Unsomnambulist
Staff member
Random Food Photos
- Thread starter Nickyboy
- Start date
axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
Seriously? I thought that this is what a meat toaster looked like.
In any case, it works for me.
Nickyboy
Staff member
There's a tiny, one room restaurant in downtown New Haven, CT called Louis' Lunch. They claim to: 1) have invented the hamburger as we know it today and 2) to be the oldest hamburger restaurant in the US (that's all they sell). They have heavy, cast iron "meat toasters" that are fired by gas jets inside. The two doors fold down part way on the sides and they slide the burgers in in baskets (like what you see above). There is a hole in the counter and the fat from the grilling meat (sorry....toasting meat) drips down into a huge grease trap in the basement. They use a secret, proprietary mix of beef cuts, and they push raw onions into the top of the burgers before grilling them. Only toppings you can get are ketchup and mustard, and the burger is served not on a bun, but on white bread toast (also cooked in the meat toaster). And don't ask for any variations for your burger. When you go to Louis' Lunch, you get the burger that Louis' Lunch makes. If you want it another way, go to MacDonald's! One of the tastiest burgers I have had. And it's all due to those ancient meat toasters.
Thank you for listening to my TED Talk.
A Visit to Louis' Lunch, Home of the Hamburger
One of the nation's most important hamburger institutions, Louis' Lunch lays claim to having invented the dish we love so much. The burger here is known more for its isn'ts than anything else. It isn't served on a bun but on slices of toast. It isn't served with condiments. It is, however, a...
Ojai Sam
Staff member
LA used to have a place of the same type called Cassell’s. It was located in a nondescript hole in the wall slightly west of downtown. They featured hamburgers with the slogan “W.G.O.O.” (we grind our own) which they did, using top quality beef. They had an old crossfire grill with a drawer that pulled out to place the meat which then went back inside to receive 500° heat on top and bottom.There's a tiny, one room restaurant in downtown New Haven, CT called Louis' Lunch. They claim to: 1) have invented the hamburger as we know it today and 2) to be the oldest hamburger restaurant in the US (that's all they sell). They have heavy, cast iron "meat toasters" that are fired by gas jets inside. The two doors fold down part way on the sides and they slide the burgers in in baskets (like what you see above). There is a hole in the counter and the fat from the grilling meat (sorry....toasting meat) drips down into a huge grease trap in the basement. They use a secret, proprietary mix of beef cuts, and they push raw onions into the top of the burgers before grilling them. Only toppings you can get are ketchup and mustard, and the burger is served not on a bun, but on white bread toast (also cooked in the meat toaster). And don't ask for any variations for your burger. When you go to Louis' Lunch, you get the burger that Louis' Lunch makes. If you want it another way, go to MacDonald's! One of the tastiest burgers I have had. And it's all due to those ancient meat toasters.
Thank you for listening to my TED Talk.
View attachment 12357
A Visit to Louis' Lunch, Home of the Hamburger
One of the nation's most important hamburger institutions, Louis' Lunch lays claim to having invented the dish we love so much. The burger here is known more for its isn'ts than anything else. It isn't served on a bun but on slices of toast. It isn't served with condiments. It is, however, a...www.seriouseats.com
Everything on the menu had a number, and the crabby old cook would correct you with the number if you made the mistake of ordering a double cheeseburger by name. The owner, also an older guy but much friendlier, ran the cash register.
While you were waiting for your burger to grill, you would slide your tray along past a minimalist buffet that featured only lettuce, tomato, onion, and potato salad made with lots of horseradish. There were also homemade dressings and ketchup
along with fresh squeezed lemonade. According to the attorney who introduced me to this place, also an older guy (notice a pattern developing here?) the owner told him that the only way to enjoy his potato salad was to smother it in 1000 island dressing. Worked for me. 
As someone who ate a lot of burgers back in the day, this joint had by far the best purist sandwich I ever saw. From the exquisite meat to the fresh buns to the top quality sides, it was a perfect package. Adding fancy toppings or a high class dining room would have been gilding the lily.
