George Motz

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George Motz
George Motz (2).jpg
George Motz in 2013
NationalityAmerican
Alma mater Catholic University of America [1] [2]
Occupation(s)Television personality, historian, author, filmmaker, restaurateur
Known forDirecting Hamburger America and founding the restaurant of the same name

George Motz is an American television personality, historian, author and filmmaker. Motz directed the 2004 documentary film Hamburger America and has written books detailing the history of the hamburger in the United States. He hosted the Travel Channel show Burger Land from 2012 to 2013. He is a contributor for First We Feast with a series titled Burger Scholar Sessions. He is also the owner and head chef of Hamburger America, a luncheonette-style restaurant in SoHo, Manhattan.

Contents

Career

Motz worked as a Director of Photography for WNET in New York. [3] For his work he was a recipient of three Emmy Awards (one in 2000 and two in 2006). [3] [ better source needed ]

Motz taught a single session New York University course about hamburgers in the fall of 2005. [4] [5]

In 2007, Motz founded The Food Film Festival based in New York City. [3] [6] [7] The festival is held annually in New York City, Chicago, and Charleston. [7]

In 2011, the festival had 160 entries and curated them to 28. [6]

In November 2023, Motz opened Hamburger America, a luncheonette-style hamburger restaurant in New York's SoHo neighborhood. [8]

Filmography

Hamburger America

In 2004, Motz directed a documentary film titled Hamburger America about the American hamburger and eight "iconic burger joints". [9] [6] A book of the same name was later released. [3]

Burger Land (2012–2013)

Between 2012 and 2013, Motz was the host of Burger Land on the Travel Channel. [10] [11] [12]

Burger Scholar Sessions

Motz has been a regular contributor for First We Feast since 2018, for The Burger Show, where he would frequently guest star, and also his own hosted series, Burger Scholar Sessions, where Motz would introduce audiences to different distinct regional hamburgers, such as the Oklahoma fried onion burger, and also show how the burgers are prepared. [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [ excessive citations ]

Personal life

Motz grew up on Long Island, New York; most notably in Garden City and Quogue. [1] [20] Motz lives in New York. [6] He has two children. [21]

Published works

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamburger</span> Culinary dish consisting of a beef patty between rounded buns

A hamburger, or simply a burger, is a dish consisting of fillings—usually a patty of ground meat, typically beef—placed inside a sliced bun or bread roll. The patties are often served with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon, or chilis with condiments such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, relish or a "special sauce", often a variation of Thousand Island dressing, and are frequently placed on sesame seed buns. A hamburger patty topped with cheese is called a cheeseburger. Under some definitions, and in some cultures, a burger is considered a sandwich.

<i>Teriyaki</i> Japanese marinade

Teriyaki is a cooking technique in which foods are broiled or grilled with a glaze of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Although commonly associated with Japanese cuisine, this cooking technique is also commonly used in other Asian cuisines such as Chinese, Indonesian and Thai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis' Lunch</span> Restaurant in New Haven, Connecticut which allegedly invented the hamburger

Louis' Lunch is a fast food hamburger restaurant in New Haven, Connecticut, which claims to be the first fast food restaurant to serve hamburgers and the oldest continuously operated hamburger restaurant in the United States. It was opened as a small lunch wagon in 1895 and was one of the first places in the U.S. to serve steak sandwiches. According to Louis' Lunch, the hamburger was created in 1900 in response to a customer's hurried request for a lunch to go. In 1917, Louis moved the business into a square-shaped brick building that had once been a tannery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted's Restaurant</span> Hamburger restaurant in Meriden, Connecticut, USA

Ted's Restaurant is a hamburger restaurant established in 1959 that is known for its steamed cheeseburger. Its original location is in Meriden, Connecticut, in the United States. It also operates a food truck and a concession stand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slugburger</span> Southern United States food

A slugburger is a traditional Southern food originating in the area of Northeast Mississippi.

The Hamburger Wagon is a hamburger restaurant located on the sidewalk of the Market Square in Miamisburg, Ohio. The establishment was opened in 1913 by Sherman "Cocky" Porter to help feed Red Cross workers and residents of Miamisburg rebuilding from the Great Flood.

A hamburger is a specific type of burger. It is a sandwich that consists of a cooked ground beef meat patty, placed between halves of a sliced bun. Hamburgers are often served with various condiments, such as dill relish (condiment), mayonnaise, and other options including lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and cheese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt's Bar</span> Restaurant

Matt's Bar is a restaurant in south Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is known as one of two businesses that created the Jucy Lucy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jucy Lucy</span> Burger with cheese inside the meat

A Jucy Lucy is a stuffed cheeseburger with the cheese inside of the meat instead of on top, resulting in a melted core of cheese. It is a popular, regional cuisine in Minnesota, particularly in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Two bars in Minneapolis claim to have invented the burger, while other local bars and restaurants have created their own interpretations of the style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J.G. Melon</span> Restaurant in Manhattan, New York, U.S.

J.G. Melon is an American restaurant established in 1972. It is located at 1291 Third Avenue on the northeast corner of East 74th Street, on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. It is known for its hamburgers.

