This article has been imported from chorus.fm for discussion. All of the forum rules still apply. Kevin Alexander, writing at Thrillist: In my office, I have a coffee mug from Stanich’s in Portland, Oregon. Under the restaurant name, it says “Great hamburgers since 1949.” The mug was given to me by Steve Stanich on the day I told him that, after eating 330 burgers during a 30-city search, I was naming Stanich’s cheeseburger the best burger in America. That same day, we filmed a short video to announce my pick. On camera, Stanich cried as he talked about how proud his parents would be. After the shoot, he handed me the mug, visibly moved. “My parents are thanking you from the grave,” he said, shaking my hand vigorously. When I left, I felt light and happy. I’d done a good thing. Five months later, in a story in The Oregonian, restaurant critic Michael Russell detailed how Stanich’s had been forced to shut down. In the article, Steve Stanich called my burger award a curse, “the worst thing that’s ever happened to us.” He told a story about the country music singer Tim McGraw showing up one day, and not being able to serve him because there was a five hour wait for a burger. On January 2, 2018, Stanich shut down the restaurant for what he called a “two week deep cleaning.” Ten months later, Stanich’s is still closed. Expand - View Original
Fantastic read. I was too afraid to check the comments section - and there's a certain irony to there being one at all.
Really interesting read but I feel it is slightly embellished (ironic since the author made it clear he didn't like writing click bait) that author was at fault. Seems there is some inner-family thing at play that keeps the joint closed. Have been thinking about how this applies to other areas of interest for me, like music. Reminds me of That Thing You Do. Feel like there are numerous other examples of a smaller band that blows up overnight and falls back down fast when the members can't/don't want to keep up with the demands of spotlight.
Very important update to this whole thing, fuckin craaazzzyyyy. @Jason Tate Did a Rave Review Really Shut Down Portland Burger Bar Stanich’s? Maybe It Was the Owner’s Legal Troubles. But Alexander's explanation missed some important context. On April 18, 2014, Stanich was arrested for choking his then-wife in front of their then-teenage son at their home in Northeast Portland.