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ALLWOMENSTALK.com- Love is in the air these holidays, so why not pamper your significant other with one of these best gifts for men?

But before you start your perfect gift hunt, please take into consideration my previous unfortunate experiences and remember that unless the man in question is gay, any kind of clothes (sweaters, shirts, even designer ones) or perfumes don’t make a good gift for guys.

Don’t believe me? Ask your straight male friend what he’d rather have: an Armani shirt or night vision goggles. Men are SO different from us, especially when it comes to gifts, you’ll be surprised …

But back to the the list of Best Gifts for Men, I am sure you’ll find just the right one for your sweetheart:

NEWYORK.GRUBSTREET.com

Minetta Tavern

Meat Blend: Short-rib blend Meat Source: Pat LaFrieda
Patty Weight:: Eight and a half ounces
Cooking Method: Griddle
Roll: Balthazar Bakery brioche bun
Toppings: Caramelized onions and Cheddar cheese
Price: $16
Accolades: “More flavor, more give, more juice on my chin.” -Danyelle Freeman
NYMag.com Listing

MacDougal Street (Between Minetta Lane and Bleecker)

lyricsvault.com

Top Christmas Songs of All Time

1 White Christmas – Bing Crosby
2 The Chipmunk Song – Chipmunks
3 Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer – Gene Autry
4 I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus – Jimmy Boyd
5 Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms
6 The Christmas Song – Nat King Cole
7 Snoopy’s Christmas – Royal Guardsmen
8 Here Comes Santa Claus – Gene Autry
9 Little Drummer Boy – Harry Simeone Chorale
10 Donde Esta Santa Claus – Augie Rios
11 Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee
12 You’re All I Want For Christmas – Brook Benton
13 Baby’s First Christmas – Connie Francis
14 Santa Claus Is Coming To Town – Bruce Springsteen
15 Home For The Holidays – Perry Como
16 Santa Claus Is Coming To Town – Four Seasons
17 Do They Know It’s Christmas – Band Aid
18 Happy Christmas (War is Over) – John Lennon and Yoko Ono
19 May You Always – Harry Harrison
20 Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer – Elmo and Patsy
21 Jingle Bell Rock – Chubby Checker & Bobby Rydell
22 Jingle Bells – Singing Dogs
23 Frosty the Snowman – Gene Autry
24 Merry Christmas Darling – Carpenters
25 Little St. Nick – Beach Boys

BURGER BETS (4-2) vs. BIG BLUE BURGER (3-3)

BURGER BETS

Last Week (3-0) Overall (36-31-2)

Excuse my 3-0 record last week. Looks like old BurgerBets may just be peaking at the right time! That lull in my performance was just a pump fake. It was for TV ratings. Just a ploy to make sure you were paying attention. But now its December and I have to get serious so I can Christmas shop on Vegas’ tab. Christmas present ideas:

BurgerBoy: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1aDuxC5haXc/SW0z7V9BHuI/AAAAAAAAAgU/l2NJWokWIWo/s400/bk.jpg

LobstersClaw: http://mario239303.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/gun.jpg (for obvious reasons)

Big Blue Burger: http://somethinglikethis.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/tissues1.jpg (hes gunna need em when I go 3-0 again)

As always, HOME TEAM in caps:

Dallas (+7.5) @ NEW ORLEANS. I cannot believe I just wrote that. Yes I am picking Dallas to cover. No I do not think Dallas will win. It still is the Cowgirls in December and yes their QB is still Tony Homo. But I think Dallas will have a little “one last stand” mentality this week. Or a little “no one believes in us except the people in this locker room” mentality to steal a line from Bill Simmons. Either way, I think this game is tight and the Saints pull it out.

KANSAS CITY (-2) vs Cleveland. Dwayne Bowe is back and Jamaal Charles looks like a legitimate starting running back. Even when they are awful, KC is still a tough place to play. Cleveland has looked a bit better of late, but is still Cleveland. I think the Cheifs win by a touchdown. Its about time Matt Cassell did something. Not to mention Eric Mangini is coaching for his job (not good for the Browns).

PHILADELPHIA (-7.5) VS San Francisco. It is December, and as always, the Eagles are picking up steam. It is supposed to snow in Philly this weekend, but Donovan McNabb has a history of playing pretty well in the snow. Meanwhile, no California team ever plays well in that environment. Regardless, the Niners secondary is about as good at stopping the pass as the Giants are. We saw what happened last week on Sunday night. Expect another monster game from DeSean Jackson with Jeremy Maclin battling plantar facitisisiciis (spelling?). Eagles roll.

