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CERTAIN PARTS OF NEW JERSEY HAVE THEIR OWN SPECIAL BEAUTY.
TO THE UNTRAINED EYE, IT AIN'T PRETTY.
(George) FOR YEARS, I'VE BEEN CRISSCROSSING AMERICA
IN SEARCH OF THE BEST HAMBURGERS.
I'VE WRITTEN BOOKS ABOUT BURGERS,
EVEN MADE A FILM ABOUT THEM,
AND I FOUND THAT BURGERS AREN'T THE SAME EVERYWHERE.
FROM STATE TO STATE, THEY TELL A VERY REGIONAL STORY.
IN NEW JERSEY, I'M TALKING TASTY SLIDERS
DRIPPING WITH CHEESE AND GRILLED ONIONS,
A SUCCULENT SEARED HAMBURGER THAT TASTES LIKE STEAK
AND WEIGHS NEARLY A POUND,
AND A BRAZILIAN BEAST THAT IS A STEAK
(bell dings)
I'M NOT OUT HERE TO EAT JUST ANY BURGER.
MY JOB IS TO FIND THE GOOD ONES, THE REALLY GOOD ONES,
THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR DECADES,
WOW.
CHEERS.
THOSE ARE THE BURGERS I WANT TO EAT.
WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED?
I'M ON A MISSION TO PRESERVE THE ALL-AMERICAN HAMBURGER,
AND MY MISSION IS FAR FROM OVER.
I'M GEORGE MOTZ, AND THIS IS MY JOURNEY.
THIS IS BURGER LAND.
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
Captioned by Closed Captioning Services, Inc.
NEW JERSEY IS A DRIVING STATE,
JUST THIS WEB OF HIGHWAYS AND ROADS.
DON'T GET ME WRONG.
THERE'S LOTS OF NATURAL BEAUTY IN NEW JERSEY.
THERE ARE MORE MILES OF BOARDWALK HERE
THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD,
HORSE COUNTRY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STATE,
BUT THERE'S ALSO SOME RUGGED BEAUTY.
YOU WOULDN'T THINK OF A PLACE LIKE THIS
AS A NEW JERSEY LANDMARK,
BUT THIS IS WHERE CHRIS FROM "THE SOPRANOS" WAS SHOT.
WHETHER YOU'RE IN A TOUGH NEIGHBORHOOD IN NEW JERSEY
OR AT THE BEAUTIFUL JERSEY SHORE,
THIS WHOLE STATE IS FILLED WITH GREAT TRADITION AND COLOR.
THIS IS THE TOWN THAT BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN PUT ON THE MAP.
THE ONE THING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN NEW JERSEY--
THEY'RE VERY NOSTALGIC.
THEY KEEP OLD THINGS AROUND.
NOT SURPRISINGLY, THAT HOLDS TRUE WHEN IT COMES TO
THE NUMBER OF BURGER JOINTS AND DINERS IN THE STATE,
AND THERE ARE A LOT OF GREAT DINERS HERE,
MORE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY.
IF YOU KNOW WHERE TO LOOK, THERE ARE A LOT OF GREAT BURGERS
THAT HAVE STOOD THE TEST OF TIME.
WHITE MANNA. AS FAR AS ANYONE'S CONCERNED,
IT'S ONE OF THE MOST HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT
HAMBURGER RESTAURANTS IN AMERICA.
IT'S A PREFABRICATED PARAMOUNT DINER
FROM THE EARLY PART OF THE 20th CENTURY,
AND NOT MANY OF THESE ARE AROUND ANYMORE.
IN THIS CASE, IT WAS ACTUALLY PUT HERE
PROBABLY SOMETIME IN THE EARLY '40s
AND IT SERVES SOMETHING THAT'S ALSO
ONE OF THE MOST HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT
HAMBURGERS IN THE COUNTRY, THE SLIDER.
NO ONE IS QUITE SURE WHERE THE NAME "SLIDER" COMES FROM,
BUT THIS IS WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO FIND THE HAMBURGER
THAT IS THE BURGER BY WHICH ALL OTHERS WILL BECOME.
GOOD THINGS COME IN THE SMALL PACKAGES.
THEY TASTE BETTER, TOO. HERE YOU GO.
YOU'RE WELCOME.
