Burgers

I lied. I said I'd get to this sometime this week, but here I am, with yet another hivey, rashy, allergic reaction. You wanna know what caused it? Huh? Huh?

It's a good bet it was that Big Mac(tm) that I consumed today. That's right, I had that tasteless, nasty, sit in your stomach meal today. I purchased the value meal, and as is typical these days, I ate about a dozen fries before I was done. Fries don't do it for me anymore, which means I must be OLD.

I get my macs without sauce. Normally, this means the offending microscopic allergen has been avoided, but I was wrong. This tasteless burger added insult to injury today.

Of course, the consumption of a bad burger just makes me want a good burger. Unlike bad pizza, which is still decent, a bad burger just drives you crazy with the need for a good one. What, exactly IS a good burger?

The good burger consists of fresh meat, charred to a crisp on the outside, on a toasted bun, with condiments on the side. Some sort of real cheese, no processed cheese foods here. Oh, and if you go for the bacon, medium well. Sauteed onions are good, too, but these days, I like a nice big fat ring of raw-channeling my dad here.

Where, exactly, can one find a good burger? Let's see, good burger places, in no particular order:
Le Cellier, Epcot, WDW. Most people go here for the steaks, but the burger is the best on WDW property. Close second at WDW is:

Beaches and Cream-the atmosphere is classic soda shop and even though this is a frozen patty, the grill looks like it should-well cured.

Cody's Steakhouse, Tampa Bay. They hand trim their steaks, so they grind their own beef. Damn good burger, comes with cheddar.

Daily Eats, Tampa-This place has a wide variety of burgers and even did a gyro burger for me once. Fresh, good choices of cheese (Feta, anyone?)

Biff Burger, St. Petersburg-this is the classic Florida open air bar and snack bar. Their wings are fantastic, but the burger ain't bad

Barley and Hops, Frederick Maryland. Chef Jason keeps the menu small, but interesting. Best pairing is one of his cheddar burgers with the beer cheese soup.

There's a great Burger stand in Lexington Market in Baltimore, but for the life of me I can't remember the name (blame the vicodin). It's not in the best part of town, but if you've lived in a major city, you'll find the area very tame.

Marybill Diner, Merrick NY-Nick will give you those wonderful homefries with your burger if you ask real nice. Sure beats diner steak fries.

All American Burger, Massapequa, NY-Double doubles are a little different than the next place, but there's something about bringing some All American down to the beach to perk up a cold November day.

In and Out Burger, West Coast. Yep, the only chain to make the list. My only regret of the California trip is that we didn't get to In and Out a second time. Had I known where the closest one was to our hotel, I would have forgone the Del Taco that last night we were there.

Care to share where you find your favorite burger?