Thursday, January 29, 2009

My one-and-only burger post

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Burgers and Houston food writers

To write about food in Houston, it seems you have to write about burgers.

Robb Walsh has eaten and written about many burgers. He even claims to have found the best burger in Texas.

Alison Cook writes about so many burgers that she has a column called "Burger Friday."

There is even a guy -- the Texas Burger Guy -- who has a blog about nothing but burgers.

I have a confession to make. I don't eat burgers often -- maybe 3 or 4 a year. And I have never written a post about burgers. (Well, at least not about burgers in Houston).

Life is too short -- and there is too much good food -- for me to waste time eating burgers. Plus, eating too many burgers may just make life shorter.

But to get some Houston food writer cred, I'm going to have to write about a burger -- at least this once.

Someburger

Today, I found myself at Someburger. This to-go stand at 11th and Studewood is one of the oldest burger joints in Houston. It is kind of cool to stand on the sidewalk and order a burger through the sliding window that has been there for decades.

How do I describe the Someburger? It had an old-fashioned bun -- fluffy and a little squishy. The meat was, well, . . . meaty. It was thin and fully cooked, but somewhat juicy. The burger came with iceberg lettuce, limp tomato slices, and a few pickle slices.

This was a pretty good burger, better than a fast food burger. Yet it was like a lot of other burgers.

AARGH! I just can't do this. I admit it. I don't have anything intelligent to write about burgers. So I'm not going to write any more burger posts.

If I ever wanted to be a food writer in Houston, it's all over now.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

The name of this burger stand sounds like a popular oil and gas services company.

anonymouseater said...

Oh, you must be thinking of Shlomeburger.

Anonymous said...

I love a good burger, but I can't get as worked up about the subject as either Alison Cook or Robb Walsh. The obsession with burgers is almost surreal in Houston, although I suspect the media attention is a reflection of what the readership is interested in.

anonymouseater said...

Misha - Of course, you have been eating at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in London, while I am stuck on a corner in Houston, eating a someburger.

Rubiao said...

Your first problem is that Someburger has bad burgers and worse fries. It is a shame that such a good corner has a terrible burger stand, a bad tamale restaurant, a worse cafe, and a sandwich shop I hear good things about but is never open. Its also a stones throw to poor all night Tex-Mex if that helps.

Also, its kind of funny that in a city supposedly obsessed with burgers that we keep being inundated with fast food burger chains from everywhere else, yet we don't seem to have a fast food burger chain to share. Least enterprising burger fans ever?

anonymouseater said...

Rubiao -- You are so right about that corner. How do the other places ever stay in business? [The sandwich shop's sandwiches are decent, but overpriced.]

For some reason, Houston is much better at franchising Italian and seafood restaurants than burger chains.

neverfull said...

it's settled. i'm taking you to hubcap grill for lunch. just say when and where.

anonymouseater said...

So if I go to Hubcap Grill, then I will have something intelligent to say about burgers? Lead on. (Let's talk Saturday.)

HoustonWok said...

LOL you have a point there is nothing I could possibly think of that is intelligent when it comes to burgers. its just a loaf of meat between two buns, no offense to those who worship burgers. However you must admit that there are times when you are craving for that nasty greasy grilled onions burger. The kind that make you feel you should check into the ER right afterwards.

Houston Foodie said...

I'm a burger eater but not a burger writer. There's already alot of burger writing going on like you say and there are much more fertile areas of food writing that go untouched. But Misha is right - burger posts attract alot of eyeballs in Houston.

Anonymous said...

I love that you don't write about burgers.

DON'T EVER CHANGE!!! :)

Anonymous said...

hello you! we've never met. KSG sent me. i need to get in touch with you... kinda time sensitive. missing.an.i (at) gmail

=)
emily r
ps your burger post made me pass milkshake out my nostrils.

Anonymous said...

I found your blog for the first time today after googling "Houston Food Blog." I read your blog for the last time today after reading your whiny, pompous burger blog. Good call on making it your only one.

To be fair, I read some of your other posts. At least you're consistent.

Unknown said...

Maybe a review of LittleBigs might be easier and better for you to do. Personally, I have low tolerance for all these "burger joint" reviews. Mostly cause they are all the same bloody thing and fail to inspire me. But hey, to each their own.

Jollibee Philippine said...

Interesting! I enjoyed reading your post. It makes a lot of sense. I will try to make something like that this weekend. Thanks for guiding me through this. Rarely do I find good entries that would walk me through.


-megan-

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seo services said...

I love that you don't write about burgers.but do like pizzas for sure.

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Robert Simpson said...

Writing on food topic is very good opportunity to introduce new community foods. Bt the way I love Pizza and Burgers. Pizza is so tasty and burger makes me hungry. Thanks!

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