Burgers in North Oak Cliff

Balmoral Bites is back. We have never been particularly good at posting to the blog on a regular basis. Weeks and sometimes months would pass between posts, but this is a record: it has been one year since our last post! And, what a year it has been. Sometimes we feel as if we have lived an entire lifetime in the past year. We moved back to Texas last summer and are now writing from Lawndale Drive in Dallas rather than Balmoral Avenue in Chicago. Scott returned to his alma mater and former employer, the University of North Texas, as the Manager of High Performance Computing. I am now a Gallery Teacher at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. We settled into Oak Cliff, a community just across the river from downtown Dallas, and began exploring the local restaurants and joined Urban Acres, an organic market with co-op style produce. Even though we were surrounded with an abundance of new blogging opportunities, it began to seem that Balmoral Bites was at its end. It also began to seem that our 15-year relationship was coming to an end. Scott moved out in December and we were separated for 4 months. That may sound brief, but it felt like the longest and most difficult period of our lives. Then, about two months ago, reconciliation began and we are now trying to build a new relationship and start a new journey together. After a little more time and reflection, we hope to share some of our experiences of the past year.

Burger at Smoke

Posted in May 2010, our last entry was written about the burger joint at the end of our block in Chicago, Hamburger Mary’s. We thought it fitting to restart the blog with another burger post, so we set out to find the best burger in North Oak Cliff. Instead of discovering one burger that was the overall best in OC, we found that every restaurant had their own unique approach to a good burger. We started with the EB&D Loaded Up and Truckin’ Burger at Smoke. This burger is served with sharp cheddar, two slices of thick bacon, a farm egg fritter, and the other usual burger fixins. Absolutely delicious. While we aren’t officially naming a winner, this is the burger I would personally go back for again and again. Of everything we tried, this was definitely the most gourmet and the most expensive at $14 for the burger and one side. With one extra salad, though, the burger was plenty of food for the two of us to share. And, as a side note, I also highly recommend their cedar wood infused tequila.

Burger at Eno's

Next, we made our way to Eno’s Pizza Tavern on an unusually chilly Sunday afternoon in April. We decided to split a burger and pizza since their daily special was a hamburger pie with basil, tomato, and ricotta cheese. The Tavern Burger is made with local grass fed beef and served on a toasted bun. It came with the usual burger fixins as well – tomato, white onion, pickle, greens, and mayo. I don’t typically eat mayo, but this was actually good – homemade, I assume – and didn’t take away from my burger experience. Eno’s burger was quite simple, and yet it exceeded all the other burgers with the quality and flavor of meat. The burger is served alone for $6, but chips, soups, and salads are also available as sides.

Local Pie with Hamburger at Eno's

On Cinco de Mayo, we headed to Oddfellows for dinner. No splitting here – it was late and we were starving so we both ordered our own cheeseburger. We had heard that Oddfellow’s burger was better than Eno’s, so we had high hopes that this might be the winner. The Oddfellow’s Cheeseburger was a large (probably 1/2-pound) burger served with a heaping pile of thin-cut french fries for $9.99. The burger did not wow us, but it certainly had a good charbroiled flavor with a crispy crust on the patty.

To finish up our OC burger adventure, we visited Bolsa. We had some delicious cocktails while waiting for our table, but after being seated, we realized they were not serving burgers that evening. Bolsa’s menu changes daily based on the availability of fresh and local ingredients. While we like that approach, we were a little frustrated and disappointed about not getting to add their burger to our blog. Next time I get a craving for a good burger, I may head to Bolsa to give it another try. Or, the Kessler Theater, whose burger just won the Backyard Burger Throwdown at the annual Brew Riot. Or, my very own backyard… Scott and I used to make burgers about once a week, but our grill hasn’t been fired up since we moved back to Texas. So, not only has it been a year since our last blog post, it has also been a year since I enjoyed a burger a la Scott. It may not sound like much, but I really missed those burgers! I guess I didn’t need to go far to find the best burger in OC. So glad my husband is home!

~Lauren

Hamburger Mary’s

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,

Oh, how your burgers grew!

In my belly, it’s so swelly,

Now that I’m tasting your brew.

