Tuesday, July 30, 2013

The Tavern Kitchen & Bar - Meeting #49

The Tavern


July 24th, 2013

2961 Dougherty Ferry Road
Suite 101
St. Louis, MO 63122
(636)825-0600


In Attendance:
Queen, NB, Vitals, 3 Dees, JC, AH, JH, Two Napkins, The Awesome One, The Hamburgler, Beaner, "7", kt, Yoga Foodie & 1/2 Pound Curler.


Yoga Foodie & 1/2 Pound Curler ready to order!

3 Dees with his BigBitches:  Beaner, kt & JC

The Hamburgler & The Awesome One
NB (bday girl!) & Two Napkins

BigBitches NB & Two Napkins with BBBC Newbies!


AH & JH

The Tavern Burger (does not come with sides)

Perfectly cooked Tavern Burger
Another view of the Tavern Burger


NB the Birthday girl!
NB's super creepy birthday cake!


The Hamburgler struggling with the kid's sheet!
The STL Cardinals kicking butt!


BigBitches!

TAVERN NOTES:

What did you order?
Queen:  Tavern Burger
NB:  Halibut & app- tuna tartare (*I thought for sure she would want the burger on her bday!)
Vitals:  Tavern Burger
3 Dees:  Pork Steak (*ass hole.)
JC:  Ahi Tuna
AH:  ½ burger and Tuna poke
JH:  ½ burger and Tuna
Two Napkins:  Burger
The Awesome One:  Split a burger and risotto
The Hamburgler:  Hamburger (they only have one)
Beaner:  Tavern burger with tots (no egg)
7:  (burger)
kt:  Tavern burger with no egg, and sweet potato fries
Yoga Foodie:  Tavern burger
½ Pound Curler:  Tavern burger and fried egg

How would you describe your burger?
Queen:  Messy, good flavor meat, onion/lettuce- strong, egg- great touch. 
NB:  Fish – dry, but good
Vitals:  Messy, medium was more rare than expected.  Yummy bacon jam.
3 Dees:  Wellll
JC:  Tuna was great
AH:  Delicious!!! Maybe a little more seasoning.
JH:  Burger was great.  Could have been seasoned better. 
Two Napkins:  Really good, aside from the OVERPOWERING onions.
The Awesome One:  Good presentation.  Was worried it wouldn’t fit in my mouth.  It did, after I squashed it, but I have onion breath now.  Surprisingly, I loved the cole slaw.  A little too rare. 
The Hamburgler:  Tall, full of a homemade quality look to it.  Fresh, and light. 
Beaner:  Lightly packed patty cooked perfectly.
7:  Cooked to order (medium rare), loved the egg on top
kt:  The meat was perfectly cooked and seasoned, and the bacon chutney was wonderful!  I was upset that they did not mention the lettuce/onion coleslaw on the bottom.  I hate onions, and this was SO overpowering.  I would have given the burger a 9, but that onion really ruined it for me. 
Yoga Foodie:  Perfectly patty’d.  Big!  Not wild about the bacon jam. 
½ Pound Curler:  Nice soft bun, bacon & tomato jam was excellent, meat was perfectly pattied. 

How delicious was it (1-10)?
Queen:  7
NB:  6
Vitals:  4
3 Dees:  8
JC:  8
AH:  9
JH:  8
Two Napkins:  6.5
The Awesome One:  7.5
The Hamburgler:  8
Beaner:  9
7:  8
kt:  7
Yoga Foodie:  6 
½ Pound Curler:  9

Was there anything memorable about the food and/or place?
Queen:  Brussel sprouts on menu! J
NB:  Celebrating my 26th (again) with awesome friends!
Vitals:  Great ambience 
3 Dees:  Many new faces!
JC:  Just good converstation
AH:  Very loud.  Hard to hear each other. 
JH:  All the great looking women
Two Napkins:  Good atmosphere – especially for a strip mall in UISC (*Un-Incorporated St. Louis County).
The Awesome One:  I like our little room, good bread before hand. 
The Hamburgler:  Signature burger / coleslaw= yum.  Messy but manageable. 
Beaner:  The tots!
7:  n/a
kt:  Lots of newbies!  NB’s creepy birthday cake (see below), and DELICIOUS bread. 
Yoga Foodie:  excellent
½ Pound Curler:  Nice private area, best looking burger club ever. 

