OT: Connecticut Magazine Best Burger Places

[8893]

Is Contois still down off State at the 3 way stop and then drive down into residential area somewhere ? The Contois I went to years ago wasn't easy to find so you're right.

Been there a maybe a dozen times in the past 25 years or so and am in that general area almost every day, and every time I still feel like I'm in the wrong place until I open the door.

 

[Dove]

...I'd kill to see that list.

Very Hartfordy sentiment.

 

[Bezzz]

I can't think of the name of the of the place outside of Muni Stadium we frequented after games we played there in the Waterbury Twilight League one year but the burgers were great the beer was cold and the sights were excellent for what I would say was a dive bar. The name will come to me some day?

Mau, when did you play in the Twilight League? I played there for a couple of years, '74,'75.

 

[mauconnfan]

Mau, when did you play in the Twilight League? I played there for a couple of years, '74,'75.

I played early 80's, I think 80 or 81 actually we had our first Meriden team up there sponsored by Katz Sport Shop.....Who did you play for? My brother played around that time for the Timers the year they went to the finals in Battle Creek MI.. Good baseball loved playing up there.

 

[mauconnfan]

Have you ever thought about writing down a list of every bar you've ever been in.that you can remember? I'd kill to see that list.

Who has time for something like that Deep?

 

[Bezzz]

I played early 80's, I think 80 or 81 actually we had our first Meriden team up there sponsored by Katz Sport Shop.....Who did you play for? My brother played around that time for the Timers the year they went to the finals in Battle Creek MI.. Good baseball loved playing up there.

I played for The Waterbury All Stars with Billy and Bobby Matzkevich. Bobby played at UConn. Still have all the clippings including this epic pitching battle with Allie Vestro's Shaker's Cougars. That was a great league.

 

[methodology]

Been there a maybe a dozen times in the past 25 years or so and am in that general area almost every day, and every time I still feel like I'm in the wrong place until I open the door.

How good is the pepperoni soup. I think I like it more than the burgers and the burgers are some of if not the best around.

 

[mauconnfan]

Very Hartfordy sentiment.

Worldly Dove, worldly!!

 

[mauconnfan]

I played for The Waterbury All Stars with Billy and Bobby Matzkevich. Bobby played at UConn. Still have all the clippings including this epic pitching battle with Allie Vestro's Shaker's Cougars. That was a great league.
View attachment 22290

Wow Bezz some good memories in that article. Are you in it?

My brother played for ECSU before the Mets signed him after 1 year during the summer of '74 I think. Guerrera and McKenna I believe also were there and one of his best buddies in college is further down in the article, Mike Armonaitis (Armone) great dude who I think I went oa couple UConn hoops games with. He was on the Naugatuck state champ teams which won about 40-50 games in a row. Also Eddie Hill played on that loaded Timers team which recruited my brother for their end of the year tournaments. He had to play a few games in the league to be sure he was eligible for the run to Battle Creek, that Timers team could hit 1-9 and all ex minor leaguers or college studs. It was a very good league, is it still around. Having mostly played in GHTBL of years myself it seems all these leagues are a mere shell of themselves.

 

[Bezzz]

Wow Bezz some good memories in that article. Are you in it?

I'm the pitcher for the All Stars...Mike Bezrudczyk. Glory days!

 

[mauconnfan]

I'm the pitcher for the All Stars...Mike Bezrudczyk. Glory days!

Nice, you had to be a player Mike to pitch in that league. Where did you play in HS? Name sounds familiar?

And I get Glory Days too, lol, miss them for sure but they are long gone!

 

[Bezzz]

Nice, you had to be a player Mike to pitch in that league. Where did you play in HS? Name sounds familiar?

And I get Glory Days too, lol, miss them for sure but they are long gone!

Wolcott High School '72 RPI '76

 

[mauconnfan]

Wolcott High School '72 RPI '76

Ok you wouldn't have played against my brother Maloney was CCIL until my freshman year '74 and we went to Colonial Conf and started playing Wolcott then. Hoops team was ok big kid named O'Neill or something was decent and the coach ended up at Mattatuck I think.

 

[August_West]

Been there a maybe a dozen times in the past 25 years or so and am in that general area almost every day, and every time I still feel like I'm in the wrong place until I open the door.

You're in the wrong place even after you open the door.
Hate that place.

 

[8893]

You're in the wrong place even after you open the door.
Hate that place.

I can understand that. I never feel fully comfortable around cops either, especially when you're not sure who is. I have only gone there with regulars, which makes it a little more comfortable, and I keep my mouth shut and ears and eyes open.

 

[methodology]

I can understand that. I never feel fully comfortable around cops either, especially when you're not sure who is. I have only gone there with regulars, which makes it a little more comfortable, and I keep my mouth shut and ears and eyes open.

Definitely don't want to piss off Billy and make sure you're honest about what you drank.

Like you I only go in there with cop and firefighter buddies. Also know Billy, the owner, somewhat from around Branford. He's a scary guy even if you know him lol

 

[mauconnfan]

Been there a maybe a dozen times in the past 25 years or so and am in that general area almost every day, and every time I still feel like I'm in the wrong place until I open the door.