WHAT IS THE SIZE OF THE SLIDER YOU HAVE HERE? WHAT IS THAT?
IT'S ABOUT, UH, 1 1/2 OUNCES,
YEAH, TOTALLY TRADITIONAL.
YOU MAKE A BALL OF MEAT, THROW IT ON THE FLATTOP,
YES.
YEAH.
IF YOU JUST LEAVE IT LIKE THAT,
AND IT DOESN'T COOK EVENLY ON THE BOTTOM.
THIS IS THE ORIGINAL AMERICAN HAMBURGER.
THE BIG MAC ISN'T.
ANYTHING THAT'S OVERSIZED, AS BIG AS YOUR HEAD,
EXACTLY.
FUNNY THING ABOUT McDONALD'S--
THEY OPENED ACROSS THE STREET
IN, WHAT, 1970, 1971,
SO THEY CAME OVER TO THE OWNER
AND ASK HIM IF HE WANTS A JOB AT THE McDONALD'S,
'CAUSE THEY'RE GONNA CRUSH HIM,
AND HERE WE ARE 30 YEARS LATER.
WHO'S NEXT?
THANKS.
LET ME TALK ABOUT YOUR ORDERING SYSTEM FOR A SECOND HERE.
NO, WE DON'T WRITE ANYTHING DOWN.
THE THING IS, WHEN YOU TAKE THE ORDER,
YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE PERSON,
'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU REMEMBER.
GO AHEAD, GUY.
FIFTEEN CHEESEBURGERS, HE SAYS.
OKAY, YOU WANT ONIONS ON ALL OF 'EM?
YOU GOTTA GO WITH THE ONIONS.
FIFTEEN HAMBURGERS FOR YOU, OR ARE YOU GONNA SHARE THOSE?
OKAY, YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY... (laughs)
I'M A BIG GUY.
HE'S GONNA EAT 'EM.
HE JUST DOESN'T WANT TO TELL YOU THAT.
HEY, BUT McDONALD'S IS RIGHT THERE.
(laughs)
PEOPLE TELL ME THAT THEY USE McDONALD'S FOR THE BATHROOM
THAT'S SMART.
(laughs) WE WON'T TELL THEM THAT, RIGHT?
YEAH.
THANK YOU.
IT'S PHENOMENAL.
WHERE?
THE NEXT GREAT HAMBURGER DISCOVERY
ALWAYS COMES FROM SOMEBODY ELSE.
IT'S ALWAYS WORD OF MOUTH,
AND THANKS TO THIS GUY, I'M DEFINITELY ADDING HAMBURGAO
TO MY LIST OF PLACES TO HIT IN NEW JERSEY.
SO A LOT OF PLACES
WOULDN'T DARE PUT THE BUN ON THE GRIDDLE LIKE THAT.
THAT--YEAH,
YEAH.
SURE.
WITH ONION?
AND CHEESE ON IT, OH, YEAH.
BACK IN THE FIRST DAYS OF MAKING BURGERS,
IF THEY--IF YOU WANTED A DOUBLE,
IT WAS ACTUALLY DOUBLE MEAT, SO WHAT YOU DO...
IT'S NOT TWO SEPARATE PATTIES.
RIGHT.
TO MAKE IT A DOUBLE, RIGHT.
RIGHT.
HERE YOU GO. ENJOY, ENJOY.
OHH.
I'M GONNA THINK ABOUT IT FOR A MINUTE.
♪♪♪
IT'S A MANGLED MASS OF ONIONS AND CHEESE AND BEEF.
THIS MANGLED MESS OF A BURGER
IS ANCHORED BY A FLAVORFUL GROUND BEEF PATTY
THAT'S RARE IN TEXTURE BUT WELL DONE IN TASTE.
IT'S BARELY HELD TOGETHER BY A MOIST POTATO BUN
THAT SHARES THE SAME BUTTERY RICH CONSISTENCY
AS ITS HEAPING MOUND OF SOFT, ZESTY ONIONS
AND MELTED CHEESE.
MMM.
THAT IS HAMBURGER PERFECTION RIGHT THERE.
IT AIN'T PRETTY, BUT THAT IS THE ORIGINAL AMERICAN HAMBURGER,
AND IT'S RIGHT HERE IN NEW JERSEY.