Bet with me and your burgers are free!!!!!!!!!!

-BurgerBets

BIG BLUE BURGER

Bounced back with a solid 2-1 last week.  Remind me to never trust the choke artist Cardinals again.  They remind me of the creepy dude at the bar who tricks a girl into having a drink, and next thing she knows, she wakes up alone in a pay by the hour hotel room with a headache and a sore ass.

Cleveland +2 @ Kansas City- Both these teams are playing for pride at this point.  With that being said, I’m a big fan of Cleveland down the stretch.  They’ve finally realized EVERY SINGLE one of their quarterbacks is worthless, and are giving their best player Cribbs more touches in the Wildcat.  RB Jennings is also coming on strong.  KC’s pathetic run defense should get thoroughly shredded.  Count it.

New England -7 @ Buffalo- I saw this at 6.5 on a few sites but I’m going to be a man and take it at 7.  Buffalo flat out sucks, end of conversation.  And, I have to believe New England is better than they’ve been playing lately.  Hopefully Brady is over the birth of his second son and will focus on football again.  He didn’t flinch when he had his first one.  Maybe, this one being legitimate is getting to him.  We all have our weaknesses…

San Diego -6.5 VS Cincinnati- As I said last week, chargers are the best team in football right now, and they proved it again last week.  Some of the passes/catches made by the Rivers/Jackson combo last week were flat out absurd.  9-4 Cinci think they’ve left their losing/criminal ways behind, but they’re not fooling me.  The gun toting, bar fighting Bengals are slowly coming back to earth.

AVCLUB.com- The season finale is a fairly prototypical episode of the show. Richman goes to Hartford, Conn., and introduces the fact that he and a partner will be eating a 10-pound stuffed pizza (that looks more like a pot pie) in under an hour, then tours three local eateries, two hot dog joints and one a burger place. The burger place – Ted’s – is one I’d heard of before (on the wondrous documentary Hamburger America, which Sundance Channel makes a point of showing every Independence Day), but it’s still a kooky little place, featuring burgers that are steamed, not fried or grilled. The hot dog places mostly seemed to serve crazy hot dogs, but Richman’s gusto for eating this stuff makes all of it seem more momentous than it actually is.

I was so please to see Adam Richman and M -vs- F travel to God’s Country and travel around and eat some of the finer foods that Connecticut has to offer. I was even more impressed to see them diving into cheeseburgers.  Makes sense though Richman is chopping down burgers just about every other show..fitting.  However, I am a little dissapointed that they did not feature Shady Glen’s when they were in Manchester, CT…one of the best burgers going known for the crispy cheese they top the burger with by grilling the cheese on a griddle.  My Grandparents would have been so proud.  AND I am also somewhat suprised they didn’t showcase Pepe’s Pizza, best pizza in CT and is featured on many Top 25 lists around the country.  Do your homework next time fellas. -BB

BY FRANK’S REEL REVIEWS

FRANKSREELREVIEWS.COM- Let’s revisit some of those Christmas classics. And while we’re at it, let’s think about adding some new ones to the list as well. Some are more Christmassy than others, and some only feature the magical holiday in a few scenes. But here’s our list of the best Christmas movies of all time:

More Reel Rants List of Every Best Picture Winner Remembering Michael Jackson The Midas Touch The Hollywood Effect Good Movie or Bad? Movies Favorite Pastime in UAE What I’ve Learned From the Movies Top Comedy Movies Top Western Movies Top Worst Movie Sequels Best Movie Twists of All Time Top Romance Movies Top Prison Movies Top Mob/Mafia Movies Top Movie Monsters Top Movie Quotes Top Movie Villains Top Movie Soundtracks Top Tear-Jerkers of All Time Top Scariest Movies Ever Top Courtroom Dramas Top Sports Movies of All Time Top War Movies of All Time Top Christmas Movies List of Movies that Deserved Best Picture but Lost The Unwritten Rules of Movie Watching

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) – Tops on any list. We watch it every year, and it just keeps getting better.

Miracle on 34th Street (1947) – Definitive proof that Santa really does exist.

A Christmas Story (1983) – I double dog dare you not to like this one.

