Behold The Greatest Cheeseburger Ever Made!

How can you argue it – that is one gorgeous cheeseburger! So where did it come from? Well, that question is answered differently by ANYONE who has a taste for a good burger…because we’ve all held a cheeseburger that looked just about flawless, haven’t we?

Yes, that is one great looking cheeseburger! There is, however, a bit of a controversy in the burger world:

Is “bigger” always “better?”

Can a burger ever be “too” big? They are fun to advertise, and enjoyable to observe, but are they really for eating?

Today we aren’t here to discuss “mega burgers”…instead, it time’s to go back to the basics, and nobody does “basic beef” better than the Windy City!

Chicago’s “Basic Burger Battle”!

Time to check out two places in Chicago that don’t go “big”, they go “basic”…burgers that are straightforward and delicious…let’s start at a local favorite located in the Windy City’s Lincoln Park neighborhood…

Welcome To Muskie’s!

Welcome to a classic “hamburger stand” – Muskie’s has been on Lincoln avenue for almost twenty years, serving up great burgers to a ravenous neighborhood…in a setting that feels like the 60’s…

I love the “traditional” hamburger stand – Muskie’s doesn’t try to do anything more than serve up “char-broiled” burgers on a small grill…along with hot dogs, a fish sandwich, and a few other surprises…in a setting that says “basic, good hamburgers”…

I ordered Muskie’s “bacon cheeseburger” with fries…and while this bun looks a bit wrinkled, it wasn’t – it held up just fine, tasted good and was perfect for the burger’s needs….and at Muskie’s you don’t have to worry: they put two meaty strips of freshly cooked bacon on top…

The meat tastes char-broiled, with strong “beef” flavor…and the condiments are added sparingly – to enhance the burger, not camouflage it…lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, muster and a hint of secret sauce – OK, something in the thousand island family – and it works – it’s a straightforward, delicious burger…

The french fries come with skins on, freshly made to order, and a slight crunch and soft interior…

Muskie’s offers a few items loaded up – like a variety of cheese fries, plus milk shakes and floats as well – like I said, a great “hamburger stand”…

Now, time to head to a “hamburger shop”…Chicago’s more modern approach to a hamburger stand…

Welcome To Edzo’s!

Edzo’s is also in the Lincoln Park neighborhood – and as you can see, Edzo’s also has a “hamburger stand” vibe inside…although they call themselves a burger “bar”…

Edzo’s Modernist Take On Things!

One thing you notice immediately: while Edzo’s offers the traditional burger, they also have some really fun “modern” takes on the staples:

Grass Fed AND Lobster Fries!

That’s right, you can upgrade your beef to grass fed, along with other upgrades – and yes, you can also order “lobster fries!” And of course, for the purpose of this review, I did just that:

But first, I ordered a bacon cheeseburger with the works, just as I did at Muskie’s…

As you can see, this bacon cheeseburger also came loaded up with fresh, crispy bacon…and cheese that just couldn’t wait to melt…

As with Muskie’s, the beef was juicy and flavorful, and the burger wasn’t loaded up so much that you couldn’t taste the meat…

It’s All About The Price Point!

One thing to point out: these are NOT fast food burgers…they are not mass produced, frozen patties plopped down on a massive sheet of hot metal – these are char-broiled burgers, made to order…and you can taste the quality! Plus, at both places, you can watch them cook it too!

These burger and fry combos were both around $7, and they were very filling – Edzo’s and Muskie’s aren’t the “mega” burger joints that can charge $10 or more just for a burger…these are straightforward “hamburger stand” places that serve fresh burgers that taste great for a good price….

Gaze Upon My Lobster Fries!

Well as I said, Edzo’s had a few modern takes, including Lobster fries covered with an aioli sauce…and yes, they were as flavorful and delicious as they look…fresh fries topped with chopped Lobster, then laced with green onions and aioli…

The Verdict?

Both places are great, and the lobster fries were terrific at Edzo’s – but I enjoyed the Muskie’s burger just a bit more…perhaps the thousand island sauce made the difference, but both will satisfy your burger itch!

Make sure to check out Edzo’s as well as Muskie’s – for “traditional” burgers that deliver flavor and value…and if you were wondering about what kind of burger I love best, one of my favorites looks like this:

Behold Badhappy’s Frosted Flake Burger!

Yes, look costly: those are frosted flakes….

The legendary Badhappy Poutine shop in Chicago made this baby – until they had to close…but Chef Tom Kern is popping up all over Chicago, so I will update you as soon as I can on his Badhappy status…in the meantime, I can always bite down hard on one of these:

Big Vs. Bagged!

This entire discussion has been based on how you like your burger: do you want something MONSTROUS? Would you rather have straightforward? I like them both, and they are easy to find, like this Kuma’s burger!

Read my look at two Chicago institutions – one who goes BIG, and other who goes BAGGED, by clicking on my story below:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/07/17/chicagos-burger-wars-heavy-metal-vs-mad-max-big-against-bag/

So find out if some burgers are better BIG or BAGGED, and let me know what your favorite type of burger is!

It’s Strawberry Burger Time!

Yes, Japan has done it again! If you don’t think of strawberries when you think about a hamburger, then you don’t know Lotteria!

Lotteria Scores Again!

Japanese fast food chain Lotteria is a hamburger chain that never knows when to quit – creatively at least. And thank to the intrepid reporters at “Rocketnews24″, we can all experience the majesty of a “Strawberry burger!”

Yes, it’s the “Tochigi Wagyu Steak Hamburger with Tochiotome Strawberry Sauce” (Tochigi Wagyu Hamburg Steak Burger (Tochiotome Sauce)), and RocketNews24 couldn’t wait to see how strawberries and wagyu mix!

Here is how the website describes it: “the hamburger is flavored with plenty of not just strawberry sauce but a rich-looking demi-glace sauce as well. According to Lotteria, the strawberry sauce is made from a Béchamel sauce sweetened with Tochiotome jam and just a dash of Tochiotome liqueur. The demi-glace sauce contains various ingredients including a red wine-flavored condiment, bouillon and apples.”

Well, kudos once again to Lotteria, and of course to the great website “RocketNews24″ – who always uncover unique happenings in Asia and Japan! Read the entire “strawberry burger” experience by clicking on their story here:

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/10/02/strawberry-and-beef-we-try-lotterias-new-tochigi-wagyu-steak-hamburger-with-strawberry-sauce/

And now, to honor this latest burger gem, it’s time to look at Lotteria’s five greatest food concoctions!

Lotteria’s Chocolate-Chicken Burger!

Yes, Lotteria has a burger made out of chicken and topped with chocolate! Of course it’s as good as it looks, and you can read the entire review by clicking on here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/04/27/chocolate-chicken-burgers-shrimp-chicken-twins-bravo-japans-lotteria/

Ok, you are a traditionalist: no strawberries or chocolate for you…instead, you like the simplicity of a good cheeseburger – and guess what, Lotteria has that for you as well!

Lotteria’s Ten-Patty Madness!

Lotteria almost DARES you to try and bite down on this baby! How can you not love a burger that, well, never ends!

Read all about how they make this monster by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/04/25/bacon-bazookas-monster-burgers-massive-slabs-of-meat/

And if you are on the cutting edge of burger innovation, then you are well aware of this:

Lotteria’s Noodle Burger!

That’s right, bite down on a burger made with noodle buns! Check it out here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/05/16/japans-massive-noodle-burgers-green-gum-shakes-more-amazing-lotteria-madness/

Bacon Lovers Unite!

And if you love bacon like I love bacon, then Lotteria has down it again!