Roughly how much was your order?
Queen:  $20
NB:  n/a
Vitals:  $30 (burger, salad, 2 wine)
3 Dees:  $50
JC:  ?
AH:  $50
JH:  $45
Two Napkins:  $30 with wine
The Awesome One:  n/a
The Hamburgler:  ten-ish
Beaner:  n/a
7:  $15
kt:  $10 for the burger with no sides, or egg on top.
Yoga Foodie:  $25
½ Pound Curler:  $12

Average service score:  8

Tiffany's Diner - Meeting #48


 



July 14th, 2013

7402 Manchester Road
St. Louis, MO 63143
(314) 644-0929

In Attendance:
Doug E. Fresh & kt





The hot diner griddle
Delicious diner burgers are almost ready!






Doug E. Fresh's double cheeseburger

kt's Single cheese burger (with a side of french toast!)

































TIFFANY’S DINER NOTES:

What did you order?
Doug E. Fresh:  Double cheeseburger and fries
kt:  Single cheeseburger (American, pickles, k&m), and a side order of French toast!

How would you describe your burger?
Doug E. Fresh:  Thin patties on a hot grill, good seasoning with American cheese, Excellent!
kt:  A true diner burger!  Thin, perfectly grilled patty and a soft fluffy bun.

How delicious was it (1-10)?
Doug E. Fresh:  8
kt:  8

Was there anything memorable about the food and/or place?
Doug E. Fresh:  Old-fashioned diner feel, they even had Gidget goes Hawaiian on the TV. Fun little burger joint. 
kt:  Tiny little diner, glad to know it is open 24 hours!  Gidget was on tv!

Roughly how much was your order?
Doug E. Fresh:  $5
kt:  $2 for my burger

Average service score:  6
           

Monday, July 8, 2013

Circle 7 Ranch - Meeting #47



July 7th, 2013

14412 Clayton Road
Ballwin, MO 63011
(636) 220-9707


In Attendance:
Doug E. Fresh, The Punisher, MareBear (& Gipper), P. Diddy, Beaner, "7", kt, Yoga Foodie, and 1/2 Pound Curler

The delicious Circle 7 Bloody Mary


P. Diddy's Kona Burger
Beaner's Kona Burger
kt's OMG Burger



Gipper's Mac & Cheese (topped with Cheetos!!!)
The BBBC takes a break from watching Wimbledon



kt getting ready to tackle the 5-patty OMG Burger!


Trying to unhinge my jaw...
... my tiny dent in the OMG burger



















 
CIRCLE 7 RANCH’S NOTES:
What did you order?
Doug E. Fresh:  Kona Burger
The Punisher:  El Burrecho
MareBear:  The Fiery Jack (minus bacon)
P-Diddy:  Kona Burger
Beaner:  Kona Burger, fries, Bloody
7:  2 Cheese
kt:   OMG Burger (5 patties of delicious burgerey goodness) and sweet potato fries
Yoga Foodie:  My Big Fat Greek Burger
½ Pound Curler:  Fiery Jack Burger

How would you describe your burger?
Doug E. Fresh:  Lots of different flavors.  Very good. 
The Punisher:  White queso, candied jalapeños, bacon
MareBear:  Very tasty, the perfect amount of spice from the cheese
P-Diddy:  Excellent.  Pineapple added a nice sweetness, the ham added a cool saltiness. 
Beaner:  Cooked perfectly.  Was not excited about MW (medium well is the only way they will cook their burgers), but ended up liking the temp!  Grilled pineapple and red pepper was fantastic!
7:  Loved the stamp on the bun.  For a well done patty, very good
kt: GINORMOUS!  I was a little skeptical about the required “med well” temperature, but the thin patties were not dry at all, and they were delicious! The melted American cheese was wonderful… If only I could have eaten all 5 of those patties!
Yoga Foodie:  Very juicy, tangy.  Excellent Tzatziki sauce.  Feta was very creamy, but kept it’s texture and held up to the burger. 
½ Pound Curler:  Soft bun.  Patties had a nice griddle char.  A little dry.  Burger was prepared medium-well.  Pepper jack cheese was very good. 

How delicious was it (1-10)?
Doug E. Fresh:  8
The Punisher:  9
MareBear:  8
P-Diddy:  8
Beaner:  9
7:  8
kt: 8  (I kinda wanted to give it a “7” just to keep with the theme hehe… 
Yoga Foodie:  9
½ Pound Curler:  8

Was there anything memorable about the food and/or place?
Doug E. Fresh:  Very cool space
The Punisher:  Outside 270 border, dangerous territory out there…
MareBear:  OMG! (*I believe MareBear is referencing the delicious 5 patty burger I ordered…)
P-Diddy:  “kt’s unhinged jaw.”  (*Yet another reference to my delicious, 5 patty, OMG burger)
Beaner:  LOVED the “grill stamp” on the bun
7:  kt ordering the 5 patty burger
kt: Two new members!  This place is awesome!  I will certainly be coming back, and would love to try out the “tap your own beer at the table” feature next time!  Also, Brian our waiter was Awesome!
Yoga Foodie:  Great sweet potato fries.  Tasting room décor was very cool.  Very friendly & informative server. 
½ Pound Curler: Bun had logo brand, Beer taps at table. 

