St Luke's Roosevelt Hospital - Just What the Doctor Ordered

St Luke's Roosevelt Hospital
http://www.slred.org/
1000 10th Ave
New York, NY 10019-1192

THE STORY
Over the weekend, my wife and I saved our cat, KC, from fighting with a dog. This cat is the most docile, friendly, snugly, kind. non-violent cat ever. KC has never bitten or scratched anyone and he had to have been truly frightened and threatened to mistakenly attack us. I checked into the emergency room to have my wounds looked at and unfortunately the punctures has become swollen and severely infected. The situation was so bad in fact, that the hospital wanted to admit me immediately to keep me under 24 hour watch and several infusions of IV antibiotics a day. I wont go into details about the wounds, infection or procedures here but you can check out the photos on facebook if you're curious.

On my 3rd day in the hospital, guess what magically showed up on my lunch tray!??!?!

THE BURGER
There would be nothing more random and awesome than a delicious, gourmet-style burger review to come out of this situation! But we should be honest, this is hospital food, not a Hollywood film. It was an over cooked frozen patty on a white bun with a slice of mass produced American cheese that by the time it got to me was room temperature at best. What I will tell you is that the burger was not supposed to come with cheese or mustard, but I requested and they delivered. The veggies and potatoes were the same temperature and bland in flavor. The chicken noodle soup on the other hand was pretty good. Thick, rich, loaded with ingredients and not too salty. Maybe Mom was right about eating chicken soup when you're illin'?!?!?

The really fun part of the story happened with the menu. Printed in bold, right at the bottom, were the words "the food served to you has been specially chosen by your doctor to suit your medical needs." Yeah doc! That's right, my needs require burgers and I say bless your Hippocratic Oath and all of it's highly held values for doing what was right for me.


3 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

Island Burgers & Shakes - Infatuated With Burgers.

Island Burgers & Shakes
http://island.ypguides.net/
766 9th Ave
New York, NY 10019

THE STORY
When we first started our "Glorious Pursuit of Delicious Burgers" we needed suggestions. So I did what any net savvy blogger would do, I Googled "Best Burger NYC." After plowing through a multitude of mouth watering reviews and opinions, I landed on The Citysearch Best 2008 Burger list. That became our guidebook when in need of a new Burger Conquest location. Having visited every place on the list save Pop Burger (I just can't stand the idea of eating a burger in a club in the meat-packing district while 20 somethings / bridge and tunnelers upload pictures of themselves being "cute" on to Last Night's Party), but the heralded Island Burgers & Shakes. This was a very difficult task considering it's popularity and its 3 blocks from my apartment location but I wanted to save it for a special occasion.

Enter Immaculate Infatuation. This site jumped onto the NYC food scene around the same time as we did and it's run by Chris Stang and my friend Andrew Steinthal. I've known Andrew for years as in our day jobs, we both work in the music business but I had no inkling of his foodie magnitude until he started the blog. The connection gets tighter; Team Burger member Nona* works with Andrew and demanded we have an Immaculate Infatuation Burger Conquest. Done.

Located in the food popular Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, Island Burgers & Shakes don't serve up your average burger. In fact, don't let their name mislead you, the place is more popular for the chicken Churascos more than their burgers. The menu is a mind-numbing, mile-long list of toppings, preparations and creations that will have your head spinning. I order the Churascos here all the time and I am pretty sure I have eaten nearly EVERYTHING on the menu. My 3 faves are #1. The "Roma;" Thyme, rosemary, garlic, oregano and pepper flakes, #2 The "Crescent City;" Blackened, bayou mayo and onion on sourdough, and #3. "Here's Gianni;" Parmesan spread, bacon and roasted peppers on a cibatta. But...I have NEVER eaten a burger here. The place is pretty damn small so unless you want to wait in a long line to get in, go mid-afternoon.

THE BURGER
Given the choice, I like a burger with just cheese, lettuce and onions. No fancy stuffing's, coverings, smothering's, cooking's, spices and so forth are necessary. I do like and appreciate all of that but you can't deny the joy of simplicity in burger preparation. However on this day, that just wasn't going to do it so I ordered the "Barzel's" burger: Blackened, jack, bacon and horseradish on a ciabatta. Jackie and Nona* went for something a little more traditional and after politely asking not to hate him if he did NOT get a burger, Andrew ordered a Churasco "Bourbon Street" style: Blackened , bacon, jack, bayou mayo and onion on sourdough. I can't blame him, they're amazing!