Yes, a burger topped with “bacon cubes”! I tell you, I love these guys! Read all about this bacon masterpiece here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/11/25/breaking-bacon-news-behold-the-bacon-cube-burger-japans-lotteria-strikes-bacon-gold-again/

Finally, while Lotteria is based in Japan, these has a bit of “italian” going for them one day, and it resulted in THIS:

Yes, they are japanese spaghetti burgers…so Lotteria, you continue to surprise and amaze out tastebuds, and for that we say thanks!

Behold The Majesty Of A Bacon Weave!

First of all, thanks to all of you who couldn’t wait to share this with me – it’s a new bacon classic, using our favorite cooking technique: the bacon weave!

As you can see, bacon is so much more than an ingredient: it has now taken over the role of bread and tortillas!

I have previously shared the “bacon weave taco”, which is a delicious way to go “south of the border”…and I also found this majestic breakfast item:

The Bacon Weave Breakfast Bowl!

You see how great that is? Thanks to “Baconology” for this masterpiece of the morning: Eggs, pancakes and more – all held in place by a beautiful bacon weave! And now, thanks to another great website, we have the ultimate in good taste:

The Bacon Weave Cheeseburger Burrito!

Kudos’s To Thrillist!

The great website “Thrillist.com” posted this recipe – go to their site to see all of the fun and fascinating stories they post all day every day!

Here is the “Thrillist” recipe, which they have on their website as well (the link follows the recipe):

1 1/2 pounds Oscar Mayer bacon (it’s the best for weaving)
2 handfuls frozen French fries
1 pound ground chuck
5 slices American cheese
3 tablespoons chopped red onion
1 pickle spear

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on it. Place 5 strips of bacon in an even layer on the rack. Place fries in an even layer on another baking sheet. Bake both until crispy, about 15 minutes.
Spread out a foot-long sheet of plastic wrap on the counter.

Make a 6×6-strip bacon weave (step-by-step instructions below if you’re a bacon-weave virgin).
Put beef in a gallon-size Ziploc bag and roll it out into a 1/4-inch thick, 10-inch square. With scissors, cut off the zipper closure and cut down the side seams, leaving just the bottom seam intact. Unfold the bag and layer on cheese, leaving a 1/2-inch bare on all edges except the top edge, which needs a couple inches. On the bottom third, pile cooked bacon, fries, onion, and pickle. Pull the bottom edge of the Ziploc bag up and over all the filling and roll into a tight log. Tuck the ends in.

Pick up the meat log using the bag and roll it off onto the bacon weave, near one edge. Pull the plastic wrap up on that edge of the bacon weave and roll the meat log over the rest of the bacon so it’s completely wrapped. Tuck the ends in.

Transfer the bacon-weave burrito to the wire rack and bake for 30 or 40 minutes, which is the difference between medium- and well-done.
Remove from oven and let the burrito rest on the wire rack for 10 minutes. Serve with your cheeseburger toppings of choice.

Thanks again to the great food minds as Thrillist – go there now to see this recipe and so much more:

http://www.thrillist.com/recipe/nation/bacon-weave-cheeseburger-burrito-thrillist-recipes

And remember, Elvis would approve of this recipe – because here is his favorite peanut butter and banana sandwich with a bacon weave as well!

Welcome To Tokyo!

I love everything about Tokyo. First of all, it’s one of the most “lit up” cities on earth…

Around every corner is is more to be amazed and amused by. A night in Tokyo’s entertainment districts, like Kabuki-Cho that you see here, are full of neon signs that lighten up and inspire…

In the daytime, it’s a fascinating city to explore…and even if you don’t speak the language – and therefore you cannot in any way read the signs – it really doesn’t matter, as it is all part of the maze of fun that awaits…

There are so many unique restaurants and shops to explore, even if you have no idea what they are selling! And every night of the week, Tokyo has some of the wildest forms of entertainment you will find anywhere!

Here are the reasons that I love Tokyo, a city that has exciting things to do all day and night – I will show you how: from sushi breakfast to the robot battle of late night, so let’s begin with a fascinating form of nightclub entertainment…that is unique to Tokyo:

Robot Bikini Battles!

Yes, there is a nightclub in Tokyo that has bikini robots battles! It’s just another way that the city lights up for fun!

This amazingly colorful and campy entertainment revue includes bikini girls fighting each other on giant robots! You can read all about this unique form of entertainment by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/03/27/giant-bikini-robot-dolls-tokyos-crazy-nightlife-strikes-again-tamborine-man-too/

If all this fun makes you hungry, why not head out to a cosplay cafe?

Cosplaying Around!

Yes, Tokyo is full of the most colorful cafes – and outfits – in the world. It’s a city that loves to dress up….I think of Tokyo as the world’s unofficial center of cosplay…

When G4 went to Tokyo, our Host Alex Sim-Wise got to spend the day cosplaying around with some of Tokyo’s most entertaining young women, who shared their tories of Cosplay with her…and of course posing with G4 staff…

You can see all of her colorful adventures by clicking on my story here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/12/19/alex-sim-wise-goes-cosplay-tokyo-cosplay-girls-tokyos-cosplay-cafes/

Yet for all of the exciting nightlife, Tokyo is also a city with a tranquil beauty as well…

Still, as peaceful and serene as Tokyo can be, it’s really the food and nightlife that keep me coming back!

I was lucky enough to travel there four times, and each time the city revealed a new part of itself to me…like this incredible “mini city” within…

This is the “Golden Gai” district in Tokyo’s Shinjuku neighborhood, where there are more than 200 bars, each with a seating capacity of 6-8!

I shot there with Host Alex Sim-Wise, and we had a great time exploring these mini-bars – many with specialty themes, like this “anime bar!”

Here is a link to my entire story, with more bars, more alleyways, and an incredible production crew filming there!

http://johnrieber.com/2012/10/16/alex-sim-wise-explores-tokyos-smallest-bars-golden-gai-mini-bars-i-love-japan/

The Golden Gai district is just one of the great nightlife districts of Tokyo, each with its own personality…

Alex Sim-Wise brought her friend Rachel Irvin along for some of the adventures, including some great nights out in colorful cosplay outfits!

Sim-Wise shot a lot of great stories for G4 while in Tokyo, including going full on “Cosplay!”

Alex was more than willing to try on a bunch of unique “cosplay” costumes, and head out for a night of filming in Tokyo’s most exciting party districts…read all about those adventures here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/03/05/alex-sim-wises-tokyo-piggyback-tongue-wagging-cosplay-anime-sim-wises-tokyo-video-adventure/

Tokyo also has some of the most entertaining places on earth to eat and shop as well…

Wacky Shopping – And Sushi For Breakfast!

Yes, Tokyo is also one of the wildest shopping cities in the world!

The “Harajuku” shopping district has the coolest stores to browse, which allowed me to buy a ton of tourist stuff from stores like this:

Sushi For Breakfast!

Since the stores don’t open before ten, you can begin your day with breakfast sushi at the world’s largest fish market!

Tokyo’s Tsukiji fish market has an early morning fish auction, and then hours of hustle and bustle as the world’s fish passes through these stalls:

And the best part about going to the market is starting your day with some breakfast sushi at one of the hundreds of sushi bars that ring Tsukiji:

If you want to taste the Tsukiji fish market, read all about it here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/02/25/electronic-cockroaches-breakfast-sushi-shopping-tokyos-unique-streets/

These are just a few of the reasons that I love Tokyo so much…it is so unique, so friendly and clean, and they LOVE vending machines as well!

If you want experience the “taste of Tokyo”, then put in some yen and have some “coffee jelly!”

There are so many fun aspects of this city, you can explore for days and never get bored…never get hungry…and never tire of the colorful sights either…

End Your Day With Kit Kats!

And only in Tokyo can you drop in to a store that only sells Kit Kats!

It’s a place that is stuffed to the gills with a wide variety of unique kit lat flavors, like my favorite: baked potato!