THANK YOU.
NUMBER THREE.
IF SLIDERS ARE THE ALL-AMERICAN BURGER,
WHY ARE THEY SO PREVALENT IN NEW JERSEY?
TO FIND OUT, MY NEXT STOP HAS TO BE WHITE ROSE,
A HIDDEN BURGER GEM IN THE TOWN OF LINDEN
THAT HAS AN EQUALLY ICONIC NEW JERSEY SLIDER.
'CAUSE I NEVER WANT THIS TO CHANGE, EVER.
ALL OVER AMERICA,
THE CORPORATE CHAIN RESTAURANT
HAS SORT OF SQUASHED A LOT OF THE SMALLER MOM-AND-POP PLACES,
BUT FORTUNATELY, IN NEW JERSEY,
A LOT OF THOSE CLASSIC MOM-AND-POP JOINTS
MANAGED TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE, ACTUALLY.
YOU DON'T FIND THAT EVERYWHERE.
IT'S A FACT THAT THERE ARE MORE TOWNSHIPS IN NEW JERSEY
THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY,
AND A LOT OF THEIR INDIVIDUAL CHARACTER AND IDENTITY
COMES FROM THE CONTINUOUS PRESENCE OF ICONIC LANDMARKS,
LIKE WHITE MANNA IN HACKENSACK
OR THE EQUALLY LEGENDARY WHITE ROSE SYSTEM DINER
IN THE INDUSTRIAL NORTH JERSEY TOWN OF LINDEN.
(man) HEY, GEORGE, HOW ARE YOU?
GOOD, VERY GOOD, NICE TO SEE YOU.
YOU TOO.
IT'S A PICTURE WINDOW ON HAMBURGER HEAVEN, RIGHT THERE.
LOOKS LIKE NOTHING HAS CHANGED HERE, UH...
COSMETICALLY.
I LIKE THAT.
YOUR FATHER WAS IN THE BUSINESS ALSO, RIGHT?
YEAH, HE WAS IN BUSINESS FOR OVER 50 YEARS.
I GREW UP DOING THIS, YEAH.
YES, I HOPE--
(laughs)
YOU HAVE A VERSION OF THE SLIDER
RIGHT.
A LITTLE LARGER, RIGHT? HOW BIG IS IT?
3-OUNCE PATTY.
THE TRADITIONAL SLIDER IS, LIKE, 1 1/2 OUNCES, RIGHT? YEAH.
EVERY DAY?
WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?
LOCAL BUTCHER.
ALSO, YOU'RE THE ONLY GUY BEHIND THE GRILL. THAT'S IT.
I'M THE ONLY PERSON HERE.
(laughs)
THAT'S WHY THE BURGERS ARE ALWAYS GOOD.
SO WHAT DO YOU KNOW OF THE HISTORY OF THE PLACE?
WHEN THESE FACTORIES OPENED,
RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT.
AND THESE DINERS WORKED 24 HOURS A DAY
TO KEEP THE MEN AND, UH, WOMEN FED.
THE WAY A JERSEY DINER IS SET UP IS THAT THEY CAN
KEEP THE BURGERS, THE EGGS, AND THE FOOD GOING ALL DAY LONG.
SO IF ALL THESE FACTORIES WERE HERE OPERATING AROUND THE CLOCK
AND THIS PLACE WAS OPERATING AROUND THE CLOCK,
I'M ASSUMING THAT SLIDERS MADE SENSE.
RIGHT. QUICK TO MAKE, QUICK TO SEND OUT.
AT TIMES DURING THE SHIFT CHANGE,
WE WOULD MAKE 'EM IN ADVANCE, KNOWING THAT WE WERE PUSHING OUT
50, 100 IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME,
BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES, THEY ONLY HAD A 15-MINUTE BREAK
RIGHT.
SO WE'D HAVE 'EM IN ADVANCE, BAGGED, BOXED, READY TO GO.
ANYTIME.
HEY, THAT SOUNDS GOOD TO ME.
BURGERS FOR BREAKFAST.
RICH, WHAT'S A JERSEY BURGER?
JERSEY BURGER IS OUR TAKE ON--ON A CHEESEBURGER,
RIGHT, RIGHT.
A LARGE CHEESEBURGER, WHICH COMES ON A HARD ROLL,
OKAY.
