RegionAle Sandwich Shop (Ellicott City, MD)

After a nice walk around town and some early Xmas shopping in Ellicott City, my wife mentioned she wanted me to try a sandwich shop she’d been to with a friend. We drove back towards Columbia and ended up at RegionAle in a shopping center just off Snowden River Parkway. The mini-chain—which boasts three locations in the MD/DC area—has a great concept: the founders wanted to “bring a fresh spin to classic American sandwiches” by featuring regional favorites crafted with a modern twist. 

I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for a good sandwich, whether it’s the cheesesteaks and hoagies I grew up on as a Delaware Valley native, the massive crab cake sandwiches I’ve been devouring for the past twenty-plus years outside Baltimore, or everything from pulled pork and fried chicken to Cuban and tuna sandwiches that I’ve sampled in our travels. The menu offers about a dozen sandwiches that represent both coasts (California, Oregon, Florida, NY and Philly feature prominently) plus places in between. 

I almost never eat a cheesesteak outside PA/NJ/DE (and the ciabatta roll screamed “foul”) and my crabcake allegiance lies elsewhere, so I settled on the Kentucky (?) Smashburger, featuring an Angus patty cooked to perfection and nestled in a potato bun with the works (Havarti, arugula, tomato, red onion, dill pickle, house sauce). Personally, I’d never thought of Kentucky as home of the smashburger, but it turns out they were invented at a Dairy Cheer burger stand in Ashland, KY (where my wife’s grandparents lived) more than 50 years ago! After considering the cheesesteak, my wife pulled the trigger on the Nashville Hot Chicken (shown) stacked with two juicy, breaded chicken patties, Nashville Hot Sauce, garlic aioli, arugula, and pickle slices on a potato bun. We split a side of homemade Old Bay potato chips, and I was able to order a Cryomancer IPA on tap from Baltimore’s own Nepenthe Brewery. 

Sandwich prices range from $10 to $15 and there’s a selection of soups, vegetarian sandwiches, salads and desserts. Service was friendly and quick (though I did have to wait a bit for my beer), and the location we visited had plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Definitely recommended! — Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is editor/publisher of The Hungover Gourmet, which is seeking contributions for its upcoming thirteenth issue. Check out our website for more details or email editor@hungovergourmet.com.

Barbecued Hamburgers from Meats for Men (1954)

Alright, men. Before you get to work putting together that tricycle and Barbie's Dream House, why not give the little lady a break and whip up something for Xmas Eve dinner? These Barbecued Hamburgers from 'Meats for Men: 18 Favorite Dishes for Men' come with some additional "Hints for Hamburgers" like making Open Face Hamburgers that are "fine for teen-age parties" and a Spring Garden Salad Bowl recipe complete with a 1/4 pound of processed American cheese. Courtesy of Western Electric Booklet Rack Service for Employees, copyright 1954, Tested Recipe Institute, Inc. (Long Island City 1, NY), distributed by Ticonderoga Publishers, a division of Christmas Club, A Corp. (230 Park Ave., NY, NY). Click picture for full size image. – Dan Taylor

#recipes #recipeoftheday #vintage #vintagerecipes #hamburgers #hamburgerrecipes #retro #retrorecipes

Bill's Bar and Burger (Rockefeller Center NYC)

After meeting up with friends and taking a long post-HAMILTON walk we decided to duck into Bill’s Bar and Burger for a drink, a bite and shelter from the surprise appearance of some rainstorms.

We were burgered our after Iron Bar for lunch but the menu offered chicken and fish sandwiches for the gals and a spicy Buffalo chicken burger for me. (I thought in my haze that it was a Buffalo chicken sandwich but was pleased with the end result, packed with spicy sauce and blue cheese.)

Shared fries were of the classic fry variety and they had an excellent draft and bottled/canned beer selection including Bell’s Two Hearted Ale.

