I'm Going To Jackson's

Today the Hamblogger gang traveled down to an area of Nashville known as "Hillsboro Village". It is called this because it is located on 21st Ave and is near "Vanderbilt". Our destination was Jackson's Bistro. Jackson's is known for its large patio setting, which really came in handy today since it was 35 degrees out.

Jackson's only has one burger on its menu. It is called the "Bistro Burger" and it is 8 OZ OF HOTT AMERICAN ANGUS BEEF. (USA! USA! USA!) I got mine with fries instead of some lame ass garbonzo bean salad. WTF is that anyway? You don't eat that shit on Hamblogger Fridays. That's something your order at a "Tapas Bar". On to the burger...

The burger tasted like it came right off of your neighbor's grill and had a delicious slice of thick cheddar cheese covering it like a warm blanket. The bun was outstanding. It tasted fresh out of the oven and it was the perfect compliment to the perfectly cooked HOTT AMERICAN BEEF (TAKE THAT TERRORISTS!)

This may have been my favorite so far. Call this a fancy burger if you will, I'll call it damn good. And there's a reason why they don't sell burger and garbonzo bean combo meals.

(Sorry for the lack of SEXXXY PICS in my post this week)


4.89765 out of 5

Steppin' Out to Jackson's

Yo yo yo dawgs! We straight hit up Tito & Randy Jackson's hot spot down in the Village, aptly named, Jackson's!

The stylishly decorated Jackson's was hopping with Music Row types and Vandy Nurses. We luckily found a table in the back and I promptly grabbed the "Mafia Don" seat. I had a good scan of the room. You never know when that Lunch is Fun crew is going to put out a Nugget hit.

After watching a hipster mom crash her very unhipster like Land Cruiser into the front steps of Jackson's, we were regaled with exciting tales of terror and suspense from our guest of honor, the tough as nails, hard living, hard drinking, hard scrabble and any other metaphorical adjectives you care to pin on him, Irish Car Bomber.

I had a medium rare mushroom burger and fries. The burger was maybe shade redder than I was comfortable with, but after my first bite, I really didn't give a rat's ass. This is a tasty burger peeps. The bakery roll bun was brushed with some sort of garlic infused butter that made you stink like a vampire hunter. Luckily, Rightz came prepared with gum, because as soon as we got back to the Gamma Blast World HQ™ we were summoned to the inner sanctum of a record label here on The Row to discuss a music video. Jackson's, I like you more than ever!

A new twist on HamBlogger Friday included the table getting 2 desserts and 5 spoons. After much concern and debate over exactly how "Sex in the City" or "Gay" it was to share the tasty concoctions, we scarfed down a fried twinkie and cookie dough egg rolls with a heaping dollop of glacier (that's ice cream to you not as well-heeled as I Bozos). As "The Boss" I promptly ruled that dessert should not affect our scores but should be viewed as an exhibition sport, much like BMX Bike Skeet Shooting and Women's Softball in the Olympics.

Because I'm "The Boss", and Joe was always my favorite Jackson, I give Jackson's a 9.86 out of 10.

Jacksons, too fine dining

Going back to an earlier experience with a "fancy" burger joint  I would like to point out the shallowness and pedantenicity of Jacksons.  First off, if you're going to serve a garbanzo salad, you don't have any business putting a burger on your menu.  It wasn't a bad piece of meat, just not what I'm looking for in a burger.  I think a pita or wrap type item would be better fitted for a place like Jacksons.  I would even be willing to bet that the only table in the entire joint that had patron's with calluses on their fingers was ours.  Maybe my problem was that I ordered a salad and didn't get fries, so in Jacksons defense, the gayness may have been my doing.  All I'm sayin is that once a burger is in your tummy you should have to take a mexican bath just to feel clean again

Jackson's

What can I say? I've lost my foil! No old Cadillacs, just a beemer and a new chevy. No smoking because they actually care if children attend (must be the fried twinkie draw.) Floors are clean because they actually care if my gag response is elicited during dining. The burger was EXCELLENT!

As a military food critic for 7 years, I have seen it all. I must say this burger, served on a soft Calais roll (I made that up), consisted of 8oz's of Pure Angus beef, with a garbanzo salad on the side. It was as tasty as they get! I give it 4.9 our of 5.