We started with an order of the very creamy and spicy guacamole and chips. They were damn good but I refrained from digging in too deeply. The huge freshly ground patty looked slightly dwarfed by the gigantic ciabatta but I didn't care, this whole mamma-jamma was going down. Before I even took my first bite, the happy juices began to pour out of the sandwich onto my plate. I knew some delicious dipping was in the future for this bad boy. The spices just dominate this burger like the Great White does the shores of a small New England town. I really had to focus in my palette to taste the beef itself and by focus, I mean take a bite of Nona*'s burger! It was so good. The half-pound patties are made of specialty-blended prime beef and have that old-school back yard burger like appeal. Unfortunately mine was overcooked but thankfully both and Nona*'s and Jackie's was not, so I got to try it 2 ways. The Blackened spices are great, the horseradish is excellent, the bacon is crispy and oh so good and the jack cheese is real solid but the combo of all on top of a delicious burger is an experience like none other.

The crazy concoctions make this place unique but the already delicious burger doesn't really need them. Either way, you won't be let down by the burger.


7 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

Dorian's Red Hand - A Killer's Burger

Dorian's
http://www.dorrians-nyc.com/
1616 2nd Avenue
New York, NY 10028

THE STORY
As if 3 hours of Wing-Off wasn't enough, we wanted to keep drinking so Mark lead us to a neighborhood haunt, literally. Nick named "the Red Hand," legend tells the story of a man who loved Ulster, Ireland so much that he cut off his hand to become king. The Red Hand can be found on the flag of Northern Ireland as well as many other places of dignity. But that probably isn't why the name of this Upper East Side pub / restaurant rings your bells. In 1986, Robert Chambers Jr. murdered an 18 year old girl, Jennifer Levin, that he had met in the bar, thus earning him the nickname "Preppie Killer."

THE BURGER
I actually had no plan to eat but when the waitress told us that the Dorian's "World-Famous" Burgers were made fresh, served on English Muffins (MY FAVE!) and the best she ever had, we ordered some to split for the table. I got the "Red Hand" with Smoked Ham, Cheddar Cheese and Grilled Onions. Russel T. went for the house specialty; the "Ragin' Cajun" served Cajun-Spiced, topped with Pepper Jack Cheese, Jalapeno Relish, served with a side of Cool Ranch Dressing.

I love burgers like this. Nothing like that old-school, backyard bbq, father made, pub-style burger. Big, juicy, fresh and with a natural beef flavor. It's the burger my childhood is based around. The English Muffin only option for bread scores huge points with me. The burger was over cooked and there were too many Grilled Onions but those are 2 problems easily rectified. Other than the history of manslaughter, the story to tell about Dorian's is the "Ragin' Cajun!" Not at all what I expected, this burger with it's toppings tasted more like a gyro or shawarma then a regular old pub burger. The Pepper Jack Cheese, the Cajun Spices and the delicious Jalapeno Relish mounted a fantastic spicy battle against the cooling taste of the Ranch Dressing. I was really impressed. Even as I write this, I want to go back for another, hold the murderers.


7 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

Wing-Off 10 - Bar-Coastal vs. Brother Jimmy's BBQ vs. The Back Page Sports Bar

From the same people that bring you Burger Conquest, we bring you the New York City Wing-Off. A crew of men on a search for the best wing in NYC. Wing-Off judges solely on quality of the Medium and Hot wings only. Service, ambiance, beverage selection, price and other menus have no factor but they sure do count for a good time! Also, NO WOMEN ALLOWED!!

WING-OFF 10

BAR-COASTAL vs. BROTHER JIMMY'S BBQ vs. THE BACK PAGE SPORTS BAR
-Upper East Side Edition

Bar-Coastal
1495 1st Ave (at 78th St)
New York, NY 10075-1355
(212) 288-6635
www.barcoastal.com

Brother Jimmy's BBQ
1485 2nd Ave (at 77TH St)
New York, NY 10075-2001
(212) 288-0999
www.brotherjimmys.com

The Back Page Sports Bar
1472 3rd Ave (Btwn 83rd and 84th)
New York, NY 10028-1967
(212) 570-5800
http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/7175125/new_york_ny/the_back_page.html

WING-OFF is a charity event to benefit cancer research! All participants are required to donate money to join in Wing-Off. All donations from this event will be going to Sean McGrath Fund. "The Sean McGrath Fund was created in memory of the late musician (Saves The Day, Mouthpiece, Hands Tied), whose two-year battle with cancer ended in 2004. Through the Princeton Area Community Foundation, our Fund's mission is to financially assist a wide variety of causes reflecting Sean's life, relating to music, compassion, and health issues including cancer."