We were all pretty tired and hungry so this napkin was all I ended up snapping to record our visit. Good place, bustling atmosphere, kid friendly and comfy booths that offered ample relief to my bony butt after two days walking all over the Big Apple. Signs said they're opening an outlet in DC. Will definitely add it to our list.

A solid 4 pints. – Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor/publisher of The Hungover Gourmet. He really needs to hit the gym tomorrow.

Iron Bar NYC (713 8th Ave and 45th Street, Times Square)

I'm posting reviews and pics from our weekend trip to New York City a little out of order. Not that anybody cares...

On Saturday afternoon we had a hard out for a 2 PM show of HAMILTON at the Richard Rodgers Theater in order to fulfill a Christmas wish for our daughter. (Little did I know how much I would love the show!)

After doing a walking tour of Colonial Manhattan that involved the Stock Exchange, Federal Hall, 9/11 Memorial, Trinity Church and more we made a reservation at Heartland Brewery and Chophouse while we headed back to Times Square. Wondering if we'd have enough time to have a sit down lunch and make it to the show in plenty of time we decided to cancel and head to someplace closer to the theater for lunch before the show.

Unfortunately, Union Square Burger didn't open till 1 PM and the other place we scoped out didn't do much for the group so we headed down the street to Shake Shack, figuring if we didn't see anything appealing on the way we'd be happy with this old standby.

It wasn't long till we crossed in front of Iron Bar and decided we'd give it a try.

"We can be out within an hour, right?," we asked as we met the hostess. "We need to leave for the theater by 1:30..."

"Sure!," she replied with confidence.

I have to admit, we loved the look and vibe of the place. A dark but not impenetrable atmosphere, cool high tops with tables made of pipe and tabletops that looked aged from use, an endless line of taps featuring some of my favorite beers including Dale's Pale Ale.

Alas, the place was sorta hit or miss for our group. My burger – a midwest-inspired Juicy Lucy – was dynamite and tasted like the burgers my Mom cooked when I was a kid. The rest of our group didn’t fare quite as well as medium rare burgers were all super rare in the center and it took a good half hour  (!) to get our food while others who were seated well after us all got their lunches.

Great beer selection,  awesome Juicy Lucy and a cool vibe definitely help offset the crummy service and inconsistent cook on the burgers. Unfortunately, it all adds up to a three pint rating despite an excellent lunch for The Hungover Gourmet. – Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor/publisher of The Hungover Gourmet and he loves him a burger and some Dale's Pale Ale.

Summer's Gone Part I: Charm City (And Surrounding) Edition

The Spaghetti & Meatball Pizza at Joe Squared in Baltimore.

Now I'm standing in a doorway, thinking of summers gone by
It ought to make me happy, but it just makes me want to cry.
– Summer's Gone, The Kinks

So, uh, anybody out there want to tell me exactly where it is that summer went?

Seems like just yesterday I was picking Ryan up on the last day of school, ten weeks of opportunity and adventure looming large ahead of us. Swim team, fishing, boat trips, the beach – ahhh, yes, the beach – and so many other things to do.

Turns out ten weeks isn't as long as I thought and ten 10 days ago I was packing my third grader (?!) in the car for the first day of the new school year.

But between vacation trips, beach weekends and catching up with old friends, THG has been doing a lot of out and about drinking and eating recently. And I do mean "a lot".

One of our favorite treks of late was down to Columbia, MD which, while only a 30 minute drive, always sounds much further away. But when old friends were in town to visit their daughter it seemed like a great chance to try Victoria's Gastropub. Set amidst one of those confusingly cobbled together groupings of stores, banks and chain stores, Victoria's is quite the craft beer and upscale pub grub oasis.

Though our reserved table netted us nothing more than a cramped booth next to the kitchen, I was happy to see they offered a robust beer menu in addition to the varied dinner fare. Bonus points, too, to the server who admitted that our friends were much better off hitting nearby G&M for their legendary softball-sized crab cakes than ordering at Victoria's. Love the honesty, dude.