See all of the other unique flavors by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/01/30/sushi-iphone-bacon-iphone-worlds-most-unique-iphone-covers-tokyos-new-kit-kat-store-tokyos-wacky-shopping/

So that is why I love Tokyo so much: from breakfast sushi to baked potato kit cats, cosplay cafes to bikini robot battles, this is one wacky town!

So thank you Tokyo for your warmth, generosity and fascinating love of life….I cannot wait to go back!

Time To Wake Up And Dig Into Breakfast!

If you are hungry, have I got a breakfast for you!

Here is why I love the internet…because the amazing breakfast that is cooked in a small town in England ends up as a worldwide phenomenon!

When you step inside the tiny English Bear Grills cafe, you better bring a BIG appetite!

The cafe itself certainly doesn’t look imposing: in fact, it’s an inviting little cafe in a small town in England, but they’ve got a BIG name for a MONSTER MEAL!

Behold The Hibernator!

Yes, the breakfast served at the Bear Grills cafe in Congleton, England, is so daunting that only 20 people have tried to eat it, and guess what? No one has successfully cleaned their plate!

Here’s the recipe:

The chef tells the Daily Mail it’s called “the Hibernator” because “if anyone completes it they’ll have to sleep for a year!” I think he has a point…

Show Me “The Hibernator!”

Thanks to the intrepid owner of Bear Grills cafe, we can now take a grand look at the entire menu – for one single dish!

The 7-pound, 8,000-calorie meal is served on a 4-foot turkey platter and includes four fried eggs, a four-egg cheese omelet, eight sausages, eight strips of bacon, four hash browns, four waffles, four pieces of toast, four pieces of fried bread, four servings of black pudding (blood sausage), two scoops of beans, two of tomatoes, mushrooms, large fries, and a 2-pint milkshake!

That is the majesty, and the stomach-stretching awesomeness of:

The HIBERNATOR!

And it looks like this!

As I said, the Internet is a wonderful place, especially when you have a number of hungry English people willing to post their pictures from inside the Bear Grills cafe…

Here’s a posted picture from Glen Keogh as he attempts it:

Good luck Glen! As the Metro UK website stated in their writeup of this food homage:

“The Man v. Food-style challenge will set you back roughly $33 and involves signing a waiver, being 18 or older, and acknowledging that you know what you’re getting yourself into. Those who can finish the entire course in under an hour win $162, appear on the establishment’s presumably small Wall of Fame, have the breakfast named after them, and can add an ingredient to the challenge.”

I got most of this material from Newser, who always has terrific stories to share, and I also found the story – and some of these amazing pictures – here as well:

http://metro.co.uk/2014/10/02/you-have-to-sign-a-waiver-to-eat-this-monster-8000-calorie-hibernator-challenge-breakfast-4890057/

And of course, Bear Grills has a Facebook page that I now not only “like”, I LOVE!

So kudos to the Bear Grills cafe, you have a new fan here in the US…but keep an eye out over your shoulder, because big food isn’t a British tradition….just in case you think that England has a lock on huge plates of food, think again:

Oh My! O-Mori!

Yes, the Japanese have their own version of monster food, called “O-Mori!” To read about these monster platters of food, read my story here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/11/10/o-mori-bite-down-on-mega-mori-plates-of-tokyos-monster-meals/

I can’t wait for the internet to burp up another big monster plate of food to challenge the O-Mori and Bear Grills teams!

Since it’s “Shocktober”, it’s time to enjoy the perfect blend of food and horror, thanks to:

The Tasty Horror Of “Silent Hill”!

I love this story, and what better time to share than Halloween? As you know, “Silent Hill” is the classic survival horror video game…one of the first to effectively create a horrific environment within a video game format…

The first game was released in 1999 to overwhelming critical and commercial success – with movies that followed – filled with horrific images like this:

This Halloween season, I am focusing on some of the best horror classics, and in researching for “Silent Hill”, I came across this:

Yes, it’s “horror ramen!” Thanks to the brilliant minds at RocketNews24, you can now order a hot ramen dish in Tokyo that uses the horror classic “Silent Hill” as inspiration!

“Silent Hill” Black Ramen!

A restaurant in Tokyo has chosen to offer a unique black noodle ramen dish as an homage to “Silent Hill.” And here is why it is horrific: yes, it certainly looks like a bowl of noodles – but as you can see, a bowl of noodles that has a “severed heart” plopped in the middle…is it something you eat – or bury?

The intrepid reporters at RocketNews24 decided to bite into this horrific dish, and when they did, here is what they found:

That’s right, this unsettling heart-shaped orb is filled with meat! What a wacky food item to share with you today, and if you need more horrific pictures and video, check out the entire story here:

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/07/02/we-learn-the-terrifying-secret-of-silent-hill-ramen/

I love wild and wacky food dishes, and I love ramen, so I guess I would LOVE these black noodles, right?

Jason Statham Approves!

Yes, Action star Jason Statham likes black noodles too – because his new film “Hummingbird” offered up black noodles as well!

This film hasn’t opened in the US yet, but it looks like a traditional Jason Statham action movie:

If you want to see how they took an action movie and tied it into a bowl of black noodles, read my story here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/06/06/jason-stathams-black-tequila-ramen-japans-dinner-and-a-movie-night/

So there you go, check out these horrific Halloween noodles and bite down on life!

Time to honor my favorite Chicago burger!

In a world of great cheeseburgers, I may have just bitten down hard into my favorite of all time…

Meet The “Big Mack Daddy!”

Yes, it’s an homage to one of the world’s most well known hamburgers…the McDonald’s Big Mac – but this one loads up on the “BIG” and adds a “Mack Daddy” to boot!

Welcome to Big ‘n’ Little’s!

I have posted about Big & Little’s before – it’s a terrific Chicago “dive” that serves up stuff like this deep-fried Cheeseburger:

Why do I call it a “dive?” Well I didn’t, Guy Fieri did! “Big ‘n’ Little’s” was profiled on “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives”, and pictures inside attest to Guy Fieri’s love of the boys….

I always love watching Fieri checking out some of the offbeat restaurants in the US, and he has profiled a number of great Chicago places like “Big & Little’s”, which is located on Orleans just north of Chicago Ave in the River North district…and I love them too, because they they serve stuff like THIS!

A Soft Shell Crab Po’ Boy!

Yep, this is a sandwich where the stuffing looks like it wants to climb right into your mouth! It’s a great soft shell crab o’boy, just one of many they have on the menu…

I love this place, beginning with their casual, funky environment:

Yes, that is “Big” behind the counter, taking all of the orders – and when you see the never-ending line of customers, you know that “Big” never rests!

I had to take my friend Chris in to try one of their specialty burgers: the “Big” Mack Daddy!

Yes, “Big” proudly offers up a massive Big Mac homage in his name – making a double patty burger that is packed with incredible flavor – a delicious homage …so both Chris and I ordered one…

Of course, everything here is cooked to order, so we sat down at one of the benches, waited about ten minutes, then go out burgers…and what a burger it is:

As you can see, the bun is nicely toasted, and has a “special sauce” on it…and the burgers are big, juicy and topped with perfectly melted cheese…

So you can see “two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce and cheese…”

And Check Out These Pickles!

Here is a super closeup look at the burger…slightly out of focus in spots, but it really shows how juicy this double cheeseburger is…beautifully cooked as well…

We also ordered some “truffle fries” – which show up fresh cut and hot out of the fryer – with a terrific truffle essence….

You can’t eat these too often, as they are indeed a “Big Mack Daddy!” But there is so much else to order as well. I have posted about “Big ‘n’ Little’s” before – remember the “Pork Belly Po’ Boy?”

Yes, it is as good as it looks! Read all about that food adventure by clicking on my entire story here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/01/27/behold-the-pork-belly-poboy-big-littles-bites-down-hard-deep-fried-cheeseburger/

And yes, that story includes my look at their “Beer Battered Deep Fried Cheeseburger” too!

