Motor Burger (Windsor, On)

Vrrmmmmmmmm

I'm quite certain you've heard this story before. Several times over in fact. A business is no longer viable due to the "Economic Downturn" that occurred late in the last decade. It happened all over the globe but perhaps no where more so than the Detroit/Windsor area. While they are separate cities in separate countries they're more than just cross river neighbours. Their communities are tied together in just about every way imaginable. The parade of cars crisscrossing the Ambassador Bridge (and through the tunnel) on a daily basis for work or play is staggering. Not to mention that north of one quarter of the commerce between the two countries crosses that bridge connecting the two metropolises (or is that metropoli??). Simply put, if one bumps it's knee, the other says ouch.

(Ted Mosby fun fact: The D/W crossing is one of two crossings where you actually head north into the US from Canada.)
 
That down tur......well, lets call it what it was, a full on, dreadful recession, destroyed many businesses. A few were able to weather the storm and survive and others, such as Noi in Windsor's Little Italy, were forced to reinvent themselves. The Italian restaurant that once required you to wait for a table suddenly found itself struggling.  Could they have stuck it out and waited for the up turn?? Maybe. Not wanting to chance it and interested in a new challenge the place underwent a transformation that has spared them the executioner's axe. When Gino Gesuale and Jay Souilliere reopened as Motor Burger, most people didn't see it coming.
 
Motor Burger is the marriage of burgers and cars. The automotive themed restaurant opened in 2009 and has been going strong since. A trendy vibe and functional design is punctuated with chalk, schematic type drawings of cars and that's not the end of the vehicular theme. Menu items are named for automobiles or automotive terms. Heck, even the napkins are actual shop towels. And, much like the auto industry itself, they're in on the green movement. Ditching bottled water and utilizing a reverse osmosis system for their flat and sparkling waters for instance.
 
While they tell you the restaurant is a “present day rendition of a vintage burger joint with a modern twist on design” it may be better to think of it as a Bar and Grill focused on burgers.
They've also dipped their toes into the lubricant business. Creating their own craft brews right on the premises.
 
The success and quality of Motor Burger hasn't gone unnoticed either. Recently Readers Digest recognized their Deux Chevaux Burger as best in Canada. The Huff-Po has it as one of (#16) the Top 24 Brew Pubs in Canada. What brought it to my attention though was the visit paid by the You Gotta Eat Here gang. They were also featured in a National Film Board of Canada documentary series GDP which investigates the financial woes of Canadian businesses such as this one.

But enough of this, let's get a look at these vehicular inspired goodies.
 
The Motor Sauce is incredible. A compound mayonnaise that's full of garlic and chilies that's roots are in the French (and Creole) condiment, remoulade with chipotles added to the party. It comes on burgers or as a dipping sauce and is quite nice. It's not overly hot but does have a bit of jump and some tanginess.
 

We started with an order of Chili Spring Rolls. A really solid opening act here. Not quite blown away but very happy with these. Chorizo chili, lime, black beans, smoked cheese and topped with sour cream. The main taste is the chorizo with the others playing a supporting roll. They come 3 to an order, are deep fried and cut in half lengthwise.

 

The Motor Mac n Cheese is solid and fairly standard. There's not a lot that stands out but it's solid none the less. The use of tortiglioni rigate is a great choice for two reasons. First of all the standard elbow that's used in M&C is nice but the added length and helix shape are both aesthetically pleasing and seems to stand up better to the cheesy sauce. As well, "rigate" means it has those little ridges on the outside of the noodle. That adds surface area and more for the sauce to cling to. The pasta was nicely cooked. Falling somewhere between a perfect al dente and over cooked.

The Shrimp Fuel is, as you can imagine, a shimp burger flavoured with chilies, garlic, fresh tomato, cilantro and topped with avocado and mango salsa. I had probably over hyped this burger a little too much in my mind. I found it to be really good but still just ever so slightly disappointing. There was nothing wrong with it, in fact, it's very well executed. I guess the flavours were a little more subtle than I was expecting. Having seen it on TV I was excited to try it. It happens.
 

The Auto Strada burger is an absolute home run. It took everything in me to forego a beef burger for a sausage burger. I can honestly say it's one of the best burgers I've had and easily the best non beef burger ever. Chipotle rubbed northern Italian sausage, gorgonzola cheese and sliced apple slaw. There's a lot going on here and it's all good. The sausage is very flavourful and has a decent hit of spice. The cheese and slaw are up to the challenge as supporters. I just thought this was crazy good.