Chicken Liver Pate was smooth and not at all gamey – though still not as great as my father-in-law's but on par with the Smoked Chicken Liver Spread I made back in 2009. I must admit, though, that we were definitely disappointed that steamed clams were already off the menu at such an early hour. On the other hand, entrees were met with a lot of enthusiasm, especially my juicy Wagyu burger with mushrooms and Swiss cheese which had me scrambling for my napkin to stem the tide of juice running down my hands.

The ambience doesn't quite capture the gastropub/craft beer feel they're going for and our second round of beers was completely mixed up, but any hiccups were smoothed over by the hearty sides of addictive Duck Fat Fries that were devoured by everyone, even the 8 year old diner in our midst.

Two recent trips to Ryleigh's Oyster House in Cockeysville, MD met with definitely mixed results. (They have a couple other popular locations but we've never been.) While I love noshing on seafood at Mama's on the Half Shell down in Baltimore, the opening of Ryleigh's in Cockeysville has brought some of that convenience a lot closer to home. We're talking ten minutes versus thirty, not to mention no lengthy wait for a table.

On National Oyster Day I accompanied my buddy and his son out for lunch, which resulted in picture perfect service, ice cold Natty Boh drafts, smooth and chunky Cream of Crab Soup and my usual, a Fried Oyster Po' Boy that may not be as good as Mama's but is worth stopping in for every month or so.

Unfortunately, another recent trip to Ryleigh's resulted in the first time I was officially disappointed in the restaurant. We had decided to meet an old friend there on a Saturday afternoon and sat under an umbrella on the steamy patio, which sits, unfortunately, right along busy Padonia Road. To be frank, I'm still trying to find a nearby Baltimore County patio/deck bar that doesn't butt up against a busy thoroughfare.

Service from the patio bartender was a little shaky – a bit too much time between courses, forgotten soup – and my Grilled Fish Tacos were a major letdown, though everybody else seemed to enjoy their lunches. Unfortunately, my flour tortillas were a dense, soggy mess, the grilled fish limited to one nearly tasteless strip per taco, with whatever flavor the fish might have had overwhelmed by the pico de gallo.

More impressive was a Sunday afternoon trek to Joe Squared on North Ave. for some pizza and beers before catching a documentary at The Ottobar. I've always liked the food and drink at JS, even if parking your car and walking three blocks reminds me of my days walking from classes at Drexel to a bar or friend's house in West Philly. And not in a great way.

Despite an air conditioning system that was clearly struggling on a sultry summer afternoon, I loved the Spaghetti and Meatball Pizza that my buddy Dave suggested. To be honest, I was expecting something far heavier but JS once again elevated the simple concept and delivered a delicious thin crust packed with red peppers, meatballs and just a hint of pasta.

Dave and I ordered a 14" pie, but I could have definitely housed another few slices. And maybe another small pizza before we headed to The Ottobar for a screening of DON'T YOU WISH THAT WE WERE DEAD about one of my favorite punk bands, The Damned.

And, yes, we even spotted two large rats cavorting in the Ottobar parking lot afterwards, so it was an official Baltimore trip!

I'll be back with Part II of our Summer Wrap-Up soon, with some thoughts on new and old haunts on our home away from home, Long Beach Island (NJ). – Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor and publisher of The Hungover Gourmet. Be sure to check out THG on Facebook and Twitter.

Morningstar Farms Recalls Spicy Black Bean Burgers

One of the most popular posts ever at this blog is our 2010 (!) review of Morningstar Farms Chipotle Black Bean Burgers. We don't really eat them anymore because a) our local Costco doesn't seem to carry them, and b) we're trying to cut back on the amount of beans and starches in our diet.

But that doesn't stop the comments and questions about the tasty meat-free treats from coming in.

So, this morning while perusing my emails and moderating comments I noticed that someone inquired:

what was the safety deal about these black bean burgers--recently in the news--

I had not heard anything before this but a quick Google news search confirmed that yes, it appears the Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean Burgers (including the Chipotle variety) have been voluntarily recalled due to an undeclared peanut allergen.

