Brgr is the place

Just waiting for the burger at Brgr on the Upper East Side.

If your body is in need of certain protein strains or you're just plain craving a burger, Brgr is the place to go. Known for their grass-fed burgers, its new location (which just opened this past Saturday and is dangerously close to my apartment) is right near Bloomingdale's, making it the perfect pitstop to fuel up before you shop. Grass-fed beef is not only better for you, but also better for the environment. Beef from grass-fed cows is more nutrient-rich and contains higher level of Omega 3 fatty acids with less of the unhealthy fats. Also, it takes half as many fossil fuels to produce grass-fed beef as grain-fed.

As for the toppings, Brgr has all the cheeses you could want, bacon, avocado, onion marmalade, and grilled mushrooms. From the frier comes sweet potato fries and the french kind, as well as crispy thin fried onions, known as onion hay. If you can’t make up your mind, just order the trio.

In between Invite Health and Isle of Capri.

Clockwise from above: Brgr hours; Clearly stated: grass fed is the better beef; even the floor resembles grass!

For the non-red meat eater, Brgr's veggie and turkey burgers are much better than they need to be. Or you can just opt for dessert: a black and white milkshake made to order with local Ronnybrook Dairy products. Or their blueberry pomegranate shake, which is always ranked among the top shakes in New York.

Brgr [1]
1026 Third Avenue (on corner of 61st Street)
Brgr has another location in Chelsea

Brgr Operations manager Martin Weil (center) with members of the Brgr crew.

Black and white milkshake.

Blueberry pomegranate shake.

Burger toppings, all fresh and delicious.

Grass fed beef burger with american cheese, pickles, lettuce and tomato.

Veggie burger with herb mayo and avocado.

Brand new and completely stocked with soda and condiments.

The place for french fries.

The trio: french fries, sweet potato fries, and onion hay.

Gino is closing on Saturday. The Italian restaurant, which opened in 1945, is closing for real. An $8,000 rent increase is the culprit and the management could not reach an agreement with the union. I’m heartbroken. I grew up going to Gino and it’s one of the very few restaurants that felt like an extension of my dining room. Besides its famous zebra wallpaper, Gino has served delicious and reliable Italian food for over 60 years. Gay Talese, also a Gino regular, wrote a must-read goodbye to Gino in the New Yorker. A cupcake shop from California is going to open in Gino's place. [New Yorker [2]]


	William Herz, 93, with Agron Metis, a waiter at Sardi’s. Photo: Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times.

This is a fascinating profile about William Herz. He is 93 years old and has been a regular at Sardi’s for 77 years. Sardi’s, located in the heart of the theater district, is one of the most famous restaurants in New York. It’s the scene for people in the theatre world and the idea for the Tony awards was actually conceived there. Mr. Herz has lunch there twice a week and they even keep a coffee mug there just for him. [NY Times [3]]

The effects of the oil spill are causing seafood prices in New York to go up. Many restaurants have started increasing the menu prices for items like shrimp and oysters. Seafood purveyors have been getting orders from restaurants that would normally be ordering fish from the gulf area, causing higher demand for an already tight supply. [Crain's [4]]

The situation at Tavern on the Green isn’t great right now. Talks collapsed between the union and restaurateur Dean Poll, who was planning on taking over the site. Until there are new plans for a restaurant, many of Tavern's workers will be struggling to get by. [Observer [5]]

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