It was a decent place in the 80's if it's the same. Used to go with a buddy of mine who was a state auditor on State St Hamden and his co-workers for Thursday or Friday happy hours on occasion.

 

[UC313]

I'll tell you a overrated old-timey place - Blackies Hot Dogs.

You hush your mouth.

 

[UConnNick]

Waterbury had quite a few good minor league teams. Bobby Bonds probably my favorite, and I followed him while he was a pro. Being a Yankee fan I was thrilled and disappointed when he was traded for Bobby Murcer. My other favorite. Big Toppe turned into BIG FRANKS which is owned by the Frankie's hot dog family, great hot dogs.....great post Nick for a few reasons

Speaking of hot dogs, another place that you could get a great foot long back in the 60's was, believe it or not, Palmer Stadium in Middletown. They grilled them on a huge flat grill, and they used the New England style rolls, slit on the top with sides that look like pieces of toast. Everything was grilled in butter, dog and rolls. I can still remember how they tasted, and I'm pretty freakin' old. Those were THE best hot dogs I've ever had anywhere to this day.

 

[UC313]

I played for The Waterbury All Stars with Billy and Bobby Matzkevich. Bobby played at UConn. Still have all the clippings including this epic pitching battle with Allie Vestro's Shaker's Cougars. That was a great league.
View attachment 22290

A willie white clip! Willie was well into his umpiring years by the time i was playing ball but that guy was unforgettable.

 

[shizzle787]

Went to K Lamay today. It's not in the article but mauconnfan endorsed it. My impression of the place was honestly not great. It wasn't particularly clean and there was only one other customer; the place looked dead. Eh, whatever, I said. If it's good, it's good. So I got the double bacon steamed cheeseburger with fries. The fries were very good and I would say they were a 9/10. The burger was problematic. It was actually less greasy than Ted's and the actual meat and bun were probably better than Ted's but the cheese was horrendous and that was a massive game changer. It was an extremely sharp cheddar and it looked like cottage cheese. No bueno at all. It pretty much ruined the rest of the burger. If you put Ted's cheese with K Lamay's everything else you would have a winner. I would rate the burger a 5/10. Overall: 7.10. Go for the fries but bring your own cheese for the burger.

 

[RichZ]

Speaking of hot dogs, another place that you could get a great foot long back in the 60's was, believe it or not, Palmer Stadium in Middletown. They grilled them on a huge flat grill, and they used the New England style rolls, slit on the top with sides that look like pieces of toast. Everything was grilled in butter, dog and rolls. I can still remember how they tasted, and I'm pretty freakin' old. Those were THE best hot dogs I've ever had anywhere to this day.

When I was a kid, we we were on our way home from my uncle's farm in the Catskills, we used to stop at a place called Norann's on Rte 55, not far from the Taconic Parkway. They served footlongs on new england style buns, all grilled in butter. I looked forward to the supper stop on the way home from the farm more than I did the two week 'vacation' there every summer.

Visited my uncle maybe a dozen years after my last family trip there, to show my son the farm when he was 3 or 4. Everything was still the same. Except the butter. And it sucked.
Sigh.

 

[mauconnfan]

Went to K Lamay today. It's not in the article but mauconnfan endorsed it. My impression of the place was honestly not great. It wasn't particularly clean and there was only one other customer; the place looked dead. Eh, whatever, I said. If it's good, it's good. So I got the double bacon steamed cheeseburger with fries. The fries were very good and I would say they were a 9/10. The burger was problematic. It was actually less greasy than Ted's and the actual meat and bun were probably better than Ted's but the cheese was horrendous and that was a massive game changer. It was an extremely sharp cheddar and it looked like cottage cheese. No bueno at all. It pretty much ruined the rest of the burger. If you put Ted's cheese with K Lamay's everything else you would have a winner. I would rate the burger a 5/10. Overall: 7.10. Go for the fries but bring your own cheese for the burger.

Wow shizzle interesting take and more than likely spot on. I mean the cheese is the key right and if it's not good then it's tough to have a winner. Thanks for the scoop sorry I led you there.

 

[shizzle787]

Wow shizzle interesting take and more than likely spot on. I mean the cheese is the key right and if it's not good then it's tough to have a winner. Thanks for the scoop sorry I led you there.

Not a big deal. I may go to Ted's to buy the cheese fries then go to Lamay's and buy a hamburger and take the cheese from Ted's and put it on Lamay's burger. They are only about 5 minutes apart in Meriden so it's not a bad plan. However, I noticed there are two other steamed burger places on the list I still have to try.

 

[mauconnfan]

Speaking of hot dogs, another place that you could get a great foot long back in the 60's was, believe it or not, Palmer Stadium in Middletown. They grilled them on a huge flat grill, and they used the New England style rolls, slit on the top with sides that look like pieces of toast. Everything was grilled in butter, dog and rolls. I can still remember how they tasted, and I'm pretty freakin' old. Those were THE best hot dogs I've ever had anywhere to this day.