You can read the story here and thanks to the eagle-eyed reader who brought this to our attention.

Wahlburgers Coming to Philly, Shake Shack to Baltimore

Wow, the burger craze doesn't seem to be showing signs of slowing down. (Though I'd still rather eat my own grilled burgers.)

Turns out that one day after hearing that my adopted home of Baltimore is getting a Shake Shack, my old stomping grounds of Philadelphia will be home to as many as five Wahlburgers locations. The chain has gained fame due to ownership by the Wahlberg brothers and the A&E reality show filmed at one of the MA-based locations.

I've never been to a Shake Shack or Wahlburgers? Worth the trip? Use the comments section to weigh in.

Stop It. You're Embarrassing Yourself.

A day after McDonald's announced they were getting into the chicken wing biz (at least for a limited time), Burger King made headlines with their $1 Fry Burger. Which is a burger. With four french fries on it. For a buck.

Did they not get the message that we were through?

What's Missing from Thrillist's Best Burgers List?

If it were up to Thrillist I'd be about 300 lbs. and a raging alcoholic.

Their recent "Summer Beers Checklist" is tacked up on my office bulletin board and gets stuffed in my pocket anytime I think I might be hitting the beer store. (By the way, you can get your own copy of the checklist here. So far I've only sampled five of the 150 or a paltry 3.33%. Favorites so far are Harpoon Summer Beer and Victory Summer of Love.)

As if that wasn't enough they recently posted their list of the 33 Best Burgers in The Country (also with its own handy checklist). Personally, I was glad to see they steered clear of places like In-N-Out or 5 Guys when making the list – unless you're going to single out a specific establishment those places don't belong.

But I was disappointed that Tessaro's, my favorite burger haunt when I lived in Pittsburgh, was not on the list. I still dream about those burgers and though I have no desire to go back to the 'Burgh I would drive there for a burger from Tessaro's today.

And I'm not alone. No less an authority than The Hamblogger rated the burger at Tessaro's a 5 out of 5.

What beefy omissions catch your eye? Sound off in the comments section...

Cheesy Bites? Philly Chicken? Avocado & Swiss Burger? Must Be a New Burger King Menu.

Burger King could probably learn a thing or two from their (Golden) arch rivals. While I'm not necessarily a big McDonald's fan there's a comfortable sameness to their menu that, well, works. Sure they go outside the box every now and then with a McRib or the upcoming Fish McBites (Can. Not. Wait.) but you rarely see something from McDonald's that makes you recoil with horror at the same time that you're strangely curious.

Not so with Burger King.

The corpse of the 55th Anniversary (?!) menu had barely cooled – hell, they might still be hawking the Angry Whopper as far as I know – when a new book of coupons showed up in my mailbox. Actually, that's a lie. It wasn't even in my mail. It was stuffed inside the local newspaper I usually throw away after I pull out the grocery store fliers.

Anyway, I'd heard rumblings about the new chicken sandwiches that were on the way – for a limited time, of course – and had even seen a camera phone pic of an in-store poster hawking the "Philly" Chicken Sandwich. Here's further evidence from the coupon book...

Apparently, "Philly" is now restaurant/recipe code for "smothered in cheese, onions and peppers", though I don't know a self-respecting native of the DelVal who would put either onions or peppers on their cheesesteak. Even the usually-reliable Cooking Light takes it a step further by advising readers to put horseradish (WTF?!) on their Turkey Philly.

They've also unveiled "New" Chicken Nuggets ("Crispier with White Meat"), which I believe makes this the fourth straight year they've revamped their nugget offerings. And while I'll definitely admit they're superior to whatever that is in McDonald's nuggets, my daughter would not agree. Maybe I can sway here with Cheesy Tots.

And when it's cold outside what better way to warm your insides than with ... an Avocado & Swiss Burger? 