On this event in particular, the gentlemen of Wing-Off raised $130 in donation. If you would like to donate you can do so directly or through Burger Conquest by click the link on the right side bar.

And now, the WINGS!

BAR COASTAL

Bar-Coastal is one of the original Atomic Wings licensees in NYC. Atomic Wings is a chain located in NYC that imports their chicken directly from Buffalo, NY and claims to serve them in the authentic buffalo wing way. Most of them are stand alone, but Bar-Coastal, much like Down the Hatch (inspiration for the first ever Wing-Off), serves them in their bar.

Jason (the man behind Bar-Coastal) and his staff, definitely get an A+ for treatment as they rolled out the red hot carpet for the Wing-Off crew. Holding us a few private tables, made it a lot easier for us to sample different wings, compare notes amongst ourselves, talk with Jason and in general, have a great time all while sampling a great beer menu.

Serving up Medium, Nuclear, Jerk BBQ and the off-menu special, Kerry's Way (a mix of honey mustard, bbq and traditional buffalo sauces). All of the wings were cooked perfectly; Nuclear (Hot) and crispy. Kerry's Way had a nice spicy meets sweet mix. The crowd fave were the Jerk BBQ, which had a smoked black pepper accent, but for official Wing-Off blessings, we only judge on Hot and Medium. Both of which were hot, full of flavor, meaty, juicy, buttery, crispy and made just the way we like them.

BROTHER JIMMY'S BBQ

Up next, the NYC based "Southern Style" BBQ restaurant chain, Brother Jimmy's BBQ. Claiming themselves as the "home away from home for the A.C.C. alumni." The A.C.C. is a Division 1 conference in the NCAA. Offering several different locations, each with different themes, we hit the original on 2nd Ave. Brother Jimmy's specializes in BBQ, especially Carolina style but also serves up some well known hot wings.

Our friendly and upbeat server Brooke, showed us to 3 tables in the back (always good to move us away from the others!) and promptly took our wing and beer order. Their wings come one of 2 ways, Chipotle or Buffalo (medium) and we ordered 1 bucket of the latter for each table. For the sauce oriented, BJ's offers 6 additional sauces that come on the table, each in their own bottle. Be careful picking them up as they are not capped and will easily squirt "Blazin'" sauce 2 feet in the air before landing on what was a clean pair of jeans.

The wings came quickly and accompanied by a large bowl of blue cheese, a "vat" if you will. Any real wing lover, loves to dip and there is nothing more frustrating than a tiny receptacle of blue cheese that runs dry faster than a rain puddle in a desert and acts like an awkward first date, only accepting the "tip."

The wings were crispy, served hot, and had a decent flavor. Spice-wise, these wings don't have much to offer. There is some nice flavor but "hot" these are not. Acting like Bob Ross, I created an easel of the sauces on my plate to paint happy little wings with. They were all decent, but nothing stood out. All in all, some good middle of the road wings but if you want spicy or uniquely flavored, move along little doggy.

After plowing through our wings, Brooke brought out 3 "Fish bowls," 1 for each table. This is a massive fruity mixed alcoholic beverage literally served in a fish bowl with a multitude of straws, usually intended for speed drinking. Since the premise of a Wing-Off is a challenge from the get go, we had no problem accepting Brooke's idea of the tables racing. My table won!

Well Brooke, you wanted to make the blog and you did. Hope you're happy.

THE BACK PAGE SPORTS BAR

Generally a Wing-Off is between 2 locations only and even though eating at 3 different wing places sounds "awesome," believe me, the 3rd one is difficult, even if it's the beloved Lansdowne Road. It is tough to organize these things and with The Back Page Sports Bar not only having a reputation for great wings but only a few blocks away, we had to do the right wing. (See what I did there?!?!)

The restaurant was kind of empty which seemed a little odd for an Upper East Side Sports bar on a college football game day but hey, all the better for the Wing-Off crew. While the place was kind of vibe-less and sterile, the wait staff were attentive and quick. With no delay, we ordered up some Medium and Hot Wings as well as a round of beers.

The wings were good. Right amount of meat, right temperature, juicy, buttery, peppered and with a an appropriate amount of heat. This is a decent wing. We tore through them really quickly and placed an order of Extra Hot wings. They arrived without much delay and despite everyone feeling bloated and full, we tore through them. Same wings, but honestly, not that much hotter.

WING-OFF 10 OFFICIAL WINNER - BAR-COASTAL!

