Photo of Pop Burgers borrowed from Flickr.

Every culture has its signature dish, and in this country there is perhaps no food more American than the burger. What beats a minced meat patty, properly seasoned and sandwiched in a bun? Maybe a minced meat patty, properly seasoned, sandwiched in a bun and served on a gold platter by Brad Pitt. But that's about it. Inevitably, in a city like New York, with so many restaurants, it's easy to become flustered by all the varieties out there. We know which spots we like for red meat, but what about our fellow New Yorkers? We took to the streets and talked to locals to find out about the best in burger breeds. Consult our findings in our Battle of the Burgers feature. The opinions might vary, from the advocate of the get-what-you-want-on-it DuMont Burger, to the traditionalist with a preference for Corner Bistro. But if you're craving a burger and need some inspiration, here's a little guidance from your fellow citizens.  

Photo borrowed from blog.

It's hard to justify having the blues on a Friday. But listening to the blues is another story listening--especially when it's free of charge. Tonight, August 22nd, Danny Kalb, renowned guitarist and former member of the 1960s band, The Blues Project, performs with Bob Jones on bass and Mark Ambrosino on drums. The trio will do two sets, starting at 9:30pm at Two Boots Brooklyn. There's no drink minimum or cover charge, but reservations at the restaurant are recommended, and since the entertainment's complimentary, you might as well drop some dough to eat, drink and be blue.

For more stuff to do this weekend, check out our Weekly Go List (*formerly the Weekly Hot List).

Yes, it is Super Tuesday here in New York. But more importantly, it's also Fat Tuesday. And just because trans-fats are officially outlawed doesn't mean you still can't enjoy a lard-o-licious meal in this town. Here are ten picks for an appropriately blubbery binge.

1. The "Big Pig Gig" at Daisy May's
2. Lardo Pizza at Otto
3. Goose fat potatoes at Strip House
4. Mashed potatoes with greeven and schmaltz at Sammy's Roumanian
5. Bacon bread at Allen & Delancey
6. Deep fried mac n' cheese at Atlantic Chip Shop
7. Ditch dogs (two hot dogs topped with mac n' cheese) at Ditch Plains
8. Foie gras PB & J at davidburke & donatella
9. The "Bar Flight" 5-course tempura tasting menu at BarFry
10. Cheese fondue with kielbasa at Artisanal

Call it an early Christmas gift. This week we offer a whopping four new reviews, kicking off with a two-fer in the East Village: Back Forty, from Savoy chef Peter Hoffman, and Matilda, an unlikely fusion of Italian and Mexican fare. Also on tap, antojitos across the Manhattan Bridge at Hecho en Dumbo, and a decidedly non-boys-club steakhouse on the Upper East Side. Click through to read reviews of 10 new and notable restaurants.

A new BYOB option, Peter's Since 1969, opened in Williamsburg last week. Built in a old butcher shop (B&B Meat Market) that had been in the neighborhood since, say, 1969, the restaurant's specialty is French rotisserie chicken, with comfort dishes like mac and cheese, sausage and sauerkraut stew, and homemade chocolate cake rounding out the menu. According to PR materials, the interior was designed to honor the space's meat market roots and garden seating will be ready come spring.

(Photo courtesy of Peter's Since 1969))

Perhaps equally exciting as Eater's announcement that Momofuku Noodle Bar is opening in its larger new home tonight (with soft-serve ice cream?!), A Brooklyn Life is reporting that the banh mi shop Nicky's has pho on the menu. A quick call revealed that it's only available at the Brooklyn location. Noodle-lovers out there, get slurpin' and report back soon!

(Photo courtesy of A Brooklyn Life)

Despite growing up in California's Bay Area, a stronghold of tasty, cheap Vietnamese fare, I didn't have my first banh mi until I moved to New York. But like countless others before me, I was hooked after my first bite, so I can't say I minded eating five of them in five days for work. In the process, I've acquired not only a few new pounds, but also a new appreciation for their many variations--one came with avocado while another came with veal's head cheese. How did the Chinatown classic stack up to the $9 version at Momofuku Ssam Bar? Click through to read about my five days of banh mi.

Tiny East Village spot Graffiti is the perfect antidote to the mega-scene restaurants that seem to be taking over New York. Chef Jehangir Mehta used to be a pasty chef at Jean Georges, and he applies his skill with sweet flavors all over his small-plates menu--like the mint sorbet freshening up the watermelon feta dish seen above. But does the melding achieve harmony? Read the review, plus nine more, including an authentic Mexican option in Prospect Heights and more new and notable restaurants. Also, be sure to check out this user review for Graffiti: By sheer coincidence, I was there the night the shelf incident went down and can verify it actually happened!

(Photo by Kyle Erin Schmitz)

We have a whopping three new reviews to make your tummy rumble on this Wednesday morning. Everything seems to be consumed at bars these days: pizza, pork buns and desserts. And, when your space is smaller than a suburban pantry, it's a smart way to open a restaurant. Now, thanks an Upper East Side newcomer, you can get your ceviche fix from a stool, too.

We've also got looks at new Park Slope spot Sidecar and Pamplona, Alex Urena's downscaled reworking of his eponymous restaurant in the Flatiron. The colorful, gorgeously presented tapas look like works of art, but has the blah room gained any luster? Click through to find out what our critics thought about these and other new and notable restaurants.

The gawking at it is probably just as shameful as the eating, but still I have to gape in awe at Hardee's new Country Breakfast Burrito, which according to the AP story on CNN consists of "two egg omelets filled with bacon, sausage, diced ham, cheddar cheese, hash browns and sausage gravy, all wrapped inside a flour tortilla. The burrito contains 920 calories and 60 grams of fat." I'm a little confused as to why the sausage gravy looks more like ranch dressing. According to the Citysearch database, there's one Hardee's in Brooklyn (although it's not on the Hardee's site). Who'll be the first to sample and report back? (It's only $2.69 or $4.09 in a combo--what a steal!)