Oh Burger King. Why are you so capable of simultaneously disappointing and tempting me?

Happy Holidays from THG and Hardee's

Interested in checking out a copy of our final print edition? Interested in trying the new Jalapeno Turkey Burger from Hardee's?

Well, the first four people who email us at editor@hungovergourmet.com receive a copy of THG #11 and a coupon for a free Jalapeno Turkey Burger courtesy of the folks at Hardee's.

And with that, let us wish all of our readers, friends, followers and fans a very Merry Christmas and a Happy 2013!

Burger Business Names Top Burgers of the Year

While I agree that the idea of topping a burger with pulled pork represents a major step forward in the "meat as condiment" movement, I can't say I'm on board with Burger Business' top picks for Burger of the Year (Chain).

I thought the Burger King Summer Menu Burgers were pretty amateurish with the "Memphis" Burger being wrong on just about every level and the "Carolina" Burger fairing only slightly better.

But maybe this speaks to a larger problem with the whole chain burger category.

What was your favorite burger of the year? Chain or otherwise. Sound off in the comments section.

At Least They Didn't Put Cheese on It: BK's Bummer Menu

I have a love/hate relationship with most of the "limited time only" offerings from Burger King.

On the one hand I love that they push the envelope more than counterparts like McDonald's and Wendy's. While those places seem to be content recycling previous "hits" (McRib) or simply revamping existing items (Spicy McBites, chicken sandwich with hot sauce or cheese or cheesy hot sauce), you get the feeling that the folks at BK are at least trying when they trot out some superhero-flick-inspired sandwich or, in the case of this review, the 2012 BK Summer Menu.

On the other hand, I hate that 9 times out of 10 the execution is so wrong-headed and mind-boggling that I wonder why I fall for it again and again and again. (Oh, right, I'm highly suggestible.) At least when Taco Bell pushes the envelope, even when the execution falls on its face, I know what they were attempting to do. I may not have loved the Doritos Tacos but I've gone back and had them twice.

To be frank, I knew that the BK Summer Menu – especially the Memphis Pulled Pork Sandwich – was destined to be another letdown. The question was, would it be a Loaded Steakhouse Letdown or a Burger Shots Letdown?

And so, on my way home from a long trip – with a ferocious hunger burning in my belly – I decided to take the plunge and see what the menu offered. I pulled in and ordered the Memphis Pulled Pork Sandwich, the Carolina BBQ Whopper, a side of Sweet Potato Fries and the Bacon Sundae.

It didn't take long to realize that the Memphis Pulled Pork was wrong on just about every level. At first I thought the "pulled pork" was some type of "pork patty" along the lines of the McRib, but I realized it was probably just a byproduct of the precise portioning that comes with any fast food offering. This surely isn't the same pulled pork that I make at home or get from Andy Nelson's up the road, but is pretty close to the stuff you'll find in pre-sealed tubs in the meat section at your local supermarket. Processed and shredded to the point where it almost looks pre-chewed it's the perfect sandwich if you're really in the mood for something like Lloyd's but don't feel like using your microwave.

Adding insult to injury are the toppings and bun. Instead of making it a real Memphis-style pulled pork sandwich topped with tangy cole slaw on a soft bun that almost becomes one with the insides, BK chose to add sliced onions (WTF?!) and a cloying "sweet Southern dressing" before placing the whole thing between halves of a warm, toasted artisan-style bun.

As I said to my wife, "at least they didn't put cheese on it".

The Carolina BBQ Whopper fares slightly (and I mean slightly) better, but only because there's a Whopper lurking somewhere beneath all the faux-tasting bacon and that goddamn "sweet Southern dressing" which makes another unwanted, unwarranted appearance. Apparently the burger is topped with Bulls Eye Carolina Style BBQ Sauce (which boasts of mustard and BBQ spices) but I couldn't taste anything beyond that damn, damn dressing.

