Gilbert's 17th Street Grill

Taking the recommendation of the recent Sun Sentinel Best Burger poll, we went to Gilbert’s 17th Street Grill in Ft. Lauderdale the other night for dinner. Gilbert’s is a bit different from the staple 'best burger' joints one might encounter when traveling around the country. The major differentiator here being the location's age. This is because this Gilbert’s establishment can’t be more than 5 years old; where most other burger classics have 30 years plus on this newborn.

Opening up the door and entering in you quickly realize this is a friendly establishment that probably caters to a busy business lunch crowd. When you complete your order you are given a number to post on your table so the food runners know where to drop your burger baskets off.

We arrived late, 8:30ish, marched right up to the area where the ordering line forms. We studied the menu and then went to the register to place our order. Behind the counter was Mr. Gilbert himself. We didn’t know that at the time, but his caliber of service indicated that this gentleman was probably more than just an order taker and it was confirmed later when we were waiting for our baskets and Mr. Gibert was working the room to make his guests feel more comfortable. During that time he introduced himself. I can’t remember a time in south Florida where someone delivered such premiere service.

I ordered their cheeseburger after salivating by watching the grill. I wanted one of the more deluxe burgers (bleu cheese or bacon) but figured trip #1 should be with the classic. Behind the cash register you could see these heaping burgers scattered all over the grill’s hot surface. They must roll out a sheet of angus meat about an inch thick and then use a round cutter to punch out the patties. I say this because of how loose and large the patties appeared as they were carried to the grill area. I completed my order with sweet potato fries and told the gentleman medium rare when asked about my temp.

A while later our baskets arrived. Mine was cooked pretty much perfect. The outside of my burger was charred to lock in juices. The inside had a cool, completely pink center. This perfect patty had 2 or 3 slices of American cheese tossed on top. These are the fresh kind of deli cheese slices that they probably sliced in the back themselves. Then on the other side of the open face bun was fresh lettuce and tomato. Sitting behind my burger in my basket was a handful of sweet potato fries cut in perfect strips and fried off in brand new oil. I also asked for a side of barbeque sauce to dip my fries in.

I cut my burger in half and worked through it like it was my job. The ingredients Gilbert’s uses are top notch. My cheeseburger could have used some more seasoning. I’m not sure if some salt and pepper would have done the trick or maybe some additional spices. But I knew ahead of time from the Sentinel article that they opt to keep the meat unaltered and not add anything to their Angus.

Overall, great service, good quality food, and a staple location. I’ll be back.


--Note all of these photos were taken with my iPhone. You can click on each of them for a better image.--

Football Season Is Upon Us!

I have been counting the days until kickoff and my annual away game trip with my friends to Alabama. We are down to 38 as of today. The iPhone app Big Day Lite is making the experience so much easier. Check out this pic of the app on my phone - the swamp and all.

I was looking more into the conference changes today and discovered that the Big Ten will now be the Big Twelve and the Big 12 will now be the Big 10. How weird is that? The logos and potential name changes should be interesting.

Burgers times 3

I am a little behind on my to do list in every category. So rather than giving a review for each burger I had on my honeymoon separately at a later date, I figured my blog would be better served with a single article and lots of pics rather than waiting any longer.

We hit a semi-landmark burger spot in Ocean Beach (San Diego), California called Hodad's within the first few days after getting married. Then I had the Jimmy Buffet burger in Bora Bora, French Polynesia at Bloody Mary's. And then towards the end I scarfed down the burger at Snack Hinerava in Teahupoo, Tahiti; which was also in French Polynesia.


Hodad's, Ocean Beach, California

Hodad's - from across the street.


Hodad's - cool mural on the west side facing the beach.

Hodad's line nearly around the block.

Hodad's storefront with burger fans everywhere.

Hodad's - the inside.

Hodad's Menu - I ordered the single with Cheese, a strawberry shake, and split an order of onion rings with my new wife.

Us at our table - what a coincidence! I'm originally from New York and she is originally from Michigan (note the plates). We were just sat at the first table available. How cool.

My single with cheese.

Me eating my burger - tasty!

My strawberry shake - tableside.

A Hodad's vehicle outside.

Bloody Mary's, Bora Bora, French Polynesia.

The entrance...

Me and my wife at Bloody Mary's. Note the sand floor...

The restaurant at early lunch time.

My Jimmy Buffet Cheeseburger.

Snack Hinerava, Teahupoo, Tahiti, French Polynesia

Looking at the front of the restaurant towards the Teahupoo waves.

My Burger and Hinano beer.

Mile Marker 0 and the plaque for the annual surf competition.

And...another angle of my burger.

Articles to come...

Lots of blog posts on their way. From my wedding and honeymoon to the expansion of the PAC-10.

Otto's

The sign says "Best (1/3 lb.) Burger in Town". I disagree.

Although it had a tasty patty, an quality bun, and fresh toppings it just didn't do it for me. Here is a picture after I cut it in half.

I was surprised when I was not asked what temperature I wanted it cooked. I no longer tell the wait staff how I prefer the meat to be cooked to better get the full restaurant experience. I of course opt for medium-rare if asked, but I am finding there are more places out there that have a predefined temperature for their burgers. These places quickly loose my interest.

Nothing really bad to say except for my fries. Sweet potato and super overcooked in old oil. I didn't send them back because I shouldn't be eating fries anyway. Otto's is just not a top ten burger stop or a reason to boast best in town. Maybe they should modify their marketing to "Great burgers with Tons of choices for toppings." You should check out the Seelbach where Otto's is located though.

Shake Shack no longer MIA

I was wandering around Lincoln Road in South Beach last weekend waiting to meet up with someone and stumbled into the new location of Shake Shack's restaurant to be. Tucked in off of the north west end of Lincoln Road you can find this store front cooking up. I peaked in the windows and sure enough there appeared to be restaurant equipment - possibly even the grill!

I hope the burgers are as good as the one by the Flat Iron building in Manhattan.

The new Shake Shack location is at 1111 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, FL (North West corner of Lincoln & Lenox).

Man shows of my youth Part I

I was laying in bed the other night and had to spring up to grab a piece of paper to capture this short list of ideas so that I would not forget them. (Read Notepad post from months back).

Where are the Man shows of today?

When I was younger we had shows like Knight Rider, A-Team, MacGyver, and Airwolf. I thought, and still think, they were motivational and entertaining at the same time. Today's tv stations need to start showing re-runs of these shows. I want to see if I have the same appreciation for them now as I did when I was a kid.

My question is: "What are the shows like this for today's youth?" I can't figure them out. Maybe I don't watch enough tv - which is a good thing. Maybe I am just out of touch? Or maybe they don't exist?