Happy New Year!

2010 was the best year yet - I jumped off a waterfall, jumped out of an airplane, quit the office job I hated, and worked on some amazing film shoots.

And somewhere in the midst of all that, I started this blog.

Half a year later, I am still loving it - and I plan to keep posting as many reviews as possible in 2011 (there are SO many veggie burgers in NYC that I have not tried yet! Not to mention other cities, if I ever have the time/money to travel outside of the five boroughs...)

To recap, the best and worst veggie burgers of 2010:

BEST:

Hillstone (or as I still prefer to call it, Houston's)
Starting this blog gave me the perfect excuse to treat myself to this delicacy again - and even after all the new burgers I've tried this year, it still remains #1.

But the best of all the burgers I tried for the first time this year would be from the new bakery that opened near my apartment:
Astor Bake Shop


and on the other end of the spectrum...

WORST:

Bridge View Cafe
So bad that the restaurant closed just a few months after I wrote this review. Well, I doubt it was just because of the terrible veggie burger... but anyway, good riddance!

Onto better things...
Which burgers that I haven't reviewed yet should be among the first that I try in 2011??

Hope everyone has a very Happy New Year! :)

Trader Joe's Vegetable Masala Burger

I finally have a chance to post a new review, now that film shoots, holidays, and family reunions are over...



I think these are my favorite store-bought burgers. I’ve been eating them for years, ever since they first caught my eye in the frozen food section at Trader Joe’s. Now I always keep a box of them in my freezer.


frozen patty, just taken out of the box

The patty fries up well – the inside stays moist and soft, while the outside gets browned and crispy. And it only takes a few minutes, so it’s perfect for a quick meal or when you are just too tired after a long day to prepare anything more arduous. Honestly I have never tried these on the barbecue grill, because I usually prefer a more traditional burger flavor when I’m grilling. These might be a little soft to keep their shape on the grill, but the box has written instructions for grilling them so I’ll have to do a test once warmer weather returns.



The box says “with authentic Indian spices”, and spices certainly are present in each bite of the patty. Not to the point where someone who can’t handle spicy foods would dislike it, but just the right amount to give it a strong, delicious flavor. You don’t even need to put any toppings on it, unless you want to of course – Today I just put a little mayonnaise on the bun (granted, I was out of lettuce and sprouts, which I have eaten with this patty in the past, and I must say they do compliment it well).



It’s kind of like a samosa, in burger form. And I love samosas.



Lots of potatoes, carrots, peppers, green beans… you can see chunks of each vegetable as you bite into it, and each bite is immensely satisfying. And it’s vegan!

Although it’s described as a burger, and tastes great as a burger, you can also just serve the patty alone without a bun. Like a vegetable-potato fritter. With a side of rice and veggies… mmm.

Fun Fact: Because I’m a huge dork, I noticed these burgers in an episode of Castle. I don’t remember which episode or season, I just remember seeing the familiar masala burger box for a split second when someone opened the refrigerator in Castle’s kitchen (and I thought it odd that they refrigerated them instead of freezing them). Anyone else notice this?

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Trader Joe’s Vegetable Masala Burger
purchased at the Chelsea location in NYC
price: $2.49 for a box of 4 burger patties

YumVeggieBurger review #38

Amy's California Veggie Burgers

Believe it or not, after all these years of being a vegetarian, I had never tried Amy’s burgers… I pretty much stick to my standard favorites for frozen burgers (you’ll hear about those soon! – don’t forget to subscribe to the blog if you haven’t already). But then I started this website, so I started casting my gaze towards other burgers to try, and then my local grocery store had Amy’s frozen burgers on sale, so…



The California Veggie Burgers are the ones I picked first. I’m not sure why, since I’ve never even been to California (except for once when I was an infant and therefore have no memory of it). But they seemed like a good place to start exploring Amy’s burger repertoire.

I tried them cooked on the grill and then later in the frying pan. The grill dried the burger patty out more, which is a common problem for veggie burgers since they aren’t loaded with grease.


on the grill


in the frying pan

The taste is much more nutty and grain-y than any other frozen patty I’ve tried before. The vegetables are barely noticeable. The box says it contains walnuts, which you will definitely taste… and it’s vegan!

I really enjoyed this burger, and thought the nutty flavor made it very savory. It definitely tasted “healthy”, although it didn’t quite quench that craving for a really juicy burger that falls apart in your mouth. This one might be better crumbled up atop a salad than on a bun with lettuce and tomato (and sprouts and horseradish… mmm).



Yes, definitely not a bad one to keep in the back of the freezer for lazy evenings.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Amy’s California Veggie Burgers
purchased at Key Food in Astoria
price: $4.99 on sale ($6.89 regular) for a box of 4 burger patties

YumVeggieBurger review #37