Add one to the list.

I found a new top ten cheeseburger - and it's in my backyard. More information to come on Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina.

Bunz

I tried Bunz today in Louisville on Baxter Ave. The various restaurant reviews online that I found last week spoke about how much better the establishment was compared to the prior eatery so I figured I'd give this burger restaurant a try. I scheduled a lunch appointment with a co-worker and ate there earlier today.


The sign above the joint is appealing and is followed up by the huge menu above the flat top drawing in your attention upon entry. Bunz's menu offers many choices for burgers and a list of free toppings. Upon entry, the woman behind the counter was very friendly and explained our options presenting us with a smaller printed menus. When I asked what I should get, she directed me to the Baxter Ave Burger. I obliged after reading that it came complete with two burgers, cheese, and a fried egg. After my semi-recent endeavor at Genny's, I slimmed down this double and requested it to be a single only.


After a short time, our burgers were served in classic baskets with wax paper atop in an 'Order 'up fashion'. Their presentation was classic and the fries were great. I think all of the salt on my fries won me over. My burger came out medium-well and after being cut in half was dripping with egg yolk - which the woman gave me fair warning about. Either she didn't ask or burgers here are served one temperature only.


I'd go back to Bunz, but with a bigger appetite and get the full deal next time. A good burger, but not on my top ten. Read into that how you'd like.

JimNO's Place

After reading some recent articles about Jimbo's Place in local publications I had to go check it out for myself. The two articles I read in the Herald talked about the city of Miami trying to run Jimbo out. He's been around forever and it's supposedly one of those local places you have to see. Various movies have been filmed there. And then there was an even more recent article about a fire, but I was so turned off on my inaugural and final visit that I could care less about what happens.

I am a big supporter of local restaurants and bars. And I love drinking beer out of a can. But Jimbo's is something else. If you can find this place you will be able to tell right away that it is special. It's basically something in between a non-functioning campsite, a boat dock, and a dump.

We walked up and were thrown off by the whole situation. There were piles of debris, broken down vehicles, and shacks looking like they were from a Halloween set 20+ years ago waiting to fall over. Thinking back, it was quite shocking that most anything standing didn't fall over previously. As we approached the shack that Jimbo was sitting in front of, people looked at us a bit funny. No one said sit over there, welcome, or anything of the sorts. I knew when we were going there that it was going to be interesting, but not this bad. Then someone standing nearby piped up, "beersinthere." And pointed to a few box coolers inside the door filled with cans of beer and ice. I went in and grabbed for some cans under the $2.50 sign. I walked out and asked who to pay. This man sitting down pulled out a huge wad of cash the size of a fist, collected my money and tried to keep all of the change from the $10 bill I gave him.

This far into the experience was alright. I think we were singled out because we had visibly showered that day and were not one of the 8 locals already present. It was when we chose a place to sit and get a better view that the atmosphere began to really take over. The animals that were walking around really set us off. It didn't look the dogs and cats had been bathed in months. Their presence was followed by fleas and other bugs no one wants any part of.

Let's just wrap up the story by saying we took off shortly after meeting the stray animals. But not before a woman trying to bum my fiance's cigarettes try to get us closer to her Airstream style trailer. The environment seemed to be decaying right in front of us. We couldn't get out of there fast enough.

I can some up Jimbo's for you: dirty and nasty.

You're an IDIOT!

What are these people thinking? I always thought it was quite straightforward. When you renew your vehicle registration, you receive a new registration sticker in the mail, and then you stick it on top of the one that is about to expire...showing only the most recent and current registration sticker.

Well I guess it isn't so obvious. I have been trying to get some pics for weeks now to show you all what I am referring to, but since I barely drive, I often don't have my camera, and moving vehicles are hard to take snapshots of while driving...here you go.

I have seen up to five registration stickers on a single plate in Florida. Crazy! For anyone who has more than one registration sticker showing, YOU ARE AN IDIOT.

1. Read the instructions.
2. Get some common sense.
3. Stop trying to show off that you paid for your vehicle registration multiple years.

Only in Florida!?

And for your viewing pleasure...

4

3

2

I did a quick alteration to everyone's plates I have displayed to protect their identity...not like I know who they are.