Nick once again baseball leads my reply. Played a ton of games there in Legion, community college and the GHTBL. You are correct these were top rated dogs at concession stand all through the 70s and 80s. I mean just as you describe they were perfect the toasted buttered roll was perfecto. Playing or visiting a huge must to have one. Didn't know if Guidas had anything to do with the concession since it was only about 4-5 miles away at most? Now you get those broiled water dogs at concessions. Good call Nick forgot about that

 

[8893]

Went to K Lamay today. It's not in the article but mauconnfan endorsed it. My impression of the place was honestly not great. It wasn't particularly clean and there was only one other customer; the place looked dead. Eh, whatever, I said. If it's good, it's good. So I got the double bacon steamed cheeseburger with fries. The fries were very good and I would say they were a 9/10. The burger was problematic. It was actually less greasy than Ted's and the actual meat and bun were probably better than Ted's but the cheese was horrendous and that was a massive game changer. It was an extremely sharp cheddar and it looked like cottage cheese. No bueno at all. It pretty much ruined the rest of the burger. If you put Ted's cheese with K Lamay's everything else you would have a winner. I would rate the burger a 5/10. Overall: 7.10. Go for the fries but bring your own cheese for the burger.

Wow shizzle interesting take and more than likely spot on. I mean the cheese is the key right and if it's not good then it's tough to have a winner. Thanks for the scoop sorry I led you there.

Not a big deal. I may go to Ted's to buy the cheese fries then go to Lamay's and buy a hamburger and take the cheese from Ted's and put it on Lamay's burger. They are only about 5 minutes apart in Meriden so it's not a bad plan. However, I noticed there are two other steamed burger places on the list I still have to try.

K LaMay's is in the article (and that cheese appears to be the signature item; guessing it's also the one pictured above it in the article):

K LaMay’s | Meriden

A relative new kid on the block, K LaMay’s began in the back kitchen of Garryowen’s Pub in Meetinghouse Village in Meriden in 2006, before adding delivery to its repertoire and eventually opening its own brick-and-mortar location on East Main Street. K LaMay’s prides itself on the particular type of sharp cheddar they use (the lynchpin for any steamed cheeseburger, according to true connoisseurs), sourced from Wisconsin. K LaMay’s is the in-house burger at Double Play Cafe in Wallingford. The Meriden location has free delivery. Meriden: 203-237-8326, klamayssteamedcheeseburgers.com

I have had the steamed cheeseburger at O'Rourke's, which is also on the list. It was fine, but nothing special. Which is how I know I will never eat another one. If anyone could do it well, it would be O'Rourke's. I've eaten there dozens of times and everything I had on every other visit was better.

They steamed meat before they realized they could sell people this sous vide crap and allow them to make grey meat at home.

 

[CTBasketball]

Speaking of hot dogs, another place that you could get a great foot long back in the 60's was, believe it or not, Palmer Stadium in Middletown. They grilled them on a huge flat grill, and they used the New England style rolls, slit on the top with sides that look like pieces of toast. Everything was grilled in butter, dog and rolls. I can still remember how they tasted, and I'm pretty freakin' old. Those were THE best hot dogs I've ever had anywhere to this day.

My one memory of a Palmer Field hamburger came in a Legion ball state tournament game vs. Branford. Some kid on the other team got a cramp and the coach ran to the concession stand to get mustard to rub on the kids leg. The people running the stand were adamant not to give this guy mustard unless he purchased something. He bought a hamburger, took one bite, threw it away right in front of them, and proceeded to rub mustard on the kids leg. Mustard Leg came in to close and we lost in 8 innings.

 

[Hoop Capital]

I can't think of the name of the of the place outside of Muni Stadium we frequented after games we played there in the Waterbury Twilight League one year but the burgers were great the beer was cold and the sights were excellent for what I would say was a dive bar. The name will come to me some day?

Wow, there are quite a few......If I knew the area and how long ago I might get it,

 

[Hoop Capital]

I played for The Waterbury All Stars with Billy and Bobby Matzkevich. Bobby played at UConn. Still have all the clippings including this epic pitching battle with Allie Vestro's Shaker's Cougars. That was a great league.
View attachment 22290

Wow, that's great I used to go watch a lot of these games. Had friends playing, Ironically I saw Dave McCullough's kid the other day.....Dave was very good.....and remember Barney Mestek(I think correct spelling) a former WTBY Dodger player? and Pete Duglenski? Man I think Im butchering the spelling, but Im old LOL

 

[RichZ]

Long time fixture in the Lordship section of Stratford, The Cricket Car Hop burger and dog stand, which closed in 2004, bulldozed to make room for development that never happened, is being recreated a mile or two closer to the bridgeport line on the Burma Road. Supposed to open next month. Can't say I ever had a burger there, but I enjoyed the hell out of their split end long dogs back in the 50s/60s. Can't find any info whether the original owners or family have anything to do with the new one, but they promise the same menu and food.
We'll see.