Burger vs Pizza - Which do you prefer and why?

In the grand arena of culinary showdowns, few battles elicit as much passion and fervor as the timeless clash between two titans of taste: pizza versus burger. I needn’t paint a picture of this showdown, nor ask you to imagine a burger sizzling on the grill, nor need I describe the aroma of a pizza baking in a brick oven. I also seriously doubt that I need to list the vast array of toppings that characterize pizza and burgers.

Indeed, in the wide realm of comfort foods, these creations reign supreme in their ubiquitousness.

And thus it is that today I bring yet another “installment of versus” in Living the Gourmet’s growing line of “versus articles.” But there is a caveat to today’s. Today I am asking you my dear readers for an answer rather than providing you with one myself.

The question I pose to you today is this: Pizza vs burger, and why?

Today, I am setting the stage for the cultivation of your opinion. With that said, I’m not asking if Burger King is indeed the King of Burgers, or if Papa Johns or Pizza Hut has the best pizza slices, nor those of any other fast food chains or burger restaurants.

Quite contrary.

Instead, I’m asking you to consider pizza in the abstract, from the streets of Naples to the bustling metropolises of New York and beyond, let’s consider why the allure of a delicious pizza knows no bounds. With pizza, however, the bread is arguably the defining trait. Sicilian vs New York Style? Chicago vs Neapolitan? In these discussions, the toppings are almost incidental – as the difference lies in the bread. With burgers, however, the bread is reduced almost to serving as a patty medium, an edible carbolicious platter that becomes a part of the grilled ground beef feast, a mere vessel for the burger patty.

But enough of my long-winded introduction, let’s get to the meat of this discussion.

The Burger Briefing – At the Start of it All

Sandwiching beef between bread is something humans have been doing since the two became available. If meat in bread is a burger, case closed, right?

Not so fast.

If we’re talking about recognizably modern burgers, and not simply beef sandwiches, we can track down some fairly well-recorded specifics. So let’s set a start date for our inquiry, and work our way back from there.

In 1931, a comic character named Wellington Wimpy was created in New York, and his defining trait was that he consumed positively ludicrous amounts of hamburgers – specifically cheeseburgers. This tubby fellow had it bad for burgers.

Why does this matter? Because Wellington Wimpy is likely the first mainstream, in-print mention and illustration of recognizably modern cheeseburgers outside of restaurant marketing material. Thus, the recipe for hamburgers ‘must’ have predated this character, lest the hamburger would have had no resonance with Wimpy’s intended audience – which it very much did. In other words, by 1931, people knew what burgers were when they saw Wimpy eating them, and they had enough cultural currency to warrant appearing outside of restaurant marketing material.

Stick with me on this.

Rewinding the clock several years to 1925, and Lionel Sternberger of The Rite Spot diner claimed to be the first person to place cheese over a grilled meat patty, and then sandwich it in a bun. The diner, nevertheless, was indeed selling cheese-less burgers before Lionel crowned the beef in cheesy goodness. However, given the human propensity for putting cheese on absolutely everything, let’s say this claim is ‘dubious’ at best. Though perhaps there is some merit to his claim that he was the first to make a recorded commercial sale of a cheeseburger.

If we go back nine years further to 1916, Walter Anderson, cofounder of White Castle, was selling burgers – with specially crafted buns – from a food cart. Fast-forward five years to 1921, and Walter Anderson, together with Billy Ingram, had opened their first White Castle, giving us what were inarguably modern hamburgers, having tailormade the burgers for commercial sale. The design, cooking technique, and even serving methods of the modern burger all trace their lineage to these two men and their first White Castle location. Cheese or not, if you time-traveled to a 1921 White Castle, you could have yourself a modern burger.

But then there’s the tricky matter of the Library of Congress and one Louis Lassen of New Haven, Connecticut. Lassen created a ‘beef patty sandwich’ served between two slices of toast. Why does this matter if we’re talking about hamburgers? Because the Library of Congress recognizes this beef-on-toast sandwich to be the very first hamburger.