Sweetwater Tavern

I ate another great burger in the Detroit area this afternoon. Previous memorable experiences I had at Miller's and Red Coat had me ready for a cheeseburger once I landed in town for Christmas break.
We ended up choosing Sweetwater Tavern in downtown Detroit. The selection started off on a positive note with a meter parking spot instead of being forced into the surrounding pay lots. Upon entry we quickly noticed that the establishment allowed smoking throughout but later learned that this was the last 3 weeks before the smoking ban goes live.

I ordered the Sweetwater Burger sporting bacon, swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and their special sauce on the side - it also came with fries and a side of coleslaw. The menu boasted of fresh meat daily from somewhere local and I was ready. My plate was served cooked to order with my medium rare burger and fries. I started off cutting it in half and noticed something special about the sesame seed bun's appearance. It was either dipped in butter or oil which was definitely recognizable by the taste.

The cheeseburger was great and only cost 8 or 9 bucks. We also saw signs out front offering a free shuttle to the local sporting venues. Definitely a great spot to revisit.

Getting scores on your mobile phone

If you are looking for college football scores or any scores for that matter try out m.SI.com. I worked through a few sites during this season and ended up using SI's mobile site at it is easy and quick to navigate and provides you with what you need to know.

If you find a better one, please let me know. This is for regular mobile Internet browsing - not a mobile app.

Interesting coaching situations at the end of the NCAA football 2009 season

The 2009 NCAA college football is ending with another onslaught of head coaches and schools parting ways. Nearly all of the men so far really didn't have much say in the matter. Before you read any further, please know that this is a mini Bobby Bowden tribute. Yes, I am a Gator fan, but this man deserves it.

So far we have separation between:

• Charlie Weis and Notre Dame,
• Steve Kragthorpe and Louisville,
• Mark Mangino and Kansas,
• Bobby Bowden and FSU,
• a handful of Georgia Assistants being shipped out,
• as well as a list of others from different schools.

I, like many recognize that this is merely a component of the college football business. But this year is starting to stand out. Someone to to step up and speak to the obvious. There can only be so many undefeated and #1 schools every year. I know that you can only be the best by striving to be the best, but recently it seems like expectations are in some cases ridiculous. In my opinion, the schools should let the scenarios play out a bit longer. Let's talk about the 3 biggest names to date: Charlie Weis, Mark Mangino, and Bobby Bowden.

Charlie Weis. Yes, I know every big school wants to be #1. Or, at least in the mix annually. But the way Notre Dame heaps on the pressure is just ridiculous. Not to say a 6 and 6 season should be acceptable, but maybe you are just in a rut right now. Your NBC contract irks me every time I think about it. Join a conference already. Wake up Notre Dame, you are not college football. You are just one of the 100+ teams. Maybe if you joined the Big East and stopped stacking up your schedule you could get back on track.

Mark Mangino. I know little about this situation and can't even tell you Kansas' win loss record. But why is everyone thinking the same thing except those with the decision making power at Kansas...hello, you are a basketball school. Mark was doing a good job.

Maybe I'm getting softer in my older age or maybe I just don't have all of the information the insiders have. Or maybe I have been focusing on the Gators and watching the long overdue Charlie Strong about to get his own squad. But as of tonight I think that at Mark Mangino should have stayed. And as for Notre Dame, it's not just the coach - there is a lot more to it. I know you have a tremendous following domestically. So what. Do you really think bringing in another coach is going to get you in the BCS game within 3 years? You are an educational institution after all. Study the odds, study something, it isn't going to happen. It is going to take some time and more importantly someone to realize that.

This brings us to Bobby Bowden. Yes, if you know me personally you know that I always start my FSU smack talk with something to the matter of FSU being a girls school, since it started as a an all women's college. I put the I hate you act on with the rest of them on game day. However, I still have a lot of respect for the Seminoles even though I am a true Gator fan. Especially for Mr. Bobby Bowden. One could claim he invented football in Florida. He has more wins than any other college football coach except JoePa and numerous consecutive seasons with top 10 teams. I just feel strongly that the man should have had a better exit AND on his terms. If he wanted one more year for the next five years than so be it. There wouldn't be the brand of FSU football without Bobby Bowden.

Thank you Bobby Bowden for what you gave the game and the State of Florida. And I hope you go out for another coaching job and whoop up FSU.

Credit to Whig.com, where this picture was pulled from.

Random Burger Pics

I recently went through my burger pictures and realized that I had previously not posted a handful of meals. Below are some leftovers that I may have referred to but never posted previously. Enjoy!