Burger Land is an American food reality television series that premiered with two special episodes airing back-to-back on September 2, 2012, on the Travel Channel. The series is hosted by food author/filmmaker and hamburger enthusiast George Motz based on his book Hamburger America. In each episode, Motz travels the country in search of the best burgers that he can find and eats in each state. The first full season premiered on April 15, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">5-8 Club</span> Restaurant in Minneapolis, Minnesota

The 5-8 Club Tavern & Grill is a restaurant in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded in 1928 as a speakeasy, the eatery is one of two Minneapolis establishments that claim to have invented the Juicy Lucy cheeseburger in the 1950s, the other being Matt's Bar. The 5-8 Club also serves its Saucy Sally burger and other dishes including fried cheese curds and onion straws. The restaurant, which has been featured on several Travel Channel TV series, has three additional locations in Minnesota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steamed cheeseburger</span> Type of hamburger

A steamed cheeseburger, also referred to as a steamer or cheeseburg, is a hamburger topped with cheese that is cooked via steaming and originally only served by restaurants in central Connecticut in the United States. Despite it now being available elsewhere, it is still difficult to find outside that area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butter burger</span> Hamburger topped with butter

A butter burger is a hamburger topped with butter, either directly on the patty, or on the bun. Believed by many to be invented in Wisconsin, they remain popular in some northern parts of the midwestern United States, and are the principal item of Wisconsin-based fast food restaurant Culver's. Many restaurants in and around Wisconsin serve butter burgers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamburger America</span> Restaurant in Manhattan, New York, U.S.

Hamburger America is a luncheonette-style hamburger restaurant located at 51 MacDougal Street in SoHo, Manhattan, New York City. It was founded in 2023 by American chef, television personality, and burger scholar George Motz as an homage to the history of the hamburger in the United States. Specializing in traditional smash burgers, French fries, sandwiches, and milk drinks including egg cream, the restaurant offers 11-stool counter service, booth and table seating, and take-out.

<i>Hamburger America</i> (film) 2004 American film

Hamburger America is a 2004 American documentary film directed by George Motz. The film highlights eight family-owned hamburger restaurants across various regions of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fried onion burger</span> Regional burger style and specialty of Oklahoma cuisine

A fried onion burger, also called an Oklahoma onion burger, is a regional burger style and specialty of Oklahoma cuisine. The dish was created in El Reno, Oklahoma, in the 1920s by a restaurateur searching for a way to stretch ground beef with a less expensive ingredient in order to cheaply feed striking railroad workers during the Great Railroad Strike of 1922. Its primary ingredients are thinly-sliced onions and ground beef.

A smoked hamburger is a hamburger patty that has been cooked by exposing it to smoke from burning or smoldering material, most often wood. It is common in Texas.

Pete's Hamburgers is a seasonal walk-up hamburger stand in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.

References

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  2. "Talking to the Burger King". CatholicU. Vol. 36, no. 1. Catholic University of America. Spring 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "The Grinder 04 / George Motz". Chat Chow TV. February 5, 2013. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  4. 1 2 Unger, Ryan (May 31, 2022). "The Untold Truth Of Burger Scholar George Motz". Mashed.com. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  5. Andreatta, David (August 22, 2005). "'MEAT' THE EXPERT – BURGER FANS GET THEIR BUNS OVER TO NYU". nypost.com. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Shallwani, Pervaiz (October 12, 2011). "A Theater Where Eating Is Definitely Allowed". Wall Street Journal . ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  7. 1 2 Benton, Susan (February 21, 2016). "Interview: George Motz, Americas Burger Expert & Food Film Festival South Walton April 8–10, 2016". 30AEATS. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  8. Sietsema, Robert (November 28, 2023). "Hamburger America Serves the Hamburger America Deserves". Eater New York.
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  10. "Shows A-Z – burger land on travel | TheFutonCritic.com". Futon Critic . Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  11. "Burger Land". The A.V. Club . April 16, 2013. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  12. Doss, Laine (April 17, 2013). "Burger Land Features Latin Burger and Taco on Travel Channel April 22". Miami New Times . Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  13. "How to Cook 4 More Regional Smashburgers with George Motz | Burger Scholar Sessions". Complex. March 29, 2021. Archived from the original on May 29, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  14. Lu, Hunter; Parrill, Lindsay (March 15, 2021). "Hamburger Expert George Motz Walks Us Through How to Cook the Perfect Hamburger". www.themanual.com. Archived from the original on April 3, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  15. "How to Cook a Deep-Fried Bacon Burger with George Motz | Burger Scholar Sessions". Complex. March 22, 2021. Archived from the original on March 24, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  16. Martinus, Danial (November 2, 2020). "White guy makes the most legit Ramly burger ever and Malaysians are loving it". Mashable SEA.
  17. Minion, Rd. "[VIDEO] American Filmmaker Wows Malaysians By Making The Iconic Ramly Burger At Home | Lifestyle | Rojak Daily". Archived from the original on November 6, 2020.
  18. Jodon, Rachel Langlitz & Courtny (May 1, 2018). "The Cavalier Store gets top ranking as the best burger in Virginia". WSET.
  19. Siede, Caroline (August 14, 2015). "Read This: The history of the American hamburger". The A.V. Club.
  20. "Author events on Long Island, week of Oct. 9". Newsday. October 8, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  21. Strauss, Alix (October 19, 2018). "How George Motz, 'Americas Hamburger Expert,' Spends His Sundays". The New York Times. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  22. Derby, Samara Kalk (December 9, 2019). "Fuegos leaving Willy Street over parking issue, last day is Saturday". Wisconsin State Journal . Retrieved September 16, 2022.