Shake Shack

Yesterday, I drove 30 minutes and waited in line for 45+ minutes for this:

Yes, I finally went to Shake Shack in Chestnut Hill. What you see pictured above is the 'Shroom Burger ($6.95), a fried portobello mushroom filled with melted muenster and cheddar cheeses, and topped with lettuce, tomato, and ShackSauce (whatever that is).

The burger's size was between a slider and a regular burger, which I appreciated - no one needs to eat eight serving sizes' worth of a fried burger stuffed with cheese. Its smaller size also helped me to appreciate its crispy, non-greasy exterior and the obviously good quality cheese that bursted out with every bite.

I washed my burger down with a ShackMeister Ale ($5), a beer made exclusively for Shake Shack by Brooklyn Brewery (it tastes just like their pale ale).

Surprisingly, your burger doesn't come with fries, so you have to order them separately. I went for a side of the plain fries ($2.70), but you could also get Cheese Fries ($3.70).

The fries were the perfect complement to my cheese-filled burger. The crinkle cut texture reminded me of the mass amounts of French fries I ate throughout my childhood, and every bite was wonderfully salty.

I didn't get a shake or any ice cream, but both of my dining companions ordered Concretes, which are dense frozen custards blended at high speed with mix-ins. They were both big fans, so I definitely plan to order one the next time I visit.

Also, just FYI: if you're not ordering food (just drinks and/or shakes and ice cream), there is a separate express line, so you don't have to wait in the massive line.

Overall, I was a fan of Shake Shack and definitely plan to make the 30-minute trip again in the near future!

Two unrelated notes:

Massachusetts friends: Governor Deval Patrick has asked residents to observe a moment of silence at 2:50 p.m. today, the time the first of the two bombs exploded near the Boston Marathon finish line last week. Bells will ring across the city and state after the minute-long tribute to the victims.

Remember my Sambazon juices and smoothies giveaway? I finally chose a winner (via Random.org): KrysR! Congrats, Krys - please email me at theeconomicaleater@gmail.com to claim your prize within 48 hours.

Best Deal This Week: Burgers for a Buck at The Met

Photo courtesy of facebook.com/metrestaurant

If you're a long time reader of The Econ Eater, I've probably made it clear how much I love a good burger. Beef, turkey, veggie, lamb - it doesn't matter. To me, there's nothing like a flavorful, juicy, well-made burger.

The Met Bar and Grill in Natick and Dedham (with a sister restaurant, The Metropolitan Club, in Chestnut Hill) knows their burgers - and has become rather famous for them in the area. Their "Burger Bar" includes continental creations such as Boston - The Fenway, made with bacon, cheddar cheese and a fried egg on a sesame bun, along with the Manhattan - The Works, made with Swiss cheese, bacon, sauteed onions and mushrooms on a sesame seed bun. The Met's international creations include the Paris Burger, made with Brie, fried egg, caramelized onions and truffle mayo on a sesame seed bun - plus a slew of others, like the Tokyo and Mexico City burgers. Even if none of the Met's specialty burgers tickle your fancy, they also have a Make Your Own option.

Now, on to the best part: Every Monday night in Chestnut Hill, The Met Club holds Burger Night from 6 to 10 p.m., where burgers are $4.99 in the Bar & Lounge. Also, the Natick and Dedham locations hold happy hour, where burgers are $1 from 4 to 6 p.m., as well as $2 daily featured burgers. Gourmet, innovative burgers for a buck. Who said you need fast food to eat affordably?

Random note: I know I don't usually blog about music, but I wanted to recommend this album to anyone looking for some new music to listen to. Sal Nastasi, one of the founding members of the band Ready in 10 (out of Long Island), played at one of my best friend's weddings in June. He sent me his CD to listen to, and it really was a great listen. Mainly slow rock, and perfect relaxing, rainy day music. Definitely worth a listen!

Recap: Budget-friendly Wine Tasting at The Urban Grape

Thursday night, I co-hosted a budget wine tasting event with TJ, owner of The Urban Grape. Quite a few talented writers, bloggers and foodies joined me for the event, including Lara, Jon, Katie, Melissa, and Emily. Over the course of the evening, we tasted four "budget-friendly" wines as well as two "splurge" bottles (and even some extra bottles, per TJ's recommendations).

