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Sunday, September 02, 2007
Do I think the meat industry is destroying the planet? Yes. Do I think America's brain-washed love affair with fast food is a major cause of our country's health crisis? Yes. Do I think the hormones, antibiotics, and carcinogens found in grilled burger meat will kill me if I don't stop living out this crazy fantasy? Yes. Do I think killing animals for food is inherently wrong? Well, no. I have no major qualm with the concept of a food chain. However, it's clear that the industrialization of meat production is cruel, disgusting, and unhealthy. If you're going to eat it, go hunt it down and kill it yourself, right?
Yeah, right. Clearly, I'm conflicted. I justify my meat-eating frenzy by saying that this is temporary. I've simply fallen off the wagon. I don't have (m)any other vices right now. I'm picking my battles. And since I no longer claim to be Buddhist, I have no lingering moral dilemma about the killing of animals...except of course the horrible way in which they are killed...(sigh)
So here are my favorite burgers in San Francisco. I record these memories here so that when, in the future, I give up meat completely, I can relive these moments in my mind. A little will power and a vivid imagination can go a long way. I just have to work on the will power part.
 Burger Joint: This place makes the best burger I've ever eaten. Even the photo of it is glowing a little. (I think some grease got on my camera phone, creating a bit of a vaseline lens effect.) I can justify eating here because they use hormone-free Niman Ranch beef. The flavor is unbelievable. I order my burger medium-rare for maximum juiciness and flavor. The burger comes with fresh lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles, and mayo on the bun. There are no fancy, gourmet options. I hate that crap. I don't even like cheese on my burger. Call me a purist, but this might still be the best burger ever, even if it were served with only a bun and a little mayo. So good. I just ate one for lunch today, and I'm drooling for another.
 Mel's Diner: The key, I've realized, is to order the burger the way you want it. Duh. Often I don't even try to order my burger medium-rare because I don't think the cooks will do it. Guess what? They usually don't. Even when I ordered my medium-rare burger at Mel's, they just barely made it medium, in my humble opinion. (Keep in mind that I was raised to believe that a rare steak should be cold in the middle.) Even cooked at medium, this was still a fantastic thick and juicy burger - just what you'd hope for from your favorite diner. Speaking of which, I didn't used to be a big fan of Mel's. I had some disappointing experiences at the one on Mission across the street from the Metreon. The Mel's on Geary has never let me down. We've become regulars there...I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that they have parking and are right down the street from one of our favorite comic book stores.
 Whiz Burgers: This is a different kind of burger - thin patty, iceberg lettuce, with all toppings applied before it's wrapped up and handed to you in a greasy bag. It's still better than your typical fast food. I'm generally more a fan of a classic burger, but in this case, I recommend the Whiz Burger, which has all the regular toppings plus avocado (eh) and bacon (yes!). The patty is cut in half and the burger is served on a french roll, too. Classy.
 Tony's Cable Car Restaurant: This drive-in is only a couple of blocks from Mel's. We've almost stopped there a dozen times, but we were uncertain of what we'd find. Mel's was so close that we wouldn't take our chances. Finally, one Saturday we had enough foresight to leave the house with Tony's in mind as our destination. It was worth it. I'd rank the burger about equal with Whiz, but they have a pretty big menu that I simply must go back and peruse. Mmm, a tender ribeye steak sandwich sounds pretty good...
 Sparky's Diner: I haven't spent much time at Sparky's since I started eating meat again. I look forward to trying their burger, assuming I get back there before I give it all up for good. I put them on this list because a) I love them, and b) they have the best soy burger I've ever had. Better than Boca, yes. When I wasn't eating meat, this is what a burger was to me. It makes me a little sad. When eating soy burgers, I had actually forgetten what real burgers tasted like. I fooled myself into thinking these burgers were just as good as the real thing. I just hope one day I can go back to enjoying their heroic attempt at a substitute. The dollar beers at happy hour will help me cope.Labels: burgers, food, San Francisco
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