So there you have it folks, some truly great burgers in a hip, trendy setting.

You can find Motor Burger at 888 Erie St (Via Italia) in Windsor, On.

View Larger Map

You can also find them on the web, facebook and Twitter.


Well that's that folks. Catch ya next time.

Zip's Cafe (Cincinnati, Oh)

Cinci’s Best Burger? Vol. II

For more than 85 years residents of Cincinnati's gorgeous Mt. Lookout neighbourhood have called Zip's Cafe their local watering hole. Opened in 1926 it's made it's reputation not on it's service, beer lineup, (which incidentally now features offerings from the terrific Great Lakes Brewing Company) or quaint atmosphere but on it's burgers.

Such is their reputation for burgers that they're often rated as best in Cincinnati by local diners, bloggers and media outlets alike. In fact, they're burgers are such an institution in the area they resisted adding bacon for almost their entire existence. However, in the spring of 2013 they gave into the smoky, salty overlord. At 5pm EDT Wednesday, April 24, 2013 they held their bacon release party. An event marked earlier in the day by Cinci mayor Mark Mallory declaring it "Zip's Cafe Day" in the Queen City.

What makes their burgers so good?? 2 words: Flat Top. Well, that cooker of all things delicious and of course quality ground beef delivered daily by Bleh-Avril & Sons, Inc. and the soft honey egg buns from Klosterman Bakin Company on which they are served.

The cafe sits right in Mt. Lookout Square and has an almost European feel to it. Hanging baskets adorn the facade and a nice green awning punctuates the front door.

Inside it's dimly lit adding some ambiance and is rather a tight squeeze. The main dining room out front seats about 30. Behind that is the "Code Room" which is really just the bar area and behind that the kitchen. There is a number of beautiful old Cinci-centric photos scattered through out. A toy train circles the dining room and pokes its head into the bar for a short stretch.

But enough of all that,  time to get to the million dollar question; are they the best burgers the city has to offer?? In my mind, no. That's not to say that they aren't fabulous eats though. So let's get a look shall we??

The Chili Cheese Fries are good even if they are pretty low brow. Shoestring fries are covered in a very tomatoey chili and smothered in cheese sauce. It really is a very tasty dish however the complete antithises of fine dining. They very much reminded me of the ones at Ritzy Lunch in Clarksburg, WV. Where the chili and cheese almost completely dominate. While I think the dish would be better suited with a heftier fry, I'd miss this mess if they changed it. As with Ritzy Lunch, it was almost like chili cheese potato soup. Which as I'm sure you can imagine is a good thing.

Their Burger is a text book rendition of the Classic American Cheeseburger. Fresh ground beef, simply seasoned, done on a flat top and served on a Wonderbread style bun. It's right in line with the likes of Miller's Tavern in Detroit. It's absolutely perfect, tasty, juicy and beefy. It practically melts in your mouth.

I just couldn't resist the Train Wreck Burger. This is their basic sandwich with deli ham, three cheeses and Mettwurst. It also comes with a host of condiments but I skipped most of them. I don't care for tomatoes on a burger and for the most part, can't stand lettuce on one. There are of course exceptions to rules but I wasn't about to make one here. Anyway, all the flavours worked nicely together and at times took turns standing out. Delicious.

Well there you have it folks, some great burgers in a historic Cincinnati pub located in a quaint part of town.

You can find Zip's Cafe at  1036 Delta Ave, Cincinnati, Oh.

View Larger Map

You can also find them on the web, facebook and Twitter.


Well that's all for now folks, we'll catch ya later in the food court.

Rotiers Restaurant (Nashville, Tn)

The Old Carriage House

In the early 40’s John and Evelyn Rotier (Ro-Tear) were operating a gas station in the Belmont neighbourhood of Nashville. After returning from the war, John, wanting to be in the restaurant business, took over a small space that was once the carriage house for the Elliston Mansion. With that, Rotier's Restaurant, a Nashville, if not American legend was born.
If nothing else, Rotier's is a family business. The odd twist here is, it’s in many ways, a two family business. There’s the Rotier/Crouse family that are children and grand children of Evelyn and John. However, if you head into the kitchen you’ll see a fleet of workers that, more or less are all related.  These young men and women are brothers, sisters, cousins, second cousins, etc. Though not related to the owners they treat the kitchen like they do own the place.
Students from the local university round out the staff.