Kudos to “Big & Little’s”, which also opened in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood – two places to get your food on!

Behold This Sweet Bacon / Burger Mashup!

My friend Antonio brought this to my attention, and I am about to book a flight to Philadelphia to embrace this artistic mashup of my favorite things! It’s a Bacon glazed doughnut that is stuffed with cheeseburger filling, and it’s from the incredible Philly burger join “PYT!”

Here is how they describe this masterpiece: “this $13 creation from Philly’s PYT Burger consists of a warm, glazed doughnut filled with a beef patty and American cheese. Bacon sprinkles redefine the concept of “gilding the lily.”

Kudos to PYT Burger in Philadelphia, who loves to make unique burgers like this…”like” their Facebook page here!

https://www.facebook.com/PYTburger

I went to their site and found a ton of fun burger pics, like this one – a straightforward doughnut burger!

And this burger seems to have shredded beff, tons of melted cheese, and a doughnut bun as well!

Thanks to my friend Antonio Ruiz for sending me this, and kudos to the great website “Firstwefeast.com” for the original story, which you can see here!

http://firstwefeast.com/eat/ridiculous-mashup-foods-of-the-week-october-24-2014/?utm_campaign=complexmag+socialflow+10+2014&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

If you are in Philadelphia, you have to check out PYT’s and let me know wha you think!

Behold The World’s Greatest Hot Dog Mashup!

What happens when you take a hot dog, batter it in corn meal, then wrap it in crinkle cut french fries? Well, it means you are in Seoul, South Korea!

Welcome To Seoul!

Welcome to one of the most beautiful sights in the world: the cityscape of Seoul, South Korea at night…

I had the chance to travel to Seoul with an amazing team of people: Morgan Webb, Vinny Rutherford, Wade Beckett, Jen Nelson, Mike Dunn and Aaron Murray – and our terrific Seoul Producer Kathy Paik – the greatest group to work with, travel with, and even do a bit of this!

One of the great aspects of Seoul street life is the food: you can find it everywhere, and it is all delicious!

Seoul is the capital and largest city in South Korea, with a population of more than 10 million. Seoul Capital Area, which includes the surrounding Incheon metropolis and Gyeonggi province, is the world’s second largest metropolitan area with over 25.6 million people.

SEOUL STREET FOOD = BACON!

Yes, bacon has shown its face halfway around the world! These are some amazing images of my trip, including the bacon-wrapped hot dog, one of many street treats we sampled in Seoul! Click on the video to see some of these unique bacon dogs bubbling away…

As you can see, the street food was plentiful…in fact, here we are holding two of those bacon-wrapped hot dogs…not the best shot of me, but I will suffer that indignity in order to showcase the food!

Wade and I dug right into these breaded, grilled sticks of what we thought were chicken – we will never know, but they sure tasted good! And remember, you can also just order the corn dog embedded with fries:

Yes, the classic “french fry encrusted corn dog” is a wonder to behold, and my favorite website, RocketNews24, has gone on location to bite down hard on one for you!

RocketNews24 sampled a number of great hot dog mashups, but the french fry corn dog is a winner for sure! I was happy to taste a bacon-wrapped hot dog as well as the encrusted corn dog…delicious!

Tie Your Fish Up!

We also found a great Seoul street market – a fascinating place to wander…where locals shop for all sorts of unique items, like fish that has been tied up with rope, or dried and flattened in a fan shape…

Noryangjin Fish!

I loved this place – a huge, bustling fish market where they sold a number of unique items, like tied up dried fish…here is a video that shows piles of dried fish, plus tied up fresh fish as well – nicely bundled in bright yellow rope to carry home easily: click on to see these fish being sold!

Read more about this incredible adventure, including Morgan Webb’s trip to the DMZ’s “Bridge Of No Return” by clicking here!

http://johnrieber.com/2013/07/10/seoul-food-bacon-hot-dogs-hanging-fish-a-delicious-korean-adventure/

And don’t forget to grab yourself one of these when you do…

Kudos to RocketNews24!

Read more about this delicious korean specialty by clicking on RocketNews24’s story here:

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/10/28/koreas-kogo-is-the-ultimate-french-fry-encrusted-corn-dog/

Food Art!

First, I want to share what is, to me, the most beautiful food dish of all time:

Chef Thomas Keller has created some of the world’s most beautiful food, like this dish: “Oysters and Pearls” – tiny poached oysters in custard, topped with a beautiful spoonful of caviar. It tastes as great as it looks.

This dish lives at “The French Laundry”, one of the world’s greatest restaurants. So does Chef Keller’s legendary “salmon cone”:

There are so many different kinds of “food art” – Chefs who are also culinary Artists, taking food to a whole new level – a visual feast as well as an incredible tasting experience…while Chef Keller’s “art studio aka kitchen” is in Yountville, California, there are other Culinary Artists all around the world – for example, here is some “Russian food art”:

Mother Russia Indeed!

As you can see, “food art” is expressed a bit differently in Russia…for example, I’m not sure you will see something like this very often in the US:

First, let’s thank the wacky minds at “RocketNews24″ for reporting this story – who else could find this? A roast chicken dressed up in a Tuxedo with a chimp’s head – genius! And what about this “cake homage” to the film “Alien”:

“Alien” Cake!

There are almost no words to describe how bad this food art is – except to show you some more of it, like this “clown food”:

It’s almost impossible to turn away – it really is “food art as train wreck”. These pics, and many many more, live on “RocketNews24″…where they willingly share with you this food masterpiece:

Kudos! RocketNews24 Scores Again!

As always, the greatest internet reporting comes from the terrific website “RocketNews24″, which rounded up dozens of these pictures from Russia! What I am sharing here is just the tip of the “bad food art” iceberg! To see more atrocious food art, click on their entire story here:

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/11/04/no-offense-russia-but-some-of-your-food-art-can-be-pretty-terrible/

Thanks as always to the “RocketNews24″ team…I will never watch the film “Alien” the same way again!

Beautiful Food Art!

And if you are a bit stunned by Russia’s food art, don’t fear: click on this story and see the majesty of The French Laundry and their incredible food:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/07/07/the-french-laundrys-20th-anniversary-celebration-chef-thomas-kellers-xx-party-food-pics-galore/

Enjoy!

Do I have your attention? Good!

It’s time to share the world’s great creations between two buns! First, here’s a primer on the art of “stacking” a burger, courtesy of the great Danes!

“Visset Salladsblad” Indeed!

Yes, this is a great great burger chart, clearly showing that the US isn’t the only place for a creative burger! That said, let’s begin our burger journey in New York, when I had the chance to try a “Five Napkin” Burger!

I ordered “The Original 5 Napkin Burger” – which is 10 ounces of fresh ground chuck topped with Gruyere cheese, caramelized onions and a rosemary aioli. This is what it looked like when it arrived at the table:

The first thing you notice when it arrives: it is JUICY. The cheese is beautifully melted, the carmelized onions glisten, the meat is oozing juice, and the kicker is the rosemary aioli on top….it GUARANTEES that you will be spilling stuff onto your plate…and I did…here is what it looks like AFTER the first few bites:

Folks, this is one messy burger. And that is a compliment!

Not full yet?

Time To Head To Napa Valley!

On the west coast, there is another classic way to get your burger on – at “Gott’s”, formerly the legendary “Taylor’s Refresher”:

How about their bacon cheeseburger – stuffed full of meat, bacon, cheese, tomato, lettuce, onion and a special sauce…

This “Taylor’s Refresher” is quite a burger – wait, I meant “Gott’s Burger”….wait, what? Yes, there is a story even better than this burger!

To find out how Taylor’s Refresher became Gott’s Roadside, read my “burger battle” story here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/01/15/napas-burger-battle-taylors-gotts-great-burgers-a-mondo-burger-fight/

Time now to head to America’s heartland – Chicago Illinois, where I have a burger ready to “slay” you!

