Hamburgers: are they 'distinctly regional'?

There are several restaurants in my small home town just north of Pittsburgh, that serve a distinctive burger called an old fashion. The meat is fairly standard, but what sets it apart is what they do with the cheese. Here is a photo of one from the local VFW.


You really can't call these regional because I have never seen them elsewhere in the Pittsburgh area. The only other restaurant I have seen have them is the Shady Glen in Connecticut.

http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=14

BB, how does that taste? Like "burnt"? I love Shady Glen's version* and eat it frequently, but this one is much browner than Shady Glen's (which is golden orange-yellow after cooking).

* they also do that fried cheese thing on the "cheesefurter": a split hot dog, grilled with huge petals of griddle-browned cheese!

ayersian-
The cheese definitely has a "burnt" taste to it, but in a good way. I can tell you that I always snap off those cheese parts and eat those first. Even though I do enjoy eating those old fashions around here, the cheeseburgers at the Shady Glen are better.

When we were in Norway,kernel corn was added the the topping of lettuce and tomato
This happened in several places
Prices averaged about $15.00 for the hamburger alone

I keep seeing burgers advertised California Style, meaning with lettuce and tomato slice. I had one in Chicago at Lucky's with coleslaw and french fries in the burger. I'm told that's a Pittsburgh thing. I like, when I can get them, burgers with all sorts of stuff on top, starting with blue cheese, but not pickles or hot peppers.

I think the name of the item has morphed into the generic Hamburger or Cheeseburger as a result of the chain explosion. I do recall in the 1960's when I worked for HoJo's in New England the "ER" was not present on the menu. it was HAMBURG, CHEESEBURG and even FRANKFURT. Is that a regionalization?

The only real regional variation of the meat itself that I know of is the "Maid-Rite" concept of Loose Meat on a Bun found in some parts of the Mid-West. The rest of the country uses a Patty...be it round or square, thick or thin, and no matter if it is grilled, fried, steamed or even Deep-Fried.

The place I do see some regional differences are in the condiments, side dressings and presentation of the sandwich.
Is the Bun toasted? Condiments of various flavors on the Bun (top or bottom?) or on the meat? or on the side? What side dressings? Huge list of possibilities here for almost every taste...Fuddruckers style??. And Lastly, Is it served open to be dressed by the customer, or closed and wrapped in a diaper?

If I am in the mood for a 'local flavor' Burger when we are traveling, then I go for it. If I crave a certain combination of flavors and they are available, then I go for my personal satisfaction. While I enjoy "roadfood" in many forms, I don't consider myself a "Fundamentalist" (apologies to WJ.)

B.U.M. See... Your hate for pickles may be a regional thing... Around here, they're pretty darn tasty! Could be the way they cure, ferment, pack or season them in your neck of the woods...
But again, this is about the toppings, not the burger itself...

quote:

Originally posted by Davydd

California is trying its damndest to claim wild rice and milk now too. I wonder how long it will be before they claim the deep-fried breaded pork tenderloin sandwich.

Well why not? After all, Al Gore tried to claim he invented the internet when it was actually California!

I could just picture Gore walking off the stage after that statement.. Hammer in hand tracking down his speech writer. YOU SAID I INVENTED WHAT??

quote:

Originally posted by EdSails

quote:

Originally posted by Davydd

California is trying its damndest to claim wild rice and milk now too. I wonder how long it will be before they claim the deep-fried breaded pork tenderloin sandwich.

Well why not? After all, Al Gore tried to claim he invented the internet when it was actually California!

What's interesting is the Pastrami Burger DOES seem to be a California thing, but only known on the West Coast, I guess.

quote:

Originally posted by bill voss
What's interesting is the Pastrami Burger DOES seem to be a California thing, but only known on the West Coast, I guess.

Guess again!!
http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=325&RefID=325

Utah's the West Coast to me. I guess I mean you'd expect to find it in a traditional pastrami hotspot.
Invented in Utah and travelled to California, I guess, but Carl's Junior had one for a while that was pretty good. Now there's one at the new Kenny & Zuke's deli in Portland with Nick's Homade Pastrami, so it's spreading.
Look at this creation which should make
you recoil in horror, Dale-
A Pastrami Burrito!

http://www.ocweekly.com/food/this-hole-in-the-wall-life/this-hole-in-the-wall-life/25074/

quote:

Originally posted by wanderingjew





They've been serving up Bison Burgers in Colorado long before anyone on the east coast even realized that they weren't extinct!

well, that's not entirely true. People in Western NY are one of the few people that know the animal in question is called Bison and not Buffalo - even though it's called Buffalo, NY. (the local baseball team in Buffalo is the Buffalo Bison - pretty funny). It's not that we didn't know that bison weren't extinct, it's that we didn't know we were actually allowed to EAT them.

quote:

Originally posted by bill voss


Look at this creation which should make
you recoil in horror, Dale-
A Pastrami Burrito!

http://www.ocweekly.com/food/this-hole-in-the-wall-life/this-hole-in-the-wall-life/25074/

I'm still suffering from post traumatic flashbacks of "Lutefisk Pizza"
http://www.keloland.com/blog/index.cfm?commentID=293

quote:

Originally posted by wanderingjew

quote:

Originally posted by bill voss
What's interesting is the Pastrami Burger DOES seem to be a California thing, but only known on the West Coast, I guess.

