Best Burgers around the State

Best Burgers around the State
T R AV E LI N ’ LO U I S I A N A
PAU L A. G R E E N B E RG
It is Friday night in the French Quarter, and it has been raining nonstop since about
9 a.m. At 8 p.m., a group of determined carnivores is gathered on the corner of
Burgundy Street and Esplanade Avenue having what one of them calls a sing-in.
The group is working hard to belt out that old ’70s tune, Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on
My Head. The sight of 30 adults singing in the rain on a New Orleans street corner
is irresistible, but if you lived there, you would understand. These folks are waiting for
a table to enjoy the best hamburger in the city. Port of Call restaurant has occupied
this corner since John F. Kennedy was president.
In those days, nobody talked much about cholesterol counts or limiting red meat intake.
These days, even though the masses are enlightened about clogged arteries, crowds
continue to gather on this corner. They’re all waiting for a seat inside, where most of
them will not require a menu. The order is always the same: burger and baked potato.
Still, why wait up to an hour — in the rain — for a seat at Port of Call’s table?
“Because the hamburgers here are something I can count on,” says Marcy Carter, a New
Orleans native who has been patronizing Port of Call for two decades. Marcy is speaking
loudly now, because the crowd has segued into a shaky version of Singin’ in the Rain.
“Seriously, where else in America would a bunch of grownups hang out on a street
corner, getting soaked, just so they can have a hamburger?” Carter asked. “I just wish
they’d serve Monsoons out here on the sidewalk.”
Carter is referring to Neptune’s Monsoon, the huge, diesel-strength cocktail Port of Call
made famous decades ago. The recipe is a secret, but it tastes very much like a Hurricane,
so be good to yourself and never drink more than one. After all, you want to be in full control
of your faculties when you finally take your first bite of Port of Call’s perfect, juicy burger.
Red Meat: A Love Affair
Sweet Potato Oven Fries
From The New Holly Clegg Trim & Terrific
Cookbook (Running Press, 2006)
Do not refrigerate sweet potatoes unless they
have been cooked. Store in a cool, dry location.
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS.
4 medium to large sweet potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt, to taste
Parsley, for garnish
Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut the sweet potatoes
lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick strips and toss
with olive oil. Arrange the potatoes on a nonstick
baking sheet, coated with nonstick cooking
spray. Bake the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes
or until golden brown on the bottom. Turn the
potatoes over and bake for 15 to 20 more
minutes, or until golden brown all over. Sprinkle
with salt, add parsley for color, and serve.
PAIR WITH: Piesporter Goldtropfchen
Spätlese by Schmitt-Sohne. A little fruit
will go well with this.
So, how long has this love affair with the burger been going on? There are varying tales
about the juicy beginnings of hamburgers, but the most commonly accepted tale has
everything to do with Louis’ Lunch, a multigenerational culinary love nest in New Haven,
Connecticut. According to the Louis’ Lunch Web site, the beginning of the American
hamburger was humble:
One day in the year 1900, a man dashed into a small New Haven luncheonette and asked
for a quick meal that he could eat on the run. Louis Lassen, the establishment’s owner,
hurriedly sandwiched a broiled beef patty between two slices of bread and sent the
customer on his way, so the story goes, with America’s first hamburger.
Guinness Gravy
Enoch’s Irish Pub
Monroe, LA
This gravy can be served on any meat, but is also
great on potatoes and traditional Irish dishes like
Shepherd’s Pie. It can be easily increased.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
2 to 3 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 (10-ounce) can mushroom stems and pieces
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced
1 pound beef debris or shredded roast beef
1 teaspoon thyme, more or less to taste
1 teaspoon oregano, more or less to taste
1 teaspoon basil, more or less to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder, more or less to taste
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper, more or less to taste
1 (16-ounce) can Guinness Irish Stout
1 quart water
1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 beef bouillon cube
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Salt, to taste
Others trace the hamburger back to Hamburg, Germany. Still
others reference a late 19th-century fair in Hamburg, New York,
or the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri, which also claims
to be the birthplace of the ice cream cone and the hot dog. In fact,
so many countries lay claim to the birth of the hamburger that we
may never know, but perhaps it does not matter.