Welcome To Chicago – Where They LOVE Their Meat!

Behold the “Metallica” Burger – yes, the burgers are all named after bands – the original Kuma’s started in 2005 – and they are already legendary for serving up “heavy metal burgers” like this!

The “Led Zeppelin”!

Yes, Kuma’s Too is a big fan of classic hard rock and metal – and because I love the band, I tried the “Led Zeppelin”:

OK, now THIS is a burger! A 10-oz. beef patty topped with pulled pork! Fried Pickles! Cheese! BACON!

It was everything you could want and more: it was beautifully cooked and juicy – to the point it dribbled down my arm – Robert Plant and Jimmy Page would be proud!

Big & Little Step Up!

Here are two other guys who may argue that THEY have Chicago’s best burger, and here is what they offer as Exhibit A:

Yep, “Big & Little” have their homage to the Big Mac, but they call theirs the “Big Mack Daddy!” This restaurant was featured on “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives”, and they earn their place on anyone’s “great burger” list for such burgers as this deep-fried cheeseburger:

But their masterwork is their “Big Mack Daddy”, as terrific take on a Big Mac:

Read all about the incredible menu at Big & Little’s by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/10/22/big-n-littles-rocks-the-big-mack-daddy-chicagos-best-burger-bite-on/

And finally, we cannot forget that some other folks around the world also love their burgers, like the wacky Japanese!

A Burger Tower To Heaven!

What makes man dream about achieving the impossible? By impossible, I mean a stack of burger ridiculously high and impossible to get your mouth around…it is, indeed, a question for the ages…

Once again, the folks at “A Hamburger Today” have shared a great story of just such a quest!

Meet “Ericsurf6″, Tokyo’s burger master extraordinaire!

The Tower Burger (タワーバーガー) from Monster Cafe in Tokyo consists of six different burgers stacked on top of one another!

Here they are – 6 stacks of greatness!

Bacon egg cheeseburger
Cheeseburger with two slices of cheese and mustard
Pineapple burger with tomato and teriyaki sauce
Cheeseburger with two slices of cheese, pickle, onion, and mustard
Spam burger
Chicken burger

Spam Burger!?!?!

Well, as I have shown you before, they do love spam burgers in Tokyo…here is a picture I took when I was in Tokyo, highlighting today’s special:

There you have it, some of the world’s best burgers…from New York to Napa, Chicago to Tokyo – a world of great imagination, terrific burgers, and so many more to try!

Time To Double Down HARD!

As you know, I LOVE to find the wackiest food on the planet, and this may be one of my favorites, but boy is it controversial! The Hungry Horse pub chain in England is causing a “burger brouhaha” with their wacky “double doughnut burger”! Here is why:

Pub chain Hungry Horse, which is owned by Bury St Edmunds brewer Greene King, has been criticised for creating a burger which contains almost 2,000 calories.

The ‘Double Donut Burger’ consists of 1,996 calories (98% of a woman’s recommended daily calorie intake) it also packs in 53g of saturated fat and 8.2g of salt.

Hungry Horse Bites Back!

The owners of Hungry Horse have responded to the criticism, and in fact, they proudly stand behind their 2,000 burger!

This is their promotional photo, proudly showcasing their burger:

They also released a statement defending the burger:

“Our popular menu caters for a variety of tastes and appetites and includes everything from lower calorie options such as our hot chicken and bacon salad at 393 calories, through to the indulgent occasional treat such as our new Double Donut Burger.

All the nutritional information for our menu is available on our website and in our pubs, so that our customers are able to make informed decisions about what they choose to eat.

– STEVE JEBSON, HUNGRY HORSE”

You can decide for yourself if this double doughnut burger is a culinary crime or not. Thanks to ITV.com for the original story.

Read the entire story here on “Itv.com”:

http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/update/2014-11-11/double-donut-burger-indulgent-or-irresponsible/

As for me, I’d bite down on this at least once!

“Gobble Gobble” Indeed!

Thanksgiving 2014 is right around the corner, so let’s talk Turkey!

Thanksgiving Turkey Burgers!

Yes, a healthy burger is nothing new, but one inspired restaurant is giving the turkey burger a holiday spin! It’s the season for a good bite!

“PYT” does it again!

THE THANKSGIVING BURGER IS HERE! You have to love Philadelphia’s burger joint PYT – they love the holiday spirit! They are excited to welcome this beauty back for your seasonal enjoyment!

Here is how PYT does it:

First, they create a juicy grilled dark-meat turkey patty, then they top it with cornbread stuffing, creamy house-made gravy, tangy cranberry sauce, atop a buttery brioche roll.

Kudos to PYT, a Philly restaurant that loves to build big burgers – their creativity is perfect for Thanksgiving – instead of another turkey sandwich the day after, why not make it a delicious burger instead?

I’m going to try and make this in the spirit of PYT – how about you?

I love Thanksgiving. Here is one reason why:

A Bacon-Wrapped Turkey!

Yes, this Thanksgiving I will be taking my turkey to a new level, thanks to bacon! I will share the recipe at the end of this post, but what is even better than this Turkey is what I will be serving alongside it:

White Castle Slider Stuffing!

First of all: DO NOT CLICK AWAY YET! THIS IS NOT A JOKE!

This is a delicious recipe – and an award-winning recipe as well!

Here is the recipe card that White Castle provides – it is so easy and so good!

This recipe won an award for White Castle – and from the restaurant chain as well – because it takes all of the best things you want in a stuffing – and give it a “White Castle” shine!

The recipe is easy: you begin by dicing up celery, and I add more onion and garlic as well…youj can add carrots and any other vegetables that you like, but the key is to take the pickles off your White Castle burgers, then chop them up and salute them – and yes, I use Cheeseburger sliders!

You can buy them frozen, and just defrost and chop away! Then add the herbs listed, and bake it…it really taste great! Give it a try, and from now on, your Thanksgiving cooking will always look like this!

Thanksgiving should always include one new menu item: one year we did Oyster stuffing, and one year we served a shave Brussel Sprouts salad…always making the Thanksgiving table look a bit different….

Oh, and there is NO better way to make a turkey than this one:

The Bacon-Wrapped Turkey!

Yes, this is my favorite way to make a Turkey: and you can maple glaze it as well to give it an even more delicious glaze…

You can read all about my favorite Thanksgiving turkey AND dressing by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/11/19/bacon-wrapped-turkey-white-castle-stuffing-best-thanksgiving-recipes/

I promise you I am making this again – it is delicious!

White Castle Rules!

And of course, White Castle sliders are little bites of delicious any time of year…and any time of the day!

Yes, this is a homemade White Castle breakfast slider…and I love them – 360 calories of fun! You can get this breakfast slider recipe by clicking here:

Behold The “Tur’BACON’ducken!”

It’s Thanksgiving, folks, and that means you gotta go big and bacon! Yes, America’s favorite is now muscling its way onto the Thanksgiving table…here is just the latest way to add Bacon to your holiday feast!

First, Meet The “Turducken…”

If you are unfamiliar with a “Turducken”, you are missing out on one delicious combination of poultry! First, a “turducken” consists of a boned and stuffed chicken – which has been placed inside a boned and stuffed duck – which is itself placed inside a partially boned and stuffed turkey!

Each one has been stuffed into each other with a bit of herb and stuffing added, as you can see from this one being sliced at the table…and you can serve different types of gravy as well – it is a feast to be remembered forever!

Since there are virtually no bones (just the turkey wings), it slices like meatloaf, but is a never-ending surprise: duck one bite, then chicken, and turkey…it’s a fun new way to celebrate Thanksgiving!

There is no way to make this better, right? RIGHT?

BACON SAYS YOU ARE WRONG!

