Best Ever Ideas for Burgers

First, apologies for not keeping up with the blog.  Back to school, sports, and after school activities have really taken up any free time we've had to work on the blog...imagine you can relate. 

Anyway, if your kids love burgers like ours, you'll love the creative ideas offered in this website by the Cheese & Burger Society. 

What: a great link to a website with 32 recipes for burgers.  Obviously sponsored by Wisconsin Cheese, it is a well done flash site with voice over by "Putty" (Patrick Warburton) from Sienfeld, for the kids in the audience, he is also the voice of  Kronk" on The Emperor's New Groove cartoon. 

Special thanks to my brother, Craig, for sending the link to me. 

Why It’s The Best:  there's nothing else like it on the internet.  "Putty's" voice over, the graphics, and the humor make it very entertaining...not to mention mouth watering.   Also a great site for cheese lovers...in particular, those who love Wisconsin cheese. 

How We Know: take a tour..see if you don't crave a burger afterwards.  No. 30 is a personal favorite.

Craving Level:  based on our children, at least weekly, bordering on daily.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention to make sure that you enter for a chance to win a new grill.  The contest ends September 30th at mid-night.  Sorry for the late notice...just finished a home work assignment.   Stay tuned for upcoming posts on The Best Ever Recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies, Best Ever Foie Gras, Gnoochi, and Pear Tart. 

Best Ever French Tip

Jennifer has been telling me about the Slow Roasted French Dip sandwich at Jackson’s Mighty Fine Food & Lucky Lounge restaurant (part of the local DC Great American Restauarnt chain and listed in Washingtonian's 100 Best Restaurants) in Reston, VA since it opened several months ago. My first attempt to try it for dinner one night was unsuccessful, and very disappointing, as the coveted French Dip is served only during the lunch hours (and only “while it lasts”).

What:  Homemade rolls, thinly sliced roast beef, and an au jus dipping bowl.

Why It’s The Best: There is more than one reason why we think this sandwich is a “best ever.” The au jus is the real deal (not water flavored with beef bouillon). The roast beef is slow cooked, tender, flavorful and consistent, and served perfectly medium rare… The wrapper that makes it all come together is the bread. Soft and super absorbent, it is baked fresh every day by a local bread company called Best Buns Company, buttered and toasted before the meat is piled on, it soaks up the au jus like a sponge. Jennifer always orders hers with cheese, which she believes makes just about everything better.

How We Know: You really have to try this to know. We have taken out-of-town friends (and their children to test this delicious sandwich – HUGE success every time!)Jennifer had been telling me it was the best ever but it wasn’t until I had it was I able to really know.

Craving level: WEEKLY…while it last.

Reviews and Directions: Yelp, Metromix

Best Ever Cream of Crab Soup

If you live in the mid-Atlantic region, you know that summer means blue crab season. One of our favorite ways to enjoy crab is in soup, weather it’s Maryland Crab, She Crab or Cream of Crab. If you’re traveling on the Eastern Shore this Summer or Fall make sure you stop in Easton, MD and have lunch at Legal Spirits Tavern (next to the Avalon Theatre) and have a bowl of the best ever Shore Boys Cream of Crab soup.

What: Jumbo lump crab meat, butter (lots), sherry, cream, old bay seasoning, etc.

Why It’s The Best:  For starters the soup contains a lot of crab meat, which is key.  Too many restaurants focus on the cream and skimp on the crab... it needs to be ALL about the taste of fresh lump crab.  Second, the soup has a nice consistency and it's not "starchy" which can also be the downfall of a good bowl of soup.  Finally, you can taste the sherry and a hint of old bay seasoning, which blend wonderfully with all of the other ingredients in the soup.  For us, the right balance of sherry in a cream based soup is test for a greatness...winner -- Shore Boys! 

How We Know:  We've tried cream of crab soups up and down the east coast.  She Crab soup in the "Low Country comes close, but no one does Cream of Crab as well as the Shore Boys.   If you need more proof read the reviews at TripAdvisors.

Craving Level: Weekly, bordering on daily.  The great news is that you can order the soup on line.  The bad news is that it's an expensive treat...you have to pay almost as much in shipping as you do for the soup.  It's worth a road trip to get it, and Easton is a nice get-away weekend location.