The Burger @ Stella's Lounge, Grand Rapids MI

There's a great piece in GQ Mag about how some of the best food in America is found at the most unexpected of places. Food trucks, hospitals, arcades, car washes and many other shitty establishments you normally wouldn't be caught dead ingesting food.  See, all that seems to be changing, as even the biggest deadbeats these days appear to be demanding higher quality food. I'd imagine this is precisely why the food truck movement is so successful. Deadbeats (read: hipsters, millenials, occupy-ers, etc.) evidently enjoy good eats, in between debates about Obama's healthcare policy and why the Chevy Volt is a better choice for an electric car than the Nissan Leaf. Stella's Lounge in Grand Rapids Michigan, appears to be such an establishment. Self described as a place where one can find, "strong drinks, cheep beer, loud music, no bullshit," Stella's strikes me as a place that would have a dude named Bubba who just got out of jail working a tiny kitchen right next to the men's bathroom. Not so. What's more, the food is good. Damn good, according to GQ. "The best burger in America" good, in fact. The Big Ballah Burger ($11) in particular, caught my attention. While many of Stella's burgers are stuffed (with blue cheese & bacon, jalapenos & pepper jack, white chedder cheese), The Ballah features a non-stuffed patty, but it does come topped with chedder stuffed jalapenos, bacon and an onion ring. Oh, and by the way, if you find yourself bored out of your mind in Grand Rapids on a Sunday, remember that it's "Shit Show Sundays" at Stella's. 1/2 off select whiskey, $1 off local beer and a gong show karaoke. What is it that the hipsters say these days...amazeballs?

The Drover Whiskey Steak, Omaha NE

The Drover restaurant in Omaha, Nebraska features prime cuts of steak marinated for 15 minutes in a drunken bath of special spices and, yes, whiskey. How is this amazing marriage of cow and whiskey not being offered in more establishments?  The Drover's menu includes their famous Whiskey Filet, but the booze bath treatment is also available on other cuts such as the 14 oz New York Strip & Rib Eye. So manly is this place, that Adam Richman of Travel Channel's Man v Food fame has visited The Drover to put his stamp of approval on what will certainly become a must visit for steak lovers around the world.  Steak marinated in whiskey. God bless you people.

The Drover, 2121 South 73rd Street, Omaha Nebraska, (402)391.7440

The $5,000 "Fleur Burger 5000"

Some time ago, I had heard what sounded like a  bogus rumor about a $5,000 burger that was put on the regular menu of a restaurant somewhere; & that it shattered the previous record for world's most expensive burger.  That distinction, if you care to know, was held by the £95 (or roughly $150) burger introduced by a Burger King in the UK back in 2008.  But a $5,000 burger!?  I mean, is it possible that there is a chef out there with the audacity to put something like this on their menu - and more importantly, are there people who are crazy enough to buy it?  Well....yes, and yes.  French chef Hubert Keller features the $5,000 Fleur Burger 5000 on the dinner menu of his Las Vegas restaurant, Fleur (located in the Mandalay Bay Casino). What goes into a $5K burger, you ask?  The Fleur Burger 5000 is made with a hearty slab of a Wagyu Kobe beef patty that's topped with an equally impressive slice of foie gras and black truffle shavings.  All of it is carefully held together with a brioche truffle bun and drizzled with a rich truffle sauce. Your Fleur Burger, should you be rich (or drunk) enough to actually order one, comes with a bottle of 1990 Chateau Petrus.  Turns out, the '90 will run you $3,000.  So the burger itself is actually only about $2,000.  Though it's not clear whether Keller allows patrons to order the burger without the bottle.  I guess I'll never know....

Cake Pops by Bakerella

While urban hipster parents won't find this to be breaking news, I am absolutely in love with the cake pop trend that is slowly taking over boutique bakeries and households all across America.  Cake pops, if you haven't had the pleasure of biting into one, are basically lollipops that taste like cake.  It's as simple as that.  The brief history of cake pops can be traced back to Angie Dudley, of Bakerella blog fame.  She's been credited with making caking pops internationally popular, in large part to her appearance on Martha Stewart's show back in 2008.  The rest is, as they say, cake pop history.  Angie has also authored what is the definitive guide to making cake pops ("Cake Pops: Tips, Tricks and Recipes for More Than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats"). Get on the bandwagon, people.  Besides, cupcakes are SO 2010....

[food] nyc's best moules frites

Frites with just about anything are pretty awesome. Most of us know and love Frites of the Steak variety, but Moules (or Mussels) Frites are the lesser know, ugly stepchild to Steak Frites. Poor Moules. In fact, I feel so bad for Moules Frites that I will make it my personal mission to track down a plate next time I'm in NYC.

New York's Best Moules Frites
via Gridskipper

[travel] mickey's bistro bermuda

I've suddenly got a Bermuda fixation. To be fair, Bermuda has always been on my mind. You hear so much about how close it is to the Eastern seaboard, how lovely the beaches are and how bloody amazing Bermuda shorts are. Then last night I run into a friend who just got back and claims it was a great trip. And now I find this great article/slideshow on the New York Times that documents the writer's 36 hours in Bermuda, including dinner at Mickey's Beach Bistro and Bar. Mickey's is an open-air restaurant at the Elbow Beach Hotel (a Mandarin Oriental property) which serves pasta and seafood, which they probably caught from the ocean just steps away from the restaurant itself. I can see myself parking my ass at Mickey's from sunrise to sunset, giddy over the 15 glasses of Dark and Stormies that I will be surely ordering nonstop. Someday...someday...

