Trap Rock Restaurant & Brewery

Knowing the burger & brew fanatics that we are, my cousins, Christina & Nick suggested Trap Rock Restaurant & Brewery in Berkeley Heights, NJ. I had heard of this restaurant numerous times but never actually stopped in. Fabio thought that it would be a perfect place for a Sunday afternoon date. I realized that I would have to fast until lunch because Fabio was already going off about the burger we “had to try”, and of course, the house-brewed beer.

Our first order of business was taking a gander at the beer list. Being a brewery, there was a good amount of hand crafted selections that would make any beer enthusiast ecstatic. We both went with the $5 Pint but they also offer a $6 Jumbo, a $10 sampler, and a $14 Growler. Fabio went with the New Haus Bock, a lager made with English/American hops and German malt. The Ale & Lager menu explains that it was laggered for two weeks. Fabio said he enjoyed it because it was change of pace from the usual bock beer due to the added hops. My first choice was the Hathor Red Lager because I have enjoyed red lagers in the past. This one was light, flavorful and went extremely well with our appetizers. 

While the menu did have a plethora of enticing appetizers, our eyes went to the bottom of the menu under the “Must Haves” section. Call us crazy, but we both smiled from cheek to cheek at the mere thought of “House BBQ Pulled Pork Mac n Cheese”.  I also demanded that we order the butternut squash side. (I’m a nut for butternut.) These side dishes did NOT disappoint.

The mac n cheese was creamy (and oozy) and topped with the most tender pulled pork a carnivore could ever dream of. The combination of the of the four cheese-layered macaroni and the lightly barbecued pork was almost indescribable. I have tried many variations of mac n cheese including the likes of lobster mac n cheese and truffle mac n cheese, but there is no doubt that this one took the cake.

The butternut squash was cubed and to my surprise, not overcooked (I was serious about being a nut). It arrived to the table chewy and glazed in a pecan maple syrup. Topped with cranberry granola and a perfect scoop of cold yogurt, this appetizer made for the ultimate seasonal bite.

We decided to box up half of our appetizers in order to save room for the unbelievable dishes we had ahead of us.

If I had a last meal, make no mistake, short ribs would be on that table. With that being said, I went with the Short Rib and Caramelized Onion Sandwich. Fabio, having heard nothing but great things, ordered the TR Local Grass Fed Burger. In our typical fashion, we split both entrees and shared them.

The sandwich was heavenly. There was a great bun-to-meat ratio. The short rib pulled apart so perfectly on top of the soft pillow-like slabs of bread. The horseradish aioli combined with the juices of the short rib was divine. Topped with watercress and served with a side of house made chips, this sandwich received 4½ olives. OH, and did I mention that the house made chips were probably some of the best potato chips I have ever had? They were salt and vinegar chips that were not too greasy, yet not too dry. YUM.

I almost didn’t give Fabs half of my sandwich. However, I heard some moans emanating from his side of the table, which usually means he’s thoroughly enjoying whatever he is eating. I knew I had to have some of that burger.

This is not your average cheeseburger. Red Dragon cheddar, a Welsh cheese is made with mustard seeds and Welsh ale. It has an incomparable texture. The buttery brioche-like bun was spread with rosemary aioli. The medium-rare beef, covered in cheese was topped with caramel onions and Fabio took it a step further. He chopped up the pickle that came on the side and threw that atop the onions. Savory, Sweet, and Sharp are the 3 S’s I would use to describe this burger. Perhaps it was the flavor of the cheese and the fact that it was new to my taste buds, but this burger truly was unlike any other burger I’ve had before. It was served with an adorable copper bucket of house cut fries that were also quite above average.Overall, this burger receives 4½ olives as well.

Sidenote: I loved these copper serving bowls/buckets. It is not something you see often and went well with the checkered tablecloth and overall ambiance of the restaurant.

I was a little loopy after having a beer on an empty stomach as made obvious by the fact that I thought a French fry mustache was amusing.

Fabio and I also snooped around upstairs and found one of their event rooms set up for a later party. The high ceilings, fireplace, and big leather chairs gave the room a cozy, contemporary feel.

We were so thrilled to have found Trap Rock, and so close to my house. I’m kicking myself for not having visited sooner. As we left the restaurant, good old Thomas Jefferson reminded us why the liquid gold brings us together nothing else:

-Gabriella

Burger Heaven #1: Christopher’s

5 out of 5 Olives

Ok ladies and gents, its time for one of my favorite dishes known to date. Upon starting on our New Jersey burger tour, Gabriella and myself decided to start with Christopher’s ½ lb. brioche short rib burger. Before we move on, I would like to hand you a napkin to wipe off the drool that just emanated from your mouth after just hearing the name of this tasty creation.

Since Gabriella lives down the street from the Heldrich Hotel in New Brunswick , we took the short walk over and sat down at the eating establishment that would forever change the way I looked at the classic meal that is a hamburger.
But I’m not here to tell you how nice and classy of an establishment Christopher’s is, I mean let’s be honest, if you’ve made it this far, you’re here to hear about the complex flavor warzone that went on in my mouth.

Let’s start with principles, the bun that is. The burger is nestled between two thick pieces of buttered Texas brioche toast that have a tremendous impact on the way in which you enjoy the burger. You might be saying, who cares, bread is bread. Wrong. Hear me out: when you have toppings that consist of perfectly caramelized onions, fried parsley, roasted tomato mayo, and oh yeah BRAISED SHORT RIB, bread MATTERS. The thick buttery outsides soak the flavors of the justly married toppings that sit on the ½  lb. organic beef burger and constantly remind you with every bite that you’ll never look at a burger the same way again.

For those of you who get into the nitty gritty when it comes down to beef, Christopher’s patty is 85% lean and 15% fat. I prefer my burger Medium Rare that leaves room for the toppings to immerse themselves with the beef and yield this unique and rich finish.

Upon first sight, you might tell yourself that there’s just too much going on for you to enjoy the burger itself. Wrong yet again. After your first bite of this thing of beauty, you will look forward to every subsequent bite with the same bit of excitement as the very first time. To be quite honest, just writing about my experience reminds me that it has been too long since I’ve experienced this exact feeling…

Tip: Don’t know what to pair it with? My drink of choice with any burger is always and will always be a cold and refreshing beer. Now with a world of possibilities you might be wondering which one to choose. My suggestion would either be some sort of pale ale or lager and for two different reasons. If you have separation anxiety and don’t want to let go of the combustion of flavors that went on in your mouth 30 second ago, any pale ale will pair the taste of ribs and onions with it’s hops perfectly and keep you smiling.Lagers on the other hand provide that clean finish that will cleanse your palette and get your ready to experience the next bit like it’s your first.

So my friends, today I provide you with the rare and first 5 olive rating for this dish, the standard when it comes for subsequent food ratings on this blog. Quite unanimously, Gabriella and myself knew it was a 5 olive worthy burger after coming to the realization that we didn’t speak during the first 15 minutes of our meal. Silence is always the best judge.