Not surprisingly, the Sweet Potato Fries and Bacon Sundae were the high points of the meal. The fries taste almost exactly like the frozen Alexia Sweet Potato Fries I buy in bulk at Costco and the Bacon Sundae featured just the right mix of sweet and savory thanks to a blend of vanilla soft serve (touted by many bloggers as the best fast food soft serve out there), chocolate fudge, caramel, bacon crumbles and a decadent piece of thick cut bacon as a garnish.

I'm tempted to swing by and try the Texas BBQ Whopper – the only offering that doesn't have that dressing – and grab another Bacon Sundae, but I might be better off to test out the Taco Bell Cantina Menu which appears to be an attempt to rebrand the chain rather than simply repackage existing menu offerings.

Best Burgers in Baltimore?

Burger with Swiss, Bacon, Caramelized Onions,
Mushrooms and Garlic Mayo

The holidays have kept me away from the blogging game for awhile but that doesn't mean we've been resting on our laurels. The Hungover Gourmet is still out there pounding the pavement, trying new things and attempting to track down some good eats.

One of our favorite finds this last month was Baltimore Burger Bar down in the Hampden neighborhood. I took a flier on a local coupon for the joint earlier in the year and realized a few days before Christmas that it was about to expire.

Knowing that Ryan probably wouldn't go for the esoteric burger toppings – the BBB PB&J features "grass-fed beef, fresh peanut butter, berry elderflower marmalade, herbed banana and brussel sprouts, bacon, gouda" – we got a sitter for the afternoon and headed down to give it a try.

Frankly, most of the burgers I've had in Baltimore haven't been much to write home about. Either the restaurant is unwilling or incapable of cooking the burger the way I want (rare to medium rare), or the place serves up a decent burger that's no better than anything I can make at home. (Which is one of the reasons I have yet to try the much lauded Five Guys. I feel like I'm bound for disappointment.)

Up to this point, my favorite Baltimore burgers came via the Chowhound food truck that was hired to cater the fundraiser at my daughter's pre-school. And even though I was unimpressed by the rest of the meal, the Kobe and Foie Gras sliders at Salt are still memorable several years later.

Until further notice the Baltimore Burger Bar serves up my favorite burger in the area. Though a bit pricey (two burgers, two sides of fries and a couple canned sodas came in around $30), the grass-fed beef burgers are a hefty handful that were actually prepared the way both my wife and I like them cooked. The row house location is definitely casual and you can sit outside if the weather's nice or head up to a table in one of the rooms that overlook the Avenue. Makes for great people watching while you fight to keep the burger juices from escaping past your wrist and down your sleeve.

Topping options are plentiful and range from traditional to more outré. Side orders of fries were nothing remarkable but came well-seasoned with salt and black pepper. On my return visit I'll probably skip the fries and hope that one of their soups is in stock.

I plan to give Five Guys and the resurrected Gino's a try in the coming months, as well as a return trip to Towson's own Burger Brothers. Any other Baltimore area burgers I should definitely try? Or definitely avoid?

Sizzler to Hit Streets with Food Truck

This is at least the second instance of a chain restaurant hopping on the food truck trend and announcing their attention to bring their menu to the people. I guess if the people won't come to you...

Sorry, let me put the snark away and just report the facts (courtesy of Fast Food Maven).

Sizzler is launching a food truck later this fall – currently tabbed ZZ Truck, but I'm guessing that will change once Billy Gibbons gets wind of it.

As if they're already anticipating a cease & desist letter, the company will hold a "Name That Food Truck" contest through October. Voters will get to choose between five beef-centric names (including KOW and Re, White & Moo) with voters being entered into a drawing for an iPod Touch.

Check out Sizzler's Twitter feed and Facebook page for more info. (Now there's a sentence I never imagined I'd be typing!)

Top That! Come Up with Our Fave Burger Topping and Win a $25 Gift Card

Obscene, tasty and obscenely tasty burger toppings are nothing new.

But it feels like the ante has been upped now that Denny's is topping their patty melts with mac & cheese, a dish you'd normally find languishing on the side of your plate, looking on with jealousy as your mouth and eyes devour that burger patty.

