The one thought that stops me dead cold from becoming a vegetarian is that I could never, ever have another cheeseburger!
I could go without without the
filets, chicken, fish, pork chops, oysters and all of that -- but don't try to come between me and my cheeseburger. Eating a good (or even OK) cheeseburger -- as long as there is enough mayo on it -- is a spiritual experience.
My favorite is a bacon
bleu cheese burger (
BBCB) -- charred well on the outside, medium rare on the inside atop a toasted-on-the-grill sesame seed bun, a couple strips of sugar-cured thick-cut bacon,
Pomerey mustard,
bleu cheese, a thick slice of red onion, a leaf of romaine, Roma tomato and
xtra Duke's mayonnaise. Some hand-cut perfect fries are
always a nice
accompaniment, but you shouldn't judge a burger by the fries that come with it.
I found the most consistently delicious burger with awesome fries is found at
Timberlake's, 1726 Connecticut Avenue, NW in Washington DC -- a few blocks north of
DuPont Circle. They celebrate 30 years of serving up great food and drinks in 2008! -- an institution.
Only after you order is your burger hand-
pattied, gently spiced and grilled over an open flame. If you like charred on the outside and R to MR on the
inside, you'll luv this burger. It is simply the best
BBCB I've ever had.
I moved from DC to San Francisco in 1990 and haven't had a
Timberlake's burger since, but a check of their website reveals that after 17 years, the best cheeseburger I've ever had is just $8.50! The last one I had at
Timberlake's in 1990 was $6.95.
Let's see that burger again.
Full disclosure: Timberlake's did not have a pic of their burger on their site, so I went to the net and found a pic that closely resembled their burger of which I often daydream.This burger is best enjoyed at
Timberlake's dark wood bar which runs the length of the dining room on the left side. Grab a stool or standing space and order a beer, Coke or cocktail from the inimitable barman, Bob Mater.
A word about the folks you might meet in Timberlake's. Carl Bernstein was a late-night regular at the bar in the late 1980's. Several Democratic pollsters were regulars, too. With its large gay clientele, Timberlake's was always a Dem hangout, whether the customers were Hill interns or liberal Post journalists. In fact, I remember when the Reagan Republicans first arrived in Washington, around DuPont Circle, there began to appear LA TIMES newsboxes and the odd black-suited Republican operative would slide into Timberlake's without warning. There were always a smattering of folks in for a convention at the Hilton, a block away (the site of Reagan's shooting). Folks from all over the US and world, really. And they were interspersed among the Timberlake regulars whose names I have sadly forgotten.
Oh, and if you see the guy with a bushy black mustache and an easy smile, that's Bill
Timberlake. "T" to non-newbies. Owner and proprietor. Our hat's off to T, his upstairs staff and the guys downstairs in the kitchen. They have created and maintained a public house that should be designated an official landmark of the District of Columbia! Cheers!
Joe Varisco with his favorite (lucky fucker!) co-conspirator
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