Fatty Friday Lite

Wednesday night I went with the Bible Study kids to a place called Al's #1 Italian Beef. I suppose you can infer from the name that it's not exactly a salad joint. Their signature sandwich is similar to a philly cheesesteak except that they dip the entire thing in au jus before wrapping it up and handing it to you. Eating it felt more like completing some sort of man v. food challenge than just eating dinner. At the end I had a sense of accomplishment and a strong desire to sleep for 3 days. That said, when Thursday evening rolled around, the thought of a hamburger wasn't altogether appealing. Apparently I have a beef threshold. Who knew?

I am, however, a dedicated blogger who has promised her fans a burger review every Friday. This week seemed like a good one, then, to head over to Graze. They have a kind of "build-a-burger" menu featuring a variety of different meats and toppings. We've been a few times and I almost always get the lamb burger with tzatziki (close enough), cucumber, sprouts, lettuce, and tomato and one other burger that I haven't tried before (btw, the patties are only 3 oz., so they're more like sliders). The lamb burger is far and away my favorite which is why I always get.

Last night we chose (from left to right) the grass fed beef with cheddar, lettuce, and tomato; black bean with avocado, sprouts and tomato (mine); fried mozzarella with marinara and pepperoni; and bison with lettuce, tomato, and sauteed onions minus the tomato which was removed and eaten separately at the end (that's right, Sarah)...those were CB's.

I really enjoyed the black bean burger, but did not care for the actual burger which was dry. The problem with itty-bitty patties is that they get overcooked. Also, CB pointed out that the bun to meet ratio was too high. Plus, I forgot to add mayonnaise which was my own dang fault. To be fair, I'm leaving the black bean burger out because it's just pretending to be a burger. Judging the beef one alone, I'm giving it a 3. Definitely my least favorite so far. I would, however, recommend Graze for a number of their other menu options including the lamb burger, the black bean burger, or their salads...also, CB says the fried mozzarella "pizza burger" is delightful.

We're running out of ideas for places to try, so if any current or former Athenians have any suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated.

Fondest regards,

The Lady