Of greater importance is that we Louisianans are unabashed
meat lovers. Ribs, steaks, chops — you name it, we cook it
and consume it, guilt-free. But the hamburger is a staple of our
diet, and every town in Louisiana lays claim to the “world’s best
burger.” Corner joints like Port of Call abound statewide.
By 9 p.m. on the sidewalk outside Port of Call, where the
swelling, salivating crowd is by now line-dancing and warbling
a version of Achy Breaky Heart, Carter and company finally get
a table. “No menus required,” says Carter, who is being gently
pushed inside by her
boyfriend. “He’s a little
grumpy,” she says. “He
needs food. Bring on the
burgers, please.”
Indeed. Chances are,
throughout Louisiana on
that Friday evening,
hundreds of pounds of ground meat are being
consumed. In Monroe, those mountains of beef
are probably best consumed at Enoch’s Irish Pub,
which accurately bills itself as “An Irish Pub with a Louisiana Attitude.” So, how does
that play out? Menu items have names like the Eddie Collins Burger, the Galway Mist
Mushroom Burger and the Blarney Stone Blue Cheese Burger.
“Our burgers are all named after towns, provinces or counties in Ireland,” says owner
Enoch Doyle Jeter. “But what separates our burgers — what really makes us original
— is the Guinness gravy we serve with all of our sandwiches. It’s a beef broth gravy
that is made with Guinness Stout, brown sugar, beef broth and about 20 other spices.
But we adapt it to Louisiana taste by throwing in a little bit of cayenne.”
Enoch’s also distinguishes itself with its newest burger, the Big Arse Burger, a giant
(three-pound) sandwich on French bread with mushrooms, jalapeño peppers, cheese,
grilled onions, mayo, mustard, pickles and of course, Guinness gravy.
“Guinness gravy is addictive,” Jeter says.
At Port of Call,
the order is always
the same: burger
and a baked potato.
Stir in Guinness, water and brown sugar. Increase
heat and bring to a boil. Add bouillon cube and
onion tops. Stir in cornstarch to thicken. Taste for
salt and serve.
PAIR WITH: Match the Irish sauce with
Jameson Irish Whiskey on the rocks.
24
Louisiana Cookin’ August 2007
Photo courtesy of Enoch’s Irish Pub.
In a sauce pot, heat vegetable oil over medium
heat. Add green onion (green parts only — reserve
onion tops), celery, mushrooms with their juice,
bell pepper, beef debris, thyme, oregano, basil,
garlic powder, and cayenne and black peppers.
Sauté until vegetables soften.
Does Size Matter?
So, does size matter when it comes to burgers? According to one popular burger
haunt in Baton Rouge, the answer is decidedly “yes.” Cheeburger Cheeburger, arguably
the capital city’s highest-traffic burger stop, lives by the simple motto, “Big is Better.”
Picture it: 20 ounces of premium black angus beef, with a choice of almost 30
toppings. Consider chopped garlic, banana peppers, horseradish sauce, onion rings,
guacamole and chopped black olives — for starters. Then choose from eight varieties
of cheese.
Of course not everyone agrees — there is the whole contingent in Baton Rouge
that is loyal to George’s, the only restaurant in town confident enough to bill itself as
“The Baton Rouge Restaurant.” George’s is to Baton Rouge what Port of Call is to
New Orleans — familiar, beloved and consistently delicious. In addition to a fabulous
gumbo, the big draw at George’s is the Doug’s Special, a 13-ounce hamburger steak
with bacon, onions, ham and cheese. Couple that with the house jalapeño cheese
fries, and finish with a generously portioned slice of Mama’s Pecan Pie, and the
George’s experience is complete.
Size may vary, but savory is forever. In Madisonville, Frank’s Marina Grille offers
the Mighty River burger, each individually hand pressed and smothered with sautéed
mushrooms and onions and then topped with bacon, cheddar and Swiss cheese. And
it all comes in at a mere nine ounces. Somehow, it all tastes so much better with the
spectacular riverfront views.
The Power of Tradition
In Louisiana, food is often the centerpiece of cultural and family tradition. Nowhere
is this more evident than at the Southside Bakery in Lafayette. Since 1953, Southside
Bakery has been a household name in Lafayette. That was the year the first 3-D movie
came out, the first James Bond novel debuted, and the big
food news that year was First Lady Mamie Eisenhower’s
famed Million Dollar Fudge. But in Lafayette, the Guilbeaux
family quietly opened a family business that would eventually
become famous for its kolachke (Polish pastry filled with
meats, sausages and cheeses).