Guess again!!
http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=325&RefID=325

And then there is the oki dog....



Grilled pastrami, two hot dogs, chili in two large flour tortillas.

quote:

Originally posted by EdSails

quote:

Originally posted by wanderingjew

quote:

Originally posted by bill voss
What's interesting is the Pastrami Burger DOES seem to be a California thing, but only known on the West Coast, I guess.

Guess again!!
http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=325&RefID=325

And then there is the oki dog....



Grilled pastrami, two hot dogs, chili in two large flour tortillas.

Sounds luscious. Are they good, Ed?

quote:

California is trying its damndest to claim wild rice and milk now too. I wonder how long it will be before they claim the deep-fried breaded pork tenderloin sandwich.

Amboy, 3/18/1923, 1:28 P.M.

When it first went national, didn't McD's vary its burger dressings by region, e.g., with, if I remember correctly, more mustard for New England? It did vinegar with its "chips" in Canada, before Canadians adjusted to American preferences.

quote:

Originally posted by UncleVic B.U.M. See... Your hate for pickles may be a regional thing... Around here, they're pretty darn tasty! Could be the way they cure, ferment, pack or season them in your neck of the woods...
But again, this is about the toppings, not the burger itself...

I'm the only person I know of in these parts that doesn't like pickles. I'm aware of some award winners that are made here, but I don't like them either. It's ME, not where I live.

quote:

Originally posted by EdSails

quote:

Originally posted by Davydd California is trying its damndest to claim wild rice and milk now too. I wonder how long it will be before they claim the deep-fried breaded pork tenderloin sandwich.

Well why not? After all, Al Gore tried to claim he invented the internet when it was actually California!

Al Gore invented California? Vinton Cerf invented the Internet, which is why we surf the Internet to this day.

Earlier this week on Diners, Dives, etc on Food TV, Whats his name with the teenybopper hair was in a diner where they BOILED a big handful of Bacon, Then Drained it and put it on the grill all scrunched up. They grilled it with a flat iron weight on top so that the finished product (grilled on both sides) looked somewhat like a hash-brown patty (in size and shape). They put that on top of the Burger to create their version of a Bacon Burger. It had a bunch of other stuff too, but I was fascinated by the appearance of that Bacon. When I saw the pastrami photo above it looked just like the Bacon Burger! If I remember correctly he was at HODAD'S in San Diego.

Do they really call a burger with Lettuce & Tomato a "California Burger"? When I was a kid in the Heartland it was always listed on a menu as "Hamburger Deluxe".And nowadays there's darn few top line fast-food burgers that are *not* served with lettuce and tomato.
The only other thing I can remember about "Hamburger Deluxe" was that it was served with fries on the plate.Probably cost 25-75 cents more than just "Hamburger"
Also,I've never lived anyplace where the term "Hamburg" was not understood to be an alternate word for "Hamburger".But I've never been to Germany.

quote:

Originally posted by EdSails

quote:

Originally posted by Davydd

California is trying its damndest to claim wild rice and milk now too. I wonder how long it will be before they claim the deep-fried breaded pork tenderloin sandwich.

Well why not? After all, Al Gore tried to claim he invented the internet when it was actually California!
What's interesting is that in the 1950's Los Angeles County had more dairy cows than the entire state of Wisconsin.

quote:

Originally posted by Al-The Mayor-Bowen


Earlier this week on Diners, Dives, etc on Food TV, Whats his name with the teenybopper hair was in a diner where they BOILED a big handful of Bacon, Then Drained it and put it on the grill all scrunched up. They grilled it with a flat iron weight on top so that the finished product (grilled on both sides) looked somewhat like a hash-brown patty (in size and shape). They put that on top of the Burger to create their version of a Bacon Burger. It had a bunch of other stuff too, but I was fascinated by the appearance of that Bacon. When I saw the pastrami photo above it looked just like the Bacon Burger! If I remember correctly he was at HODAD'S in San Diego.

You would be correct. I saw the same show.

quote:

Originally posted by Voyageur

quote:

California is trying its damndest to claim wild rice and milk now too. I wonder how long it will be before they claim the deep-fried breaded pork tenderloin sandwich.

Amboy, 3/18/1923, 1:28 P.M.

When it first went national, didn't McD's vary its burger dressings by region, e.g., with, if I remember correctly, more mustard for New England? It did vinegar with its "chips" in Canada, before Canadians adjusted to American preferences.

It's been a while since I've done a comprehensive survey but last I knew condiments still vary at major fast food joints by region. Maybe it's changed but in NYC it was hard to get mustard on a burger at a coffee shop, and impossible at most fast food outlets. Anyone know of current examples?

