Before McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s, people made their own burgers. You may be wondering…when did the burger first show up in food history? The earliest story of the hamburger begins in the 18^th century and there are still chapters being added to the hamburger’s history. There is no clear-cut hamburger that can claim the title as the “first” hamburger. Just like today you can find a variety of hamburgers, there are a variety of predecessors to the modern day hamburger.

WORLD FAIR

Some feel the hamburger all started with J. Walter Anderson, who introduced a hamburger at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louise, Missouri. He was interested in expanding the hamburger’s appeal through chain operations. The Wichita, Kansas’s resident later became the co-founder of the oldest continuously running food chain, White Castle Hamburgers. This is the most popular story of how the hamburger began, but it is not the only story of where the hamburger originated.

18^TH CENTURY

Among the earliest documentation of a hamburger type food is during the 18^th century when there were two groups eating a similar food. One group was sailors visiting the port in Germany. They brought “hamburg steak” with them. It was a hard slab of minced meat beef. Many hambur steaks were smoked and mixed with onion and breadcrumbs. The other group that was eating a similar food was the immigrants arriving in England. Their new food was a mixture of chopped beef, suet, and spices.

COUNTY FAIR

Another well known story about one of the first hamburgers is of 15 years old, “Hamburger Charlie” who tried to sell meatballs at a stand at the Outagamie County Fair in Wisconsin. When business didn’t go well, he didn’t pack up and go home, he evaluated the situation. Seeing that the meatballs were difficult to eat while on the move at the fair, he flattened them out and made a sandwich that he referred to as a hamburger. Until his death in 1951, Hamburger Charlie could be found selling his hamburgers at the fair every year after that first successful year.

PRESENT DAY

Today you can find fast and cheap hamburgers and cheeseburgers on value meals at most fast food restaurants. There is a wide range of gourmet hamburgers that are thick, juicy, and topped with a never-ending variety of toppings. For vegetarians there are even many variations of the hamburger that are meatless.

For a burger that is thick, juicy, and flavorful with a variety of toppings available, you won’t be able to go the value menu at a local fast food restaurant. Going to a restaurant like the 8oz Burger Bar in Miami, FL and Los Angeles, CA you will be able to order the hamburger of your choice and even enjoy it with a great beer by the bottle or on tap.

If you are going to go out for a burger, make sure you don’t waste your time. Get on the phone (or IM) to see where your friends go in town for the best burger. Google the burger places near by (most have their menu available on line). Then get in the car and get ready to really enjoy eating your burger. If you are one of those people who believes a good burger is only a great burger when accompanied by a cold beer, be sure to arrange for alternate transportation or buy lunch for a designated driver. Be safe so you can go back for more.

When searching for a restaurant to sit back and enjoy a juicy burger at, look for the following:

• Type of meat used-make sure they are using the good stuff
• Atmosphere-a stuffy atmosphere isn’t very relaxing
• Sports availability-don’t miss a good game to get a good burger
• Toppings-the more options the better when building your own burger
• Price-expect to pay a little extra for quality, but you shouldn’t need a loan to pay for a great burger
• Beverages-if you are a beer drinker, check if they serve your beer of choice, if not, make sure there are other beverages that you like
• Location-make sure it close enough to be convenient and if you are drinking, see if there is an inexpensive way back home
• Family friendly-if you don’t want to go out without the kids, you don’t want other people’s kids there, if you are bringing the kids, you don’t want your kids to be the only ones

If you are in the Los Angeles, California area or the Miami, Florida area and want a truly great burger, go to 8oz Burger Bar. You will find a variety of specialty beers and lots of options so you can order the perfect burger.

On the October 9, 2009 episode of Top Chef, 8oz Burger Bar owner, Tyler Florence was one of the guest judges. The episode featured some of Macy’s Culinary Council members.

What is the Macy’s Culinary Council?

