Hamburger Heaven

We've been eating quite healthily lately, so a hamburger or two over the weekend's not gonna kill me, right?

And who cares if they're burgers from the two fantastic joints I've tried for the first times over the last two weeks. One here in Big D and one our west in Fort Worth.

First, the local discovery. I'd heard about Twisted Root Burger Co. for a while, but hadn't made it there yet. Located in Deep Ellum, this is a no frills kind of place. You're likely to find a line out the door, but don't give up...it's worth the wait. By the time I got to the order counter, I'd settled on a "make your own burger" with bacon, blue cheese, and Buffalo sauce. And a side of onion strings. The burger was great. Squishy bun. Beef perfectly cooked to medium. And my toppings made it a tangy, spicy smoky party for my tastebuds.

And don't miss the homemade pickles that you can scoop into little plastic cup at the counter. Delicious dills and spicy pickles as well. My favorite was a perfectly balanced bread and butter pickle. I might have to go back by to see if I can buy those to take home.

The next weekend, after a day of museums in Fort Worth, we headed to the Stockyards to check out Love Shack, chef Tim Love's similarly no-frills joint. The menu is small...with just a few choices. And have cash on hand; no credit cards accepted. I decided to have a Dirty Burger. And it did indeed make me feel deliciously dirty. (You can see it pre-chowdown in the photo above.) It's a pretty straight-ahead burger. Fresh bun, beef, bacon, tomatoes, lettuce and good ol' American cheese. There are two bonuses, however. A tangy Love sauce kicked up with curry powder. And, wait for it... a fried quail egg. While tiny, it adds a wonderful richness. The bites with it in them were even better than the ones without. Definitely worth a trip.

Ill be eating celery sticks and rice cakes all this week so I can visit one (or, heck, both of them) again VERY soon.