Some years ago, the owner died and the restaurant was moved to a new Korean hotel. It still gets good reviews, and they seem to be trying to maintain the old flair. But I have never visited the current location, not wanting to disturb the slumbering memories of beloved burgers of the past.
axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
LA used to have a place of the same type called Cassell’s. It was located in a nondescript hole in the wall slightly west of downtown. They featured hamburgers with the slogan “W.G.O.O.” (we grind our own) which they did, using top quality beef. They had an old crossfire grill with a drawer that pulled out to place the meat which then went back inside to receive 500° heat on top and bottom.
Everything on the menu had a number, and the crabby old cook would correct you with the number if you made the mistake of ordering a double cheeseburger by name. The owner, also an older guy but much friendlier, ran the cash register.
While you were waiting for your burger to grill, you would slide your tray along past a minimalist buffet that featured only lettuce, tomato, onion, and potato salad made with lots of horseradish. There were also homemade dressings and ketchup
As someone who ate a lot of burgers back in the day, this joint had by far the best purist sandwich I ever saw. From the exquisite meat to the fresh buns to the top quality sides, it was a perfect package. Adding fancy toppings or a high class dining room would have been gilding the lily.
Some years ago, the owner died and the restaurant was moved to a new Korean hotel. It still gets good reviews, and they seem to be trying to maintain the old flair. But I have never visited the current location, not wanting to disturb the slumbering memories of beloved burgers of the past.
All of these recollections reminds me of my trip to the Inland Northwest in 2016 or so, where I experienced Hudson's Hamburgers, a featured establishment in Coeur d'Alene.
Iconic Eateries: Hudson's Hamburgers continues to thrive in Coeur d'Alene under simple operations
An Elvis clock, a sign that reads ‘EAT MORE PIE,’ and an ATM sit in the cash-only – yet truly iconic – Hudson’s Hamburgers in Coeur d’Alene.
www.spokesman.com
Harley Hudson upgraded from a tent to a building on Sherman Avenue in 1908. The building relocated twice more, once in 1963 and again in 1983 to its current location, 207 E. Sherman Ave. Ove time, the Hudsons added a grand total of two new stools to their business.
Nickyboy
Staff member
I often find myself avoiding a beloved place (even if it hasn't moved) because I too don't want to "spoil the memories".LA used to have a place of the same type called Cassell’s. It was located in a nondescript hole in the wall slightly west of downtown. They featured hamburgers with the slogan “W.G.O.O.” (we grind our own) which they did, using top quality beef. They had an old crossfire grill with a drawer that pulled out to place the meat which then went back inside to receive 500° heat on top and bottom.
Everything on the menu had a number, and the crabby old cook would correct you with the number if you made the mistake of ordering a double cheeseburger by name. The owner, also an older guy but much friendlier, ran the cash register.
While you were waiting for your burger to grill, you would slide your tray along past a minimalist buffet that featured only lettuce, tomato, onion, and potato salad made with lots of horseradish. There were also homemade dressings and ketchup
As someone who ate a lot of burgers back in the day, this joint had by far the best purist sandwich I ever saw. From the exquisite meat to the fresh buns to the top quality sides, it was a perfect package. Adding fancy toppings or a high class dining room would have been gilding the lily.
Some years ago, the owner died and the restaurant was moved to a new Korean hotel. It still gets good reviews, and they seem to be trying to maintain the old flair. But I have never visited the current location, not wanting to disturb the slumbering memories of beloved burgers of the past.
btw, I have made homemade ketchup a number of times. It's very easy and tastes amazing. Keep it too long in the fridge, though, and it turns to a variation on bbq sauce.
Ojai Sam
Staff member
Nickyboy
Staff member
I've done that too. I agree.That applies to red wine as well.
axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
I was wondering why I hadn't seem him on my trip to N.B.
It turns out it was constructed in 1969. I went with my parents in 1966.
Ojai Sam
Staff member
Wow, you were just a young spud.
axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
I was 13. I had just begun to spudder.
Ojai Sam
Staff member
At that age, I was half-baked.I was 13. I had just begun to spudder.
Unsomnambulist
Staff member
Nickyboy
Staff member
It's my understanding that gift certificates can't expire, even if there is wording to the effect on them. Someone paid money for them to exchange for goods (food) and if you haven't redeemed them to receive said goods, the transaction isn't complete.
It's like going to a store to buy a hammer, handing the cashier the money, and then he says "sorry, you took too long to use the hammer. We're keeping it and your cash".
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