UM, ONIONS, PICKLES, KETCHUP, OF COURSE,
HUH, AND TAYLOR HAM.
TAYLOR HAM IS A, UM,
HUH.
IT'S ONLY AVAILABLE
IT'S ONLY AVAILABLE IN NORTH JERSEY.
MOST PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF IT.
ARE YOU THE ONLY ONES THAT ACTUALLY PUT TAYLOR HAM
UM, I'M THE ORIGINATOR.
I'M THE ORIGINATOR
JERSEY BURGER. I LOVE THAT.
I DO THINK WE NEED SOME BURGERS, THOUGH,
BUT I NEED THE TRADITIONAL SLI--I NEED YOUR SLIDER.
OKAY.
♪♪♪
HEY, HERE'S NICK.
HEY, NICK, WHAT'S UP, BUDDY?
GOOD TO SEE YOU.
GOOD TO SEE YOU.
I PROBABLY HAVE
MORE EXPERIENCE THAN MOST PEOPLE IN, UH, JERSEY SLIDERS.
IN MY EXTENSIVE BURGER TRAVELS,
I'VE MET A NUMBER OF FOOD BLOGGERS
AND LOCAL HAMBURGER ADDICTS LIKE NICK,
WHO HAVE GRACIOUSLY BECOME MY DEDICATED ADVANCE TEAM.
WHEN I DECIDED TO STOP IN AND REVISIT THIS CLASSIC BURGER,
I HAD TO ASK THIS INFLUENTIAL BURGER CRITIC TO JOIN ME.
YOU TOLD ME ABOUT THIS PLACE.
YOU TAKE A BITE OF THAT BURGER,
AND THAT BURGER PROBABLY TASTED THE SAME
TO A GUY THAT WAS MAKING CHEVYS IN 1960.
RIGHT, THAT HAMBURGER IS-- IT'S A HISTORICAL DOCUMENT.
OHH-HO-HO-HO.
THAT IS--
OHH.
AND THE TOP IS LIKE A CROISSANT.
CHEERS, CHEERS.
I THINK THE ONION IS--IS A SIGNIFICANT...
A LITTLE SWEET.
LOTS OF FLAVOR.
MM-HMM.
YEP.
BUT THEN YOU HAVE THIS WEEPY, SOFT, CARAMELIZED...
HERE.
IT REALLY IS A GREAT LESSON IN SIMPLICITY.
THIS IS WHY TRADITION IN NEW JERSEY
IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME,
'CAUSE I NEVER WANT THIS TO CHANGE, EVER.
THANKS, YOU TWO.
THIS IS--
IT DOESN'T GET MUCH MORE CLASSIC NEW JERSEY DINER THAN THIS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S A HIGH EXPRESSION OF WHAT AMERICA IS,
THAT A DINER LIKE THIS STILL STANDS.
SLIDERS ARE DEFINITELY IMPORTANT,
BUT NEW JERSEY'S DENSE MIX OF PEOPLE
ALSO MEANS A LOT OF DIFFERENT BURGER TRADITIONS,
AND THE BURGER AT ITALIAN-AMERICAN ROSSI'S,
IN TRENTON, SAYS "COME ON IN AND STAY AWHILE."
THIS IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF A SLIDER.
♪♪♪
ONE OF MY FAVORITE NEW JERSEY ATTRACTIONS--
THE STATUE OF LIBERTY.
THAT'S RIGHT. ONE OF NEW YORK'S MOST BELOVED LANDMARKS
IS TECHNICALLY IN NEW JERSEY WATERS,
MAKING THIS A JERSEY GIRL.
THIS IS ACTUALLY WHERE THE HAMBURGER'S ROOTS CAN BE TRACED,
RIGHT HERE TO NEW YORK HARBOR, TO ELLIS ISLAND.
AS GERMANS GOT OFF THE BOATS ON ELLIS ISLAND,
THEY WOULD MAKE WAY TO THE TIP OF MANHATTAN
AND FIND OTHER GERMANS THAT HAD BEEN THERE BEFORE THEM
SELLING HAMBURG STEAKS.
THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE IN NEW JERSEY IS VERY RICH.