And I’m just as confused as you are.

If this is the bar – and the Library of Congress says it is – then in searching for the first burger we would of course need to consider the “Hamburger Steak” that became popular in New York City during the late 19th century. This was a fried beef patty prepared with eggs, onions, and basic seasonings like salt and pepper. Topped with cheese (as was common), is this not a hamburger sans the bun?

We would also need to consider one widely accepted story that points to the creation of the hamburger sandwich in the late 1800s. Legend (and I do mean legend due to the lack of evidence) has it that the hamburger was invented in the city of Hamburg, Germany, where sailors brought back the idea of "Hamburg-style" seasoned and cooked beef. What this thoroughly American-sourced origin story is likely pointing to is Frikandelle or Bulette, simply the German name for hamburger steak, which was widely consumed throughout northern Germany during the middle and late 1800s.

And we cannot talk about burgers and the later half of the 1800s without of course touching on one very famous origin story. The Erie County Fair in New York. The dubious and conflicting claims make this story incredibly hard to recount. In essence, the gist of the story is that the Menches Brothers were serving pork sausage sandwiches at the Erie County Fair. They ran out of pork sausages and began stuffing their sandwiches with beef. Beef that they conveniently had on hand but weren’t serving until having run out of pork. Burger? Not in my book, but that’s just my opinion.

At another fair, this one the World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri, Fletcher Davis claims to have been selling beef sandwiches that were so popular he ran out. These he dubbed ‘hamburgers,’ and vendors were said to have begun serving these proto-hamburgers as a convenient and affordable food option for fairgoers. Whether you consider these admittedly beef-sandwich-resembling burgers as burgers or not, I suppose it is entirely a matter of perspective.

So what’s our conclusion? Personally, I do not consider hamburger-steak to be a recognizably modern burger. Nor do I consider a beef patty served on toast a burger. Similarly, beef sandwiches are, in my opinion, beef sandwiches, with burgers being something entirely different.

But that could just be me being a stickler for details. After all, the Library Congress does in fact disagree with me.

What’s your opinion on the matter? Let me know in the comments below.

The Burger Briefing – What’s in a Bun?

I doubt there’s anyone reading who hasn’t had the experience of biting into a burger and being transported to comfort food paradise, a state of mind where cravings are satisfied and the whole world and all troubles just melt away for the duration of that single, perfect bite.

Let’s delve into precisely why and how burgers hold that special place in our hearts (and stomachs).

The Appeal of Burgers:

Perhaps subconsciously, the appeal of a burger is that it can be either as fancy or as easy as you desire. Want a quick yet satisfying bite after work that doesn’t skimp on flavor? The burgers from your fast-food chains of choice have you got you covered. Feel adventurous and fancy over the weekend? Then grind up premium fatty red meats (because burgers are best made from meat with a high-fat content), and get to work crafting a culinary jewel from artisanal bread and succulent beef patties.

With that said, at the heart of every great burger – whether quick and humble or a gourmet labor of love – lies the star of the show: the juicy, succulent patty. If the patty isn’t worth indulging, no amount of toppings or bun will save the affair. This is true whether it's made from premium beef, grilled or ground chicken, or the latest craze in plant-based ingredients. A well-seasoned, lovingly crafted burger patty is a thing of delicious beauty.

But let’s say you’ve got the patty down pat (yes, I meant to do that), that’s just the beginning. A patty by itself is a lonely thing indeed. It needs dressings in the form of sauces and toppings, and the accompaniment of an equally intriguing bun.

Let’s picture melted cheese cascading over the patty, fresh lettuce and ripe tomatoes adding a burst of color and freshness, and perhaps a slathering of sauce tying it all together. And let's not forget about the buns – soft, pillowy, and perfectly toasted, they provide the ideal vessel for delivering each mouthwatering bite.

And that brings us to…

The Versatility of Burgers:

I could easily write about how one of the most appealing aspects of burgers is their incredible versatility, ranging from classic beef burgers to gourmet creations featuring exotic toppings and artisanal ingredients. I could fill this entire page talking about how there's a burger to suit every taste and preference.

