird taste to me. This was delicious, and had a good amount of spice. Despite the fact that a bowl is $4.00+, I would have to recommend that you get some of this before your burger.
For my burger, I felt that there was no other choice for me than to create my own. There are a many options on the actual menu, but come on. How much fun is that? The thin patties start out in the open kitchen at 3.5 ounces — one costs $3.29 and two $4.29 (turkey burgers are a dollar more) and come in a plain, sesame or whole wheat roll or sourdough bread. For 75 cents you can add one of six kinds of cheese, and for $1 you can add on “premium” topping of fries, fried egg, guacamole, bacon or that delicious turkey black bean chili. Bagger Dave’s also offers 16 “meaningless free toppings” that range from ketchup and lettuce to sautéed mushrooms, Cajun spice and green peppers.
The burgers are advertised as hand-crafted from lean ground beef that is never frozen. The burgers are all cooked medium-well, which is always troubling to me. The result is a smaller patty that was actually a little dry for my tastes. I felt like the condiments and add ons made the burger, not the actual patty. I feel like if you’re opening a restaurant that specializes in burgers, your patty should stand out even without a single condiment. These didn’t.
I will say that my creation, with a hell of a lot of toppings, was absolutely delicious. I went with a plain bun and two regular beef patties with pepper jack cheese, Santa Fe chipolte sauce, a fried egg, applewood bacon, mayo, and Cajun spice. Like I said, the beef is pretty average but the slop on top made it into a solid burger. Check this guy out.
Not anything amazing, but pretty solid. Expect to pay about 12 bucks per person if you’re getting a drink, fries/chili, and a burger. A little steep for burgers and fries, you’re getting a lot more than that if you’re creating your own burger.
It’s difficult to know what to expect when macro-brewers endeavor to create a craft beer. Sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn’t. As for the effort, I like to think that even though the idea sprang from a whorish money grabbing attempt by the marketing department, those who actually get to brew the beer relish the opportunity to construct a legitimate, quality beverage.
Hop Hound Amber Wheat, from our old pals at Anheuser Busch/InBev, fills the entire spectrum of poor marketing and decent craftsmanship. Has anyone seen an ad for Hop Hound? If you have, please clue me in. And why not blitz the airwaves with advertising for Hop Hound, I mean, there’s a freaking dog on the label! The possibilities are endless. Never mind that the dog on Hop Hound looks like Poochie, the cartoon dog from The Simpsons that was used to make Itchy and Scratchy seem new and fresh, it’s still a dog!
The Hop Hound dog may not be totally in my face, but he’s got a modicum of attitude and style. Besides, before he was jailed for statutory rape, sent to rehab and found Jesus, Spuds McKenzie proved that even a crack-addled canine can sell beer.
As for the beer, Hop Hound isn’t bad at all. Certainly not the disgrace that is Bud Light Golden Wheat. Hop Hound, for starters, tastes like beer. It has a decent amount of complexity to it. Sort of a light, malty, wheat flavor with citrus undertones. Not bad for a hot July 4th barbeque, certainly better than Bud Light, my other option. I do wonder why a beer that has relatively little hoppiness (is that a word?) calls itself Hop Hound. Maybe to a dog it is hoppy, but I digress. The fact that it falls short of Costco’s Kirkland Signature Amber Ale is perhaps a question of taste. I have no doubt that there will be those who really like Hop Hound, and kudos to them. Personally, I don’t see myself buying it again but who knows, like I said it had some things going for it. I just can’t help but feel that it lacked soul. Maybe it was the dog. Maybe there is a degree of prejudice because this is the same conglomeration that created Bud Light Golden Wheat.
I will say that I am now interested to try Michelob’s Shock Top, their take on a Belgian white. Hop Hound is good enough to give me a little hope. If I do try it, you will be the first to know. Not literally. The person who sells me the beer will know, and so will my wife, and maybe a friend or two. But rest assured dear readers, you will be no more than fifth or sixth on the list…
On a side note, how come there are never any cats on beer bottles? And I don’t mean tigers or lions or leopards or ocelots or any other near relation. I mean a domestic house cat. As the owner of two cats, I can assure you that they can party with the best of them. I’m throwing down the gauntlet, beer makers, I want a cat on my beer bottle by the end of the year. I can see it now, Founders Ferocious Feline IPA. Make it happen.