[books + food] the foodie handbook by pim

As authorities on gastronomy go, Pim Techamuanvivit is pretty much at the top of the list. Chez Pim has been tearing up the blogosphere for the better part of 5 years, getting awarded the #18 spot on The Guardian's World's Most Powerful blogs in 2008. I love her blog for many reasons: the amazing photography, the vivid recollection of meals she devours during her world travels and her down-to-earth, no-nonsense approach to cooking. Most of all, I love her blog because every so often, you get a dish with a fried egg on top. Only if you grew up in Thailand, as Pim (and I) have, do you appreciate the simple, satisfying beauty of a fried egg atop a plate of pad krapow.

The Foodie Handbook by Pim Techamuanvivit available at Amazon.com

[food + web] matt bites blog

I've recently stumbled upon LA-based food blogger Matt Armendariz and his very cool blog, Matt Bites. Matt is a "man obsessed with food, wine and everything in between." I'm obsessed with his vivid photography - which truthfully, no foodie blog is complete without. Some of Matt's work is showcased on his photography site, much of which looks like pages out of a Williams-Sonoma catalog. Amazing stuff.

[food + web] doughnut cupcakes @ cupcake blog

Doughnut ON a freakin' cupcake! Need I say more? Recipe here. By the way, CupCake Blog may be one of my best finds to date. I think I'm getting fat just looking at this picture...

[food] world's biggest chocolate fountain

This is what I call a deadly combination. You see, I like chocolate. I like Vegas. And I very much enjoy public spectacles. When you have the mind of a 5 year old child, things such as this massive chocolate fountain featured at the Bellagio in Las Vegas are absolutely fascinating. Now, if they could only add in a bunch of nuts into this thing for taste. Hee, hee...I said "nuts."

via Gizmodo

[food] beef wellington on simply recipes

Wifey and I have recently succumbed to the bland simplicities of suburbian life. Gone are the drunken after work happy hour sessions and the impromptu nights out with random friends who stumble into town. I now entertain myself by trying to cook things that I usually have other people cook for me. My next project might just be this beef wellington recipe featured on Elise's Simply Recipes blog. Elise makes an interesting point in that beef wellington seemed to be more popular 40 years ago than it is today. I wonder why? It looks so damn delicious.

[food] eddie's

The family-run diner seems to be so rare these days, especially in larger metro areas like Boston. So I'm ecstatic to discover Eddie's in Nonantum Center, a close drive from the new house. Thoroughly enjoyed my omlette, while Wifey had the pancakes-that's her in the background.

via mobile

[food] hot dog hootenanny in nyc

I don't know what it is about them, but I freakin' love hot dogs. Perhaps its the easy preparation or the harmony of meat and bread in one easy-to-manage package. Or maybe its the unique taste that the combination of beef, pork and horse meat brings to the table. Either way, it is one of my favorite things to eat. Which is why I'm extremely jealous to be missing out on the Hot Dog Hootenanny festivities in New York this Sunday May 3. From 3pm - 6pm, hot dog vendors from around the city will be serving samples of their interpretation of the dog. There will also be a hot dog seminar and guided tasting. Not sure what that's about.

@ the Astor Center, 399 Lafayette Street, New York 3-6pm

[food] noodles with shimeji mushrooms

I love me a good bowl of noodles. Couple of reasons: (1) I lived in Southeast Asia much of my childhood life and it is pretty much what we ate morning day and night (2) Noodles are easy to make and fill you up since they are a starch - which is why Ramen noodles were so critical in college. The Japanese Noodles w/ Shimeji Mushrooms recipe from Steamy Kitchen steps it up a notch and is only slightly more difficult to put together than a bowl of Ramen noodles. I like.

[food] wild willy's burgers

Just destroyed this plate of cheese fries and a cheeseburger at Wild Willy's. I've been to my fair share of burger joints and I must say, this is up there. Complete with a wild west theme, including saddle bar stools. Sweet.

Wild Willy's is @ 46 Arsenal Street Watertown, MA.

via mobile

[food + web] chubby hubby blog

I absolutely love, love, LOVE this blog. Singapore-based Aun Koh (the Chubby Hubby) writes about his food encounters throughout Southeast Asia and beyond - often times with his wife - whom he lovingly refers to as "S." If you're thinking it must be difficult to get any attention when you're blogging out of a tiny little city state somewhere near the South China Sea, think again. Chubby Hubby was nominated for the world's best urban food blog in the 2005 Urban Blogging Awards. What sets CH apart is the deliciously fantastic food photography that Koh features using his Nikon D70 and D200 cameras. I often times find myself staring at the pictures and drooling, hoping to get a taste of some of the tasty grub Koh photographs. Luckily CH posts plenty of recipes, including the really simple Thai Chicken with Cashews pictured here. Gotta go, my stomach's growling now...

[food + travel] rendezvous bbq, memphis

Every so often, what I want and what I am in posession of intersect in blissful harmony. Such is the case today, as I've just devoured the plate of amazing ribs you see before you here. Tucked away in a non-descript alley just steps away from the famous Peabody Hotel, Randezvous BBQ in Memphis is equal parts tourist trap and local watering hole. But it is 100% yummy!

Charles Vergos' Rendezvous 52 S 2nd Street Memphis, TN

[food] wild rocket burger

Few things in this world are more satisfying than a big, fat, greasy, beefy, juicy burger. And to find that perfect monstrosity of a burger...well, its worth traveling thousands of miles for. The Wild Rocket restaurant at the Hangout Hotel Singapore boasts what may well be one of the damn finest burgers in the world. The "Wild Rocket Burger" as it is simply known, is served up by Chef Willin Low during Sunday brunch (apparently, the notorious burger is not on the regular menu). For more on the Wild Rocket burger, check out one bloggers account of an encounter with the "no-frills" burger.

Hangout Hotel, 10A Upper Wilkie Road. Singapore 228119. Tel : + 63399448