August 8, 2016

 

La Coïncidence 

15 rue Mesnil 

Paris, France 75116

BonJour! Je m'appelle Jeck. Et Toi? Hello there! As I sit here in my office reminiscing about my time in Paris, I can't help but write a review on the "Burger Coincidence" aka the Duck Burger in Paris, France. 

So why to write a review of a Duck Burger, one may ask. Well, Duck is overlooked here in America because it is a beautiful piece of gamey meat that is considered a unique delicacy. In fact, when cooked right, it is utterly fantastic. More specifically, all throughout Paris you will see duck on the menu. Furthermore, the Parisians tend to cook the duck meat just right, so all the natural flavors of the duck, as well as the many spices, merge together to create a super team whose sole mission is to appease your taste buds.

Enough with the introduction and onto the burger! Now this burger is especially unique because its meat patty consisted of ground duck with a variety of spices that was not disclosed to me (which was an ultimate disappoint because there was what I believed to be cumin and paprika). 

So first, let's talk about the bun. The one thing I loved about Paris was the bread. I must admit, I hated bread before Paris, but after having it every day, I started to like it. From baguettes in the morning to sesame buns in the afternoon, the one thing constant about French bread is the light and fluffy texture you get. Now add the light and fluffy texture with a whip of butter to arugula and a duck patty then you got yourself one strong base. 

Second, let's talk about the Emilio Estevez aka the mighty duck aka the duck patty. Now the duck patty was well prepared to my liking. Bite after bite, I could taste little pieces of the succulent duck meat bursting in my mouth with an explosion of flavor. Now, I apologize if that was a bit too intense, but I only speak the truth! Additionally, the meat was cooked medium rare, which means the meat was bloody and juicy at every point of the experience. Full disclosure, we are not talking about Dexter bloody but a right amount of blood to make you think it was cooked. Finally, the mushroom sauce that accompanied the burger was out of this world amazing. I would compare the mushroom sauce to the addition of Margot Robbie in Wolf of Wall Street. Leo as Jordan Belfort was Oscar worthy but add the tantalizing Margot Robbie then you have a movie that should have Best Picture. After devouring the burger in about 15 minutes, all I needed was Margot Robbie and a beer. Luckily I got my beer with no hesitation. So with that said, I believe the Emilio was Elite Worthy. Four stars out of 5 because the French made it. I can't seem to give a French Burger 5 out of 5 because it is truly unamerican. With that said, if you're ever in Paris go to La Coincidence and get the Emilio. After devouring it in an instant, you'll thank me later for writing this post. 

June 27, 2016

The Horse Thief

324 S. Hill Street 

Los Angeles, CA  90013

Hola everyone! Guess who is back! After a 3 year hiatus, I am officially back to suit your everyday burger demands! Think of me as the dark knight blogger, and I am returning to save YOU from devouring a horrible burger. With that said, my first post back will be about the Beef Brisket Sandwich from The Horse Thief at Grand Central Station.  (No horses were stolen in writing this blog post) 

Now this review is about a sandwich and not a burger per se, but I need to start somewhere! For the burger/sandwich enthusiasts out there, the Beef Brisket Sandwich at the Horse Thief has the makings of a great sandwich, however, there is not enough punch to keep me interested. Don't get me wrong, I love Grand Central Station and the ambiance, but I place this sandwich on the Cusp of being part of the  Elite. You may be asking why??? Well here is what I observed.

Now let's start with the first point. 1) The bread was GREAT! The buttered sesame bun brioche was light and fluffy. It was not overpowering and was a perfect compliment to the sandwich. It was a perfect sidekick like Kyrie Irving to Lebron James. (Ignore if you are not a basketball enthusiast)  

2) Unlike your typical burger patty, this sandwich consisted of loads of beef brisket. Honestly, every morsel of the beef brisket was tender and juicy. It was so delicious, I suddenly entered a state of depression after I finished eating the sandwich. If it wasn't for my friends, I would have ordered another sandwich, but that is a story for another day. With that said, although the meat's texture was magnificent, the flavor, on the other hand, did not have any pop to it. I compare the flavor to Will Smith's new movies. At first, you're drawn to it because it is Will Smith but you are utterly disappointed because you slept for an hour and missed the whole point of the movie Trust me, watching MIB 3 and Focus made me cry on how awful they were. Like I said before, I am not a vinegar fan, so the vinegar like taste of the meat was not appealing to my taste buds. What can I say, sour is just not my cup of tea. With that said, it was more on the cusp and not a peasant. 

3) Now the fixins such as the mac n cheese and the coleslaw were great compliments! First of all, the mac n cheese's gooey factor was right on point. The gooey factor is pretty simple, if the cheese looks gooey and not dry then it is hitting on all cylinders. If the cheese appears to you like a kraft single coming out of the microwave then do not eat it. Now all this means is the cheese was warm and gooey to the point I was sucked into a velveta commercial. Because I like to say an eating experience requires all senses, the mac n cheese was beautiful to touch, taste, see, and smell. The macaroni was soft and the cheese was the star of the show. The coleslaw was rich in pepper, vinegar, and some mayo. Although I don't know all the ingredients in the coleslaw, after each successful bite of cabbage, I was ferociously tasting the pepper, the vinegar, the oil, and a bit of mayo.

 4) The presentation of the sandwich had the makings of a food truck staple such as some wax paper and to go containers. The presentation embodies the LA atmosphere, which is eating fast and getting the hell out! 

Overall this sandwich was very close to joining the Burgoisie but could not make the leap. I do recommend the place and the sandwich as well!!!!!!