These days, Southside Bakery is as well known for its
burgers as it is for its sweets.
“My parents started the bakery and it has been a family
business ever since,” says Sammy Guilbeaux, owner. “I’m the
father of five children and my wife and I work here at the
bakery with all of our children. My 27-year-old twin boys are
known as the ‘Fabulous Bakery Boys.’”
Ask Sammy Guilbeaux what makes his burgers stand out
and he will credit his own seasoning mix. “I’m a simple kind
of guy and the seasonings have no flavors in them that are
foreign to the Louisiana taste,” he says. “I use red and black
pepper, salt — nothing fancy, but it is a great mix. I’m not a
cook — I’m a baker, but I came up with this recipe.”
Tradition, however, does not have to equal inflexible.
Guilbeaux has just switched to all-organic beef and flour.
“We’re trying to be the healthiest bakery in the area. No
antibiotics — no hormones. We’re also going to be a trans-fatfree bakery. We’re going in to all non-hydrogenated products.
My children are the future of this place, and I think that’s
where the market is going.”
Buttermilk Onion Rings
From Emeril’s Delmonico
(William Morrow Publishers, 2005)
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS.
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup hot sauce
3 tablespoons Emeril’s Original Essence
or Creole Seasoning, in all
2 large yellow onions, cut into 1/2-inch thick rings
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 cups all-purpose flour
Whisk together the buttermilk, hot sauce and
2 teaspoons of the Essence in a large bowl.
Add the onion rings and press to coat evenly
with the buttermilk mixture. Cover and marinate
in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Heat enough oil to come halfway up the sides
of a medium pot to 360°F.
Combine the flour with 2 tablespoons of the
Essence in a shallow bowl. Dredge the onions
in the seasoned flour, tossing to coat each ring
evenly, and shake off any excess flour. Carefully
add the onions to the hot oil, in batches, and fry
until golden brown, turning with a spider or longhandled slotted spoon to cook evenly and prevent
sticking, about 3 minutes per batch. Drain on
paper towels and season with the remaining
teaspoon Essence. Serve hot.
PAIR WITH: Mont-Redon
Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc to
accompany this as an appetizer or side.
Louisiana Cookin’ August 2007
25
Zippy Coleslaw
From 500 Fat Free Recipes
(Villard Books, 1994)
This recipe also has two variations below.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS.
5 cups grated white cabbage
1 cup grated green bell pepper
1 cup grated carrot
1/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 tablespoons skim milk
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Place cabbage, green pepper and carrot in mixing
bowl. Combine yogurt, skim milk, horseradish,
garlic and white pepper. Toss the cabbage
mixture with the yogurt mixture.
Elsewhere, everything old is new again with the reopening of the locally beloved
Camellia Grill in New Orleans. First opened seven years before Southside Bakery and
just on the heels of World War II, Camellia Grill became famous for its wrap-around
counter, chili cheese fries, fried apple pie and phenomenal hamburgers. The standard
night of partying in New Orleans almost always ended with a stop at Camellia Grill,
where patrons watched line cooks fry up their burgers.
After Hurricane Katrina, Camellia Grill was shuttered for 19 months, until new owner
Hicham Khodr (who also owns Table One in the Garden District) brought it back to
life. Will the waiters become the urban legends they once were? Will the famed Camellia
Grill T-shirt still be framed on the wall and sold on premises? Time will tell, but what
seems assured is the rebirth of the renowned burgers and buttery buns. The word on the
street is that Camellia Grill will be as it has always been, and if you think the lines outside
Port of Call are long, wait until you see New Orleanians line up for Camellia Grill.
Consider the role burgers have played in the American experience. Everything seems to
be accompanied by burgers, from first dates, to power lunches, to benchmark celebrations.
As the burger goes, so goes the culture.
Paul A. Greenberg is a Louisiana writer whose work has appeared in regional and
national publications and Web sites, including People magazine, the Dallas Morning News,
The Times-Picayune and America Online. Visit Paul’s Web site: www.GreenbergWrites.com.
