Nordburger - Norwood, South Australia

Burger bars have been popping up like crazy around Adelaide lately. One of the most recent additions to Adelaide's growing burger scene is Nordburger (168 The Parade, Norwood), which first opened its doors on the 4th of July 2013. Parking is easy since it's so close to Norwood Mall. Off street parking is available in the Coles carpark or across the road at the Foodland carpark.



Though it may sound Scandinavian to some, the name "Nord" is also short for Norwood.



Inside, it's a long and skinny shop with orders taken at the register near the entrance and a few stools for those choosing to eat in.



If you can't find a seat along the main counter, there are a couple more seats as well as a couple of stand up tables at the back. Of course, take away is an option as well.



We managed to snag ourselves a couple of stools and enjoyed watching the hustle and bustle of the kitchen, which included MasterChef 2011 runner-up Michael Weldon working the grill.



If you're after a cold drink, try a Dr Pepper, A&W Cream Soda, Cherry Coke, or TAB. Or choose from one of the milkshakes...
Classic: strawberry, vanilla or chocolate ($6)
Specialties: pretzel, cornflake, salted caramel, or peanut butter & jelly ($7)
We tried the salted caramel and loved it. I noticed they use Tweedvale milk too - great stuff!



On to the main event...the burger! We ordered a Nordburger ($7.80) which comes topped with pickles, tomato, lettuce, mustard, ketchup, and Nord sauce. We also added cheese ($0.70). The beef patty was seasoned and cooked perfectly and seemed a little bit thicker than some skimpy patties I've had elsewhere recently. Bun was fresh, toppings and sauces were all very tasty. This was an excellent burger!

For sides, the choices were tater tots, crinkle cut fries or crinkle cut fries with chipotle seasoning (small $2.50/large $3). We ordered the crinkle cut fries (small) and Nord sauce ($0.50). When I saw the fries from a distance, I wasn't overly excited. Upon closer inspection however, they were nice and crunchy and not too heavy on the salt - very moreish. The Nord sauce is almost identical to Shake Shack's shack sauce (delicious) and was well worth the extra 50 cents for an excellent dipping sauce.



We decided to try a hot dog as well, the New York ($5.90). Isn't it pretty? It's a Vienna sausage topped with pickled red onion, everything bagel (I think this is a reference to the poppy seeds & sesame seeds), mustard & ketchup. The bun was sturdy but soft. The sausage and toppings were well matched and very enjoyable.



So far, we've thoroughly enjoyed everything we've consumed at Nordburger and we're looking forward to our next visit in the near future. Check them out if you can, but try to avoid peak meal times unless you're happy to line and up and possibly choose take away. Space is quite limited in the shop.

Pearl's Diner - Adelaide, South Australia

The Burger Theory guys, Rob Dean and Dan Mendelson, have opened their first brick and mortar location in a small group of neighbourhood shops behind the Payneham Pool in Felixstow. Pearl's Diner, named after the Burger Theory truck Pearl, opened for the first time on 6 June 2012.  (hooray!)



Opening hours are very limited so you'll need to check Facebook or Twitter to plan your visit. If the church pew waiting area is empty when you arrive, you might be lucky enough to snag a table straight away. They don't take bookings so it's first come, first served.



We arrived early in the service, which allowed us to avoid the queue. The Pearl's menu consists of burgers & fries, omelettes, fried chicken & coleslaw, chili & cornbread, waffles, milkshakes and coffee. Once you've carefully made your selections and made a mental note of your table number, head up to the front counter to place your order and pay.



On our first visit, we went with a tested favourite - a #1 Burger (lettuce, tomato, American cheese & truck sauce) with fries, $13. It's a really good burger and it's nice to be able to eat it indoors and on a proper plate.



Another bonus for the burger experience at Pearl's is that you can add a milkshake to your order. Choices are Vanilla, Chocolate or Coffee, $6 each. We chose Chocolate and it was thick with a good chocolate flavour. A silver milkshake mixer cup instead of the glass would really top off the experience.



The Belgian waffles (from La Waffle) have a great, full flavour. I went with the maple syrup and vanilla ice cream option ($8), but you can also get your waffle with icing sugar or cinnamon sugar ($5) or Belgian chocolate, berries and vanilla ice cream ($10). The vanilla ice cream was full of vanilla bean flavour and very moreish.



Hiding under the Sides list at the bottom of the menu is this Pork Bun ($7). It's a Breadtop bun filled with 14-hour smoked Berkshire pork in a tomato BBQ sauce. This is a must try if you're a fan of BBQ pork, but be warned that it is a small snack size serve and not a meal in itself.



We're lucky to have this food venue in the suburbs of Adelaide because there's nothing else like it around. I look forward to watching the evolution of Pearl's Diner in the future. I would love to see some vinyl & booth seating and some biscuits & cream gravy on the menu one day. Serving sizes are small here, but this could be a good thing as it would be very easy to overeat since it all tastes so good. Quality ingredients and classic American flavours are what will keep me coming back.

Shake Shack - Madison Square Park, NYC

On our first ever visit to Manhattan, the top of our itinerary list was Shake Shack at Madison Square Park. This is the original location and still the best. Unless you happen to live near another location, don't waste your time anywhere else.



When we arrived, the line looked a mile long. We had already walked a long stretch of Madison Avenue to get there. It was hot and we wanted food fast but we decided we would wait. This might be our only chance to experience the legend of Shake Shack. About an hour later, we finally reached the window and placed our order.



About 10 or 15 minutes later, the buzzer went off and our dreams came true! This meal was extremely satisfying and well worth the wait. Be warned, weekends and nice weather days can be very busy. If you want to avoid the longest lines, check the Shack Cam first and allow yourself plenty of waiting time just in case. But like I said, totally worth the wait. I'm drooling just looking at this photo.



The Shack Burgers are as close as you can get to perfection. Soft potato bun with a bit of a crunch from the grill, perfect meat to bread ratio, melted American cheese, Lucky's tasty bright red tomatoes, crisp fresh lettuce and that Shack Sauce. To die for! I also happen to love their crinkle cut fries. Yeah they're from frozen, but they're golden, crunchy and oh so delicious. To top it all off, Shake Shack has frozen custard! We went for the Black & White Shake and were very happy with our choice. On a later visit we tried the Chocolate Truffle Cookie Dough Concrete and this was a meal in itself. A concrete is thick enough that you have to eat it with a spoon. Yes please!



Shake Shack in Madison Square Park was one of the highlights of our trip and along with pretty much everybody else who has ever been there, I highly recommend it.