Shake Shack

     One sunny, yet rather chilly and windy day in late April my husband and I went to the city to watch a musical. Since we were going to catch a matinee on a weekend, we got there a few hours before the show and decided to have lunch somewhere in the city. He had been talking about taking to me a place that he thought has really good shakes. Little did I know that he was talking about the Shake Shack.

     The Shake Shack is a relatively recent addition to the NYC food scene, having opened its doors in 2004 in Madison Square Park. In addition to its original location which is still drawing crowds, there are six more locations throughout New York City. They have also expanded to other locations along the East Coast as well as the Middle East. Although the shakes here are good, the Shake Shack is actually famous for its burgers. Aside from the usual hamburger and cheeseburger, they offer three specialty burgers as well as several hotdog options with names like Mutt and Shack-cago Dog. Plus, I've heard that every Fourth of July they offer an outstanding corndog, or so Claire Robinson of the Food Network says. Sides are limited to either plain fries or cheese fries. I wonder why no onion rings? Their cold menu include the usual ice cream cups and cones, shakes, and the more unusual frozen custards and concretes, which are dense frozen custards blended at high speed with add ons. For drinks they offer sodas, juices, iced teas, beer and wine. And I was amused to see that they even have items on the menu that are especially for dogs. That's right, not only dog owners get to order and eat at the Shack, but their four legged companions as well. Well maybe not to eat in, but they can order a doggie bag for sure. Doggie bag, get it?

     The shack we ate at was the one on 8th Avenue and 44th Street in the Theater District.  It's a rather small space considering the volume of people who enter and want to eat on the premises. Just like in the Madison Square Park location, the lines at this one went all the way out the door and possibly around the corner on really busy hours. All glass walls facing the streets let people see right into the restaurant and diners to see out. It's a very simple, no frills affair inside, with an order counter along one wall that is in front of the kitchen. Immediately facing the doors is a wall with a huge menu that also displays some Shack merchandise as well as the condiments counter below. The rest of the space is devoted to booths, tables and chairs. I was happy to find out that they have a bathroom as well, unisex and quite clean. Since we got there during the lunch hour it was really full capacity, I'd say even beyond full capacity as some people stood to the sides holding trays of food while others guarded tables to quickly grab a spot as soon as it was vacated. So this is definitely not a place to go to if you're the type who hates crowds or jockeying for a seat, or the type who likes eating at a leisurely pace in peace and quiet. But it sure made for some interesting observations in social dynamics. The majority of customers at that time were tourists, with a group of guys (seemingly European) who were making a bit of a spectacle of themselves. I could only laugh to myself and shake my head.

chocolate milkshake, shake stack and fries

     To make ordering a little faster, menus are handed out to those in line in addition to the huge menu on the wall and small ones in front of the order counters. I decided on the Shake Stack, a combination of the 'Shroom and cheese burgers since I do like mushrooms and this one sounded yummy. Jojo had the Double Cheeseburger. We also ordered cheese fries and a chocolate shake to share. After placing our orders we were handed what looked like a cellphone to let us know when our food was ready. That's when we faced the seemingly impossible task of finding a place to sit down and eat. This was one instance where it certainly pays to be aggressive. Not having done this in a while, I was a little slow in snagging us a spot while hubby waited for our food. Thankfully after less than five minutes (though it felt longer than that) we were able to grab some counter space right against one of the glass walls. The patty in my burger was well done instead of the medium well as I'd ordered, but it was juicy, indeed yummy and just the right size. Same goes for the accompanying portobella mushroom stuffed with melted Muenster and Cheddar cheeses. That was the cheesiest burger I'd ever eaten and is now definitely on my favorite burgers list. The fries were good, done just right with real cheese on it and not the cheese spread that's more common at most fast food joints. The shake was thick and creamy, and gave both of us brain freeze after a few sips (hehehe). Jojo liked his double cheeseburger too, which he seemed to inhale as I savored mine. Guess he was starving by then.

     Though I would have liked more room to sit and be able to eat at a more relaxed pace, I still give the Shake Shack thumbs up for their food. I definitely want to go back for more. Next time though, I think I'll have everything to go.

© Margj Castillo, In Review, 2010 - Present.

Bobby's Burger Palace

    On a recent stroll through the mall I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Bobby Flay's culinary empire had reached Long Island in the form of his burger joint named what else, but Bobby's Burger Palace (BBP for short).  Located in the space formerly occupied by another eatery, it's tucked away in a side corner on the first level of Roosevelt Field Mall.

     Upon entering, patrons are herded right away by "ropes" to a path of sorts towards the cashier that passes directly in front a giant replica of their menu. To the right of the row of registers is a small display of some of Bobby's cookbooks as well as sauces and ketchups on sale, just in case anyone wants to take home a bottle or two. The main dining area's lay out and decor give the place the vibe of an after office hours bar for young professionals rather than a fast food burger joint. It's well lighted, airy, with a relaxed atmosphere that's not hectic or crowded, although the latter could be due to it being slow at the time. The kitchen is partly visible from the tables where one can see and smell the orders being cooked.  I liked their version of counter seating that was done with a long, curvy kind of counter top unlike the usual boring straight counters lined with stools.

     The menu is a pretty straightforward selection of several kinds of burgers, some other sandwiches, salads, the usual sides, and beverages. Their beverage selection has an alcohol menu that includes wine and beer, as well as spiked milkshakes. I was quite tempted to try one of those but held back since I was the designated driver that day. Their food items are definitely on the pricier side compared to fast food burger places, which I guess they are aiming to be a more upscale version of.

     We had a bit of a wait at the cashier before someone came to take our orders, as no one was manning the register. Good thing one of the staff saw us and asked us if we were being helped. Not a deal breaker but definitely not good customer service in my book. The rest of our experience with the service was much better though.  The servers we had  were fast, friendly, didn't hover and quick to please. Once we had placed our orders we were given a number which we took to our table.  Our food and drinks came in just a few minutes, which I liked. I did notice though that neither the burgers nor the fries were piping hot when we got them. For this first visit I had the Dallas burger, described on the menu as a spice crusted burger with coleslaw, monterey jack cheese, bbq sauce and pickles. My husband had the Palace Classic Burger which is their take on the classic cheeseburger. It has american cheese (he loves american cheese), lettuce, tomato and red onion. We shared an order of their french fries that came with the BBP Fry Sauce and each had a dark chocolate milk shake, his with whipped cream on top. I liked their portions, not too large and not too small but just right. The burger was done properly and wasn't dry, the bun soft and just the right complement to the fillings. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to taste all the flavors properly since I had a cold.  But my husband and I both agreed that they were burgers done right. The shakes were nice and thick, not too sweet.  However, I was a bit (un)pleasantly surprised by the fries, which I felt were rather over done and tasted like ordinary home made fries. I was expecting something of higher quality considering they're supposed to be a step above fast food fries. The sauce was good though. Too bad we didn't notice the beer battered onion rings right away or we would've had those instead.

     Overall I was satisfied with my first experience at a Bobby Flay eatery and would definitely go back and try the other things on their menu. For a decent burger in a bit more upscale atmosphere, Bobby's Burger Place gets my vote.

© Margj Castillo, In Review, 2010 - Present.