H O N O R A B LE M E N T I O N S :
Yo Mama’s — New Orleans
Diner’s choice: The Burger Romanoff
with sour cream and caviar
(61 different tequilas, as well)
Burger Tyme — Lafayette
Diner’s choice: The Cajun Blaze
Morvant’s Bar & Grill — Youngsville
Diner’s choice: Cajun Burger
Papa & Company Grille &
Sandwich Shop — Shreveport
Diner’s choice: Huge burgers and
buns baked on site.
Tell us about your favorite burger joint! Email info@louisianacookin.com
26
Louisiana Cookin’ August 2007
ALSO TRY: For a slaw with a mustard-flavored
dressing, place cabbage, bell pepper and carrot
in a mixing bowl. Add 1 grated onion. Toss with
a dressing of 4 tablespoons nonfat mayonnaise,
3 tablespoons nonfat yogurt, 3 tablespoons cider
vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon
sugar and 2 teaspoons celery seed. Thin dressing
with skim milk, if necessary.
OR: Place cabbage, green bell pepper and carrot
in mixing bowl. Toss with a dressing of 1/2 cup
nonfat sour cream, 1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt,
1 tablespoon cider vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon dry
mustard and 1/4 teaspoon paprika.
PAIR WITH: Sam Adams Lager will
fit this snappy dish.
Bonnie’s Better Burger
Bonnie Guilliot
New Orleans, LA
This is our editor’s recipe for hamburgers
good enough to be served as a steak.
MAKES 8 SERVINGS.
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
1/2 onion, very finely diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning, to taste
1 to 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon Crystal hot sauce
Place all ingredients in a large glass mixing bowl.
Using your hands, gently combine and form into
patties. Grill or fry to desired doneness and dress
with whatever you like. See “Tips & Techniques”
on page 28 for more tips on making a better burger.
PAIR WITH: A burger this tasty begs
for a top class Champagne: Perrier
Jouët Grand Brut.
Grilling on
Southern Hardwoods
Coming Soon to
— Since 1985
• Monthly Wine Dinners
• Live Piano Thurs., Fri. & Sat. Evenings
• Seasonal Menu
• Award Winning Wine List
• Bar Remains Open
Throughout the Day
900 Camp St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
337-981-0108 • www.CharleyGs.com
3809 Ambassador Caffery Parkway • Lafayette, LA 70503
www.SouthernFood.org
TOURISM INFO
Louisiana Office of Tourism
225.342.8100 or 800.765.6492
LouisianaTravel.com
Baton Rouge Area Convention
& Visitors Bureau
225.383.1825 or 800.LARouge
VisitBatonRouge.com
Lafayette Convention
& Visitors Commission
337.232.3737 or 800.346.1958
LafayetteTravel.com
New Orleans Convention
& Visitors Bureau
800.672.6124
NewOrleansCVB.com
Monroe-West Monroe
Convention & Visitors Bureau
318.387.5691 or 800.843.1872
Monroe-WestMonroe.org
New Orleans Tourism
504.524.4784 or 866.380.5233
NewOrleansOnline.com
FEATURED BUSINESSES
Burger Tyme
502 Degeyter Road
Breaux Bridge, LA 70517
337.332.3675
Camellia Grill
626 S. Carrollton Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70118
504.866.9573
Cheeburger Cheeburger
6725 Siegen Lane
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
225.296.0395
Cheeburger.com
Enoch’s Irish Pub & Cafe
507 Louisville Ave.
Monroe, LA 71201
318.388.3662
EnochsIrishPub.com
Frank’s Marina Grille
100 Marina Del Ray Blvd.
Madisonville, LA 70447
985.792.4000
FranksMarinaGrille.com
George’s — the Original
2943 Perkins Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
225.296.0395
GeorgesBR.com
Morvant’s Bar & Grill
200 Lafayette St.
Youngsville, LA 70592
337.856.7469
Papa & Company Grille &
Sandwich Shop
545 E. Washington St.
Shreveport, LA 71104
318.869.2635
Port of Call
838 Esplanade Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70116
504.523.0120
PortOfCallNewOrleans.com
St. Tammany Parish Tourist
& Convention Commission
985.892.0520 or 800.634.9443
NewOrleansNorthshore.com
Southside Bakery
2801 Johnston St.
Lafayette, LA 70503
337.233.8636
SouthsideBakery.com
Yo Mama’s
727 Saint Peter St.
New Orleans, LA 70116
504.522.1125