It’s spring in Chicago and that means it is perfect open-window weather (as is most of the summer, too). Only problem is, around lunch and dinnertime an aroma from all the Clark Street restaurants comes wafting in our windows, which makes one both hungry and very tempted to eat out. It is usually the smell of burgers that is so tempting, but we are never certain if it is coming from La Tache (they used to serve a good burger, but we haven’t been back since they changed their menu), Huey’s Hot Dogs (they also serve burgers), or  Hamburger Mary’s. We usually opt for Mary’s because they serve tasty burgers and home brews in a fun atmosphere.

In the almost three years we have lived down the street from Hamburger Mary’s, they have undergone some changes and expansion, but have always kept a variety of delicious 1/2-pound burgers on their menu.  One of Mary’s many quirks are the women’s stilettos and pumps in which they bring your check; although, it has been a while since we have seen a woman’s shoe on our table, so they not be doing this anymore.  We have also seen Mary’s Burger of the Month come and go over the past few years, but are glad to see it is back for now. Even without the monthly special, there are always plenty of other interesting menu options. Some of our favorites are: Steakhouse Burger (pictured above) with A1 sauce, melted provolone, grilled portobella mushrooms, and crispy red onion strings; Barbara-Q Bacon Cheeseburger with onion rings, BBQ sauce, bacon, and cheddar & jack cheeses; Buffy (The Burger Slayer) with red wine sauce, swiss cheese, and garlic aioli; and, Philly Cheesesteak Burger (pictured below) with swiss & jack cheeses, grill onions & peppers, and crispy red onion strings. Because these burgers are so hefty, we always split one and order an appetizer or a side. Mary’s also has several Stuffed Burgers, but we have found these are too messy for sharing. In addition to the burgers, one thing that keeps us coming back are the tasty fries – full cut, well seasoned, and a little bit of crunch – which you can also order loaded with chili, cheese, green onions, and a dollop of sour cream.  There is much more than burgers and fries on their menu, but we’ve done little exploration other than some starters…most of which were just okay.

About a year ago, Mary’s expanded into the adjoining space and opened a small brewery and sports bar called the Rec Room. Prior to the Rec Room, Mary’s beer selection was lacking, but their home brews have definitely bumped this place up a notch on our list. Two of their regular beers we enjoy are the Mary Hoppins (Pale Ale) and Gangster (Hopped-up Amber Ale). And, finally, Mary’s Attic (located directly above Hamburger Mary’s) is for the late nighters in our hood, but we have yet to venture upstairs to see what all the hooting and hollering is about. On karaoke nights, we can sometimes hear a few divas from our flat!

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,

Oh, how I’ll miss you so!

When we’ve moved, and can no longer behoove

Ourselves there to go.

All things round and flat…

Today we sat down together for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And, coincidentally, all three meals were made up of round, flat foods!

After staying up till 2:00 a.m. last night working on a thesis and job applications, we slept in (till 9:20) this morning and then made some fluffy Yockel Pancakes. For a late lunch, we put together some easy & delicious Black Bean Tostadas:

• 1 package tostadas
• 1 can refried black beans
• 1 can chipotle salsa (we use San Marcos brand from our local produce store)
• 2 cups shredded head lettuce
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 tomato, diced
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 lime, juiced
• splash of olive oil
• dash of cumin
• 1 avacado, sliced

Add one can of black beans to a medium sauce pan and mix in 2-3 tablespoons of chipotle sauce (depending on your preferred spice level), salt, pepper, and cumin. Continue heating on low until ready to serve. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix the shredded lettuce, cilantro, red onion, and tomato. Then, drizzle olive oil and lime iuice over mixture and toss. To prepare, spread a couple spoonfuls of warm beans over the crisp tostadas, then top with sliced avacado and lettuce mixture. Quick and easy lunch in served! But, we didn’t take pics – sorry!

For dinner, we headed across Clark Street to our favorite local bar, In Fine Spirits, for their weekly Wednesday night special – $3 cans of craft beer & cask ale and $5 flatbreads. We shared three different 6-inch flatbreads – chicken, short rib, and a house flatbread with truffle oil. We also tried their Surly Furious IPA cask ale and two canned beers from Ska Brewery in Durango, Colorado.

All in all, it was a great day full of all things round and flat…

~ Lauren & Scott

Ska Brewery's IPA at In Fine Spirits

Flatbread at In Fine Spirits