Honestly, not a bad wing in the bunch but someone has to win. This date in particular was chosen to celebrate a Happy Burgerthday to Wing-Offer's Kyle and Schap!

WING-OFF HISTORICAL

WING-OFF 1
January 28, 2007
Scruffy Duffy's vs. Atomic at Down the Hatch
WINNER: SCRUFFY DUFFYS

Scruffy Duffy's
www.scruffyduffys.com
743 Eighth Avenue
(between 46th & 47th)
New York, NY 10036

Atomic at Down the Hatch
http://www.nycbestbar.com/downthehatch/
179 W. 4th St
New York, NY

WING-OFF 2
June 3rd, 2007
Scruffy Duffy's vs Blondie's
WINNER: SCRUFFY DUFFYS

Scruffy Duffy's
www.scruffyduffys.com
Scruffy Duffy's 743 Eighth Avenue
(between 46th & 47th)
New York, NY 10036

Blondies's
www.blondiessports.com
212 W 79th St
(Between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway)
New York, NY 10024-6225

WING-OFF 3
September 11, 2007
Mudville 9
http://www.mudville9.com/
126 Chambers St
(Btwn Church and W.Broadway)
New York, NY 10007
Phone: (212) 964-WING

WING-OFF 4
January 20, 2008
Scruffy Duffy's at Lansdowne Road vs. Texas Arizona
WINNER by disqualification, SCRUFFY DUFFYS

Lansdowne Road
www.lansdowneroadnyc.com
599 10th Ave (Btwn 43rd and 44th St)
New York, NY 10036-3008

WING-0FF 5
June 27, 2008
Lansdowne Road vs. Croxley Ale House vs. 1-2-3 Burger Shot Beer
WINNER: SCRUFFY DUFFYS

Lansdowne Road
www.lansdowneroadnyc.com
599 10th Ave (Btwn 43rd and 44th St)
New York, NY 10036-3008

Croxley Ale House
www.croxley.com
28 Avenue B
New York, NY

123 Burger Shot Beer
www.123burgershotbeer.com
738 10th Avenue
New York, NY

WING-OFF 6
October 6th, 2008
Scruffy's Retirement Party at Lansdowne Road

Lansdowne Road
www.lansdowneroadnyc.com
599 10th Ave (Btwn 43rd and 44th St)
New York, NY 10036-3008

WING-OFF 7
December 7, 2008
TOWN TAVERN vs. WOGIE'S
WINNER; WOGIE'S

Town Tavern
http://www.towntavernnyc.com/
134 West 4th St
(at MacDougal)
New York, NY 10012

Wogie's
http://www.wogies.com/
39 Greenwich Ave
(btwn Charle's & Perry)
New York, NY 10014

WING-OFF 8
May 9, 2009
BLIND TIGER ALE HOUSE vs. THUNDER JACKSONS
WINNER; Both DQ!

Blind Tiger Ale House
http://blindtigeralehouse.com/
281 Bleecker St (@ Jones St)
New York, NY

Thunder Jackson's
http://www.thunderjackson.com
169 Bleecker St (@ Sullivan St)
New York, NY 10012

WING-OFF 9
August 4, 2009
Johnny Utah’s VS. Point Break (formerly Nation)
WINNER: Point Break

EX-PRESIDENTIAL RUBBER MASKS ENCOURAGED!

Johnny Utah’s
25 W 51st St (Between 5^th and 6^th Aves)
New York, NY 10019-6902
(212) 265-8824
www.johnnyutahs.com

Point Break
12 W 45th St (Between 5^th and 6^th Aves)
New York, NY 10036-4202
(212) 391-8053
http://pointbreaknyc.com/

WING-OFF 10
November 21, 2009
Bar-Coastal vs. Brother Jimmy's BBQ vs. The Back Page Sports Bar
WINNER: Bar-Coastal

Bar-Coastal
1495 1st Ave (at 78th St)
New York, NY 10075-1355
(212) 288-6635
www.barcoastal.com

Brother Jimmy's BBQ
1485 2nd Ave (at 77TH St)
New York, NY 10075-2001
(212) 288-0999
www.brotherjimmys.com

The Back Page Sports Bar
1472 3rd Ave (Btwn 83rd and 84th)
New York, NY 10028-1967
(212) 570-5800
http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/7175125/new_york_ny/the_back_page.html

5 Guys Burgers and Fries - Free Stuff and the Truth About Taylor Swift

Five Guys Burgers and Fries
http://fiveguys.com/
284 7th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11215

THE STORY
In 1986, the first Five Guys opened in Arlington, VA and in November of 2009 they now have 450 locations in 30 different US States. They use fresh, never frozen beef, slice all their own potatoes for french fries and serve food with zero trans fats, zero glutens (except in the buns). All burger orders come with 2 patties (unless you order a "little" which has only one) and is cooked to medium well to "insure a consistent product." Each location serve free, fresh roasted peanuts from a barrel. It's not a unique concept, but it's a damn good one.

