Why have I not seen this video until now? I have no idea what the back story is, but this is simply amazing.
The parody is pretty spot on too:
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Shake Shack
I finally hit up Shake Shack, the "modern day 'roadside' burger stand" that is the cause of a persistent line of people snaking around Madison Square Park.
Unlike Danny Meyer's other establishments, Shake Shack is an unassuming venue that celebrates middle-American favorites like burgers, hot dogs, shakes, and fries - but fast food it is not. Customers must wait in a 20 to 30-minute line to order, then wait still until the food is freshly prepared; the burgers are made of "whole-muscle, no-trimmings, fresh-ground, antibiotic-and-hormone-free, source-verified-to-ranch-of-birth, choice-or-higher-grade Black Angus beef"; and meals are consumed in a spacious outdoor setting instead of a plastic booth. A gourmet, environmentally friendly, health-conscious (sort of) McDonald's if you will. Meyers told the Times he hopes his nouveau approach brings back the communal, human experience that fast food places have successfully stripped away.
And sure, waiting in line on a beautiful sunny day in Madison Square Park with my coworkers was a lot nicer than it would have been in a dingy McDonald's. But now, on to the food. The Shake Shack menu is very small, limited mainly to the four foods aforementioned. You'll have to bear with me because I don't eat hamburgers or hot dogs, so this really won't be a fair judging. But Shake Shack does offer two vegetarian options, which happen to lie on complete opposite ends of the spectrum: the 'Shroom burger and the Garden dog.
I dont' think I could come up with a better description for option #1 than The Girl Who Ate Everything:
"...in theory [the 'Shroom burger] is a breaded and deep fried portobello mushroom 'patty' filled with muenster and cheddar cheese, but in reality is a giant slab of cheese wrapped in a barely perceptible layer of portobello mushroom, breaded and deep fried to a molten goo. If they got rid of the mushroom and just make a deep fried cheese slab burger it probably wouldn't taste that different, unless the mushroom provides crucial structural integrity."
The hot dog on the other hand, which doesn't even make it into their online menu, is literally a bun full of condiments. (um, why bother?)
So the 'Shroom burger it was. And indeed, a solid bite through the hard, crunchy exterior of the "patty" unleashed a lava flow of hot gooey cheese. Now, I love cheese. Love it. But the combination of muenster and cheddar was too dense and mild (think of a giant mozzarella stick with a higher cheese-to-breading ratio). About three-quarters of the way-through I felt it coagulating into a hard waxy lump in my stomach. I guess eating in the hot sun didn't help.
I like the idea of having a creative, not-so-healthy vegetarian option for once. After all, it is a burger stand. But I think this creation would be more palatable if injected with something lighter and more flavorful, like a blue cheese or goat cheese; or mmm boursin. And in a smaller quantity.
As for the shakes, Shake Shack only uses custard in their frozen creations (I swear Manhattan has something against ice cream); and try as I might to enjoy it, the hand-spun chocolate shake was much too sweet. But if you love frozen custard this is the place for you: They also do sundaes, floats, and "concretes" a fitting name for the frozen custard equivalent of a blizzard or McFlurry.
The fries and cheese fries are of the crinkle cut variety, with a very nice crunch. All in all, it's a fun experience, and I admire the slow food, "democratizing" approach Danny Meyer has taken (I should mention the prices are very reasonable) And if you find your mouth is now watering for some burgers and fries, you soon may not have to make the trek to NYC to try it out. In addition to its four locations in NYC (with more to come), S.S. has recently popped up in Miami, Saratoga Springs, and soon: Kuwait of all places.
 |
| Photo from Gothamist |
Unlike Danny Meyer's other establishments, Shake Shack is an unassuming venue that celebrates middle-American favorites like burgers, hot dogs, shakes, and fries - but fast food it is not. Customers must wait in a 20 to 30-minute line to order, then wait still until the food is freshly prepared; the burgers are made of "whole-muscle, no-trimmings, fresh-ground, antibiotic-and-hormone-free, source-verified-to-ranch-of-birth, choice-or-higher-grade Black Angus beef"; and meals are consumed in a spacious outdoor setting instead of a plastic booth. A gourmet, environmentally friendly, health-conscious (sort of) McDonald's if you will. Meyers told the Times he hopes his nouveau approach brings back the communal, human experience that fast food places have successfully stripped away.
 |
| Photo from Gothamist; Click here for the Shack Cam |
And sure, waiting in line on a beautiful sunny day in Madison Square Park with my coworkers was a lot nicer than it would have been in a dingy McDonald's. But now, on to the food. The Shake Shack menu is very small, limited mainly to the four foods aforementioned. You'll have to bear with me because I don't eat hamburgers or hot dogs, so this really won't be a fair judging. But Shake Shack does offer two vegetarian options, which happen to lie on complete opposite ends of the spectrum: the 'Shroom burger and the Garden dog.
I dont' think I could come up with a better description for option #1 than The Girl Who Ate Everything:
"...in theory [the 'Shroom burger] is a breaded and deep fried portobello mushroom 'patty' filled with muenster and cheddar cheese, but in reality is a giant slab of cheese wrapped in a barely perceptible layer of portobello mushroom, breaded and deep fried to a molten goo. If they got rid of the mushroom and just make a deep fried cheese slab burger it probably wouldn't taste that different, unless the mushroom provides crucial structural integrity."
 |
| The 'Shroom Burger (Doesn't it look like a giant falafel?) Photo from Foodspotting.com |
The hot dog on the other hand, which doesn't even make it into their online menu, is literally a bun full of condiments. (um, why bother?)
So the 'Shroom burger it was. And indeed, a solid bite through the hard, crunchy exterior of the "patty" unleashed a lava flow of hot gooey cheese. Now, I love cheese. Love it. But the combination of muenster and cheddar was too dense and mild (think of a giant mozzarella stick with a higher cheese-to-breading ratio). About three-quarters of the way-through I felt it coagulating into a hard waxy lump in my stomach. I guess eating in the hot sun didn't help.
 |
| Photo from CayDigestNY,com (I should also mention another menu offering called the Shack Stack - a cheeseburger AND 'Shroom burger combo; not for the faint of heart) |
I like the idea of having a creative, not-so-healthy vegetarian option for once. After all, it is a burger stand. But I think this creation would be more palatable if injected with something lighter and more flavorful, like a blue cheese or goat cheese; or mmm boursin. And in a smaller quantity.
As for the shakes, Shake Shack only uses custard in their frozen creations (I swear Manhattan has something against ice cream); and try as I might to enjoy it, the hand-spun chocolate shake was much too sweet. But if you love frozen custard this is the place for you: They also do sundaes, floats, and "concretes" a fitting name for the frozen custard equivalent of a blizzard or McFlurry.
 |
| The whole shebang! (These pictures are just too good) Photo from umami |
The fries and cheese fries are of the crinkle cut variety, with a very nice crunch. All in all, it's a fun experience, and I admire the slow food, "democratizing" approach Danny Meyer has taken (I should mention the prices are very reasonable) And if you find your mouth is now watering for some burgers and fries, you soon may not have to make the trek to NYC to try it out. In addition to its four locations in NYC (with more to come), S.S. has recently popped up in Miami, Saratoga Springs, and soon: Kuwait of all places.
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