Hot Dish Review

Another local favorite in Helen is the Troll Tavern, mainly due to its superior location beneath the bridge and along the river. In the Summer diners and drinkers at the Troll can watch as trampy teenagers in dirty string bikinis and other assorted riffraff float down the Chattahoochie in bright pink innertubes (ST and I included).

The food used to be pretty good, then became completely horrific, but now seems back to pretty good. Historically, I order the wurst platter with a knockwurst, bratwurst, sauerkraut and red cabbage but since I just had that exact meal the night before, I opted for a big fat cheeseburger. I really love cheeseburgers. And fries. Let’s see how the Troll stacks up to some of my Atlanta favorites!

The weather was improving on this pre-Spring day. ST and I tried the Paulaner Oktoberfest draft which we both really enjoyed. Maintaining the Bavarian theme, he ordered their Weiner schnitzel. Served with sauerkraut and red cabbage, naturlich! The crispy breaded schnitzel (I’m assuming veal) was better than I expected, quite delicious actually. I will order it on my next visit.

I ordered my burger medium. It was closer to well-done but still juicy. Topped with two slices of provolone, lettuce, tomato and gobs of mayo, the massive burger was pretty tasty. The double cooked fries were extra crispy. Troll scores a B+ in burger wars. ST didn’t want his cabbage so I was happy to eat it. Troll’s red cabbage is the best in Helen.

We shared a couple more beers as we watched the meandering masses on the bridge over the river, men with bellies wearing tight acid washed denim shorts from 1989, bikers in full gear, and your average chubby chick from Cherrylog.

All together, great people watching and great hangover food!

After months of driving by the Yeah! Burger on the corner of N. Highland and Virginia on my way to some other restaurant, I finally had the chance to dine there with LC and his daughter TC, who we had just picked up at the airport.

I love the fresh retro-modern decor. Guests order at the register then take a seat and wait for their drinks and burgers to be delivered. Only problem with this system is Yeah! Burger ain’t no McDonald’s. There are thousands of sandwich combinations and a multitude of sauces, sides, and extras so you may end up behind some dude that didn’t look at the menu before getting to the cashier.

Unlike a fast food joint, Yeah! Burger serves alcohol. Great, except their selection is weirdly bad. I ordered an organic Bison IPA to go with my organic grass-fed bison burger, on a wheat bun with with pepper jack, lettuce, grilled onions, avocado, mayo, and bacon jam.

LC decided on a grass-fed beef patty on a whole wheat bun with cheddar, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, and jalapenos and a PBR draft. We split a side of fifty-fifty….half buttermilk battered onion rings and half hand-cut fries. As soon as I saw fried pickles on the menu, I knew he would order those too.

The little chick wasn’t hungry, just nibbling on fries and pickles while we scarfed down our burger. I only ate half my bun and was pleasantly surprised to discover my burger was cooked medium, not well. When Doty opened the first location, all burgers were cooked through. Now the menu says they are cooked medium, and well-done on request. Rare is not an option. LC’s burger was well done, although he didn’t specify.

My burger wasn’t as good as I remembered. It was difficult to distinguish the meat from the bun. It was all brown. Maybe the bun was too soft. My toppings lacked flavor, except the amazing bacon jam. LC only got two slices of jalapeno and they, too, didn’t have much kick, so he requested more, which were much spicier. Our sides were a little on the greasy side, but hell, they were all fried.

In addition to burgers, Yeah! Burger also offers hot dogs, salads, kiddie meals, and milkshakes made with High Road Craft Ice Cream, a local specialty ice cream company that recently opened their production facility on a limited basis to the public. A visit is on my to-do list!

At around ten bucks a burger plus two sides and two beers, our total was $35. Despite the price and the minor glitches, I really appreciate having this healthier alternative in Atlanta and consider Yeah! Burger one of the best!

1017 N. Highland Ave. 404-437-7845

The four of us rolled into Athens like a circus, B wearing a multicolored neon fur. How appropriate that we ended up at a pub called Trappeze for a bite to eat before Widespread Panic.

It also happened to be J’s birthday so we chose a couple of beers, Terrapin I believe, among the pub’s selection of fifty on draft to celebrate. Cheers to another year!