The world has just become an ever tastier place, since the wacky folks at Bacon Today came up with a way to take a “Turducken” to a whole new level – the “TurBACONducken!”!

Hooray For Bacon Today!

I found this recipe on “Bacon Today”, a website worth reading VERY SINGLE DAY. They have taken the duck and chicken pieces and, before stuffing them into each other, wrapped all of it in bacon first:

When you stuff all of these pieces inside the Turkey, what comes out of the oven later is this: a bacon explosion of Thanksgiving goodness!

Kudos to “Bacon Today” for this creative way to make a “Turducken” even more special! The website has the entire recipe with instructions and great pictures like this to guide you…you can see this story and so much more by clicking here:

http://bacontoday.com/turbaconducken-turducken-wrapped-in-bacon/

I love that you can find great stuff like this on websites – and so easy to try it yourself! And of course, you will need some tasty stuffing to go along this bird, right?

White Castle Stuffing!

It just doesn’t get any better than this: White Castle slider stuffing!

Follow this recipe for a unique take on your favorite side dish…read all about it and get the entire recipe here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/11/17/white-castles-delicious-thanksgiving-slider-stuffing-greatest-thanksgiving-stuffing-recipe-ever/

Happy Thanksgiving! Let me know what you made and how it tasted!

Need Something Unique To Bite Down On?

How about this Bacon Mac’n’Cheese Stuffed Doughnut Burger? It’s “warm glazed donut studded with cheesy, bacon-y mac & cheese, topped with crumbled bacon!”

Welcome To PYT!

Some of the world’s most unique burger creations are coming from Philadelphia, thanks to the creative geniuses at PYT Burger!

This burger joint describes themselves as the “Home of America’s Craaaziest Burgers!”

For Philly locals, they’re in The Piazza (1050 N. Hancock St #67) in Philadelphia, with hours from 11AM-2AM M-F, and 10:30AM-2AM Sat-Sun. Phone: (215) 964-9009 Email: pytphilly@gmail.com”

So, does PYT deserve to call themselves America’s CRAZIEST burger joint? Here is their case…

The Doughnut Cheesesteak Burger!

PYT was the creator of this amazing “doughnut cheesesteak burger”…classic Philly cheesesteak stuffed between two doughnuts…and if that’s not amazing enough for you – and in fact it has made you a bit thirsty, then what about this creation:

Behold The “Adultshake!”

PYT says it perfectly:

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers” – L.M. Montgomery

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves, in celebration of the changing leaves and dropping temperatures of the Autumn season, we’re proud to present our Pumpkin Beer Adultshake.

Packed with Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale, pumpkin spice liqueur, deep fried pie crust, and pumpkin puree, this shake will get you in the Fall state of mind faster than you can say “It’s the great pumpkin, Charlie Brown”.

I’ll drink to that, PYT! But there’s more!

The Hot Pocket Burger!

You’ll never pass the frozen food aisle the same way again. PYT has created the deep-fried “Philly Cheese Steak” Hot Pocket buns. It’s a signature juicy PYT-blend beef patty topped with American cheese and truffle-drizzled wiz with a hot pockets cheesesteak added for good measure.

Yes, it’s over the top. Yes, we are a little ashamed. And yes,

“the flavor will melt your face.”

Don’t Be Chicken!

You can also dive into PYT’s unique chicken burger! Crispy fried chicken patty, homemade spicy buffalo & bleu cheese on a warm grilled donut bun.

And if you have a thing for seafood:

The Yacht Rock Shrimp Burger!

The Yacht Rock Shrimp Burger has a juicy, Key West-style shrimp & conch patty topped with a citrus-pico de gallo of diced peppers, tomatoes, onions and oranges. Then it is drizzled with a light coconut & pineapple cream. And served in a crispy, giant PYT onion ring.

PYT calls it an “Island-y delicious flavor explosion!”

And who can forget these culinary gems from the twisted minds at PYT:

The bacon cheeseburger stuffed doughnut may be their masterwork…and you can read all about it by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/10/25/bacon-glazed-cheeseburger-doughnut-amazing-burgerbacon-mashup/

And if you like to celebrate your holidays all year long, consider this:

Yes, you can keep Thanksgiving alive all year round, thanks to PYT’s amazing Turkey burger! See that recipe by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/11/14/thanksgiving-2014-burgers-turkey-day-stuffed-between-two-buns-pyts-delicious-burger/

I may never eat a salad again…I have had some amazing burgers in the US, but these folks are making a case that the best is still to come!

Kudos to PYT for making burger magic every day!

Welcome To Spain’s “Wild Coast!”

Yes, this is the “Costa Brava” region of Spain, the country’s “wild coast” – a gorgeous and very rugged area just northeast of Barcelona on the Mediterranean sea…

The breathtaking views go on for miles, and Alex and I had a chance to explore this region for several days….

Welcome To Mas de Torrent!

After spending a few day in Barcelona, we rented a car and drove out to the Costa Brava, staying at the Mas de Torrent resort in Torrent, Spain…

Aside from being a beautiful resort, Mas de Torrent is also situated in a perfect area for exploring the costa brava countryside….for example, here is the view from the hotel’s driveway:

The Medieval Town Of Pals!

Yes, that is the medieval town of Pals, Spain, just a few miles away from our resort. It’s a gorgeous view every single day, and it’s just the tip of the spanish medieval village iceberg! There are many other classic old structures nearby in the town of Torrenti as well:

Our “Tour de Spain!”

The best way to see these incredible villages is to grab a bike and go! The hotel has bikes to use so that you can explore the area easily…

So we did just that: using the incredible scenery as our map, we headed out to bike the Costa Brava!

After the obligatory “at arms length” photo, we headed down a quiet country road toward the center of the town of Torrenti, where our adventure begins…

We followed easy directions from our hotel and quickly found “direction signs” that had been put up on an abandoned road…turning it into a private bike path!

A new road was built through the area, so they very smartly turned the older road into a “bikes only” ride through the spanish countryside!

Heading For Pals!

Our abandoned back road took us right to the medieval Spanish village of Pals, which is easy to see from a distance, since the area is virtually flat for biking:

And the ride through the spanish countryside is like a trip back in time…peaceful, quiet and without any traffic whatsoever….

And no matter where you are, you can see a village over your shoulder…this is an area with many medieval villages, like Pals, Sant Feliu and Peratallada – all of which we explored…

The abandoned road takes you right to the edge of the medieval town. Once you arrive, you drop your bike off and take a walking tour of the incredible old buildings:

After touring the old village, we rode our bikes back along the road before heading off onto another two-lane highway where we found more great towns to explore…

The next day, we took a long walk along the country road as well, and came across Alex’s “Gladiator” moment, that scene with the silky fields of grass…

So we re-enacted the scene as best we could…

And we finished by getting a shot of Alex at the Torrenti sign…and yes, I referred to the town earlier as Torrent, but this sign had an “i” on it – and maps show it without the “i”…I will let you solve the puzzle…either way, “Torrent(i)” is a beautiful area…

And of course we ate and ate and ate great spanish food…here is one of my posts from our Barcelona culinary adventure….

Baby Squid and garbanzo beans from “Cal Pep”, regarded as the greatest tapas restaurant in Barcelona…read all about it here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/05/20/barcelona-tapas-cal-pep-the-battle-for-tapas-supremacy/

And let me know what you think!

Why Is This Man Smiling?

It’s a smile that suggests you are about to be taken for a ride – well, that is true and in this case it’s all because of this:

As usual, the culprit is cash – LOTS AND LOTS OF CASH – and there is a great new book that looks at the people you find lining up to line their pockets with it…and you can find it all right here:

Welcome To The Amazingly Profitable World Of Washington DC!

There’s a book that looks at how money has changed our nation’s capital forever…a searing indictment about politicians who show up in DC – and never leave…

“Provides a lancing, often hysterically funny portrait of the capital’s vanities and ambitions.” —The New Yorker

Time to talk politics!