Anterny out- and happy.

Oh almost forgot- Our guests were very charming and fun- I would have lunch with them anywhere.

A- out

Dino's House of Smoke and Old Cadillacs

Welcome to Dino's (maybe it's nicer on the inside, and maybe they don't allow smoking...)

NOPE!  

Here's your "view table."  (maybe the floor is clean...)

NOPE!  

Very good burger- 4.75 out of 5.

Anterny out- 

BURGERZ 4 PEACE

Friday night they'll be dressed to kill
Down at Dino's bar and grill
The drink will flow and blood will spill
And if the boys want to fight, you'd better let them

If you check the most searched terms on Google for the past week, you'll find that #1 is "hambloggers + lunch is fun + blog warz" is #1, followed by "Obama + inauguration". In the spirit of the other historic event this week, the two warring factions, The Hambloggers and Lunch is Fun sat down at the quaint Dino's Restaurant/Bar & Grill in East Nashville to sign a peace accord over meat.




Dino's is the oldest bar in East Nashville and as a child, the mere sight of it brought a mix of fear and excitement into my heart, so what better place to sit down and bring about peace, hope and change to the Music Row lunch blog community.




Young Andy, a resident of "East Nashville" chose Dino's for their "Yankee Burger", a large monstrosity topped with a fried egg, and most importantly for their subtle and dignified tribute to "The Intimidator", Dale Earnhardt.

You could cut the tension with the knife as the factions sat down at the table and placed their orders. But once the food came, the mood lightened, and the Lunch is Fun crew offered up a sign of bacon peace.

Mmm...bacon peace...

Everyone enjoyed their food and the camaraderie it inspired. I had the "Yankee Burger", and while it was a tad dry and overcooked, the good feelings it brought about in us all made for a true culinary treat.

So to sum up, the food at Dino's Bar & Grill/ "Restaurant" is good enough to bring about hope and change and peace, all with an egg on top. Maybe they should open one in the Middle East.

The Burger: 4.0/5
Making Blog Peace: 10/10

Lunch Is Fun, again..

We love Beef Candy

February is coming around the corner and we've got a great present for the love of our life, Chicken McNuggets Quarter Pounders. Throughout the month of February we are going to keep a tally on just how many McNuggets Quarter Pounders we eat. We'll even post if we eat impostor McNuggets Quarter Pounders, like the ones from Five Guys or Wendy's, but it's bad karma to cheat on your love in February, like those guys barbarians at The Hambloggers Lunch Is Fun do. Here is a beautiful picture my love and her house...

Edgefield

Where do they dance?  Where's the creepy guy with the microphone turned up too loud saying "GIVE IT UP FOR DESIREE!!"  So, 21 and older for a burger?  So we can all breathe what the man in the Carhartt jacket is smoking with a FILTER!!?  EdgeHell serves a tasty diner-style burger, complete with a grilled bun with butter, ruffles potato chips in a small dusty bag, and iceberg lettuce in a plastic bowl with pre-packaged honey mustard dressing on the side.  "Pull tab, peel back lid, empty contents onto salad, meat, or fish."  Huh?  The burger gets a 4.12 out of a possible Chad.  Oh, almost forgot- all the staff we spoke with were courteous and professional (they didn't say anything about our slow guest's off-color remarks.)  Anterny out- outside for some air.

BLOGGIN' 4 PEACE YA'LL

You're the meaning in my life
You're the inspiration
You bring feeling to my life
You're the inspiration
Wanna have you near me
I wanna have you hear me sayin'
No one needs you more than I need you

So, it seems like the folks over at Lunch Is Fun have their panties in a wad claiming we stole the idea for a lunch blog. Yeah, because no one ever thought of blogging about food. Seriously, we love ya'll playaz. Join us for a burger...for peace

From the Desk of Dr. J. Maximus

As a rookie blogger, but obviously not a rookie eater (see picture), I find it odd to put my burger eating experience into more words than "mmm yummy" or "damn what was that?" Luckily, Edgefield Sports Bar gives you the whole experience. Not just a burger, but ambiance. Some may call it smoke, noise, filth and a bad neighborhood, I call it character. Yes, our waitress may have the impression that one in our party is "special". But the same waitress walked by me as I was leaving and said, out loud, "huh, tall guy". So it could be a case of the pot and the kettle.

