Cheeburger Cheeburger

Welcome to Cheeburger Cheeburger! 

I was down in Shreveport, Louisiana last weekend and my friends and I made this cute burger joint our lunch spot.

The moment I entered, I was greeted by nothing but pink. Pink walls, pink menus and a pink L-shaped counter. Bright sunlight filtered in through the curtainless-glass windows that lined the diner, filling the place with a natural glow. 

Cheeburger Cheeburger is famous for its burgers. But it's also a superb place for milkshakes because...

... you get to create your own milkshake flavor out of the dozens of existing flavors on the menu! 

How exciting is that? I love milkshakes and I went crazy when I saw the milkshake menu. Some of the flavors were delicious to the eyes... blueberry cheesecake, strawberry cheesecake, double chocolate, chocolate banana, chocolate peanut butter, oreo cheesecake. Some made me raise my eyebrows... almond, coconut cream pie, peanut butter and jelly... and some were so fruity, they could fool you into thinking they were healthier than the others... apple, watermelon, mango kiwi, kiwi strawberry. 

The best thing was that you could combine flavors and create your own! I decided to just go with the strawberry cheesecake. One of my friends combined the brownie batter and mocha. It turned out to be a creamy concoction of chocolate and coffee. Still yummy though. My strawberry cheesecake milkshake was so thick that I couldn't taste it through a straw. So, I gave up and used a spoon. It was pretty much like ice cream.

I had my doubts at first. Strawberry and cheesecake? What if it ended up tasting funny? But it was the most delicious milkshake I'd ever tasted. Hands down. I also found tiny strawberry chunks embedded within the creamy drink, which made it even better. Because then I knew they used real fruit. :) 

Our milkshakes and appetizers arrived before the entree. My friends and I shared the fries medley, which was a basket of peppered golden-brown fries and crispy onion rings. The fries were decent - pretty typical fries - but the onion rings were a crunchy delight!

At Cheeburger Cheebuger, you get the liberty to invent your burger from the selections of cheeses and toppings. 

I ordered the classic quarter pounder, weighing 5.5 ounces, with lettuce, sauteed mushrooms, mozzarella and mayo. I chose my steak medium-rare. Frankly, the meat was a little bland. Maybe I should've asked for it to be well-done. But it was still tasty, nonetheless. 

Unfortunately because it arrived after the milkshake and fries, I didn't have a lot of space in my stomach for the entire burger. I only managed to chomp my way through half of it. It was a pretty big burger.

Cheeburger Cheeburger holds a daily contest for its customers - whoever finishes its large 20-ounced burger gets photographed to be pinned on the diner's wall of fame. So far, the wall has been filled with photographs of men.

I can imagine the women shaking their heads and thinking, "A moment on the lips is a lifetime on the hips. No thank you."

Apart from milkshakes, fries and burgers, the diner also serves sandwiches, wraps, melts, hot dogs, and salads. View the full menu here. 

Say Cheeburger Cheeburger! It's like talking with your mouth full.

Photographed and written by Carissa Gan.

Boscos

My cousin and her husband, Dina and Rob, treated me to an early graduation lunch yesterday at Boscos. Oh, for most of you who didn't know... I'll be graduating a week from today (Dec. 15)! Yup, still can't believe graduation bells are ringing already. 

Before I get sidetracked and start babbling about my mixed feelings toward graduation, let me tell you two things about Boscos: good service and even better food. I've only been there twice and I've always left the restaurant with a satisfied stomach. Even their water's good!

Boscos, which ranges from $4 to $20,  is located near the River Market area and serves mostly American food, including burgers, sandwiches, salads, soups, pasta and seafood. It's also well-known for fresh beer brewed in its mini brewery at the back of the restaurant.

The advertised beer on the wall was the Flaming Stone, so Rob gave that a try. 

He said it wasn't too bad. It wasn't his favorite beer, but it was decent enough. I took a sip of it. Above the typical beery bitterness was a tinge of sweetness, which made it unique.