“This Town: Two Parties and a Funeral — Plus, Plenty of Valet Parking! — in America’s Gilded Capital!”

Welcome to “This Town” – shorthand for Washington DC – where the party never stops – and the politicians NEVER LEAVE!

“‘This Town’ is funny, it’s interesting, and it is demoralizing … I loved it as much as you can love something which hurts your heart.”—John Oliver, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Political Writer Mark Leibovich takes a devastating look at the current culture of $$$ and excess in Washington D.C. Just forty years ago, almost all politicians left DC after their political terms ended.

Now, most stay – to take lucrative jobs in the lobbying industry, or the cottage industry of political coverage on TV and the internet. It’s a billion-dollar business, and Leibovich digs deep to show you some of the excess…

Time To Enter “Suck-Up City!”

It was a term coined by a member of the Obama team when they arrived in DC in 2008…where the people with the most power wield the most influence – and are hit on the most by a never-ending lobbying effort.

It’s a world of lobbying firms, media consultants and book and speaking deals – all lavished on those who have made it to DC and never want to go home…

Here’s a piece of the review from “Bookforum”:

“This Town” is a puckish satire of the Washington political class’s steady retreat into its own gilded navel. Leibovich is a talented writer, and he resists the trap that more insecure, bloviating political writers might fall into: affirmatively spoon-feeding their own political judgments to readers at all turns. Leibovich just documents what he sees, and whom he talks to, wittily mimicking the so-what tone that these glib, dismal samples of humanity use to describe their controversial waking lives. In other words, he lets those who would be hanged hang themselves, by being themselves. (review written by Jim Newell)

Of particular interest is the reviewer’s phrase:

“he lets those who would be hanged hang themselves, by being themselves…”

Because Leibovich profiles a number of political operatives who just loved to talk, talk, talk…

Meet Tammy Haddad And Her “Tam Cam!”

Meet Tammy Haddad – a former TV Producer who is now one of DC’s most connected people. As the book states:

“Haddad’s signature accoutrement is a little video camera she carries around, called the “Tam Cam.” She walks up to people she knows—and who, by extension, matter—and initiates little interviews, which she will often put online. The interviews are generally quick and painless, if somewhat intrusive, “like a light enema,” in the words of one friend/victim. “My job is to be around the most successful people, the most up-and-coming people, and the people who have impact,” Tammy told me. This group has always existed in Washington, but now it is big enough to contain an entire sub economy.”

I’m not picking on Haddad, who has built quite a reputation for her political savvy…but she is also one of the many people profiled in the book who have turned politics into a big business, and the book looks at all of them….

It’s a great inside look at the politics of money, from a terrific writer – check it out! But we are not done yet…

Let’s Talk Politics!

There are so many ways to talk politics these days, but my favorite way is with movies!

That’s right, President Douglas is just one great movie leader – here is a look at some of the best films about the American presidency!

http://johnrieber.com/2012/07/21/movie-politics-heat-up-candidates-comedy-and-cover-ups-mr-president-mr-president-the-camera-is-rolling/

And it’s not just about the Commander-In-Chief:

“Game Change”!

It was a brilliant political book, and a great TV movie…some of the best political movies about the Vice President can be found here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/10/20/malarkey-biden-v-ryan-vps-battle-game-change-vp-movies-battle-harder/

And of course, nothing beats being there in person…

Here’s a look at our night celebrating with the President in 2012…

http://johnrieber.com/2012/11/07/obamas-re-election-party-we-celebrate-with-the-president/

And of course, we should have celebrated with Obama Beer!

That’s right, there is a “White House Ale”, and here is the recipe!

http://johnrieber.com/2012/09/07/ale-to-the-chief-president-obamas-beer-plus-classic-beer-ads/

So many ways to celebrate this great political system of ours – so keep smiling!

It’s Anniversary Time! Let’s Celebrate!

Today is the third year anniversary of this blog, and I want to take a moment to thank everyone who visits – and if you don’t want a piece of “bacon cake”, then maybe this will do:

Yes, this is a chicken wing cupcake, and I share this photo for a reason: it was three years ago when I shared the recipe for making them yourself…

http://johnrieber.com/2012/02/03/buffalo-chicken-wing-cupcakes/

Three years of posting stories about food, travel, movie, music, books, concerts, great adventures both personal and professional…and yes, stuff like this:

The Majesty Of A Cheesesteak Doughnut Burger!

Yes, I post about burgers a lot. Because many of you seem to enjoy these unique foodstuffs. And yes, there is much more to come. But before we devolve into a discussion of “Cheesesteak Doughnut” burgers, let me thank the person behind this story – and behind this blog.

Three years ago, my wife and ongoing inspiration Alex told me to write a blog and have some fun…and that fun included stories about our adventures in Spain, Provence and more, including the Cannes film festival…

That’s my wife Alex and I along with our good friend Michael Castner in a Cannes hotel stairwell waiting to interview a celebrity. I have shared a number of fun stories from the past, including the story behind this photo of Michael interviewing Arnold Schwarzenegger, while I watch in the orange shirt:

You can read the entire story here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/05/14/cannes-2014-my-classic-arnold-schwarzenegger-encounter-big-star-planet-hollywood-shenanigans/

Alex has been amazingly supportive of this blog, letting me share some of our adventures with you – but she couldn’t have imagined it would lead to this:

The Tokyo Burger Tower!

Little did Alex know that, as I looked for things that interested me enough to write about, I would find a world full of crazy food – from a “Tokyo Burger Tower” you see above to the best burger currently being made in Cambodia!

Some people love these burger posts – so thank you for your feedback – and one, Jeff Greenfield, HATED a food story I posted: showcasing the spaghetti-stuffed hot dog!

Not sure why, but Jeff said this freaked him out a bit…so now I have to keep looking for more wacky food mashups just to keep him on his toes…you know, like the “bacon cheeseburger-stuffed doughnut!”

Read all about the majesty of this by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/10/25/bacon-glazed-cheeseburger-doughnut-amazing-burgerbacon-mashup/

Yes, it has been a tasty three years…and I promise moving forward there will be much more of this:

Yes, this bacon cheeseburger has 1,000 slices of bacon, which is appropriate since this is a post all about numbers:

Closing In On One Million Views…

In the three years I have been posting, these stories have collectively generated almost one million views – it is exciting to see the response to new stories as well as stories posted a year ago or longer – and from the comments I have gotten, it’s nice that a wide range of topics are of interest…from amazing travel memoirs like this:

Read about this incredible Author and her year on a south pacific island by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/05/05/faraway-lucy-irvines-castaway-sequel-more-amazing-island-escapes/

And of course, I have posted many times about my favorite musical group of all time!

The Beatles Are #1!

The greatest musical group in history is also making history for me! Here is the single most viewed post I have ever published:

The Beatles Lost Rooftop Concert Film!

Yes, you can never go wrong when you’ve got The Beatles helping you out! My “Let It Be” post continues to be the most viewed story of all time on my blog, which I love because this Beatles documentary is probably the greatest “lost” film of all time, and you can read my entire post about it here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/04/06/let-it-be-the-beatles-lost-documentary-londons-live-beatles-rooftop-concert/

And yes, I own a VHS copy of the movie, which is one reason I love The Beatles so much!

Now, onto a “different” kind of movie…

Three years ago, I discovered that certain stories got a lot of interest, like films from the “grindhouse” era of New York’s 42nd street: it was almost three years ago when I actually warned people which movies NOT to show at a family holiday gathering!

Which, I will reiterate, is NOT a film to be shared with relatives…although “The Sinful Dwarf” is a classic example of “euro-sleaze”, a rough type of 70’s film…classic cult cinema that lives on thanks to DVD and on demand services – and I do have a fondness for wacky exploitation movies, like this:

Grindhouse Cinema Lives!

