Tag: fries

Posted on by

Bacon and Bourbon! Yes, at the Hangover Pub

Steak Frites: Watercress cilantro chimichurri, truffled house cut fries, shaved pecorino from Hangover Pub in Worcester, MA

The Hangover Pub (named because of the hangover meals it was intended to provide),  at 102 Green Street in Worcester, MA, is just down the street from the Dive Bar. You’ll know the place if you are a local. It has a city parking lot right next door which is very handy. It’s pretty small and tucked away with several other businesses. When you walk in, theres a very sizable bar and several hightop tables. When I arrived, the restaurant was already full—and it was only 6pm on a Tuesday night! That’s a good sign.

When we came in, the hostess immediately knew we were with the Foodies group—probably because I didn’t have a beard and skinny jeans on and was about twice the age of most everyone in the bar. She took us to the back room where our party was seated. Our waitresses came over right away to take our drink orders. I had the Bacon Bourbon Manhattan. A very delightful cocktail garnished with a giant piece of brown sugar/maple glazed bacon.

Our party of 18 mingled for a while and then sat down to order. First I ordered the “Man Candy,” no it wasn’t some sort of hunky dude with a beard and fuzzy chest. It was a glass of thick cut bacon that was covered with brown sugar and a maple glaze. Yes, I did share, but I could have eaten them all myself; it was a wonderful way to start off my meal. Then I ordered the Steak Frites with watercress, cilantro, chimichurri and truffled house cut fries with pecorino. The fries were a hit right away. I love truffled house cut fries and shared with my friends who enjoyed them very much. The steak was sliced and I had asked for it to be cooked medium rare. It was cooked perfectly, although I suspect it had sat waiting before arriving with the other meals as it wasn’t as juicy as I’d hoped (but, it is hard to plate and serve a party with so many people at once, especially since it’s a pub and not a full service restaurant, but, I enjoyed it nonetheless).

Our waitresses were on the ball and were there to help us out in any way. Even Jay, the owner, came over to chat with us and thank us for our patronage. He was very charming and helpful, stressing that “anything you need, just ask.” We all found that to be nice and a fun challenge!

All in all, I found it to be a fun pub to go to for its trendy hipster attitude and bacon flair. It would definitely be a great place to stop in for a couple of drinks and apps with friends or for a quick bite if you are in the mood for some bacon.

Posted on by

Best Burger? We Ate The Phat Albert At Evo

Evo's Phat Albert Burger

So it’s a dreary, fall day and my week of rest and relaxation is over. Still feeling gorged from the Thanksgiving festivities, but yet hungry (like the fat kid at heart that I am), I decided that I needed to treat myself to another burger. My travels bring me to Evo, nestled on the corner of Park Ave and Chandler Street. I’ve come for the infamous Phat Albert burger. This burger was recommended by an avid reader of my blog (shoutout to you, whoever you are!) and I can honestly say ‘thank you’ from the bottom of my red meat loving heart.

As I settle into my bar seat with a delicious Goose Neck Winter Lager in hand, I scanned over the menu, pretending that it was the first time I had seen their menu and acted like I didn’t know what I was getting before I stepped foot in the door. After seeing the various other hand-crafted dishes that the open kitchen had to offer, I placed my order with excitement and anticipation.

From what I have read about this burger, it sounds like Worcester’s and Evo’s take on a Juicy Lucy. For those of you out there who may not know what a Juicy Lucy is, or is not a binge watcher of Man vs. Food, Triple D, or Bizarre Foods, it is two burger patties that have cheese stuffed between each patty. This allows the cheese to melt and become a ball of molten, cheesy goodness when cut into. While the origins of the Juicy Lucy has been pegged in Minneapolis, Minnesota, it is still unsure of the specific bar/restaurant that created this culinary miracle, with two places still battling it out for Juicy Lucy bragging rights at Matt’s Bar and the 5-8 Club in South Minneapolis. Now you’ve learned something new! You’re welcome!

Anyways, back to my personal burger bliss. I decided to order my Phat Albert – Texas style ($12), which is a 1/2 pound all natural ground beef burger stuffed with cheddar and American cheese, topped with BBQ sauce, bacon, ale battered onion rings, served on a buttered brioche bun with a side of sweet potato fries. When the bartender brought my meal out, I was shocked at the sheer height of the burger. The bun looked like it was toasted to a nice golden brown, with a blanket of cheese enveloping a baseball sized burger, sitting on crunchy onion rings. I decided that I needed to cut the burger in half just to make it manageable. Cutting the burger exposed the deliciously pink ground beef and the perfectly melted cheese mixture on the interior.

My only negative with the burger, if I had one at all, was due to the size of the burger, it was slightly under cooked, even to my medium-rare standards. A little longer on the grille or in the oven would help cook the burger a little more evenly on the interior.  The bacon added a delicious smokiness to the burger and in addition to the BBQ sauce, I could picture myself sitting fireside, with horse nearby enjoying this burger in the plains of Texas. The bacon was actually more chewy than super crunchy, which is how I prefer it. I don’t want to bite into a piece of bacon and have it shatter like a delicate stained glass window. The cheesy interior melted and added a creamy factor to each bite, to break the beef and BBQ sauce tang. The buttery brioche bun was a great choice of bun, as it held up to the sturdy ingredients that were stuffed inside its confines. However, the size of the bun seemed to overwhelm the size of the burger patty itself. The sweet potato fries were seasoned with large, flaky sea salt right out the fryer and that salt helped cut some of the richness of the burger and bun.

As I finished up my beer and thoroughly enjoyed watching OSU lay waste to another overrated Jim Harbaugh coached football team, I contemplated where I should enjoy my next burger. Should I stay in the confines of Worcester proper or venture out of Central Mass? Should I go with a veggie burger or stay traditional? Where will my burger quest take me? I guess you will have to wait to find out. Until next time…

Have suggestions for burgers? Tweet me at @edioufuc5 and your suggestion could be my next spot!