Location, location, location. When the restaurant opened and for many years after Rotier's was, more or less, the only game in town. In that part of Nashville there were only 2 other restaurants and neither of those served beer. John had the market cornered. If that wasn’t enough to keep ‘em coming back the hamburger would. Those two things and gambling were the lifeblood of Rotier's in the early days. The restaurant went more “Full service” after the abolition of gambling in the state of Tennessee.

It was the book Hamburger America by George Motz (Moat-s) that put Rotier's on my radar. He’s since featured it in the Tennessee episode of his new show, Burger Land. It consistently wins “Best burger” in the local Nashville magazines. It’s ranked as one of the 10 best cheeseburgers in Jimmy Buffett’s Parrot Head Handbook and the French Bread version is #27 on the list of 40 Things Every Tennesseean Should Try.

The cut stone building sits right at the road on the edge of Vanderbilt University. The original doors have been replaced and now serve as the entrance and windows.
The interior is pretty tight. There isn’t a lot of space or tables and business is usually brisk. Maximizing space is paramount and it has the feel of an old saloon. There is, as is the case with many legendary places, news article after magazine article after award lining the dining room walls that “horseshoes” around the bar and kitchen.

So let’s get a look at what’s coming out of that kitchen.



I opened with a bowl of Chili. While not the greatest bowl of Red I've ever had, this is one solid dish none the less. Tasting mostly of chili powder and very mildly like cumin it was just tasty. As you could see by the picture it came piping hot but not however spicy hot. Not to worry, there's a bottle of hot sauce on the table. A few drops to add a bit of heat really rounded this out for me. The acid in the hot sauce also brightened up the flavours. Quite meaty with very few beans in a broth somewhere in between rich and delicate.

We had decided to split a Pimento Cheese Sandwich but Mrs. Sippi needed to make a few modifications. It comes toasted with mayo, lettuce and tomato. All those modifiers needed to go and we got it straight up on plain white bread. I took a few bites and thought it was excellent. Mrs. Sippi loved, loved, loved it. Proclaimed it the best PC sandwich she'd ever had. I gave her the other half of my half.

She could not resist the Gizzard Dinner. It comes with Fries (frozen but very good) and a salad (it's salad) with home made dressing. I'm no gizzard expert and as such, didn't get much out of them. Mrs. Sippi thought they were good. She then put some hot sauce on a plate and started dipping. That was the "Ah ha" moment for her. She gobbled them down and thoroughly enjoyed them. One of the kitchen staff came out and was talking with her and said that with gravy is the best way. Sean suggested his favourite was was with their home made Blue Cheese dressing. Next time she says she'll try both ways.

Now, the legendary burger. Lemmie tell ya, it's "All that." Simple in nature in that it's just ground beef (not some special blend of cuts), brought in fresh every morning, simply seasoned and done on a flat top. It comes on a simple bun and I added cheese of course. It's just delicious. The classic American cheeseburger completely done to perfection. I skipped the house specialty served on French bread. I dislike sandwich innards squishing out the back when you bite in and suspected this would be the case. Our waitress confirmed my suspicions. There’s also an option to have it on “Grill bread” which means the patty is jammed into a grilled cheese sandwich. I wanted to try the classic preparation on this trip.

For dessert they have a number of options but being the chocolate fiend I am, I couldn't resist the Hershey's Chocolate Cake. Not really what I was expecting, however it was great. First of all, I love the decadent, uber rich cakes you get sometimes. This isn't it. This is the cake equivalent of taking a mouthful of Hershey's chocolate chips and eating them. Very choclately but not sweet and with a nice, ever so slight bitterness. It was nicely frosted and the chocolate sauce on top was just a bonus.

So there you have it folks. One of America's great burgers (not to mention other fantastic options) in a Nashville institution.

You can find Rotier's at 2413 Elliston Pl, Nashville, Tn.

View Larger Map

You can also find them on the web, facebook and Twitter.



Well that's all for now folks, catch ya later in the food court.

Cinci's Best Burger?

If you’re a fan of vintage neon signs you may have heard of Cincinnati’s Terry Carter. Terry owned a night club aptly named Neon in the Over the Rhine neighbourhood. Terry has moved on and now owns and operates Terry’s Turf Club in the near by Mt. Washington neighbourhood. While the old place was a night club, the Turf Club is all about the food. Other than Terry, the two places have one thing in common. Terry’s extensive collection of metal and neon signs, figures and other sundry quirky items. 