B and I wanted to eat light so we each ordered a mini burger topped with caramelized onions and beer cheese. She added a cup of beer cheese soup made with cheddar and onions. LC tried the roasted turkey and Swiss sandwich with house cut sweet potato fries on the side. Guess who ate most of them. J ordered a big fat bacon cheeseburger with more of those sweet potato fries….nutrition be damned on your birthday!

When the food came out B fixated on J’s scrumptious looking burger covered with bacon and melted cheese and decided she wanted that instead. Her soup was cheesy yet somehow not heavy. I added an extra spoonful to my mini burger which had great beef flavor, especially with the sweet caramelized onions.

LC’s sandwich was fantastic. Roasted turkey, Swiss cheese, housemade guacamole, sprouts, and bacon made a perfect combination on toasted sourdough bread. The sweet potato fries were hot and crispy with a light sprinkling of sea salt. Honey with mustard seeds was provided for dipping.

B ate half of her big burger, washing it down with a very generous pour of pinot noir. The woman’s got self-control, I would have eaten the whole f*ckin’ thing. Service at Trappeze was friendly and fast and the food was most impressive.

Then it was show time!

269 North Hull Street, Suite 6, Athens 706-543-8997

At the last regular season Falcons game, LC had tickets for the suite. Nice, except we share with folks from other companies and therefore, no one orders food or drinks.

Rather than go down (and back up) two flights of stairs over and over, I ordered a six pack of Miller Lite to be delivered to the suite. With tax and the delivery charge plus a small tip it was $40. No joke.

After drinking a few of my high-dollar beers, we headed downstairs for a bite to eat. I was craving a burger, as I often do, so we got in line for cheeseburgers. They were already cooked so there was no choice on temp. Servers behind the counter added toppings per order….the usual suspects, lettuce, tomato, onions. Condiments could be added at the “condiment island” that serves all of the restaurants in the lobby of The Dome.

Our burgers were extra-thick with two slices of melted American cheese. They were good and juicy despite being well-done. I discarded the top of my bun and slathered mayo on the bottom. Better than average.

We got one big order of fries to share. They were fried twice for extra crispness. Again, better than average.

Back in the suite we finished off the six pack and watched the Falcons clench home field advantage for the playoffs!

GO FALCONS!

Me and the Bunny have stopped at Krystal’s for cheeseburgers on the drive home from Florida the past two years and were planning on it again this year when I saw the Steak ‘n’ Shake sign. Curiously, I had never eaten at a Steak ‘n’ Shake. But after several hours of stop and go traffic on I-75 both of us were ready for a break.

I considered going to Wendy’s. I love their single with cheese. Yet I was compelled to try something new so I ordered the exact same burger, with lettuce, onion, and mayo, at Steak ‘n’ Shake to compare.

My first reaction was that the sandwich appeared to be smaller than a Wendy’s single. Wendy’s uses better lettuce, and more of it, plus their beef patty is more substantial. The steak burger did have a good flavor, much like Wendy’s. I liked the shoestring fries, but they didn’t beat McDonald’s for flavor and crunch. Wendy’s comes in second in the fries department.

Checking out the websites to compare nutritional information, I discovered that Steak ‘n’ Shake’s single steak burger with cheese has fewer calories (which explains the smaller appearance), just 330 (probably 370 with mayo), compared to Wendy’s single with cheese at around 520. I say around 520 because Wendy’s website, despite its user-friendly appearance, is a frustrating mindf*ck. It offers the option to personalize your sandwich for specific calorie and nutritional information, but the widget doesn’t work properly. After six attempts, I gave up. I thought my outdated work PC may be to blame for the website issues, however, I encountered the same problems at home.

I did manage to get the scoop on Wendy’s fries, the small serving containing a whopping 320 calories….ouch! Steak ‘n’ Shake’s small fries came in at 240 for a meal total of 610 calories. Not horrible. Plus, their website was easy to navigate.