I didn't have the stones to order the "Our Own Burger". Something about the two types of beef, both ground and corned, married to the same bun just did not appeal. So I had the bacon cheeseburger.

First you should know that the burgers come with chips not fries. Fries are $1.25 extra, and the chips are the small bags of chips that are mostly filled with air. Drinks are $1.25 as well, so be prepared for a ten dollar plus lunch. It's not a good start when you know that you can get a steak somewhere else for the same price you're paying for a burger. It's why I have yet to go to Red Robin for the "everything no one ever thought of putting on a burger because it's a stupid idea" burger.

But the burger was good. It had a large bun, but the burger filled the bun. Not as meaty as a Five Guys burger, and it could have been a little juicier. But it was a good burger and the fries were the good old fashioned crinkle cut crispy fries.

We did have to beg for a drink refill, but it was good food and a unique place to go to when you don't mind a little smoke and a lot of old bar room decor. I'd give the burger itself three out of five stars, but give the place one extra star for atmosphere. And don't be afraid to take the short bus there.

The Huntsville Rocket weighs in

My first hambooger's lunch (breakfast to me) turned out to be fairly anti-climactic. I've already had the Edgefield burger and could of told you it was better than PM's. Seems like the other boys are used to those sissy burger joints where they don't let you smoke and watch Fox news at the same time. Hope they enjoyed eating somewhere the atmosphere physically changes the taste of the food.

The Edgefield burger is quite good. Is that enough of a review?
Best part of the meal was when i called ahead and told them i was bringing a group of "special" students, that weren't allowed to have too much sugar.


end

More exciting pictures from Hamblogger Friday Wednesday Edition!

Hamblogger Friday...on a Wednesday???? Whaaa?

Due to Chad scheduling a lunch meeting on Friday (BLASPHEMY!), we re-scheduled for today. It was my turn to choose, so I went with the Edgefield Sports Bar and Grill(e). Anthony described it as "very European", but he may have been talking about something else. He also said it looked like a strip club.

Edgefield may be one of the only "21 and up" places the Hambloggers venture to. Unless someone picks a strip club. Or the Hustler Cafe', which is also "very European". Due to TN laws, if you want to smoke in a restaurant, it must be 21 and up, and there were several people taking advantage on this fine day, including a bald guy in a suit who kind of, sort of favored a young Telly Savalas. He was having the chili.
Andy is out with the "sniffles" today, so we were joined by 2 guest judges, Dr. J, and the Huntsville Rocket. On to the food.

The cheeseburger came with TWO types of cheeses. Fancy! The bun: toasted perfectly and lightly buttered /The fries: crinkle cut and cripsy/ The burger: thick, but not too thick, cooked just how a burger at a seedy sports bar in East Nashville should be cooked. Bonus points for old school ketchup squeeze bottles, points subtracted for refills served at a languid pace. The waitress also thought that some people in our group may have been a little slow, but not in the same sense.


Final score: 4.36/5

Edgefield Sports Bar & Grill

The smell of smoke smacks you in the face like a bitter ex-girlfriend as you walk into the door. It's been awhile since I've been in a restaurant that allows smoking. No kiddos here please. 21 and up only. I ordered the "Our Own Burger" with fries.

The burger came out rather quickly, but that was about the last time we saw our waitress. My empty cup of unsweet iced tea taunted me like an empty water dish does a dog chained up outside on a hot summer's day.

Presentation wise, the burger came out like it was thrown on there from fifteen feet and the crinkle fries splayed across the plate like they were shot out of a bazooka. Not pretty. I didn't know what to expect on my first bite. The "special sauce" had me worried right after I ordered it, but none of these other panty waists would order the house special, so I took the bullet. It was a tasty burger, the type of burger you'd expect from a place littered with Frank Wycheck memorabilia and flourescent lighting. Not the "I'm environmentally concious tree hugging type", but the crass $4 contractor special tube variety. Made this sensitive artist's eyes hurt (sniff sniff). I'm downing Excedrin as I blog to combat the smoke/lighting attack blugeoned upon my senses. It was a bit dry for my taste even with the special sauce. Being the high brow snob that I apparently am (see PM review) I expect a little more in the tasty department when atmosphere constitutes plastic ashtrays, a nicotine haze and Miller Lite banners.

