A 'Zurica' Moment
Midtown East, NYC — Sometime last summer, it became difficult to not notice the exponential increase in online food website articles — and social media food pics — of the rather deliciously humble-looking cheeseburgers being served off of a food truck oddly named Hard Times Sundaes. And seeing the banner festooned on the side of the truck that read "NYC's #1 Burger Truck" had me skeptical on how special any burger could be coming from a truck.
But then came other mentions and positive reviews, from the likes of the New York Times, and New York Magazine, and good friends whose opinions I highly regarded.
And the social media pics that grew in number and frequency and had me salivating.
ANDREW ZURICA | Owner/Operator of Burgers by Hard Times Sundaes
So once I followed the Hard Times Sundaes Facebook page, and saw that they would be serving from a booth at the San Gennaro Feast in Little Italy, I figured what an ideal way to "kill two birds", so to speak, being able to cover both for KAC Food.
The Feast turned out to be much of a bust, and so by the time I came across the unassuming booth for HTS, my hopes started to wane.
Fervently busy at a flat-top grill was the modest measure of a man who would turn out to be Andrew Zurica, the owner and operator, and fastidious expediter of the burgers that were flying out to happy, hungry customers.
Good thing I was hungry, because once I ordered and ate one of the burgers, I became quite happy as well. I became an immediate fan of both the burger and the man behind the burger, and have since caught up with him a rare Manhattan appearances.
Now, he has real real estate in Vanderbilt Hall (by Grand Central Station) run by Urbanspace. It's a much more convenient trip for me to make from the Upper East Side, even during the heavy rain I traveled through to catch up with Andrew on only his second day serving from a brick-and-mortar location:
KAC Food: How does it feel to now be operating out of Urbanspace Vanderbilt?
ANDREW: It's a helluva a whole lot better than sitting inside a truck.
KAC Food: How long has being part of Urbanspace Vanderbilt been in the works?
ANDREW: We've been talking to them for two, three months.
KAC Food: Are you still running the truck?
ANDREW: The truck is in semi-retirement right now, until May or so. And then just the street fairs and private parties only.
“I do well — I don’t think I’m the best, but I think I’m one of the best, one of the good ones — because it’s simple, classic, and approachable. There’s nothing [unnecessarily] fancy about them. A one-year old to a ninety-nine-year old and every one in between likes them.”
KAC Food: Oh, great to know you do private parties as well. So, out of all the places you've worked — in a city full of burgers — what made you boldly decide to do yet another burger? And how'd you wind up doing burgers better than almost anybody else?
ANDREW: Well, number one, I've never been "wowed" by a burger, that's why I went into the strictly burger business. Two, I do well — I don't think I'm the best, but I think I'm one of the best, one of the good ones — because it's simple, classic, approachable, there's nothing [unnecessarily] fancy about them. A 1-year old to a 99-year old and every one in between likes them.
KAC Food: You've only been around (as Hard Times Sundaes) for only two years. How does it feel to be so popular and well-regarded in such a short amount of time?
ANDREW: Well, within the first couple months I opened the New York Times did a full page article on me, then put me in there again — twice. And then New York Magazine, and Brooklyn Magazine, and Thrillist (NYC), and it just started snowballing. Then I was on a Fox News program and a reality show. I don't know why or how but it just happened.
KAC Food: Were you surprised to also be on the New York Magazine's list of top NYC hot dogs as well?
ANDREW: Um, it's not something I set out to do. But again, it's something that's very simple, and it's classic, and everybody seems to like it. It just comes out crispy — we wrap it in bacon and deep-fry it. I don't know where I came up with the idea, but it seems to work.
Andrew exemplifies the very philosophy and ideology he espouses; he keeps it classic and simple. The menu isn't overthought or overwrought with scores of items and crazy toppings. And watching him tell one of his kitchen prep guys to take the little extra time to redo a burger — stressing that it's more important that the burger goes out right, not just quick — epitomizes the old school tradition of service, when a whole family's livelihood depended on great service accompanying a great product.
And that might just be the two most essential ingredients that wins Andrew and his Burgers at Hard Times Sundaes deserved so many accolades as well as fervent regular repeat customers in such a short amount of time. All of which will help propel him well beyond hot burger-of-the-moment to classic burger (and hot dog) for years to come.
•••····
BURGERS at Hard Times Sundaes | Vanderbilt Hall, Midtown Hall, NYC | hardtimessundaes.com