Altogether, not a bad burger experience, but I would give the edge to Wendy’s for overall taste. The Bunny really enjoyed her bites of meat, eaten off the receipt (see photo evidence). But these days, with all the awesome gourmet burger joints like YEAH! Burger, Flip, and Farmburger, it’s getting mighty hard to eat fast food.

If you find yourself travelling up (or down) GA 400 and you get the hankerin’ for a burger, stop in at Red Robin in Cumming, a chain that originated in Washington in the 1940′s, recently opening several stores in Georgia suburbs.

After our trip to Oktoberfest in Helen a few weeks ago, me, LC and his family stopped in for dinner on our way back to Atlanta.

I love a good cheeseburger. Lately I’ve become quite fond of the grassfed organic variety at YEAH! Burger. And Wendy’s single with cheese, mayo, lettuce, and onion will always have a place in my heart. Red Robin is all about burgers, in fact “Gourmet Burgers” is their tagline.

The four of us grabbed a table, drooling over the mouthwatering menu of fancy burgers. With creations like the Burnin’ Love Burger topped with pepper jack, salsa, and crispy fried jalapenos, it was a difficult decision.

After some debate, LC and I decided to split the Guacamole Bacon Burger, a juicy beef patty layered with melted pepper jack (substituted for Swiss which makes no sense on this burger), lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mayo, and of course, guacamole and chewy bacon. If you’ve ever heard a Red Robin commercial, the jingle simply says “Red Robin….yuuuummmm”. Now I see (and taste) why! I like the way they wrap them in paper, the steam making the cheese all gooey and the bun soft. It really was a great burger, although I would prefer organic grassfed beef.

Along with burgers we shared an order of fried appetizers/sides….fried jalapeno slices, onion rings, and French fries. I could have done without the whole lot. The fries were cut too thick and not crispy enough, and the onion rings were extremely greasy as were the jalapenos. A Miller Lite washed down the grease and cooled the burn from the peppers, which were actually nice and spicy.

Although Red Robin has that appeals-to-everyone chain atmosphere, it was certainly several notches above fast food.

There are also salads, wraps, and entrees on the menu but why stray from the house specialty when they are so darn delicious? Stick with a burger and you’ll say “yuuuummmmm” too.

370 Peachtree Parkway 770-781-0200

Great news from McCall at Melissa Libby…..I’ve been drooling every morning as I drive by the site on the corner of Virginia and N. Highland just thinking about their yummalicious extra-cheesy burgers!
Click here to read my post on the original location.

YEAH! BURGER TO OPEN SECOND LOCATION IN VIRGNIA-HIGHLAND THIS NOVEMBER

Organic, Eco-Friendly Burger Restaurant Brings Convenient, Customizable Cuisine to Charming Intown Atlanta Neighborhood

ATLANTA (October 13, 2010) – On Thursday, November 4, nationally-acclaimed chef Shaun Doty of Shaun’s in Inman Park and entrepreneur Erik Maier will open their second location of YEAH! BURGER in Atlanta’s vibrant Virginia-Highland neighborhood. The duo opened their first location of YEAH! BURGER this past June within the White Provision development in West Midtown. YEAH! BURGER re-imagines the classic American burger joint as a fast-casual eatery committed to sustainability and natural and organic ingredients, and was recently named one of Bon Appétit’s Top 10 favorite burger spots in the United States.

Now, Atlantans craving a casual, eco-friendly dining experience in Virginia-Highland can get their fill of the restaurant’s customizable burgers, nitrate-free hot dogs, hand-cut French fries and onion rings, organic salads, Straus Family Creamery organic ice cream and gluten-free offerings.

“We’ve had a very positive response from guests at our Westside location and we’re excited to begin serving the Virginia-Highland community,” says Maier. “We believe our natural and organic food, socially-responsible business practices and fast-casual format will be a great fit for the neighborhood.”

With YEAH! BURGER’s fast-casual format, customers place their order at the counter and their food is delivered to the table shortly thereafter. The restaurant also features a convenient carry-out counter where guests can easily grab a quality, customized meal on-the-go. Chef Doty, known for his ingredient-driven cuisine and simple preparations, has created a menu with gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options for diners with special dietary needs. Providing guests with the ability to customize their food is very important to Doty, who serves monthly gluten-free dinners at his eponymous restaurant in Inman Park.