I was recently talking with my pal Jed, one of the owners of MusicSkins. Essentially, they make branded stickers that cover your devices (*see more below.) Jed is a huge foodie as well although his focus is fried chicken. When I showed him Burger Conquest, he freaked out and said he wanted to make us some MusicSkins in return for eating a burger with us. I said I would do one better, so Jackie and I headed out to the 5 Guys in Park Slope near Jed's offices.

THE BURGER
We've reviewed the burger at 5 Guys before, (it's really good, fresh, with lots of options for toppings and the fresh cut fries are awesome, especially with Cajun spices) so let's get to what this is really about...FREE STUFF!!

WHO WANTS A LIMITED EDITION BURGER CONQUEST MUSIC SKIN!?!?
They come courtesy of MusicSkins, exclusively to Burger Conquest readers. First come first serve until they are gone. Just send me an email with your mailing address and which device you have from this list and I will send you one! beeftouchdown@burgerconquest.com

Available Burger Conquest MusicSkins:
Blackberry Curve 8300, 8310, 8320, 8330
iPhone 2G, 3G, 3GS
Blackberry Storm

And now, the man of the hour, Jed, shows us how to remove and apply a music skin to a blackberry while also reviewing his meal (and ours!)


*"MusicSkins LLC is the leader in music and music-related, high-quality, vinyl skin products. We envision all MP3 players, laptops, and phones as portable canvases for art and individuality. Our focus on music, art, culture and personalization has created a stylish way for musicians, DJs and artists to become closer to their fans while providing a low profile alternative to bulky cases. From Hip Hop to Country, Art to Fashion, and everything in between, there's a MusicSkin to suit every taste."


8 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

Coral World Shark Bar - Iguanas Like Burgers Too!

The Shark Bar at Coral World
http://www.coralworldvi.com/
6450 Estate Smith Bay
St. Thomas, USVI 00802

Burgers in St. Thomas - Part 3

Part 1 - Fat Turtle
Part 2 - Eat Like a Pirate at The Shipwreck Tavern

THE STORY
As part of my brother Matt and new sister-in-law, Gina's wedding, they took everyone who came down to St. Thomas for an afternoon at Coral World. Located at the end of the Coki Peninsula, Coral World is an Ocean Park that offers snorkeling, SNUBA, swimming with turtles, shark feedings, underwater reef observatory and my favorite part a sea lion encounter!!! My Mom, 2 of her friends and my wife Cara all took the opportunity to swim with, train, play with and learn about sea lions. It was one of the most awesome things I have ever done. These South American born mammals were extremely friendly, fun and well trained. Weighing in at more than 400 pounds, I was surprised to find out just how gentle of creatures they are.

After we our encounter with the seal lions, we joined back up with the rest of the wedding attendees at the Shark Bar in Coral world, where Matt and Gina paid for everyone to have lunch. Guess what I got?

THE BURGER
I'll be honest, the point of this post really isn't about the burger, it's an excuse to talk about swimming with sea lions. However, I am loyal to our readers so I willing ate a frozen patty burger cooked on George Forman like grill just so I could share this great experience with you. For a store-bought, pre-made, frozen patty, this burger was actually decent. The sesame seed bun it was served on was soft and good. The patty was neither bland nor flavorless but more so was salty and tasted of a decent quality of beef. I wasn't able to find out which frozen burger company they were serving but I didn't care. Why? I GOT TO SWIM WITH SEA LIONS!

The fries? Also frozen but pretty bland. However, the onion straws (rings) were crispy and delicious.

What's more fun? As soon as the burgers showed up, these iguanas surrounded the table as if they were the family dog begging for scraps. I couldn't believe just how unafraid these things were. One even crawled up on top of one of our towels. There are strict rules (and signs everywhere) that do not allow visitors to feed these reptiles but either people have been breaking the rules or these things are underfed.

Either way, as the 1313th photo on this site, this picture of iguanas starring at my burger is easily the most fun picture I have ever posted.


6 out of 10 ounces
-Rev




Activities at Coral World