I don't know if it is/was corporate policy, regional operator/franchisee policy, or just the local servers preparing things the way they would expect. I'd be surprised if it was actually corporate.

I'm reminded of ordering a sandwich at a Blimpie's that had recently opened in my old Dominican neighborhood. I asked for no tomato and hot peppers. It wasn't just a language problem, it was conceptual with the servers. They couldn't imagine no tomato. I think I ended up with no lettuce and extra onion.

quote:

Originally posted by BBq King What's interesting is that in the 1950's Los Angeles County had more dairy cows than the entire state of Wisconsin.

But no cheese factories, custard stands, ice cream places, or the like that make and sell their product on site as Wisconsin does. AND Wisconsin ranks dead last in grubbing off the national trough, unlike California.

quote:

Originally posted by Big Ugly Mich

quote:

Originally posted by BBq King What's interesting is that in the 1950's Los Angeles County had more dairy cows than the entire state of Wisconsin.

But no cheese factories, custard stands, ice cream places, or the like that make and sell their product on site as Wisconsin does. AND Wisconsin ranks dead last in grubbing off the national trough, unlike California.

There's a whole world of dairy on the west coast, Mich.
Monterrey Jack ring a bell?
http://www.realcaliforniamilk.com/pages/english/realCACheese.aspx

quote:

Originally posted by Ashphalt

quote:

Originally posted by Voyageur

quote:

California is trying its damndest to claim wild rice and milk now too. I wonder how long it will be before they claim the deep-fried breaded pork tenderloin sandwich.

Amboy, 3/18/1923, 1:28 P.M.

When it first went national, didn't McD's vary its burger dressings by region, e.g., with, if I remember correctly, more mustard for New England? It did vinegar with its "chips" in Canada, before Canadians adjusted to American preferences.

It's been a while since I've done a comprehensive survey but last I knew condiments still vary at major fast food joints by region. Maybe it's changed but in NYC it was hard to get mustard on a burger at a coffee shop, and impossible at most fast food outlets. Anyone know of current examples?

I don't know if it is/was corporate policy, regional operator/franchisee policy, or just the local servers preparing things the way they would expect. I'd be surprised if it was actually corporate.

I'm reminded of ordering a sandwich at a Blimpie's that had recently opened in my old Dominican neighborhood. I asked for no tomato and hot peppers. It wasn't just a language problem, it was conceptual with the servers. They couldn't imagine no tomato. I think I ended up with no lettuce and extra onion.

NYC and environs is strictly Ketchup on Burgers at most fast food chains (except for their specials sauces) and local restaurants. I've lived there most of my life and still visit frequently and haven't seen otherwise

quote:

Originally posted by Big Ugly Mich

quote:

Originally posted by BBq King What's interesting is that in the 1950's Los Angeles County had more dairy cows than the entire state of Wisconsin.

But no cheese factories, custard stands, ice cream places, or the like that make and sell their product on site as Wisconsin does.

No as in none or no as in not as many?

I can immediately think of 3 cheese makers here in Southern Cal that offer their product for onsite walk in sales. I'm thinking a little research might come up with a number of others. But I won't do it as I'm too lazy.

Custard (other than egg custard) is virtually unknown here. Other than reading about it here at Roadfood, I'm totally clueless as to what it's like.

The ice cream places, they're rare but not unknown. There's one down the road from me in Pomona if I recall correctly.

I started a thread a while back on the "Theta burger." I've still never seen one offered outside of central Oklahoma. Also, my brother has lived in central Texas most his life and he had no idea what an "onion burger" was.

quote:

Originally posted by wanderingjew

quote:

Originally posted by Ashphalt

quote:

Originally posted by Voyageur

quote:

California is trying its damndest to claim wild rice and milk now too. I wonder how long it will be before they claim the deep-fried breaded pork tenderloin sandwich.

Amboy, 3/18/1923, 1:28 P.M.

When it first went national, didn't McD's vary its burger dressings by region, e.g., with, if I remember correctly, more mustard for New England? It did vinegar with its "chips" in Canada, before Canadians adjusted to American preferences.

It's been a while since I've done a comprehensive survey but last I knew condiments still vary at major fast food joints by region. Maybe it's changed but in NYC it was hard to get mustard on a burger at a coffee shop, and impossible at most fast food outlets. Anyone know of current examples?

I don't know if it is/was corporate policy, regional operator/franchisee policy, or just the local servers preparing things the way they would expect. I'd be surprised if it was actually corporate.

I'm reminded of ordering a sandwich at a Blimpie's that had recently opened in my old Dominican neighborhood. I asked for no tomato and hot peppers. It wasn't just a language problem, it was conceptual with the servers. They couldn't imagine no tomato. I think I ended up with no lettuce and extra onion.

NYC and environs is strictly Ketchup on Burgers at most fast food chains (except for their specials sauces) and local restaurants. I've lived there most of my life and still visit frequently and haven't seen otherwise

Living in the NYC area for most of my life, I was raised thinking the same exact thing: only ketchup was acceptable as a condiment on hamburgers.