@FirstWeFeast

4 months ago

Hey everyone, this is Justin B., creator of Burger Scholar Sessions. I normally never enter the chat, but I felt compelled to say something to mark this special occasion for the Motzman. I've been working with George for nearly 8 years now. Speaking of origin stories, I wanted to touch on mine with George—Motz and I started off as work pals. He wrote stuff for the site when we were doing editorial content, and I'd edit his features. From the moment we met, we always saw eye-to-eye on the importance of regional food expressions and the people those traditions embody. Very early on, I recognized George was doing something special: preserving centuries-old methods and cooking practices that would otherwise be lost to time, if not for his passion and curiosity. This resonated deeply with me. Like for many of you, George opened up a world I hadn't considered carefully: that of butter burgers and nutburgers and slugburgers and tons and tons of history. Early on, George became a recurring guest on The Burger Show, driving us to unexpected places like Connecticut or North Texas to try some truly amazing burgers and understand their past. (I was the guy always on the verge of puking in the back seat.) Burger Scholar Sessions was borne out of the pandemic. It was a bootstraps gig. We’d drop off gear to George, and I’d direct remotely, thanks to an iPhone placed directly above his Sony camera. It wasn’t fussy. But it was real. We kept in the burns. We kept in the eating noises. This was George in his happy place. And now he has a new happy place: Hamburger America. I can’t thank you enough for the continued support. When I heard he was going to open his own restaurant, it felt important to document it. After two decades in the field, here was our Burger Scholar building the burger joint of his dreams. Watching back the footage of Marty Hall, Ed Sullivan, Alvin Cailan made me so appreciative of the family that we've built and the stories we've been able to share. All of which is to say, it’s amazing to witness someone fulfill a lifelong dream, and have the support of many. Thank you again. And most of all, congrats Georgie. -Sincerely, Justin B.

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