Tag: michael symon

  • Free Agency – Declined

    It is to the credit of our readership, which I have long trumpeted as the most intelligent on the internet, that so many of you did not and do not closely follow the LeBron James saga.  Why follow the egomaniacal exploits of a man whose job it is to throw a ball through a hoop?  I imagine that the lives of those who choose not to immerse themselves in the minutiae of sport are quite often richer than those who get caught up in details of free agency.

    I write this because a few of you have wondered to me via e-mail or other media if I really was planning on leaving EP.  That is not the case, but rest assured I really appreciate the concern.  I feigned free agency as a nod to our Cleveland readers, a vocal and devoted group.  I’m sure the spoof was not lost on the vast majority of you.

    On a side note, Cleveland is an amazing food town.  Seriously.  Michael Symon has a fantastic restaurant there.  Cleveland boasts an all-grilled cheese cornucopia called MeltAnd Cleveland is also the home of Great Lakes Brewery, something any city would be proud of.  So stay strong Cleveland, even though many of you are Ohio State fans, a little Great Lakes love from Ann Arbor to you.

    As penance for this ridiculous ruse, I offer the following:  Six posts in seven nights (can’t do seven, my son has soccer camp and yes, I’m well aware of how that is a cliché but I still have to go and be a good father.  Besides, it’s my fault for immersing him in the World Cup.)  I will begin tomorrow evening with the long awaited Hop Hound review.

    There was one obvious clue that I was never going to leave.  In my original post, I stated that I was intrigued by the idea of “writing with other all-stars.”  I already write with an all-star (John) on EP.

  • Greatest Burger Joint Ever?

    Michael Symon's B-Spot

    Michael Symon is a personal hero of mine.  Making him an Iron Chef was one of the best things the Food Network has ever done and of course they’ve screwed it up by not giving him enough screen time.  The man loves meat, and he recently opened up The B-Spot in Woodmere, Ohio which quite possibly gets my vote for the greatest burger joint ever.  I don’t even need to try it.  I can tell just from reading the menu.  Clearly written on the bottom is “We cook in Lard“.  None of this ‘Your burger may come in contact with lard” business.

    The Red Hot Burger has my mouth watering.  This burger is topped with pulled pork, pickled tomato, hot peppers, pepperjack cheese, siracha mayo.

    The Red Hot Burger courtesy of funplayingwithfood.blogspot.com

    They do offer a vegetarian burger called The Why? Before you lose faith in Symon’s love for meat,  you are given the option of adding bacon free of charge.

    You can even get your burgers cooked the way you like them.  They’re not all cooked into submission like other joints.  In fact, you are encouraged to order your burgers rare.  The cooking temperatures on the website are as follows:

    • Rare: blood red, cold/cool in center
    • Mid Rare: reddish, cool in the center
    • Medium: reddish/pink, warm center
    • Mid Well: barely pink, warm center
    • Well: no pink, very sad, hot center

    In case that wasn’t enough, The B-Spot also boasts a respectable beer menu, which includes three of Dexter’s own Jolly Pumpkin’s selections.

    Road trip!