Instead, let me show you some examples of this versatility.

1. Parmesan Spinach Burger: These burgers are infused with the aromatic goodness of garlic, plenty of Parmesan cheese, julienned spinach, and just a hint of heat courtesy of Korean red pepper flakes. From there, we topped the burgers with a rich and spicy red pepper and mayo spread for added decadence. We sandwich all of that into a toasted kaiser roll. Delicious.
2. Spicy Korean-Style Burgers: I prepare my Korean-beef burgers on homemade rolls, while the patties are grilled with a cayenne and gochujang-based glaze. In terms of flavor, the glaze is spicy with a touch of sweetness but comes packed with ‘chili flavor,’ along with a medley of umami notes.
3. Feta and Scallion Burgers: If you’re looking to shake up your burger game with some bold flavors and a little Mediterranean flair, look no further than my Feta and Scallion Burgers. These Mediterranean-inspired creations take the beloved beef burger to a whole new level, with a combination of feta cheese, scallions, and garlic, all seasoned to perfection with a dash of Korean red pepper flakes.
4. Black Bean Burgers: Yes, every once in a while I enjoy a good black bean burger, whether as a healthier option or simply for the heck of it, and I’ve been doing so since before it was popular. However, there is one caveat to my enjoying a bean burger. I absolutely refuse to indulge in bean burgers that are manipulated to taste like meat. Why should beans taste like meat? Instead, I fully enjoy bean burgers that are unabashedly ‘bean burgers,’ and this recipe is one way to do exactly that.

When Burgers Shine:

While I’ll never say no to a slice of pizza, there are certainly times when burgers reign supreme. Picture a sunny summer afternoon spent grilling burgers in the backyard with friends and family. Or imagine a quick lunch break at your favorite burger joint, indulging in a juicy burger piled high with all your favorite toppings. In these moments, burgers are the ultimate in comfort food.

As mentioned above, burgers are also great for getting fancy with, meaning gourmet burgers are perfectly adaptable to a refined dinner party, and pair deliciously alongside red wines such as Pinot Noir, merlot, or a good cabernet sauvignon. A single burger is also generally more satisfying and filling, often as filling as several slices of pizza.

Pizza Pointers – Circling the Beginning

If a pizza is simply bread topped with some combination of cheese, sauce, and vegetables then pizza is older than recorded history. However, if we’re talking about recognizably modern pizzas, the story is surprisingly well-recorded.

Modern pizza comes in a myriad of forms, from the thin crusts and dense cheese toppings of a New York-style pie to the deep dishes of Chicago to the pineapple-topped aberrations that we all love to hate (or love to love), to basil and mozzarella margheritas of Italy's Raefaelle Esposito (himself considered the godfather of modern pizza, more on him in just a minute). Regardless of the depth of its dish or the combination of its toppings, all modern pizza traces its origins to Naples, Italy, in the early 18th century.

Initially, pizza was a simple and affordable meal enjoyed by the working class, consisting of flat-rolled leavened bread topped with tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and herbs. This early version of pizza was known as "pizza alla marinara." In fact, there are illustrations from around this time of local “pizzaiolo” making and serving pizza to passersby on the streets of Italy. To this point, the first known pizzeria was founded in 1738 in Naples and is still in operation today. This was the start of it all - but if you were to time travel back to Naples around 1740, you wouldn't 'quite' be eating a modern pizza, but rather something better described as a prototype - delicious though that prototype may have been.

It would take another hundred or so years for pizza to leave this prototype phase, for the modern pizza we know and love today to fully take shape with its signature toppings of tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and precise circular shape. This enduring combination is credited to the aforementioned Neapolitan pizzaiolos - they must have known they had a good thing going and spent a century perfecting it. Legend has it that the Margherita pizza, topped with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil to represent the colors of the Italian flag, was created in honor of Queen Margherita of Savoy during her visit to Naples in 1889. This pizza was, legend has it, created by the godfather himself - Rafaelle Esposito.

