Hamburger America (61 page)

The burger has been on the menu since the beginning. “That’s ALL that was on the menu!” Glenn joked. Today, Zwieg’s actually has an extensive menu with soups, sandwiches, and fish-fry Fridays. “I have forty-five sandwiches on the menu but most people order the burgers,” Mary told me. One tasty curiosity is the hamburger soup, which is basically a chicken soup with browned hamburger meat in it. When I asked what was in the soup Mary told me with a laugh, “I can tell you, but I’d have to kill you! It’s a secret.”

Glenn, now 67, started working at his parent’s restaurant when he was in seventh grade. “I used to run down, empty the dishwasher, and eat,” he told me. From that point on he has always worked at Zwieg’s. He bought it in 1976, and has dedicated his entire life to the restaurant. He told me, “This is what I know.”

Thank God there are still places like Zwieg’s around. It’s a comfortable, happy place where a counter full of regulars are really just friends waiting to be met. I’ll never forget walking into Zwieg’s the first time. By the time I left I knew everyone. That kind of hospitality is what makes great burgers taste even better.

I
’m not really a writer. I’m a filmmaker, a photographer, and a nostalgic American. My quest to find America’s greatest burgers and the people who make them started with a film I made many years ago called
Hamburger America
. As a result of that project, and the research for this book, I have amassed an absurd amount of hamburger knowledge. I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to dedicated food experts in many parts of the country for pointing me in the right direction and filling my brain and belly with unforgettable burger experiences.

Many thanks to Rick Kogan for being the president of the George Motz Fan Club and smelling success in hamburger reportage far before anyone else could. To columnist Doug Moe who has hosted and written about me in Madison, Wisconsin, and food writer Robb Walsh who made sure I was on the right track in Houston, Texas more than once. To Ed Levine from Serious Eats and Jim Fusilli of the
Wall Street Journal
for giving me tips on writing. To columnist Marshall King, my host in Indiana, and Tom Palmore and Bill Peterson, who introduced me to great burgers in Oklahoma. To friend Greg Ennis, who led me to burger greatness in Montana and protected me from drunken rugby players. And Rick Cohler who will never say no to a Butter Burger (or three) at Solly’s Grille. To Kacy Jahanbini for venturing into Ann’s Snack Bar before I did, and to Mac Premo for flying all the way to Meers, Oklahoma just to be nearly killed by a buffalo. To Vernon Schwarte for organizing motorcycle rallies to various places in
Hamburger America
(in the name of breast cancer awareness) and to all of the fans that have taken this book on the road to have it signed by my hamburger heroes (this small gesture goes a long way and shows these hamburger icons that their life’s work is meaningful). Also to NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg who is, without a doubt, hamburger obsessed. Thanks also to all of the butchers and meat people in my life, like Joe at United Meat in Brooklyn, Pat LaFrieda, Mark Pastore, SuSu Strassburger, and Jamie Schweid at Burger
Maker. To Brett Reichler, Paul Sale, and Steve Hanson at Bill’s Burgers, Scott Smith and Andrew Fischel at RUB, and Randy Garutti at Shake Shack.

Thanks also to Nick Solares, Josh Ozersky, Melena Ryzik, Jeff Ruby, Jason Perlow, Stacy Perman, The Rev, and Adam Kuban, all food and culture writers of the highest order. To Seth Unger for attempting to manage all of this hamburger craziness in my life and to Nancy Meyers, always my host in LA. To Izabella, Kris, Diane, and Mitchell at James Beard and to Dan Appel and Rob Knox from danAppelcreative. Thanks also to Martha Stewart and Gayle King for having me on their shows, and to my amazing in-laws Sally and Jon for watching the kids while the wife and I powered through hamburger country. And of course to all of the tipsters who gave me advice about their favorite hamburger joint, whether they were driving the airport rental car shuttle, at the hotel bar, or sending me endless amounts of e-mail (keep sending that e-mail!). I’d also be quite lost without my core EBTs Kris, Jim, Sef, Joe, Wayne, Jay, and Todd (aka #2). I also need to thank my food photography mentor, Greg Ramsey, who taught me a whole new way to look at food.

This book never would have seen the light of day had it not been for my agent, Laura Dail, and my patient editor, Jennifer Kasius, at Running Press. Thanks also to everyone else at Running Press, especially designer Joshua McDonnell.