The Beach Haven Fishery, Long Beach Island, NJ, 21st & LBI Blvd. 609-492-4388

Where: 

The Beach Haven Fishery, Long Beach Island, NJ

What: 

The Alaskan King Crab Eggs Benedict Black Angus Burger (Whew!)

Build: 

1/2-pound Black Angus beef, house made Hollandaise sauce, wild Alaskan king crab, butter, black pepper, on a toasted ciabatta roll.

Comments: 

For all you die-hard burger folks who can't stand eccentric toppings on your burgers, believe me when I say, you have my empathy. I'm a bare-bones, butter and burger, onion and pickle kinda guy, but in this decade of "burger wars", the avant garde can no longer be ignored (or avoided). So please do continue to read my review of this land-meets-sea-meets-air concoction... Should you still be upset, just read the review and don't look at the photos... I'll understand.

The photo progression shows the steps of construction of this bad boy with the exception of the whisking of the homemade Hollandaise sauce and the burger being char-broiled on the grill.

A double layer of American cheese on top of the Fishery's 1/2 pound nugget of Angus goodness was then topped with premium Alaskan king crab leg meat. A perfectly poached egg was then laid to rest on top and the whole shootin' match was covered with the sauce.
The freshly baked ciabatta roll had a perfectly crispy shell with a soft interior that encased the sandwich and effectively helped to retain juices and sauces.

From the first bite to the last, I was surprised by how well the flavors and textures blended. The crab, egg, burger, cheese and sauce came together under that crispy roll to form a masterpiece. The Hollandaise sauce was just acidic enough to counter the richness of the egg and blend with the cheese. This was a great burger and I look forward to the next and the next after that. Due to the sloppy nature of this beast affecting its "eatability" this gets a 9.7 on the BC rating scale. (the first burger from the BHF that is not a 10/10)

(The lighting in the kitchen was slightly off as the burger was not cooked nearly as much as depicted in the photos)...

Blu Alehouse, Route 23N Riverdale NJ (973) 831-4258

Where:  
Blu Alehouse, Riverdale NJ

What: 
Blu Burger

Build:  
House special blend patty, cheddar, bacon, mushrooms and onion.

Comments: 
This is the new restaurant/bar that replaced Rupperts on route 23 in Riverdale, NJ. As with all new restaurants, I had my doubts, but because of a very positive review from my daughter I remained optimistic – and it paid off. The burger was great.

Being served a burger at the exact temperature you ordered it is always a crap shoot, but the BAH did not disappoint. My burger came out a perfect medium served with nicely seasoned mushrooms and sautéed onions.

The bun was spot-on, as was the burger-to-bun ratio, and although the bun was brioche-like it did not have that slight sweetness to it that most brioche buns do, so I was very happy. I don't know what you think, but I'm really tired of the trendy brioche buns, I'd rather have a hearty pretzel or potato bun – and I'll never understand why sesame seed buns are rarely seen outside of the fast food industry.

Check out my autopsy shot of the burger, you can really tell from the photo how great that bun was.

All in all, there was a lot going on flavor-wise with this burger. All the distinctly different flavored toppings that came together in that first bite said it all. I'll definitely be back again to check on consistency... until then, I'll continue to remain optimistic.  


This Blu beauty gets a 9.4 on the BC rating scale. 

Next up on my list of burgers to eat at the Blu Alehouse are the Maine Burger and the Texas Burger (our waitress walked by us with the Texas burger and I was so floored by the sheer magnitude of its size that I had to stop her and ask what it was).

The Teora (an Italian specialty sandwich)

Where: 

The Beach Haven Fishery, Long Beach Island, NJ

What: 

 The Teora (an Italian specialty sandwich)

Build: 

 2 slices panella bread, shredded mozzarella cheese, ricotta, parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, olive oil, hot pepper flakes, Beach Haven Fishery Blushing Shrimp, butter.