The Turf Club may be a neon museum but it’s the food that brings people in. Often voted Cinci’s Best Burger (along with it’s main rival, Zips). What makes Terry’s burgers so special isn’t the meat or the bun. Even though they’re great. It’s not that they’re cooked on a flat top. The best way to cook a burger. No, it’s the toppings. And I’m not talking Pickles and Lettuce here. Terry, an avid outdoorsman, has travelled the country and the world and is always looking for something unique that’ll work on a burger and take it to another level. Like Fois Gras or Swedish cheese or Mangos or Lobster Tails. Heck, even his burger seasoning has off beat ingredients like Grains of Paradise and Annatto. He’s constanly reinventing the wheel. Always trying to keep it fresh and interesting. With a reputation like that line ups can be long and arduous. It’s not uncommon for there to be people snaking out the door and down the street. 

Terry’s looks like it used to be someone’s home. It rests on the side of a hill and is an awesome spectacle. Gorgeous hanging plants shroud the large front porch and The collection of restored metal and neon is worth the drive itself. They’re everywhere and add a nice level of kitsch.

Inside place mirrors the exterior. Neon, neon everywhere and cylindrical coolers known as Bevadors. There are basically no light fixtures so the whole place is bathed in neon glow. Space and seating are minimal at best. Every nook, every cranny has a function or is otherwise employed. Because it’s so busy and seating is limited it’s communal. So don’t be surprised if you’re seated with people you’ve never met. As well, don’t be a stranger with these people. We met a father/son pair when we sat down and had a wonderful conversation about absolutely nothing in particular. After they left, 3 gentlemen about my age sat down and we chatted food. Food, food and more food. We didn’t meet 5 strangers. We made 5 new friends.

A few years back I started compiling a bit of a “To do” list of places that I felt we needed to visit. On that list was Terry’s Turf Club. It took a while to get there but it became a high priority after viewing the visit of Guy Fieri and the Triple D gang.

Seeing what Guy was served made it just that much more tempting.

To start things off, I'll explain the menu for you. It's basically in 3 sections. Appetizers, Sandwiches and, to borrow a Starbucks term, Modifiers. If you order a sandwich it comes bare bones. There is a small section of free condiments like onions and pickles. The standard stuff. Then there's about a full page of up charge extras like cheese, bacon, crab cakes, specialty sauces, etc., that you can add as well to customize your sandwich. For instance, when Guy was there he ordered a Burger with Swiss, Grilled Onion and Burgandy Wine w/ Wild Mushrooms & Truffles Sauce. Not really my cup of tea but he sure enjoyed it. So you get the idea.

Anyway, on to the food.

All sandwiches come with potato chips but since I hate plain potato chips (unless there's dip) I added fries. They're fresh cut and cooked to a beautiful brown colour. They had really good potato flavour but lacked a good crunch. There was a bit of crispness so it's not like they were limp, soggy tuber sticks but not the best either. So satisfactory all in all and certainly better than the chips would've been.

Our lunch guest, The Squire, opted for the Portobello Burger with Provolone and Mango/Curry Sauce. It comes out looking really nice as you can see but sadly, that didn't last. It lost complete and total structural integrity (and not in the good way) almost immediately. The Squire was mildly frustrated but quickly picked up a knife and fork and set to it. He said it was fantastic all in all with just the right amount of kick.

Both Mrs. Sippi and I went fairly old school. The standard burger with American Cheese and Bacon. What we got was a burger that was way up in the heirarchy of best burgers. This is magnificent. Definitely a top 5 burger for both of us. The meat had as good a taste as any I've had. Almost steak like in flavour. The cheese adds a nice creamy component, not to mention the cheesiness. The bacon, 3 strips of it, was good quality and really stood up well to everything else. Again, this is one incredible burger.

So there you have it folks, one of the US's best burgers in a cool and funky place.

You can find Terry's Turf Club at 4618 Eastern Ave, Cincinnati, Oh.

View Larger Map

You can also find them on facebook.

Well that's all for now folks, we'll see ya next time in the food court.

No Vampires

“Welcome to the only establishment in Windsor and surrounding area that isn't afraid to use garlic to spice things up.” Says Buddy Miloyovich, owner of Bubi’s Awesome Eats in Windsor. His “House of garlic and pleasure.” I can now tell you from first hand experience, if you love garlic and/or are not a vampire, Bubi’s is the place for you.