Recent years have brought us such out there burger toppings as mashed potatoes, a cheesesteak and mozzarella sticks. But is that the best we can do? After all, this is the country that put a man on the moon! We're not better than the concoctions you'd see created at a 3rd grade cafeteria table?

So, show us what you've got. Visit us on Facebook and answer our post about how you'd top a burger. If you have our favorite topping you win a $25 Cheeseburger in Paradise gift card and we'll even prepare your burger for a future blog post.

Hurry, contest ends Friday, September 30, 2011!

Double Shot of FOOD COURT: Drunk Passengers and Burger Suits

A businessman traveling from Phoenix, Arizona to the UK became enraged after flight attendants refused to serve him more alcohol. At one point, the US citizen allegedly sat in his seat with a broken bottle, claiming that he would "stab the pilots if they want".

Cult burger chain In-N-Out is suing an Aberdeen, MD burger joint, alleging that the logo and menu are too similar. The Associated Press reports that In-N-Out is suing Grab-N-Go Burger and "filed an infringement lawsuit this week in U.S. District Court in Baltimore... and is seeking a permanent injunction and unspecified damages." Guess I better get over there soon!

Worst/Best Sandwiches in America

Who doesn't love a good list? Oh sure, I was ticked that THG was left off last week's list of the 50 Most Influential People in the Food World but I feel like they were pulling a Tom Jackson on me and left me off the list just to motivate me.

But what I really love are these lists of best (and worst) fill-in-the-blank. And it has been a banner week for that kind of news.

First up was the list of the Best New Sandwiches in America. What I like about this list is that it focuses on "New" Sandwiches. Hey, don't get me wrong... I'm a Philly-area guy through and through and I'll go to the mat with anybody over the merits of the venerable hoagie, esteemed cheesesteak and the underappreciated roast pork, but we know how good those are. What we need is the 411 on what's new and exciting in sandwichland. (Do people still say "we need the 411"? If I have to ask, probably not.)

For my money, the Cheesy Mac & Rib, Pibil Torta and Brussels Sprouts Sandwich all look to be – in the words of my nemesis Guy Fieri – "out of bounds" and most definitely "bananas".

But if you're going to have a list of Best Sandwiches there's gotta be some Worst Sandwiches lingering somewhere. It's the gut-wrenching yang to the previous list's delicious yin. Which I think is what's on the Brussels Sprouts Sandwich.

And I think we know where the aforementioned somewhere is – chains. Men's Health weighed in (no pun intended) with their bevy of annual bests and worsts, and Cheesecake Factory (no surprise) takes the "prize" for the Grilled Shrimp and Bacon Club. Check out this tale of the tape:

Cheesecake Factory Grilled Shrimp & Bacon Club
1,890 calories
24 g saturated fat
2,964 mg sodium
125 g carbohydrates

In the old days this sandwich would have been a challenge to THG. Now, cooler heads prevail. Though I am still interested in that damn Stuffed Steakhouse Burger from Burger King... even if it does look like a slab of hot fruitcake.

You Shouldn't Have. No, Really, You Shouldn't Have...

White Castle taking reservations for Valentine's Day.

The McRushmore: The Turducken of Fast Food

Any regular reader of THG knows that when it comes to using meat as a condiment, I'm usually on board in a big way.

Hamburger with cheesesteak? Hot dog with pulled pork? Cheeseburger topped with pork roll?

Yes, yes and absolutely.

But even I'm not sure about The McRushmore, a towering concoction of McDonald's "delights" created by some dude named Ernest Wilkins. A Frankenstein-esque melding of a McDonald's chicken sandwich, Filet-O-Fish, Angus Burger and (limited time only offering) McRib, the tower of barnyard proportions clocks in somewhere around 1800 calories or, in other words, what I try and limit my calorie intake to per day.

Why do I expect Louis Fowler to try this any day?