Yes, it’s an acquired taste, but I have met a ton of passionate exploitation fans who enjoy stories about his unique time in movie history…and look, not only did I share the plot of “Mantis In Lace”, but I found this picture as well!

The fact that the President and Vice-President would be eating in front of a “Mantis” poster…I love the internet! Ii you want to more, just click on my “grind house gift guide” here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/11/23/sex-violence-grindhouse-have-a-purient-holiday-an-exploitation-gift-guide/

There are a lot of people who enjoy this unique era of film, and I thank all of you who read my posts about this weird and wild world of cult cinema…

But I also love to travel, and Alex and I have been lucky enough to have some great adventures, which I have shared throughout the years:

Here is Alex harvesting a fresh eggplant from the Patricia Wells garden in Provence, where we cooked with this legendary cookbook Author:

We got to cook on Julia Childs’ original provincial stove, and you can read all about it here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/06/10/tasting-provence-cooking-with-patricia-wells-food-and-travel-unite/

No matter how great cooking with Patricia and her husband was, it pales in comparison to the fun I’ve had with my kids as well…

This is my daughter Jessica, who came along on a work trip to Tokyo and got to see some crazy japanese food…

http://johnrieber.com/2014/05/06/tokyos-build-a-burger-wacky-japanese-burger-ads-wildest-food-for-sale/

We had a great time eating our way through some of Tokyo’s great food…but it paled in comparison to this hilarious trip, which I call:

The “London Grind!”

My son Jeff went with me on a work trip to London, and got to work with the crew for a few days as well…which led to what we call his “London grind” adventure – a hilarious night out with some very drunken British business people, highlighted here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/12/18/alison-haislip-the-london-grind-travels-with-alison/

This was a trip to film for G4 with Host Alison Haislip, and thanks to Alison for being such a great talent, and so much fun to work with in London!

And Let’s Never Forget The Bacon!

Yes, I have posted about ALL kinds of bacon as well…that’s because bacon is funny, and you “never cut funny”…so whether it’s a bacon wedding cake…

Or perhaps it is bacon that is utilized in a more “fashionable” manner…yes, bacon has proven to be very very popular, and the stranger the better!

Thanks to Sara Underwood for wearing a bacon bikini – all for the good of television. Of course, bacon fits best right here:

Burgers!

I have also enjoyed posting lots of burger posts…like the Brazil burger sold in an edible wrapper:

I haven’t been to Rio to have this, but cannot wait to get there! Read all about this edible adventure here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/12/20/brazils-edible-burger-wrappers-go-brazil-go/

I have also shared my love of music – and of course my admiration for the music and career of Todd Rundgren!

I have been a lifelong fan of this musical Artist, and have posted many stories about his unique career. For example, did you know that he created MTV? Read all about it here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/08/02/todd-rundgren-inventor-of-mtv-a-hollywood-square/

And one of my favorite stories about Todd Rundgren was his special musical friendship with the late Singer/Songwriter Laura Nyro…

You can read it here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/10/25/brilliant-laura-nyro-todd-rundgrens-muse-their-beautiful-musical-history-together/

Laura is an under-appreciated Artist, and her body of work is amazing to listen to. Here is a story about a recent tribute CD that is currently nominated for Three Grammy Awards!

http://johnrieber.com/2014/09/09/re-imagining-laura-nyro-a-brilliant-map-to-the-treasure-laura-nyros-beautiful-tribute/

Congrats to Billy Childs for the success of this project, which highlights great Laura Nyro music!

Todd Rundgren AND Laura Nyro fans have been hugely supportive of the site, and I truly appreciate it. I’ve also met a lot of great people who have great blogs as well, and I appreciate everyone’s support and interest…

Year Four Sneak Peek!

With more than 700 posts, I just keep finding more stuff of interest to me. So what else can you expect going into 2015? Here are some clues:

Behold “Zolton”!

Yes, I’ve got some classic movie posters to share, thanks to an incredible website that helps to keep these alive…that will be posting soon, and I also have some great stories about classic Hollywood, such as the legendary sex kitten Jayne Mansfield:

I also have a bunch of travel stuff to share, like more of my adventures with Sasha Grey in Australia, where she got photo bombed by a shark!

Thanks to Sasha for always supporting these posts, and allowing me to tell all the fun stories about working with her!

Check out all of her adventures by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/08/11/sasha-greys-new-novel-sasha-grey-shark-dive-outtakes/

And yes, there are more food adventures to come as well:

One of Barcelona’s most innovative restaurants is coming soon to the blog…as well as a look at some of the best ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day!

There are a lot of fun adventures still to come…my goal is to share more stories about interesting people, classic movies, adventurous travel, wacky movies and more bacon!

Thanks again for the million views and I hope you enjoy what is still to come!

Let me know your thoughts!

Time For “Breaking” Vending News!

Put down those books you are about to buy from a vending machine! If reading makes you thirsty – and cold – then I’ve got the answer!

Thanks to the brilliant minds of the Japanese, you can now have hot corn chowder any time you need it!

“No-Kernels-Left-in-the-Can Rich and Creamy Corn Potage (Tsubu Kanshoku Koku Toro Corn Potage)” from Dydo Drinco

Yes, hot food is now the rage in Tokyo vending machines!

According to RocketNews24: “This soup, also made from “super sweet corn”, is apparently thicker in consistency than the average corn potage. And to ensure that you can drink up every kernel of corn in the can, they’ve even designed the can so that it has an extra wide opening! This 170g (6oz) can is available for 115 yen ($0.98).”

And there’s more!

“Bistrone Select Eatable Corn Potage (Bistrone Select Taberu Corn Potage)” from Coca-Cola!

Here’s how this is described by RocketNews24: “This soup is made from American-grown sweet corn and is part of Coca-Cola’s premium “Bistrone Select” line of canned soups, which is specifically cooked using select “in-season” vegetables. The soup is currently available from Coca-Cola’s online shop at a price of 2,857 yen ($24.52) for a set of thirty 190g (6.7oz) cans.”

“Hot Baked Apple (Hot Yaki Ringo)” from Pokka Sapporo

And how about this drinkable baked apple! Yes, buy a warm baked apple drink, available in a 275ml (9.3oz) plastic bottle for 120 yen ($1.03). The sweet dessert drink even contains a bit of honey for added flavor!

And there are many more as well!

Kudos, RocketNews24!

As always, the intrepid reporters at “RocketNews24″ have found this amazing story, so read ALL of it, with more great warm vending machine drinks, my clicking here:

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/12/18/the-cold-getting-to-you-have-a-warm-drink-from-a-vending-machine/

I have posted about the vending machine culture in Tokyo before – they are everywhere in the city, offering a wide variety of items to consume on the spot, since NO ONE walks around with a drink in their hand, that is disrespectful:

But of course, my friend Corrado couldn’t help but fall in love with his favorite vending machine when we were there…

And why not? The vending machine culture in Japan is fascinating and fun – but remember, we had our vending machines in the US as well – and boy did they have fun stuff too!

As you can see, you can get ANYTHING from a vending machine! Read all about the unique items available by clicking on my story here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/03/17/body-parts-whiskey-burgers-crazy-classic-vending-machines/

And, my favorite has always been “coffee jelly!”

Check out some of Tokyo’s wildest vending machine items by clicking on my story here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/12/23/crazy-tokyo-food-coffee-jelly-meat-fish-mix-octopus-bar-almond-fish/

And finally, from the sublime to the ridiculous:

Yes, you can get mashed potatoes in a vending machine as well! Read all about the crazy world of vending by clicking on this story:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/07/17/mashed-potato-vending-machines-intuitive-machines-coffee-jelly-hairy-crabs-viagra-vending-what/

What are you waiting for? Get vending!