Armed with an array of frozen yogurt recipes and a garlic fervor, in 1984 he set up shop in his grandmother’s (Bubi’s) house. The business grew as did the menu. Eventually expanding out of the old house. As it sits today, Bubi’s is a full sized bar and grill serving the Windsor area and in particular UW. An eclectic mix of burgers and other foods fill out a menu that “Reads like a book.”

Buddy Milyovich seems like quite the character. Excessive in his compulsions he also has a real zeal for the silly. A look at the menu will tell you that or you can just look at the “Catch-Up” (Ingredients: Red Stuff, Detroit River Water, Gum) bottle on the table. Buddy implausibly passes it off as his own, though it’s so obviously not. Give it a read, things like “Quality Questionable” and “Picked by underpaid Mexican’s. Viva la Free Trade” are printed on it. BTW, it’s Hunts Ketchup that’s actually in the bottle.

Bubi’s sits just steps away from the university and two blocks from the Detroit River. Directly across from the Joe Louis Arena. A stroll down to the rivers edge reveals, perhaps, the best view of Detroit. You can also sit and watch the ships go by in the summer months. For those not familiar with the Great Lakes region, ships from all over the globe venture inland on these mammoth waterways. But I digress.

Inside Bubi’s is set up somewhat like a house. There’s a large party room, much like a rec room and several smaller rooms. There’s of course even a kitchen and bathrooms. There’s a really nice bar and plenty of TV’s for all you sporting pleasures. The bulk of the staff are young, eager and either students or grads of the university. Put that together with Buddy’s sense of humour and you have a really nice, laid back setting.

I was aware of a great burger place in Windsor from various message boards over the years but unless I was reading it at the time, I would forget the name. Eventually I put it on my “To do” list but since we rarely stop there it was pretty much an after though. Then I see John Catucci and the You Gotta Eat Here team pay visit and I realize, this is a place we need to make an effort to visit. We were staying over night in Windsor and decided that this would be the time. So let’s have a look at how they did.

I guess the first thing to do is tell you about the Bubi’s Sauce. This Balkan condiment for kabobs is available for just about anything on the menu. Make no mistake, this stuff is powerful. If there was ever such a thing as “too garlicky” this sauce probably stops on it’s door step. It’s fantastic. Mayonnaise based with some seasonings, anchovies, capers and onions but just about everything is relegated to the role of “Extra.” They add depth but there’s absolutely no doubt who the star is.

In the appetizer department a good bet is the Pizza Crusts. Really just bread sticks, the ones we ordered came with cheese, pepperoni and mushrooms. Sides of marinara and Bubi’s sauce accompany as well. On their own the crusts are nice. Dolled up with pizza fixin’s they’re even better. When you take all the toppings and the two sauces all together they’re excellent. Even the next day Mrs. Sippi was commenting on how much she loved them. A nice, albeit huge, way to start things off.

You can “Dillon” your fries which is to say, add garlic parmesan. The wedge fries themselves are nice but the adornment is really great. A wisp of garlic (compared to the sauce anyway) and nice parm really give some life to the ordinary potato.

You can substitute soup for the fries with you meal and on this day the soup du jour was Potato Cheddar. Home made it was really nice. It was a bit on the delicate side. We both had hoped for a more assertive cheddar taste and as such were a bit disappointed. That said, it was a nice, warm bowl of soup on a cold, wintery night. So no complaint there.

As much as anything, Bubi’s is about burgers. Their standard size is 1/3 lb. but you can “Bubi size” your burger up to 2/3 lb. You can build your own from the ground up or opt for one of the preordained selections. Not for the faint of heart (or the intellegent) you can also attempt the Bunda’s Big V8 Challenge. Both of us chose option 2 though.
Mrs. Sippi had the Truck Driv’n Bubi’s (lettuce, tomato, mayo, bacon, slice cheese) and she said it was good but not great.
I kinda got the same feeling from my Philly (cream cheese, grilled red & green peppers & onions, shaved philly steak). The burger itself had really good beef flavour and, oddly enough, I enjoyed every bite more and more. Not sure why my first bite wasn’t all that impressive (maybe I built it up in my head too much) but the more I ate, the more I thought, this really is a good burger. So it wasn’t the awe inspiring burger event I’d hoped for but a good solid burger is always welcome.

So there you have it folks, some good pub fare in a nice casual atmosphere.

You can find Bubi’s at 620 University Ave. W. in Windsor, Ontario.

View Larger Map

You can also find them on the web and facebook.



Well that’s all for now folks, we’ll catch ya later in the food court.

Davwud