ONE PLACE I LOVE TO GO IN JERSEY THAT HAS A GREAT BURGER
AND A GREAT ITALIAN-AMERICAN STORY
IS ROSSI'S IN TRENTON.
78-YEAR-OLD ROSSI'S IS NOT LOCATED
IN SOME STRIP MALL OR A COMMERCIAL BLOCK.
IT'S RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD,
AND THE BURGER IS AS BIG AS MY HEAD.
HI, GEORGE.
NICE TO SEE YOU.
HOW'S THE BURGER? STILL THE SAME, RIGHT?
ABSOLUTELY THE SAME.
THAT'S MEDIUM, FRIED ONION, AND MEATBALLS...
SO WHAT IS IT ABOUT FAMILY
RUNNING A FAMILY RESTAURANT?
IT'S DIFFICULT.
YOUR GRANDFATHER WAS THE ORIGINAL ROSSI.
YES, IN '28,
OH, CANDY STORE,
BUT IT WAS A SPEAKEASY IN THE BACK.
YEAH.
AND THEN WHEN PROHIBITION WAS REPEALED IN 1933,
A BAR.
(laughs)
AND BEHIND ME, THIS WAS PART OF THE HOUSE, RIGHT?
YEAH, YEAH, IT WAS OUR FAMILY LIVING ROOM.
IN 1950, WE OPENED UP A DINING ROOM
AND WE STARTED SERVING FOOD.
IT WAS DIFFERENT IN THOSE DAYS.
RIGHT.
UH, MY DAD STARTED MAKING THESE BIG HAMBURGERS.
HUH.
SAID TO MY DAD, "YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SELL THESE."
YEAH,
MY DAD PLAYED IN THE WASHINGTON SENATORS ORGANIZATION.
IS THAT HIS CONNECTION TO JOE D.?
YOU KNOW, THE SIMILARITIES THAT--
RIGHT.
THEY PLAYED PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL,
AND BOTH CAME FROM, UH, ITALIAN FAMILY RESTAURANTS.
HUH.
IT REALLY LENDS A LOT OF--
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF NOSTALGIA
AROUND, YOU KNOW, OLD FIGURES IN BASEBALL,
SO IT WAS GREAT TO HEAR THAT JOE D. WAS, UH,
YEAH, IT WAS VERY COOL.
♪♪♪
WHAT?
EVEN YOUR COLESLAW'S GOOD.
I LIKE IT.
MEATBALLS, COMIN' THROUGH.
IT WAS THE FAMILY KITCHEN,
MY GRANDPARENTS' KITCHEN, AND EVERYBODY LIVED UPSTAIRS.
OH, I JUST SEE THE MARINARA HERE.
YEAH, IT'S THE WAY THE ITALIANS DO IT.
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN GET MUCH MORE CLOSER
TO LITERALLY MOM AND POP BEING AT HOME, RIGHT?
YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
SO LET'S MAKE A BURGER. SO WHAT IS THAT?
WE START OUT WITH ABOUT A BASEBALL SIZE.
WE DON'T--
IT'S 12 TO 14 OUNCES. IT'S--IT'S MEASURED,
IT'S MEASURED, RIGHT HERE.
RIGHT, THERE YOU GO.
AND BASICALLY DROP IT DOWN
AHH.
YEP.
OH, OKAY.
SURE.
YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
AND TURNS INTO, LIKE, A LITTLE BASEBALL.
YEP, OKAY.
AND IT'S CONSISTENT ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
YEAH.
ALL RIGHT, AND IT'S OFF AND RUNNIN'.
YEAH, WE USE THE SALAMANDER BROILER...
SO THAT THE, UH, BURGERS AREN'T COOKING IN GREASE.
40,000 B.T.U.s.
NO, NO.
SO THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE IT. IT'S INDIRECT HEAT.
YEAH, YEAH.
YEAH, YEAH.
DELMONICOS, PORTERHOUSES, EVERYTHING GOES UP THERE.
BUT NO ONE THINKS THAT THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO MAKE A HAMBURGER.
THERE ARE VERY FEW RESTAURANTS IN AMERICA
THAT COOK BURGERS LIKE THAT.
THAT'S WHY EVERYBODY COMES HERE.
IT'S A BIG BURGER, IT'S GOTTA BE A BIG BUN, RIGHT?
