The eyes of a nation fall on Oklahoma's burger game for upcoming show
First We Feast folks in the 405 diningscape
Apologies for Tuesday’s news arriving Monday, but I didn’t want to post anything until I had definitive information about why our “Eat, Drink & be Local” didn’t air as promised on Saturday.
But first, the news …
If you follow me on social media, you received signals last week that the 405 diningscape is under the national microscope.
I can confirm that; the subject was burgers.
A Los Angeles production crew was in town last week shooting segments at several prominent Oklahoma burger joints for New York-based Complex Networks.
The crew produces The Burger Show, which is available on the First We Feast website and YouTube Channel. First We Feast is best known for Hot Ones, in which an extraordinary variety of famous folk agree to eat wings bathed in increasingly spicier sauce whilst they’re interviewed.
Producer Justin Bolois said The Burger Show will feature new segments throughout the month of May to celebrate National Burger Month. Bolois said the Oklahoma segments will act as the grand finale.
That’s probably because co-host and hamburger scholar George Motz has done more to shine light on Oklahoma fried-onion burger in the past decade than anyone living outside El Reno.
The Burger Show’s regional burger tour was always going to El Reno. Bolois said it was the inspiration for hitting the road. Apparently, Motz got along famousely with El Reno onion burger legend and Sid’s Diner founder Marty Hall back in the late aughts when he was writing Hamburger America.
“Marty and me were fast friends,” Marty told me between takes at Sid’s Diner. “We got along real fine. Really looking forward to seeing him again.”
Motz was due in El Reno the following day, but during my visit Marty manned the griddle. Wearing a chef jacket claiming he’d been “Flipping Burgers since 1969” in cursive embroidery, Marty took the stove. That’s rare these days at the diner he founded in 1989. Marty retired in 2018, leaving the cooking to family and carefully trained staff.
But on this day Marty stood once again over griddle, spatula – in this case a refashioned paving trowel – at the ready.
“We have them custom-made,” Marty told the California crew, showing off the spot where it was shortened.
One of Marty’s daughters was just getting off her shift on the stove when Marty took over.
“Oh, dad is cooking?” she said as she gathered her things to leave. “Make me a single with cheese to-go!”
Once fat met flame, it was clear six decades of twirling a masonry tool like a baton in between smashing Oklahoma’s one and only signature burger hadn’t faded. Half-expected Marty to spin and holster the smoldering patty-flipper when he was finished.
In the end, Sid’s proved to be among the 405 diningscape top burger stops.
The fried-onion burger of Depression lore is still among Oklahoma’s favorite dishes. Among the t
hree noted stops in El Reno, which are Johnnie’s, Robert’s and Sid’s, The King at Sid’s remains my personal favorite. No doubt it will make the list I am working on for May. But don’t take my word for it. Drive out to El Reno some time and tour all three. (And don’t forget a coney!)
But not everyone in Oklahoma likes an onion burger. Local burger craftsman Justin “Nic” Nicholas of Nic’s Grill once told me, “I don’t love a Depression burger because the way the burn them onions.”
He explained he likes his caramelized and that’s why he developed a version somewhere between what he calls Depression burgers and Diner burgers.
“I like a thick burger patty, not smashed, and the onions nice and soft,” he said. “Not burnt. I can appreciate it, but I prefer less a burn on ‘em.”
He’s in the minority as proven by nearly a century of growth for onion burgers in Oklahoma. With Motz’s help, perhaps the onion burger will break free from regional bondage and spread its smoky wings across America.
I’ll have some more photos from the day’s shooting as the episode nears plus my personal list of favorite burgers in the 405 diningscape will also drop in May.
That list includes stops at burger joints old and new to reset the current state of burgers. Look for a sneak peek at some of the stops in a new post due Friday.
“Eat, Drink & be Local” Update
Management at KSBI, channel 52, assured us the technical issues that caused the first episode of “Eat, Drink & be Local” were on their side and absolutely will not be repeated so tune in on Saturday at 4:30 to see the premiere.
We’re not complaining too hard as it only buys as more production time, but we definitely want to thank everyone for their patience. We are currently in production of episodes three and four and look forward to sharing them.
For a details on the show, click here.
If you’ve got a favorite burger place you’d like me to consider, leave a suggestion in the comments.
MOB Grill 😎