Shack-in' Up in NYC

Cross another NYC food pilgrimage off my list: finally made my way to the venerable Shake Shack today. Woo Hoo

(http://www.shakeshack.com/)!!

This jewel of the Danny Meyer empire has as large and loyal a following as any burger joint you'll find. It's reach is ever expanding (new spots opening in the city as well as Miami), but the flagship in the leafy confines of Madison Square Park was where it all started... and where I was headed.

Unfortunately (I think) for me, the UWS annex is the only spot serving the bacon-peanut butter burger, so I opted for the 'Shroom Burger. I know, I know, going from one extreme of gluttony to the opposite end of the spectrum, right? I mean, no Angus beef to be found on my burger... what was I thinking?!? What I was thinking was I wanted the most creative burger experience this modern day "roadside" burger stand could offer, and the 'Shroom was it. Of course, any burger here is not without it sinful specialties! The Shake Shack version of a vegan burger features a crisp fried Portobello with a heaping, melty gob of muenster and cheddar oozing from all sides, with lettuce, tomato, and Shack Sauce (a Thousand Island-esque riff) as the topper.

It lived up to my hopes, although admittedly, I never dreamed my maiden Shack Shack voyage would result in a vegetarian mock-up. To comfort my comfort food cravings, I gave in to the temptation of a peanut butter shake (hand spun) to go with my lunch. Goooo-oood!

Gotta tell ya, it's worth visiting this spot just to see the menu board up close and personal. It's SO NYC! Beer and wine selections, along with frozen custard, and a Shack exclusive, Concretes. Love the name; love the concept even more: dense frozen custard blended at high speed with a choice of mixings. This is the cooler, hipper cousin of the DQ blizzard.

Turned out to be a fantastically tasty way to spend part of a blistering (100+ degrees!!) afternoon in the city...