Regardless of the veracity of that story (the involvement of the queen is debated to this day), there is no denying that the popularity of pizza soared right around this time, starting in Naples, and then spreading throughout Italy and eventually across the globe, courtesy of a vast wave of Italian emigration to North and South America. In the United States, pizza’s popularity boomed in the early to mid-20th century, particularly in cities with large Italian-American populations like New York City and Chicago.

Today, pizza is celebrated as one of the world's most beloved foods, with countless variations and regional specialties. From traditional Neapolitan-style pizza to New York-style thin crust and Chicago-style deep-dish, pizza continues to evolve and adapt while remaining a symbol of comfort and indulgence.

Pizza Pointers – The Circular Side of the Debate

Let’s get this out of the way first: there are very few dishes that hold as much universal appeal, or that have proven to have as much enduring charm as pizza in all of its myriad forms. With its crispy crust, gooey cheese, and tantalizing array of toppings, pizza has captured the hearts and taste buds of food enthusiasts around the globe. Let's explore the irresistible allure of pizza and delve into why it remains the ultimate comfort food for so many.

The Allure of Pizza:

At its core, the allure of pizza is a celebration of simplicity and flavor. For me, the perfect pizza starts with a foundation of perfectly baked dough – crisp on the outside, tender on the inside – providing the ideal canvas for culinary creativity (say that three times fast). Next comes a simple red sauce – savory and aromatic, prepared with ripe tomatoes and fragrant herbs. And then, of course, there's the cheese – a dense layer of mozzarella melted to perfection, with just the right amount of stretchiness and richness to elevate every bite. Plenty of olive oil, and lots of black and red pepper.

Yes, if you were paying attention, I just described a New York Style Pie. Yes, because I’m biased.

But what truly sets pizza apart is its endless array of topping possibilities. From classic combinations like pepperoni and mushrooms to gourmet creations featuring prosciutto, arugula, and truffle oil, there's a pizza to suit every taste and craving.

What else can I say here? That’s the allure.

The Versatility of Pizza:

I wouldn’t dare risk trying to outline the variety of toppings we all love on pizza. Instead, let me list a few of the favorites I’ve prepared here on Living the Gourmet.

1. New York Style Pizza: I’ll be real with you, this is what I think of when I think of pizza. Thin crust, dense cheese topping, savory marinara. It’s no frills, uncomplicated, and easy to love.
2. Spicy Artichoke and Caper Pizza: This pizza combines homemade dough with a sweet onion and red pepper sauce, topped with capers, marinated artichokes, and fresh mozzarella.
3. Folded Cuban Pizza: And here is the exact opposite of no frills and uncomplicated. This recipe takes the original pizza and very nearly turns it inside out by folding the pizza in half with a medley of cheeses, ground chorizo, and a spicy marinara. Absolutely delicious, but hardly for the faint of heart.
4. Pizza Galette: This pizza swaps the familiar bread crust for a pastry crust. The topping is a mix of tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts, and caramelized onions, creating a delightful blend of Italian-inspired flavors, carried on a flaky, golden pastry crust. This is one recipe where I promise that each bite will transport you to the sun-drenched hills of Tuscany, effortlessly capturing the heart and soul of Italian cuisine.

When Pizza Shines:

While burgers may have their moment, such as those I outlined above, there are times when pizza truly shines as the superior choice. Picture a cozy Friday night in. Or imagine a laid-back weekend brunch with friends, enjoying slices of breakfast pizza topped with crispy bacon, fluffy scrambled eggs, and melted cheese.

In these moments, pizza can provide comfort, camaraderie, and pure culinary indulgence that's hard to resist. Whether you're celebrating a special occasion, gathering with loved ones, or simply treating yourself to a quick bite that doesn’t skimp on flavor, pizza has a way of bringing people together and putting smiles on faces.

And that’s our take on Burgers vs Pizza. If you enjoyed today’s article, or have any questions or suggestions, be sure to let us know in the comments below.

Happy Cooking!

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