Comments: 

The Teora gets it's name from the town in Italy which Chef Mike (Magic Mike) Nillo's family emmigrated from. 
When Chef Mike described this sandwich as an Italian grilled cheese with the aforementioned ingredients, I was a bit skeptical to say the least, but the end result was nothing shy of culinary greatness.

His description of the Teora had me thinking this would be a heavy, overly rich, immensely seasoned sandwich that no health-conscious person would dare attempt. I was wrong, very wrong.

To my surprise, this culinary masterpiece was light and airy with flavors and textures all living in perfect harmony. The crunch of the pan-fried bread was the first thing to hit my senses, immediately followed by the snap of perfectly cooked 16/20 shrimp. 

Note: 16/20 shrimp is the industry standard jargon for the shrimp’s size, meaning 16 to 20 shrimp per pound – that, my fellow foodies, means nice FAT shrimp.

Next came the rich cheesy goodness of the seasoned ricotta and mozzarella, with undertones of garlic and a perfectly balanced heat from the hot pepper flakes. This is a sandwich you can't stop eating... and although I don't rate non-burger sandwiches, for all my die-hard burger freak friends, trust me, this is a sandwich you always look for but seldom get to taste...

The Beach Haven Fishery - OPENING WEEK 2014 - TWO BURGER SPECIAL !! Long Beach Island, NJ

**TWO BURGER SPECIAL**

PLEASE COMMENT ON WHICH BURGER YOU WOULD LIKE TO TRY...

(remember to click on the photos to enlarge them)

Where: 

The Beach Haven Fishery, Long Beach Island, NJ

What: 

The Veggie Burger Nightmare

Build: 

1/2-pound Black Angus beef, 2 slices American cheese, butter, black pepper, sautéed onion & Portobello mushrooms, deep fried pickles and banana peppers, and a dash of Maggi sauce on a toasted Ciabatta roll.

Comments: 

Chef Jude's Veggie Burger Nightmare is a perfectly cooked 1/2-pound nugget of goodness. From the crispness of the freshly baked roll to the steak-like flavor and texture of the Portobellos, this burger is in my all-time top ten.

It's so hard to find a burger with the taste we long for and now, what with the burger "mania" our country is experiencing, truly great burgers are getting harder and harder to find unless you are dining at an established family owned pub where they take their recipes (and burgers) personally as well as seriously.

This burger is far from what I call a "kitchen sink" burger where an inexperienced burger chef compiles a mish-mosh of odd toppings to see if they work together. These toppings were hand selected based on flavor and texture, and it shows; they blend perfectly…the crunch of the deep fried veggies, the creamy cheese, the crispness of the roll and the char-broiled flavor of the burger with that perfectly cooked medium-rare inside. Mm mm mm. Check out the photos – another 10/10 on the BC rating scale.

Deep fried banana pepper ring....

Order up!  >>>>>>>

Where: The Beach Haven Fishery, Long Beach Island, NJ

What:  The Krug's Style Shrimp Burger

Build: 1/2-pound Black Angus beef, three 16/20 shrimp (big mothers), 2 slices American cheese, garlic, butter, black pepper, 6-oz blue cheese and Frank’s Hot Sauce on a toasted Ciabatta roll.

Comments: Yes I am partial to this place, but not because I’ve known the staff for years…it's because of the great burgers I've been eating there for years.

And now Chef Magic Mike has promised me one burger special per weekend this season from the Beach Haven Fishery's already robust menu, and he wasted no time setting the bar high with his season opener.

It was one of those burgers that you salivate over a day or two day later when you think of the collision of distinct flavors that had your taste buds whirling.

Now, forgive me for cursing like a sailor, but this burger was damn good.

For those of you who cringe at the marriage of land and sea, I'm here to tell you this burger accomplishes what most all others try to do and fail.  The proportion of shrimp vs. meat is spot-on with a tad more food mass given to the shrimp, which to me was perfect, as a 1/2-pound burger can quite easily overshadow any seafood. It is simply a match made in heaven. 

Hands down a 10/10 on the BC rating scale.