The council is one of Macy’s culinary initiatives that affect the way customers shop, cook, and eat at home. Macy’s Culinary Council is 15 of the nation’s top chefs. In addition to Tyler Florence, the following chefs are also on the council:

• Govind Armstrong
• Rick Bayless
• Cat Cora
• Tom Douglas
• Todd English
• Gale Gand
• Emeril Lagasse
• Wolfgang Puck
• Andrea Robinson
• Marcus Samuelsson
• Nancy Silverton
• Tim Scott
• Ming Tsai
• Takashi Yagihashi

With the help of the council, Macy’s has been reinterpreting and reenergizing the casual dining experience with various events and in-store restaurants.

Each of the chefs gave bags of ingredients to teams of two. Each team had to prepare a dish that was to be served family style to the team of judges.

Lauren and Bryan got Tyler Florence’s bag of ingredients, which included the following:

• Meat: Petaluma Chickens, Lamb Chops
• Seafood: Halibut
• Cured: Dry Aged Chorizo
• Dairy: Cowgirl Creamery Mt Tam, Whole Milk Ricotta, Buttermilk
• Produce: California red Grapes, strawberries, fennel bulb, fresh corn, avocadoes, artichokes, Ruby Red grapefruit, zucchini
• Dry Goods: polenta, sourdough bread, San Marzano tomatoes, Arborio rice, California black olives

At the beginning of the show, each of them pulled the slot machine to get their cooking mood, type of cooking, and ingredient. Lauren got romantic/tart/Latin American and Bryan got adventurous/crunchy/Asian. They ended up in the top 3 with their dish dishes.

TOP CHEF JUDGE STRIP’D

Tyler Florence was the featured “Judge Strip’d”. He discussed the influence of his father on his success (drive), what his last meal would be (American southern cooking), flavors, that he would be a contractor if he wasn’t a chef (he likes to create), and the style of food he’s cooked his entire life (California cuisine).

MORE ABOUT TYLER FLORENCE

8oz Burger Bar owner, Tyler Florence is also the host of Food Network’s Food 911, How to Boil Water, and Tyler’s Ultimate. He has written several cookbooks, was an honors graduate at Johnson and Wales University College of Culinary Arts where he has established a scholarship fund in his name.

To find out more about 8oz Burger Bar and the specialty beers that they serve with delicious and unique burgers, go to 8ozBurgerBar.com.

McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger King can give you a fast burger, but for a good burger you need to make it at home or head to a good restaurant. Some people think only great burgers will come off their own backyard grill, which just isn’t true. Great burgers can be found in restaurants like 8oz Burger Bar. Going to a restaurant has the additional benefit of being able to sit down and enjoy a beer while someone else does the work of preparing and serving a great beer.

There are several factors that contribute to a burger being referred to as a great burger instead of just a good burger.

SIZE

Skimpy thin burgers just never are referred to as a great burger. It is not enough to be thick; the burger should maintain most of its precooked weight after cooking. Meat that has a high water content or high fat content looses a higher percentage of its precooked weight than lean meat with little or no water.

BEEF

The term great burger is rarely, if ever, used to refer a tofu or veggie burger. High quality, lean beef that is cooked to order is the base of a great burger. Ideally, an experienced cook who knows the difference between medium and medium rare cooks the burger on an open fire.

TASTE

There is nothing like the taste of a fresh burger. Meat that has been frozen before cooking has a different flavor than fresh meat that is cooked. Great burgers aren’t dry and they aren’t bland. The perfect seasoning is one of the things that will turn a good burger into a great burger.

PRICE

If you can’t afford the burger, it won’t matter what it tastes like. It is expected to pay a little extra for a great burger, but a great burger should still be affordable and a good value for the cost.

CUSTOMIZATION

The definition of a great burger is different from person to person. To make each burger great to each individual, it must be able to be customized. Being able to sit down and pick out favorites off a complete list of cheeses, sauces, and other extras when ordering a burger, one of the things that makes a good burger a great burger.

For burger lovers in Miami, FL and in Los Angeles, CA, great burgers can be enjoyed at 8oz Burger Bar. There are a variety of beers, including specialty beers, to choose from to complete the meal at 8oz Burger Bar.