OH, YEAH, THAT'S-- THAT'S A NICE STURDY BUN.
YOU DON'T HAVE A SMALLER BURGER, RIGHT?
NO, NO, ONE SIZE, ONE SIZE.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE FEEL PEOPLE WANT.
YOU CAN GET SLIDERS SOMEWHERE ELSE.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE A WUSS?
OF COURSE I--
OKAY.
I HAVE A BIG APPETITE.
IF YOU LOOK AROUND,
DO YOU KNOW EVERYBODY IN HERE DINING?
YES, I KNOW THEM BY SIGHT OR BY NAME.
THIS IS GEORGE, EVERYBODY.
HI.
OHH, LOOK AT THIS THING.
IT'S THE SIZE OF MY HEAD.
I'VE EATEN A LOT OF SLIDERS IN NEW JERSEY.
THIS IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF A SLIDER, RIGHT HERE.
THIS IS LIKE 14 SLIDERS IN ONE,
AND THIS IS THE KIND OF BURGER
THAT LITERALLY TASTES LIKE A STEAK, RIGHT?
I'M ASKIN' HER, 'CAUSE I'M SITTIN' NEXT TO THE MEAT PACKER.
NO. OH, IT'S SO JUICY.
I GOTTA--I'M SWEATING.
VOILà, YOU MADE IT.
THERE YOU GO. SALUTE.
QUICK-TURNAROUND SLIDERS WERE TAILOR-MADE
FOR JERSEY FACTORY WORKERS ON THE GO.
THE ROSSI BURGER IN THIS LONGTIME IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORHOOD
FEELS MORE LIKE WHAT YOU'D GET AT HOME.
I LOVE ROSSI'S 'CAUSE IT REALLY IS TRULY
IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO WHEN MY GRANDPARENTS CAME HERE.
EVERYBODY FEELS LIKE FAMILY HERE.
THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'RE COMIN' HOME WHEN THEY COME HERE.
THANKS, MIKE.
APPRECIATE IT.
I'M HEADED BACK NORTH TO THE CITY OF NEWARK
TO MEET UP AGAIN WITH LOCAL EXPERT NICK SOLARES
FOR A RAVED-ABOUT NEW JERSEY BURGER
THAT NEITHER OF US HAVE TRIED...
AND TO FIND OUT WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT NEW JERSEY.
♪♪♪
I'M HEADED TO A PLACE I'VE NEVER BEEN BEFORE
IN NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.
ONE OF THE MAIN WAYS I FIND NEW BURGER PLACES
IS THROUGH PASSIONATE RECOMMENDATIONS
FROM REAL, EVERYDAY PEOPLE...
TRY HAMBURGAO.
IT'S PHENOMENAL.
BUT RAVE REVIEWS ARE NOT QUITE ENOUGH
TO GET ME TO TRY A NEW HAMBURGER.
I'M ALSO LOOKING FOR A GREAT BURGER STORY,
AND HAMBURGAO, IN MULTIETHNIC NEWARK,
IS A GREAT MODERN EXAMPLE
OF THE SAME NEW JERSEY IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE
AS OLD-SCHOOL PLACES LIKE ROSSI'S IN TRENTON.
THIS MAKES IT A MUST-STOP EXPERIENCE
FOR ME AND MY FRIEND RENOWNED BURGER BLOGGER NICK SOLARES.
NO.
NO.
COME ON, GEORGE, YOU KNOW ME.
IF I'M COMIN' TO NEW JERSEY, YOU KNOW WHERE I'M GOIN'.
YES, THAT'S RIGHT, I KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOIN'.
I'M GOIN' TO A CLASSIC SLIDER PLACE,
THIS IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE FOR US.
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX SOMETIMES.
THE WORLD IS CHANGING. WE GOTTA CHANGE WITH IT.
(bell dings)
(George) THIS IS THE KIND OF PLACE
I WOULD EXPECT TO FIND IN NEW JERSEY,
BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A MELTING POT...
ESPECIALLY IN NEWARK.
OH, IT IS,
SO THIS IS A DOUBLE MELTING POT.
THIS IS VERY EXCITING,
BECAUSE THIS IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE
OH, IT'S A COMPLETE JUXTAPOSITION.
WE WENT FROM SOMETHING WITH THREE INGREDIENTS,
AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO SOMETHING
OH, YEAH.