Roughly how much was your order?
Doug E. Fresh:  $10
The Punisher:  $10
MareBear:  $10
P-Diddy:  $9.99
Beaner:  n/a  (7 likes to treat his lady to lunch every so often!)
7:  $8
kt: $14.99
Yoga Foodie:  $10
½ Pound Curler:  $9.99

Average service score:  9



All of those burgers and intense tennis watching wore Gipper out!

We had SUCH a fun time at Circle 7 Ranch when we visited on 7/7!!!!  It was everyone's first time visiting this super cool restaurant, and I am sure we will be back (especially because we are dying to try out some of the other goodies on the menu!)  Some cool things about Circle 7 Ranch include:  They are the first restaurant in St. Louis to offer beer taps at every table so you can refill your own drinks!  What a clever idea!  Their mac & cheese is topped with Cheetos (BRILLIANT!).  The decor is beautiful.  Certainly not your typical boring bar ambiance... this place is worth visiting (even if it is west of 270!) 

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Herbie's Vintage 72 - Meeting #46


June 30th, 2013
405 North Euclid Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63108
(314) 769-9595


In Attendance:
Doug E. Fresh, Big Kid, One More Amy, Carl, G-Dog, Fitz, "9", Two Napkins, Jason Looney, Jazzy Jeff (*Owner), The Punisher, MareBear, K-Ron, P-Diddy, Beaner, "7", Spinderella, kt, and Juicy Lucy.  

*** PREPARE YOURSELF FOR LOTS OF PHOTOS!  IT WAS A WILD LUNCH! ***

Team "Dirtball"

Josh describing our DELICIOUS burger options!

Team "Too Cool for School"
Gipper says, "I ain't got TIME for that!"


Two Napkins holding court!
Doug E. Fresh & BBBC Virgin, Carl

The JeffBurger (c/o:  Jeff Orbin- aka:  Jazzy Jeff)

the Herbie's Balaburger

Another view of the Herbie's Balaburger
P-Diddy helping Spinderella climb through the window!
Jazzy Jeff enjoying his creation!




7 describes how perfectly cooked his JeffBurger is.
7's PERFECT JeffBurger
Almost all 20 BBBC Attendees! 


kt looking rough, but very excited about her Balaburger!
9 trying to dine&dash!  We caught you!




$200 on burgers, and $750 on booze... Shit got real. 


HERBIE’S NOTES:

What did you order?

Doug E. Fresh:  J Burger
Big Kid:  Jeff and the Balaburger
One More Amy:  Jeff Burger
Carl:  Jeff Burger
G-Dog:  Balaburger
Fitz:  Split the Jeff Burger & the Balaban Burger with my baby
9:  (no answer… but I know for a fact he split with his wifey, Fitz)
Two Napkins:  ½ Jeff, ½ House
Jason Looney:  Orbin Burger
Jazzy Jeff:  (no answer… but rumor has it… he owns the place AND is responsible for the JeffBurger!)
The Punisher:  Jeff Burger
MareBear:  The Jeff
K-Ron:  The Jeff Burger
P-Diddy:  House Burger ½, Jeff Burger ½, Split with Spinderella
Beaner:  Split the Balaburger & the Jeff Burger
7:  (no answer… but, I watched him split his Balaburger and Jeff Burger with his wifey, Beaner!)
Spinderella:  ½ Jeff, ½ House burger
kt:  I tried both burgers, the Jeff Burger and the Balaburger… ooh, and the super tasty French fries!
Juicy Lucy:  ½ Jeff’s and ½ Menu Burger

