So, the plain hamburger lets you pick and choose. Another explanation for the plain hamburger is that it might be a good option for those who just want the taste of beef without extra distractions.

Having spent about two-thirds of my life around a barbecue grill I decided to see how the two most popular nonmeat burgers would cook up and taste alongside regular 80 percent lean hamburger meat.

The parameters of the test were simple, order one hamburger from each establishment — no special requests — and rank them based on taste, size, temperature, price and overall satisfaction.

A large segment of the public seems to believe that food professionals live on diets that consist mainly of truffle-studded pates, caviar and lobsters washed down with vintage wines and champagnes.… ...