COMPLETELY OPPOSITE.
HOW YOU GUYS DOIN'? MY NAME IS PABLO.
I'M THE OWNER OF THE PLACE. ARE YOU GUYS ALL RIGHT?
LET'S GO THERE.
LET'S MAKE A HAMBURGAO.
IT'S COOKED ON THE FLATTOP.
YOU PUT IT ON THE STEAK THERE.
YES, IT IS.
SO THE STEAK IS SO TENDER, YOU CAN JUST CUT IT WITH A KNIFE...
ON THE GRILL.
SO IT'S BUN, HAM, CHEESE,
A FRIED EGG, BACON--
THAT'S FIVE DIFFERENT PROTEINS.
AND NOW HE COMES WITH THE SALAD, WHICH IS THE REST HERE.
IT'S LETTUCE, TOMATOES, CORN,
POTATO STICKS, AND MAYO.
IT'S A BIG BURGER.
THAT IS WHAT WE DO WHEN WE HAVE
A HAMBURGER EXPERIENCE THAT'S BRAND-NEW--
WE PHOTOGRAPH THE... OUT OF IT.
THERE YOU GO. COOL.
NUDE--OH, NO, NO.
NUDE, OF COURSE, MEANS NO SAUCE.
READY? GO.
THERE'S A LOT GOIN' ON IN THERE.
I'VE HAD ABOUT THREE DIFFERENT BITES.
YEAH, RIGHT.
OH, I JUST NOTICED THAT. YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS, ACTUALLY?
IT'S A PIECE OF STEAK. MY GOD, YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS?
THIS IS A TRUE RULE BREAKER.
OH, DEFINITELY.
(laughs)
IT REALLY IS.
YOU'RE GETTING A WEALTH OF TEXTURES AND FLAVORS.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU DON'T GET THE--THE PURITY
RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT.
IN A 3-INGREDIENT CHEESEBURGER.
I LIKE TO LIVE IN A WORLD
WHERE WE CAN HAVE BOTH KINDS OF BURGERS.
THIS IS NUMBER ONE SELLER.
AND WHAT DOES "HAMBURGAO" MEAN?
HAMBURGAO IN PORTUGUESE MEANS "BIG HAMBURGER"...
BECAUSE THE "A" AND "O" AT THE END
OHH.
YES, YOU CAN.
IT IS? OKAY.
MY FATHER WORKED WITH THAT FOR MANY YEARS
BACK WHEN HE WAS A TEENAGER IN BRAZIL
WITH THE SAME KIND OF INGREDIENTS INSIDE.
VERY GLAD YOU GUYS LIKED IT.
YOU'RE REALLY ALL ABOUT
THE AUTHENTIC BRAZILIAN HAMBURGER EXPERIENCE.
WE ALWAYS THINK OF THE HAMBURGER CULTURE
MM-HMM, MM-HMM.
AND YOU GUYS HAVE TAKEN IT TO A WHOLE DIFFERENT LEVEL.
I THINK SO. (laughs)
NOT TECHNICALLY A HAMBURGER,
BUT IT WAS DELICIOUS.
YEAH.
IT'S GOT, LIKE, A SYNERGY
THAT A REALLY GREAT BURGER GIVES YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, GEORGE.
I'LL SEE YOU IN THE NEXT ONE.
TRADITION IS IMPORTANT IN NEW JERSEY,
AND THAT APPLIES TO THE BURGERS HERE, AS WELL.
WE WENT FROM HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT NEW JERSEY SLIDERS
TO THE MASSIVE BUT EQUALLY IMPORTANT
ROSSI BURGER IN TRENTON
TO THE BRAZILIAN HAMBURGAO IN NEWARK,
WHICH IS EQUALLY REPRESENTATIVE OF NEW JERSEY TODAY.
NO ONE HOLDS ONTO TRADITION MORE THAN I DO.
IT'S A BIG PART OF MY MISSION,
BUT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE
LOTS OF DIFFERENT AMERICAN TRADITIONS TO BE CELEBRATED,
SOME OLD AND SOME NEW.
THAT IS AMERICA,
AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES MY JOURNEY
FOR THE NEXT GREAT AMERICAN HAMBURGER
SO REWARDING.