Happy National Hamburger Day, Let's Talk Burgers
6 photos
<br/><br/>As with everything in this city, people will always find a way to transform something simple into something off the wall crazy, and some burgers got seriously tricked out this year. Pounds and Ounces unveiled the <strong><a href="http://gothamist.com/2012/08/20/open_wide_for_the_giant_fkn_foie_gr.php">$36 F&Kn burger</a></strong>, which tops an 8 ounce patty with a ton of toppings, including foie gras. <br/><br/>A Times Square restaurant created <strong><a href="http://gothamist.com/2012/06/08/eat_your_nightmares_by_eating_this.php">"The Beast"</a></strong>, a half pound burger with cheddar, swiss, pepper jack, three strips of bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and fried pickles served between <em>two grilled cheese sandwiches</em>. <br/><br/>But most egregious of all, the <a href="http://gothamist.com/2012/05/25/would_you_pay_295_for_a_burger_how.php">$295 truffle-and-caviar-specked creation</a> at Serendipity 3 and the $666, gold leaf-wrapped <strong><a href="http://gothamist.com/2012/05/25/would_you_pay_295_for_a_burger_how.php">"Douche Burger"</a></strong> from 666 Burger.
<br/><br/>We got a few more patty palaces to call our own, including Williamsburg's roadside burger spot <strong><a href="http://gothamist.com/2012/07/17/roadside_style_burger_joint_blue_co.php#photo-1">Blue Collar</a></strong> and Bryant Park's burgery <strong><a href="http://gothamist.com/2012/09/18/photos_bite_into_a_lt_burger_at_bry.php#photo-1">LT Burger</a></strong>. And the Midwest came to Midtown as 200 people <a href="http://gothamist.com/2012/01/12/photos_these_people_waited_in_the_r.php#photo-1">waited overnight in the rain</a> to scored some <a href="http://gothamist.com/2012/01/12/hungry_hordes_brave_the_wet_for_ste.php#photo-1">tasty <strong>Steak 'N Shake</strong> burgers</a>.
LT Burger (Same Horine/Gothamist)<br/><br/>A few local chains ventured into new territory, including <a href="http://gothamist.com/2012/02/21/nytimes_rips_shake_shack_a_new_one.php">1 Starred</a> <strong>Shake Shack</strong>, which <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/12/20/brooklyn_shake_shack_now_open_with.php#photo-1">expanded to Brooklyn</a> and <strong><a href="http://gothamist.com/2012/11/06/custom_burgers_and_deep_fried_corn.php#photo-1">Burger Bistro</a></strong>, which made the reverse commute into Manhattan. And those openings are just the beginning! Next year we'll see more regional chains making a landing in NYC, including two California imports: <strong><a href="http://gothamist.com/2012/10/24/californias_popular_umami_burger_co.php">Umami Burger</a></strong> and <strong><a href="http://gothamist.com/2012/12/07/open_really_wide_for_fatburgers_24.php">Fatburger</a></strong>.
Shake Shack (Katie Sokoler/Gothamist)<br/><br/>Beef gets all the glory, but alternative burgers are damn tasty as well. Here are our nominees for the best <strong><a href="http://gothamist.com/2012/05/23/tk_seafood_burgers_to_lighten_up_fo.php">seafood burgers</a></strong> and <strong><a href="http://gothamist.com/2012/10/05/five_best_veggie_burgers.php">veggie burgers</a></strong>.
'Shroom Burger from Shake Shack (wallyg/Flickr)<br/><br/>It wasn't all good news in Burger Land: The Red Cross had to defend itself after a <strong><a href="http://gothamist.com/2012/12/05/red_cross_drops_off_trashbag_of_ham.php">photo of cooked, broken burgers in a trash bag</a></strong> surfaced following <a href="http://gothamist.com/tags/hurricanesandy">Hurricane Sandy</a>. We also bid a tearful farewell to <strong><a href="http://gothamist.com/2012/05/22/prime_burger_closing.php">Prime Burger</a></strong>, which shuttered after 74 years of grease-slinging glory.
(wallyg/Flickr)<br/><br/>Food science made some interesting discoveries and inventions this year, including <strong><a href="http://gothamist.com/tags/pinkslime">test tube burgers</a></strong>, made from muscle tissue grown in a lab. We all collectively barfed when we found out <strong><a href="http://gothamist.com/tags/pinkslime">Pink Slime</a></strong> is served at school lunches nationwide, but were relieved when NYC <a href="http://gothamist.com/2012/03/22/nyc_public_schools_to_stop_serving.php">decided to ditch it</a>. <br/><br/><strong><a href="http://gothamist.com/2012/03/20/wendys_dethrones_burger_king_mcdona.php">Burger King was dethroned by Wendy's</a></strong> from its spot as #2 as biggest fast food restaurant. McDonalds remains #1, but had to explain some <a href="http://gothamist.com/2012/06/19/mcdonalds_lady_discusses_burger_shr.php">embarrassing shrinkage</a>. <br/><br/>And if you thought eating fast food was bad for you, we discovered a 1930s experiment that says just the opposite! Just eat <a href="http://gothamist.com/2012/06/22/1930s_man_eats_white_castle_for_3_m.php">White Castle burgers and water</a> for 13 weeks and to "fully develop all physical and mental faculties."
(tienmao/Flickr)