How would you describe your burger?
Doug E. Fresh:  Cooked perfectly with love
Big Kid:  Loved both
One More Amy:  Perfect, light, simple.  All the right garnishments.  
Carl:  Jeff Burger – Perfecto!
G-Dog:  Deliciouso!
Fitz:  Both were amazing!  The heirloom tomatoes were delicious.  The maple, apple-wood, smoked bacon on the Balaban burger was the best I’ve ever had, and I consider myself a bacon connoisseur! J
9:  Totally Awesome
Two Napkins:  (Jeff) Fresh, light, sweet, summery – A+  (House) Hearty, rich, delish, alternating taste of smoke, salt, and sweet.
Jason Looney:  Awesome
Jazzy Jeff:  Pretty damn good
The Punisher:  Grass fed ground sirloin with local tomatoes
MareBear:  I gave it to the Punisher, and ate Gipper’s!
K-Ron:  I made love to Jeff.  Via his burger. 
P-Diddy:  Both delicious, both obviously handmade patties.  Bacon was delicious, heirloom tomatoes were tasty. 
Beaner:  Delicious!  I loved the bacon on the Balaburger & pickle on the JeffBurger
7:  Damn good
Spinderella:  (Jeff) Light, amaz-balls-tomatoes, flavor-flav!  (House) Thick, bacon, nice buns!
kt:  The patties were a little dense for my taste, but were perfectly cooked.  (Balaburger) I had Fontina instead of goat cheese which might have been a mistake... The bun was toasted but pretty dry) and the toppings were crisp and delicious!  (Jeff) This combination of flavors was perfect!  The heirloom tomatoes and the bread & butter pickles were awesome together!
Juicy Lucy:  The Jeff was much lighter in texture than the Herbie’s burger.  I preferred the Jeff Burger because it was much lighter and the bread & butter pickle was a delicious contrast to the smokiness of the burger. 

How delicious was it (1-10)?
Doug E. Fresh:  10
Big Kid:  10
One More Amy:  9
Carl:  10
G-Dog:  10
Fitz:  10
9:  10
Two Napkins:  10
Jason Looney:  8
Jazzy Jeff:  8
The Punisher:  10
MareBear:  9
K-Ron:  10
P-Diddy:  9
Beaner:  10
7:  9
Spinderella:  9
kt:  (Balaburger) 8, (JeffBurger) 9
Juicy Lucy:  10

Was there anything memorable about the food and/or place?
Doug E. Fresh:  The best place to hang out with friends
Big Kid:  Jason Looney was here
One More Amy:  Atmosphere and people, great 1st experience!
Carl:  Access to the restroom via windows.  
G-Dog:  One of my favorite burgers in STL, actually anywhere!
Fitz:  Our great friend Jazzy Jeff created an amazing burger for our special occasion!
9:  I’ll be back.
Two Napkins:  (no answer)
Jason Looney:  The atmosphere
Jazzy Jeff:  So nice to have my friends enjoy lunch in my place!  Great job kt (*Thanks Jazzy Jeff!)
The Punisher:  St. Louis landmark, Herbie’s
MareBear:  FUN
K-Ron:  The tomatoes!  THE TOMATOES!
P-Diddy:  The wine… but I’m too inebriated to know what it was
Beaner:  Jazzy Jeff served his famous burger, good group!
7:  Friends!  Enough said!
Spinderella:  P-Diddy works at the Wells-Fargo Advisory!  Small world!  Drinking Rose!  Bottles up!  Bottles Up!  I went through the window to potty (*See photos)
kt:  Cannot thank JazzyJeff enough for putting this fantastic lunch together!  We occupied the entire front room at Herbie’s for our biggest BBBC meeting yet!  5 newbies were there, and we spent $750 on booze.  Service was not super fast, but for a group of our size - it was pretty darn good.
Juicy Lucy:  The service was great and the Rose was excellent!


Roughly how much was your order?
Doug E. Fresh:  $100, 000 (*hey big spender)
Big Kid:  $11 (burger), $100 for wine
One More Amy:  $11
Carl:  Free, Ackie (Doug E. Fresh) covered the whole tab!  Best part of the day.
G-Dog:  ?
Fitz:  Not sure, but whatever it costs, it’s worth it!
9:  n/a
Two Napkins:  Not sure, I’m drunk!!!
Jason Looney:  $11
Jazzy Jeff:  $11
The Punisher:  $12
MareBear:  n/a
K-Ron:  No idea.  Worth it. 
P-Diddy:  Does it really matter?  Great burgers are priceless.
Beaner:  ?
7:  ?
Spinderella:  Don’t know!
kt:  Burgers are about $11, but our bill was $60/person
Juicy Lucy:  n/a

Average service score:  9



For those of you still reading... I wanted to thank Jazzy Jeff (aka:  Jeff Orbin) for hosting such a special 46th meeting of the Big Bitches Burger Club!  We had an amazing turnout, and everyone obviously loved their burgers!  I'm sure some of you readers might think that perhaps the scores were so high because Jeff (owner & chef!) was sitting at our table... but, I was there... the burgers were THAT good!  If you have never been to Herbie's, I strongly suggest stopping in and trying out their delicious burger - OH, and any of the other fantastic offerings!