Westchester’s own blogger/food truck organizer/event planner/museum founder can add “book author” to the list. Sef Gonzalez, aka Burger Beast, has written All About the Burger, A History of America’s Favorite Sandwich, 256 pages tracing the beginnings of the burger chains in the U.S. to today, with images and entertaining sidebars and recipes. We talked with Sef about his book (full disclosure: we were lucky enough to look at his book-in-progress and move around a few commas here and there).
The experience, he says, was grueling. “There were tons of sleepless night,” he says. “I was very obsessed with getting facts and dates right.” Poring through newspaper archives and other resources, Gonzalez examined the birthplaces of burger spots: LA, Texas, New York, Ohio and Florida, home to Burger King and earlier franchises like Burger Castle and Royal Castle. Even today, the Sunshine State continues to turn out new chains, like BurgerFi, headquartered in Palm Beach, and Pincho in Westchester.
In All About the Burger, the nostalgia factor will hit home for many readers who recognize drive-ins and icons from their childhood, like Bob’s Big Boy and Dog n Suds, or wonder what ever happened to Wuv’s or TropiBurger. “For me growing up in the 80s, it was Rudy’s Sirloin Steakburgers and GABE’s Great American Burger Emporium,” he says, two places that have gone the way of Broadway Joe’s and ChampBurger. Gonzalez also had fun recalling the Burger Wars in the 1980s, big-bucks campaigns by Burger King, Wendy’s and McDonald’s that attacked competitors by name. The trolling tactic is still in use, he says. “Right now, Burger King is picking fights with the King dressed as Colonel Sanders,” to promote their grilled chicken sandwiches. “But no one is responding.”
What’s next for Burger Beast? After promoting his book locally, he’ll hit the road for appearances in Louisville, Milwaukee, Detroit and Ohio (Follow #burgerbeastontheroad). After that, more sleepless nights, he figures: “There’s always gonna be another book.”
Meet Sef at book signing events here. Order his book here.
Colorful Cuban expressions are immortalized in Miamian Denise Miqueli’s new book, Pin Pan Pun and other Cubanisms. The Miami native says she got the idea to write the book during a car ride with her husband. “During our conversation, I blurted out, ‘Ese huevo quiere sal.’ He looked at me, bewildered, and said, ‘What?’ This was not the first time one of my Cubanisms failed to resonate with him. So I wrote it down and started logging all of the Cuban sayings I used most frequently. I was determined to right this wrong and teach him the ways of the Cuban.”
Miqueli says Cubans and non-Cubans alike are familiar with many of these dichos. “Locally, these Cubanisms don’t just cross cultural boundaries, but demographics as well,” she says. ‘If you pay attention, you’ll pick up on a millennial in Wynwood yelling at his friend to ‘Ponte las pilas’ (get ready, or stay alert). Near Little Havana’s domino park, exchanges often contain a ‘cojelo suave!’ (take it easy).”
Miqueli, who also designed the artwork for each dicho, says the response from the community has been “overwhelmingly positive. I love getting messages about which Cubanism reminds them of conversations with their parents, grandparents and childhood friends.” Find the book in local shops, bookstores and restaurants or order online.
Sultry tastes from some of South Florida’s best and brightest bartenders are featured in Gabe Urrutia’s new Miami Cocktails: An Elegant Collection of Over 100 Recipes Inspired by the Magic City. Urrutia, who writes our Kindred Spirits column with colleague Gio Gutierrez, says the book is meant to send visitors to the best Miami has to offer. “Miami is a melting pot of flavors,” he says. “It was important to document Miami cocktail history in a fun and creative way.”
Bartenders whose cocktails are in the guide include John Lermayer (Sweet Liberty), Isaac Grillo (Repour), Valentino Longo (Le Sirenuse), Nico De Soto (Kaido), Tyler Kitzman (Mama Tried), Adam Gersten (Gramps), Louis Salgar (Gramps) and Daniel Villa (KYU). “I think we see a very strong Miami influence in local ingredients, as well as citrus-forward cocktails perfect for Miami nights and days,” says Urrutia. “I love the Rosemary’s Baby, made by Louis Salgar, and John Lermayer’s take on a daiquiri.”
Find a copy of Urrutia’s guide at Books & Books, Barnes & Noble or online.
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