Here was the line-up:

Economical bottles:
-Luna Vineyards Pinot Grigio, 2007 ($13)
-R Collection by Raymond Chardonnay, 2008 ($10)
-Chateau Jean Gassie Bordeaux Rouge, 2006 ($14)
-Vignamaggio “Il Morino” Sangiovese, 2008 ($13)

Splurge bottles:
-Calistoga Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006 ($22)
-Chateau D’Estoublon Red Blend, 2005 ($22)

While we sipped, TJ explained how The Urban Grape organizes their wines and why, and taught us a heck of a lot about vino. 

Some things I learned that evening (which some of you may already know):

-Red wine is red because it's made with the grapes skins; white wine is white because it is not.

-Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris are made from the same grape.

-An easier way to determine the "weight" of a wine is to compare it to dairy products. For instance, "skim milk" wine is light and watery; "heavy cream" wine is thick and creamy.

All of the economical wines we tasted were delicious, and TJ picked a great variety for us to sample. My favorites of the evening included the Chardonnay and the Sangiovese. I even bought a bottle of the Sangiovese before I left that evening. I can't wait to break into it!

The splurge bottles were also indulgent, but I felt like the budget-friendly bottles had the same amount of quality and flavor (if not more). TJ did a great job explaining each of the wines, and reiterating the fact that affordable does not mean low quality. The wines he shared with us that evening proved his point.

What's the maximum amount of money that you'd willing to spend on a bottle of wine?

Best Deal This Week: 10 Wines for $25

$25 for 10 wines at The Capital Grille. Do I even need to go on?

Until July 25th, The Capital Grille in Chestnut Hill is holding their Master Wine Tasting Event where their Master Sommelier, George Miliotes, shares 10 hand-selected wines with diners for $25. Brought to you table-side, Miliotes is sharing samples of famous wines along with some lesser known varietals from California, Australia and Europe. Miliotes selected this summer's wines because they represent some of the greatest vintages from each region.

You can see a list of the wines offered here.

Diners can also purchase any of the 10, hand-selected wines at The Urban Grape in their Capital Grille section until July 25th.

Side note: Join me this Thursday at The Urban Grape - we'll be sampling several delicious wines that cost under $15, as well as a few $25 "splurge" bottles. For more information, shoot me an email. Hope to see you there!

Drinking Wine Just Got Easier

It’s always refreshing to meet people who are passionate about what they do – and are eager to share that passion with everyone that crosses their path.

I had the pleasure of visiting The Urban Grape earlier this week on their media day, a new wine shop located in Chestnut Hill – with a very unique (and extremely effective) set-up.

Husband and wife owners Hadley and TJ Douglas opened the doors to The Urban Grape just last weekend, but are already turning heads with their varied wine selection (including kosher, organic and biodynamic wines), as well as how they organize these wines on their shelves. Unlike most wine shops that display wines by region or varietal, The Urban Grape organizes their wines by weight, or body. 

The Douglas’ even have two wine tasting machines in the store to help customers choose the right body of wine for them. 

One of TJ’s goals with The Urban Grape is to make all kinds of wine approachable to wine “snobs” and amateurs alike, and I believe organizing wines by body makes purchasing a bottle that much easier. Personally, I’ve never cared which region a wine comes from or what varietal it is – I just want a wine that tastes good and is affordable. And The Urban Grape made that easy for me. 

Another bonus about this new gem? The prices. 50 percent of the wines at The Urban Grape are $15-25, and about 30 percent are under $12. Not too shabby for a wine shop right outside of Boston. The Urban Grape also loves their discounts, and gives customers special pricing on case orders. They even have a feature called Tuesday Tweets where the staff’s favorite wines of the week are 20 percent off until the following Saturday evening. 

I could go on for quite a while about the cool, unique features The Urban Grape has to offer, but I’ll just mention one more: Wine 4-pack, anybody? 

This treasure sells for $50, and the wines change every three to four weeks. The current sampler is inspired by the World Cup, and selections include wines from Italy, South Africa, and France.

In addition to wine, The Urban Grape also sells craft beer, liquor and sake. Since the store just opened a few days ago, the selection will only grow from here – TJ plans to have over 850 kinds of wine, 200 craft brews, and 30 or so sakes.

Oh, one more thing – have you ever bought a bottle of wine at a store and, when you go back, can’t remember for the life of you what the heck you bought? The Urban Grape has a magical system that remembers your wine purchasing history. Hallelujah.

When purchasing wine, what do you care about most? Taste, affordability, varietal, region?