Graffiti Burger - The Buffalo Blue Burger

Description:

My first stop on the hunt for the city’s best burger, and it was a good one.  Pickley Pete joined me, as he will usually do, and we ventured into an already expanding Columbus-based establishment (for those of you familiar with the ever popular Columbus-based ice cream shop, I would compare the atmosphere and  semblance of Graffiti Burger to Jeni’s).  The atmosphere was decent, with Columbus graffiti covering the walls and football on all of the TVs, it was definitely a place you could go for a quick burger on a busy Saturday afternoon.  Oh, and yes, they serve beer!

The menu was fairly simple but creative.  You can choose from a list of ingredients and make your own burger or you can choose from a list of their “Awesome Burgers”.  Decide if you’d like a junior size or original size, add fries (yes, add.  They do not come with fries) and you’ve got a hearty meal.  I went with the Buffalo Blue Burger.  A sucker for buffalo sauce and blue cheese, my eye was drawn to it immediately and I didn’t even look at the remaining burgers before ordering.  Pickley Pete opted for the “make your own”, however, being that this is a hunt for a deliciously creative burger, I will always be ordering a “specialty”.

Now, on to the burger….What can I say?  A blue cheese burger dipped in buffalo sauce.  If you’re like me and enjoy the combination of spicy buffalo sauce and cool blue cheese, then this burger is for you.  Proportionally it started off well, but because of the single tomato and fast food style shredded lettuce, by the time I was halfway done I was just eating bun, burger, and cheese.  The meat was surprisingly tender and fresh and the flavor of the burger as a whole was spot on.  Very delicious.  The combination of buffalo sauce, blue cheese and ground beef sent my taste buds into a state of perfect equilibrium.  The bun was typical, but I must say that if you don’t eat it fast, it begins to get soggy from all of the buffalo sauce.  Lastly, the fries, stranded in a state of mediocrity, did their job and nothing more.  All in all, I gave this burger a 1 on my -6 to 6 scale.

Run Down: 

Proportion: 0

Flavor: 1

Ground Beef: 0

Buns: 0

Secondary Ingredients: 0

Fries: 0

Additional Comments:

 Pickley Pete gave his burger a 2, though I can assure you he will be sticking to one to two words descriptions from here on out.  

 Next stop:  Park Creek Kitchen - 'The House Burger'

The Score: Golf style, but backwards.

The scoring system is simple, yet strays away from the norm.  Each category – six in all – is given either a “1” (above average), a “0” (average), or a “-1” (below average).  This means that a total burger score can range from a “6” to a “-6”, with a “0” being an average burger.  I admit, it’s a little different, but I think it will work well.

Next Blog:  Burger #1 – The “Buffalo Blue” from Graffiti Burger.

The Run Down: A detailed look at judging a burger.

Category 1:      Proportion – 3 parts ‘A’, 2 parts ‘B’, 1 part ‘C’ and all parts D-licious

It can be argued that the most important aspect of a burger is the juxtaposition of all of the ingredients within the burger.  To achieve the ultimate flavor explosion, all key ingredients must be represented in precise quantities.  Too much or two little of any single ingredient can catastrophically effect the outcome of the taste of the burger.  But if stacked just right: BHB (Burger Heaven Baby)!

Category 2:      Overall Flavor – “Pow, right in the kisser”

Every burger has its own identity.  For us true connoisseurs, burgers are like fine wines.  There are literally trillions of flavors.  Yes, literally.  If Joe Di Rossi orders a Cabernet and finds it to be lacking in tannins and in oak flavor, is he going to be happy (Ref. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabernet_Sauvignon)?  From what I read, no.  When I order a Black and Blue Burger, I want the skin of the beef to crackle when I bite into it.  I want to be hit with a Cajun-based punch to the face.  And then, I want to immediately feel the cool sensations brought upon by the blue cheese.  The addition of bacon wouldn’t hurt either.

Category 3:      Ground Beef – “It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.”

Now, I realize that many of you have a particular way in which you like your burger cooked, and that adds to the affect the burger has an the individual.  I prefer mine cooked to a medium grade, therefore I will be judging based partially on the “mediumness” of the patty.  The way in which the burger is cooked plays an important role as well.  Is it broiled, grilled, fried, etc?  Other adjectives to keep in mind: tender, juicy, savory, succulent, and finger licking good.

Category 4:      Check out the Buns on that Burger!

Few realize the roll that the buns play in any sandwich.  A burger is no exception.  It all comes down to three questions.  How abundant is the bun?  What is the quality of the bun?  And last but certainly not least, what kind of bun?  Many signature burger joints spice up their burger by straying away from the typical hamburger buns.  Additionally, you always want enough “fluff” in your buns so that they can absorb some of the juices from the burger and other ingredients.

Category 5:      Secondary ingredients – A quarterback ain’t nothing without his linemen.

While it is true that the definition of a hamburger is “a cake of minced meat served on a bun”, it is also true that the additional ingredients of a burger give it its flair.  What would David Bowie be without the glam?  We can start by pointing out the obvious:  veggies must be crisp and fresh, cheese must radiate a specific flavor, mushrooms must be delicate and moist, and sauces must be accompany, but not overbear.  We’ll have to deal with other ingredients on a case by case basis.  The point is these ingredients must bring their “A” game if the burger hopes to clime to the top.  

Category 6:      Fries – Batman’s Robin, minus the gay

No burger is complete without this trusty sidekick.  Period.

If you were a burger, would you eat yourself?

I’m going to keep it simple…I’m a man.  A man’s man.  A working man man.  And I enjoy the simple pleasures that life has to offer, such as drinking whiskey, smoking giant cigars, splitting wood out in the yard and hulling anything I can throw into the back of the ‘ole F-150.  But more than any of these things, I enjoy a good burger.  Specifically, a half-pound burger cooked to medium grade with a side of fires and an ice cold brew.  And I’m assuming if you’re reading a blog about burgers, you enjoy the same.  So come with me, burger nuts, as I travel across all of Columbus with my trusty sidekick Pickley Pete, looking for the city’s best burger…