First up, Mr. Joe's in Southfield, Michigan. I recall the great sweet potato fries. The burger was okay and came at a very cheap price.

The popcorn they served at Mr. Joe's when you sit down is a nice treat as well.

Miller's Bar in Dearborn, Michigan remains one of my favorites. The things that I remember distinctly are the honor code when paying for your meal. You just walk up to the bar and tell them what you had and they ring it up on an old cash register.

Each burger at Miller's comes to the table in a paper wrapper without a plate. There are stacks of patties ready to go by the bar. And are cooked tens at a time on a flat top. A soft squishy bun and a perfect burger. The exterior of the joint is very plain but well worth the visit.

Christy's in Starkville, Mississippi was supposed to be one of the best burger stops around. I found it mediocre but worth the stop in the small town. You can see here in this out of focus picture that they sure do serve up a classic presentation.

And then there is Jack Fry's. A classic establishment in Louisville, Kentucky. They serve a good burger topped with caramelized onions and mushrooms tucked below the cheese. This is a great place but potentially better visited for steak or a glass of wine.

El Rey de Las Fritas in Little Havana, Miami. I probably will not find another burger like this anywhere else. But I will be back to 8th Street to eat one again. The patty integrates beef with chorizo and is topped with a plethora of shoestring fries sandwiched between Cuban bread. I found this place through A Hamburger Today with an article referencing Food Network's 50 best burgers. Don't forget to try the Materva. This Yerba Mate drink is tasty.

Corner Bistro. A long term burger destination with recognized aficionados. My experience there was not so good, but I'm hoping it was an off day. Here is a shot from the outside when I was in New York and had 2 and half burgers for lunch at Shake Shack, brgr, and then Corner Bistro.

My last pic is from Kingdom. I remember my Kingdom burger to be very good. It came out in a red basket and was prepared pretty much how I would write up my favorite burgers. Condiments, temperature, and bun.

Burger Honorable Mentions

I took a few minutes today to review the plethora of burger pics I have stockpiled away and again realized I don't yet have a way to categorize burgers not made from ground beef originating from bulls or cows. I still do not intend to add them to my 'rated' list as they are not true hamburgers, but they should not be forgotten.

Bison from Proof

The first worth mentioning is the Bison Burger from Proof on Main in Louisville, Kentucky. This burger is prepared about as close to perfect as could be and if it were chuck or sirloin I'd have to slide someone down from my current top ten. Not sure how high up I'd go, but it would happen.

They serve their bison burger with a slice of Tillamook Cheddar atop sandwiched between a toasted bun illustrating the perfect burger to bun ratio. It is presented sliced in half with a heap of shoestring french fries overflowing from the center of the plate on to the crest of the grill marks on the bun.

I order medium-rare as it is perfectly cooked every time. Pink and jelly-raw in the center and seared on the top and bottom. They provide a fancy orange sauce as a condiment. I have never been sure if I am supposed to spoil the burger with it or use it for the fries. Since I despise ketchup, I dip my potatoes right in 3 or 4 at a time. I forgot to mention the bacon - a smoked hickory flavored bacon that is very crispy if not just overdone - on purpose.

I highly recommend this burger and the restaurant. The hotel that sports this hot night spot of a restaurant/bar looks like a great time as well. It is called 21C. They have a mini art museum in the lobby that always has different exihibits every time I dine there. If you are a man, you must use the men's restroom off of the lobby. You'll know why after you go #1.

Someday I'll get my own pic of their burger. I always just dive in and forget.

Lamb @ Green Street

Another good burger that I had within the last few months was at Green Street in Coconut Grove, FL. I don't remember all the particulars about it except for it being a great lamb Burger and that it made me motivated to try mixing ground lamb into my home creations more often. I do have a pic that I took with my aging smartphone. Enjoy.

A Math Degree

I ran across an article today about careers that make money due to a math background. I found the topic interesting figuring I have a degree in Mathematics. You can click HERE to check it out for yourself.

One thing they don't talk about at all in the article is how the achievement of a Mathematics degree really teaches one how to think. I probably wouldn't get an advanced calculus or abstract algebra proof near correct if I had to right now, but I sure do approach challenges at work methodically from start to finish.

The article lists 10 money making paths, but they fail to mention that your analytical skills can be applied to various career tracks. If you can make it through 4 years of 3000 and 4000 level math classes you'll definitely come out on top of the pile as far as analyzing problems and coming up with optimal solutions in the workplace.