I Like 5 Guys Burger!

Yeah, I know the President of the United States went out and got his staff lunch there. But that's not how I ended up there the first time. We were actually in Connecticut, buying a national debt's worth of hockey equipment for the children and I was tired and hungry. We saw a sign for "5 Guys" and I actually thought it was going to be a diner. Because, in NY, everything with "Guys" in it inevitably is. So I was surprised when I walked in and in fact was in a fast food burger joint. But we were hungry, it was quick, and we ate. And I liked it. The fries were quite tasty, and the burger (a standard burger has two patties and the "junior" a mere one) was good. They also have hot dogs. There is nothing else on the menu: no shakes, no salad, no chicken, no vegetarian: there are in fact more guys than menu items. For a little extra, you can add bacon, cheese or of course, bacon and cheese. For free, you can have mustard, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, etc. etc. There are free peanuts while you wait. The burger does not sit around awaiting your arrival: it is cooked to order.

There are currently three 5 Guys in Manhattan and one more is slated to open at 690 3rd Avenue. Today, after a hockey game, I was in the one in Long Beach, NY (on W Park Avenue). It was good, too!

I think 5 Guys is the best chain burger I have eaten in a long time. The fries are superior to any other quick food restaurant I have eaten at (including the Parker Meridien, although Boy #1 disagrees with me). Its not 5 Napkin Burger (no relation, but review to come), but it really is a place to go if you need a burger out of town.

Burgers at the Le-Parker Meridien: Pretty Good!

Last night, the lovely wife, boy #2 and I went to the Shake Shack on Columbus and 78th Street. I had been to the one in Madison Square Park some years ago and been rather underwhelmed but decided to give it another go. No change. Although the hot dog (the Shack-ago. Get it. ha ha) was rather good, the burgers were small and a bit greasy. The fries were terrible, as in, for 1/2 the price you could have eaten McDonald's, which taste better and give you the same amount of heartburn. The shake was fine. I am not going back.

All of this got me thinking about how good the burgers, fries and shakes were at Le Parker Meridien at 119 West 56th Street (212-708-7414). The four of us biked down there one weekend for lunch a few weeks ago. The fries were crisp and tasty and the burger was good, and I enjoyed them more as I continued to eat them. The heartburn factor was acceptable. And, since the place is full of tourists, its easy to get a seat if you are a pushy New Yorker (boy number 2 literally knocked over an FBI agent to get us seats!). The only thing you need to know is to bring cash. If you end up in Midtown North, I can think of far worse places to end up!

Hockey Season Begins Anew...and Cheetos Brand Korean Barbecue Snacks

Yes, hockey started again last night. The Rangers are back, and so are we, although no longer in section 314. Thanks to the recession, we have moved "up" to section 227, which, although it is much easier to see and somewhat more centered, seems a little soulless in comparison. We shall see, and of course the Rangers won their home opener. So all is good in the world.

After the game, we walked down to 33rd Street between 5th and 6th Avenues towards Manhattan's Korea Town. Although much smaller (and more expensive) than Queens, its always fun to go down to. We often get dessert, soup, or barbecue, but we also go to the grocery store located in the middle of the block on the north side of the street.

Tonight's highlight was Cheetos Brand Korean Barbecue brand snacks. Straight from Korea (so of course the bag just says "barbecue," the Cheetos, complete with Chester Cheetah and a small prize inside, look just like regular Cheetos, without the orange color. They do taste a little like Korean Barbecue, with a plum-soy-sweet flavor. Edible: sort of. Cool. Absolutely. As cool as Chester Cheetah himself.

Pat's Pizza in Maine

There are a lot of Pat's Pizza restaurants throughout
Maine. Usually, the lovely wife and I try to avoid chains, but 1) we
weren't that hungry 2) it was late and 3) we make an exception for
mini-chains, which this clearly is.

We went to the patsy's in Windham on Route 302 (844 Roosevet Trl(207) 892-1700). The service was fast and friendly and if you like tv you will not be dissapointed. We even
has a little flat screen at our booth. It was even possible to change the channel. Not suprisingly, everyone was watching the Red Sox game but us (we watched tennis).

As for the food: well it was inexpensive and edible. Safe and dull.
Not great. But not bad either. There is a wide variety of pizzas
which are a little overcheesed and have crusts that are a bit too
cakey for my liking. But you are in Maine. You should have eaten
lobster and clams (again). And, if you were with your kids, and not
just visiting them at camp, you would definitely be back.

Danielle's Diner in route 302 near Sebago Lake, Maine

I'm back, trying to post as I eat here in Maine, where we are visiting boy 1 and boy 2 at camp. We have just stopped at the classic diner Danielle's near Raymond on route 302 (207-655-2900). It's a classic diner serving breakfast a d lunch (they close by 2 pm). They have tasty eggs, attractive looking pancakes and tasty potatoes. Pretty good coffee, too. So if u need breakfast in the lake district, I would strongly recommend Danielle's.

Rangers Lose Series 4-3...Out of Playoffs

This just stinks. No offense.

Rangers Beat Capitals and go up 3-1

It was a different Madison Square Garden tonight. Although it started the same, with John Amaranti singing the Nations Anthem while the balloons came down and the Rolling Stone's "Gimmee Shelter" the opening music, it was clear from the get go that things were going to be different throughout the game. The Rangers themselves were clearly more aggressive. The two back to back goals by Paul Mara and Chris Drury gave the fans hope that the Rangers could hold it together and win the game. The crowd was clearly more fired up as well this game, and each lousy call by a referee (of which there seemed to be many, particuarly as concered Sean Avery) was greeted with progressively louder chants of "a*&#ole" and of course, my favorite "THESE REFS SUCK." Its not family time at the playoffs.

Well despite the many shots by the rightly feared Ovechkin, Lundqvist saved the Rangers (again) and we head into Friday with the hope that round two will be the Rangers to play!