“It’s important to me to give my guests options that fit their lifestyle,” says Doty. “YEAH! BURGER’s built-to-order menu allows our customers to create food to fit their desired flavor profile or diet.”

Shaun Doty and Erik Maier’s long anticipated burger joint officially opens today! B joined me last night for a pre-opening tasting of their custom-made burgers and sides.

Doty, who has drawn much attention with his gluten-free dinners at Shaun’s in Inman Park, will be offering burgers served on gluten-free buns and gluten-free fries too at YEAH! Burger. Everything on the menu is organic from the meat to the lettuce. I am impressed.

Partner Erik Maier greeted me when I arrived and seemed genuinely excited about the concept. I imagine YEAH! Burger will enjoy the same intense popularity as Blais’ burger bar Flip has down the street, fueled by a media frenzy and facebook postings circulating among Atlanta’s in-crowd.

YEAH! Burger is a bit less frou-frou than Flip. Guests order at the counter and take a number then find a table on the spacious patio or in the dining room furnished with stainless steel tables. Fun murals add a dash of color to the modern dining room and bar area.

Diners design their own burgers, choosing from grass-fed beef, grass-fed bison, organic chicken, organic turkey, or an organic veggie patty. Buns are made by Holeman and Finch…..Southern or gluten-free white, whole wheat. Or, skip the bun altogether and wrap your patty in lettuce.

Complete your sandwich with organic cheese and your choice of regular toppings like lettuce and tomato, or get all fancy with nitrate-free bacon and sunflower sprouts.

I ordered my beef burger with pepper jack, grilled Vidalias, bacon, and lettuce with tomato and avocado on the side, thinking all those toppings would get too sloppy. Guests can choose a sauce as well including tempting selections like bacon jam (hello!), honey mustard, and rooster sauce. The traditional Duke’s mayo for me please! Extra sauces are .50 cents each. The bacon jam was as good as it sounds, YEAH! sauce seemed like ketchup and mayo, but I could be wrong.

B ordered a bison burger on a gluten-free bun. We both would have ordered them cooked medium but all burgers here are cooked medium-well…..the eager staff promised they would be juicy. Bison and grass-fed beef are far less fatty than standard beef so I was curious how Doty was going to keep the meat from drying out. Why not cook them to order? Flip does a tartare so I’m assuming it is possible, especially since the meat is of the highest quality.

B chose blue cheese, grilled Vidalias, and avocado on her burger. We each ordered the fifty-fifty as a side….half buttermilk onion rings and half fries. They will offer sweet potato fries but unfortunately not last night. We also tried the red chili and the cole slaw.

Pints of Sweetwater 420 were delivered followed by our burgers and sides. Thick patties covered with melted cheese sat upon toasted buns. Crisp lettuce, perfect tomatoes, freshly cut avocado, chewy bacon….they looked delicious, but how would they stand up to other sandwiches in Atlanta’s burger boom?

OK, a big bite (note photo). Juicy, cheesy goodness! Crunchy onion rings and shoestring fries….hell YEAH! How do they keep the meat so juicy? I’m gonna need to know. B loved her burger too, we both ate every bite!

Made with beans and meat, the chili wasn’t spicy enough for us. The slaw was so light and fresh. B said it had cilantro in it so I dug in. But it wasn’t cilantro, it was mint which I usually cannot tolerate, but in this dish it was refreshing.

There are a few salads and all natural hot dogs too, but most folks will come for the burgers served on H & F’s practically famous buns. I even spotted Chef Linten Hopkins delivering them!

On the sweet side, Doty offers old-fashioned floats made with Boylan’s sodas, organic milkshakes (no foie gras here), and concoctions called Concretes made with soft-serve vanilla ice cream with your choice of creative mix-ins like chocolate covered coffee beans and peanut brittle. I would have ordered a dessert but Erik said the machines were off.

The verdict? Even more impressed. The second location on the corner of Virginia Avenue and North Highland is slated to open this Fall….can’t wait!

1168 Howell Mill Road at 14th Street, adjacent to the White Provisions complex.