Rob also ordered an oyster po'boy sandwich with a side of fries. You can substitute the fries for fresh fruit, or for an extra $1, have garlic parmesan or sweet potato fries.

Fried oysters dredged in seasoned flour and crisp lettuce with remoulade (similar to tartar sauce) were sandwiched between baguette slices.

The crispy oysters were pretty salty, but that wasn't a problem because the saltiness was easily overshadowed by the lettuce and the baguette. The fries tasted so fresh and enticing, an addiction formed right away.

I had the shrimp scampi, a generous serving of capellini pasta tossed in grated parmesan and juicy gulf shrimps sauteed with garlic butter, white wine and lemon parsley. The shrimps were cooked to perfection.

The menu didn't mention parmesan, so I was in for quite a surprise. I'm not a big parmesan fan, you see. But the strong taste of wine stole the parmesan's spotlight, so the noodles had a rather sour and unique taste to them. Definitely different.

Dina's grilled portabella club sandwich was so healthy, she made the rest of us look like gluttons. Her sandwich was served with fresh fruits on the side. The portabella mushrooms were deliciously marinated and char-grilled, and the provolone cheese, lettuce, roasted red peppers and basil mayo added to the delight.

I'm looking forward to my next Boscos visit. When I'm there again, I'd like to try one of their good-sounding pizzas. Glimpse their menus here.

Photographed and written by Carissa Gan.

The Sidekick

Dish: Sweet potato fries

Venue: Zaitzeff Burgers

Cost: $5

Located on the corner of Nassau and John St. in the Financial District, Zaitzeff Burgers is a burger joint launched in 2003. It serves "fresh, grass fed, hormone- and antibiotic-free beef that comes from small cooperatives in Washington and Oregon," as stated on its web page.

Zaitzeff was featured in the New York Magazine as one of the top 100 places to eat in the city. To receive such an honorable recognition among the thousands of eateries in the city, the place has to stand out. It has to be one of a kind. It has to be unique, fresh and memorable. And Zaitzeff is all of that.

Upon entering the shop, I noticed the large chalkboard behind the counter serving as the menu. Burgers. Sandwiches. Salads. Fries. Beverages. That was all they sold. The burgers were the customers' favorite, obviously. It was the cream of the shop.

But I wasn't in the mood for burgers. (Now I wish I'd ordered a burger anyway, even though I wasn't hungry for one.) Instead, I was interested in the sides. The burgers already received so much recognition. It was time for someone to turn the spotlight on the sides.

I ordered the sweet potato fries. They came in a little paper box, warm from the fryer. I wished they came in a smaller portion though, because I couldn't finish all of that by myself. The fries tasted fresh and sweet; not too salty, but not sickeningly sweet either. When dipped into ketchup, the level of tastiness increased. So if you're thinking about trying Zaitzeff Burgers, don't forget to get the sweet potato fries. They are the burgers' best friend.

They're not the main attraction, but they're quite necessary because they complement the burgers. The sidekick. That's what they really are. 

Photographed and written by Carissa Gan.

Guest Contribution: Zombie Burger

Dish: Dawn Of The Dead

Venue: Zombie Burger

Cost: $10-ish

So here in the heart of downtown Des Moines lies Zombie Burger - a zombie infected, apocalyptic-world themed (great deco) burger joint that has received its fair share of rave reviews.

I visited it last night and decided to try the Dawn Of The Dead - a sinful mix of three ground beef patties, bacon, fried egg, American cheese, red onions and mayo. The burger was really tasty and among one of the better burgers that I've had. The ingredients were simple, but that's just the way I feel classic burgers should be. Along with that, I had a chocolate Nutella milkshake with marsh mellows. Yes, it is as good as it sounds too.

Overall, the food was fantastic in my opinion and I really hope to revisit this place again.


Photograph and text are courtesy of Aaron Abraham from Iowa, USA.