Bobby Flay - Bobby Flays Burgers, Fries, and Shakes

I think its fair to say that most people are under the assumption that when it comes time for me to eat, whether Im cooking for myself or going out, my taste must be pretty extravagant: foie gras, caviar, fine dining with five-course meals and linen napkinsyou get the picture. And while I certainly can appreciate meals such as those, I promise you that it is not what goes on in my house or goes into my stomach on a daily or even weekly basis. Turkey sandwiches, salads, sushi, a slice of pizza here and there, maybe some tacosthese are my lunchtime staples. And my all-time favorite mealthe one that satisfies any hungeris a cheeseburger with fries and a shake. Done right, it doesnt get much better than that.

Ive been eating burgers for as long as I can remember. I started the way most kids in America start eating burgersat a local fast-food place. But that didnt last long for me. I was soon exposed to something better.

In New York City, where I grew up and continue to live today, my memories include a place called Jackson Hole, where the burgers were oversized and juicy and crusty on the outside. It was the first place I remember being able to order toppings like sauted mushrooms and cheeses other than American and cheddar. Just the fact that I could go to a place, order my burger, and watch it being cooked to order was a fundamental step up from the insta-burgers I was eating earlier on. I quickly learned that there are burgers and then there are burgers.

In New York City, as in most towns, the debate about who serves the best burger rages on. If you ask the locals, youll hear cries for places like Corner Bistro downtown in the Village or the Burger Joint in Midtown or the Shake Shack in Madison Square Park. They all serve delicious and really satisfying burgers and any of them could take the crown for best burger in the city.

Personally, the place that has been my go-to since I was eight years old is a saloon on the Upper East Side called J.G. Melon. In full disclosure, I admit that the owners are friends of mine, basically family, and I love them dearly. But its the burger that drives me and hundreds of people a day to Melons.

Every time I go, I hear people ask themselves and their company, What is it about these burgers that makes them so good? The answer in my mind is simple: the meat, the griddle, and the bun. And yet, achieving the perfect burger is not.

Even as I was opening high-end, full-service restaurants, I always dreamed of opening my own burger place. Im just like most other chefs: we all like to eat simple thingswhat I call late-night cuisineand the hamburger fits prominently into that category. I often wondered what that place would be like. Would it be a sports bar? A tavern or a saloon? A diner?

I knew it had to have thick, creamy, full-flavored shakes, like the black-and-white my friend turned me on to as a kid. And of course fries, something crispy to round out the perfect casual meal of a savory cheeseburger and a silky shake. Potato chips or fries, or onion rings battered for flavor and texture.

I finally decided to open a place thats not about the game on television or the draft beer behind the bar but the meal I care about most. A place thats about burgers, fries, and shakesan ode to the idiom.

And then one day in 2008, it was open. My burger place, with a name that I think spells it all out: Bobbys Burger Palace.

Its a place where you can order everything from a simple hamburger topped with American cheese to one with a combination of toppings with my favorite regional flavors or international ingredients. Your taste buds can transport you to that place between the two buns. Its a place where the shakes and malteds are dense and creamy, and scream their flavor intensely, where a collection of sauces and condiments help create a burger fantasy second to none.

I opened Bobbys Burger Palace to fulfill a longtime dream of being able to have my very own perfect burgers, shakes, and fries in my very own restaurant, and I got it. But just because the restaurant has moved out of my head and into reality doesnt mean that those dishes have to stay in the restaurant. I still want to prepare them at home, and I hope that you will want to treat your friends and family to the same. This book captures that dream and all of the work that went into making Bobbys Burger Palace, and makes it all accessibleevery dish, to anyone, all of the time.

So grab a bunch of napkins and come along for the ride! Oh, and one more thing: please remember to melt the cheese completely!

TO ME, THE BURGER IS THE PERFECT SANDWICH, THE PERFECT MEAL, ONE THAT SHOULD NEVER FAIL TO SATISFY. BUT THE HAMBURGER IS TOO OFTEN OVERLOOKED AND TAKEN FOR GRANTED. SURE, THE BURGER IS INCREDIBLY POPULAR, BUT IS IT TRULY APPRECIATED? A GREAT ONE SHOULD BE. TO ACHIEVE THE BEST BURGER POSSIBLEAS WITH EVERY SANDWICHYOUVE GOT TO TREAT EACH COMPONENT WITH THE THOUGHTFULNESS AND RESPECT IT DESERVES.

I love a good old-fashioned cheeseburger made with American cheese and topped with some combination of sliced beefsteak tomatoes, dill pickles, raw or grilled sweet onions, ketchup, and spicy horseradish-Dijon mustard. And while that is a classic for good reason, there are some times when I feel like getting a little more creative with my burger. Once I get started, I pull out all the stops in terms of condiments and toppings. I like to be adventurous with my food, and the burger is no exception. So from coleslaw to sauted mushrooms, from avocado relish to pickled onions, from blue cheese sauce to blue corn tortilla chips, Im up for it. But dont take that to mean that I am reckless. I put a lot of thought into my burgers and want to make sure that each condiment and topping complements the other and that everything ultimately comes together to make the most delicious burger possible.