Since I'm the boss and this counts double... 4 out of 10.

PM Review

PM is in a popular neighborhood location near Belmont College...in a row of eating places and coffee houses. Parking is an issue though. There are no parking lots, so you have to remember how to parallel park on the street! I whipped in on one try but another pilgrim up the street didn't fare as well; his rear wheel was over the curb and on the grass! Walking to PM past the low-rent apartments also had a worthy moment. On a cool January afternoon, a shirtless Hulk Hogan was outside playing handball, tossing an old tennis ball against the building.

Now to the food...yes, I ate the veggie burger. Col. Reb is trying to lose weight so he is no longer mistaken for Ed Orgeron.

Heather was our server. I did tell her we were writing about the place; I thought it would get us better service (a little pressure!)...she was friendly and helpful but it did take a bit too long for our order to reach the table.

For folks who eat veggie burgers (for dietary, religious, or far leftist pinko views), I highly recommend the PM offering (5 carrots, the max possible). The food is actually pretty (yep, I said that). But the sweet Asian glaze combined with the spicy Wasabi mayo and all the fixings made the PM veggie burger a treat for the tastebuds! I also tried one of Chad's sweet potato fries...excellent.

So for the part-time or full-time vegetarian crowd, PM may have one of the best veggie burgers in town! In the end, Col. Reb is NOT crying after his first ever visit to PM.

Thanks to the Gamma Blast gang for the introduction.

PM Review

I may not know what pedantic is, but these morons I call employees wouldn't know a good burger if it came up and bit them in the ass instead of visa-versa. Look at that photo from lunch! I couldn't even wait to take a picture! My burger was perfectly cooked and presented with wasabi mayo and sweet potato fries (fritures de patate douce, Mr. Fancy Andy). Each mouth watering bite exploded with flavor tinged with Asian goodness (that's what she said).

Service was a bit slow, but I think Col. Reb scared our lovely waitress, Heather, by announcing we were reviewing the dump for a very fancy culinary blog (or she thought we were tight asses because we all ordered water, which in my defense, I wanted unsweet iced tea, but nooooooooo, they only had fruit tea and it was to early to start drinking Manhattans. Note to restaurants, if I want your girly damned fruit tea, I'll order it, otherwise give me good ol' fashioned unsweet tea, sheesh.)

All and all a good first outing for Hambloggers. I give PM's burger a 9.5 out of 10 stars because I'm the boss and my score counts double. Suck it Rightz Rightz Rightz.

PM

The burger was a culinary delight, with one caveat-  it was a riddle wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.  Was it a sushi restaurant attempt at a burger? Maybe.  There was sushi on the menu and we all know the country of origin of THAT food.  It was presented upon a Kaiser roll, and we all know the country of origin of THAT roll!  Paranoia aside, I must go with my taste buds and give this burger 4 stars.  Anterny out (and arming up just in  case.)

PM Review

PM's burgers used to have a good garlic flavor, this one definitely had a sweet Asian flavor. Not great. Fries were average. Points off for a borderline cold bun.

I give it 2 1/2 stars out of 5.

Also, Andy apparently got a thesaurus and has been watching Top Chef with his fancy boy language.

PM

The burger was shallow, yet pedantic.  It was above average in every way, but didn't do what a burger is meant to do.  When I order a hamburger I expect to taste greasy meat and possibly cheese, not a sweet asian glaze.  If there was an award for sweetest or most asian inspired burger PM would win without a doubt, I'm just not convinced they were going for a good old fashioned American hamburger.  I give it 3 stars.

Burger Numero Uno

Each Friday, 4 co-workers and 1 guest will search for the most deliciousest burger in Nashville, TN

Today our search began. Our first stop...PM Restaurant on Belmont Boulevard. Our guest judge, Colonel Reb, had a veggie burger so his vote will not be counted because only girls eat veggie burgers. And me, sometimes, but not on freaking HAMBLOGGER FRIDAY. Come on man!

Voting to come...