White Christmas (1954) – Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye head up this Christmas classic. But the real star of the show is Irving Berlin’s score. A little “Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep” anyone?

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965 – TV) – I know it’s a made-for-TV movie, but to ignore it would be stupid. Generations of kids have grown up on it.

Elf (2003) – Will Ferrell drives this great-for-the-entire-family Christmas comedy. Of course the uncredited appearance of Peter Billingsley is a special holiday treat.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) – Tim Burton’s stop-motion feature has already become a holiday classic. “And they call him Sandy Claws!”

The Chronicles of Narnia (2005) – Not really a Christmas movie but Santa Claus does make an appearance so it must be added to the list! A fantastic movie experience!

Bad Santa (2003) - Come on, admit it! You know it made you laugh. There’s just something funny about a drunken Santa.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966 – TV & 2003 cinematic) – It’s fun to watch the TV version and the movie version back-to-back.

The Bishop’s Wife (1947) – Who doesn’t like Cary Grant as an angel? Features a great movie quote: “The only people who grow old were born old to begin with”.

Batman Returns (1992) – The magic of Tim Burton, the grotesqueness of Danny DeVito and the cat suit of Michelle Pfeiffer. The third best Batman flick.

Home Alone (1990) – The first one, not the sequels! A really good family film for the holidays, except there’s no family! Funny gags, hilarious antics and truly feel-good moments as well.

A Christmas Carol (1938) – The best version of the well-worn Dickens literary classic. At only 70 minutes in runtime, it’s a short but sweet classic. Beautiful set designs and powerful acting performances put this one of the must-see holiday film list.

The Santa Clause (1994) – Features one of Tim Allen’s few successful big screen performances. So full of heart and charm it’s becoming a holiday season staple.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) – Gotta love the holidays with the Griswalds. Watching Clark’s ineptitude makes us all feel a little better ourselves.

Joyeux Noel (Merry Christmas) (2005) – The true story of how the French and Scottish soldiers of World War I left their trenches and celebrated the holiday with their enemies, the Germans. A bit more serious than most listed here, but none are more heart warming and hopeful.

Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus (1991 – TV) – Richard Thomas, Ed Asner and Charles Bronson star in this cheerful and uplifting version of the 1974 original. Will challenge you to look at things a little differently.

Holiday Inn (1942) – Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire bring this oldie-but-goodie to life. Bing Crosby does Christmas so well! Crescendoes to the magnificent debut of “White Christmas“. “I’m dreaming of a ….”

King Kong (2005) – I know! I know! It’s not a Christmas movie. But it is such a magnificent piece of filmmaking and Christmas does play a significant enough part, that it must be included on the list. Ahhh…Christmas in New York. Nothing like it!

Swiss Family Robinson (1960) – Another one that’s not really a Christmas movie but the big holiday plays an important role in keeping the stranded family together. Kind of dated Disney fare, but a classic nonetheless.

Trading Places (1983) – A hilarious comedy starring Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd. Oh and another rendition of the drunken Santa Claus. A timeless holiday comedy.

Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas (1977) – Master muppeteer Jim Henson directs this gentle 1977 made-for-TV tale about a mother otter and her son, who both enter a talent show to win money to buy Christmas presents for each other. Wonderful family entertainment.

The Polar Express (2004) – Adapted from Chris Van Allsburg’s Caldecott Medal winning children’s book of the same name. If you can look past the creepy computer-generated characters, this one’s pretty good. The animation is spectacular as it features a rousing song and dance number in the train’s dining car as well as a truly harrowing runaway train sequence.

Meet Me In St. Louis (1944) – Jusy Garland stars in this musical masterpiece about the trials and tribulations of a tight-knit family living in St. Louis on the eve of the 1904 World’s Fair. Among its many musical melodies it counts Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and Auld Lang Syne.

I love Christmas my top 3 being Home Alone, Bad Santa, and A Christmas Story which all happen to be on this list and each with a little sentimental value.  Home Alone is one of my all time favorite movies and on the top of my Christmas flick list.  Bad Santa character Thurman Murman was an inspiration for the Burger Boy Logo. And, finally A Christmas Story is my old man’s favorite Christmas film is reminds me of growing up watching it and always being on. I’d like to hear some of your favorites…- BB

NEWYORK.GRUBSTREET.com-

Lure

Alright so last night I was hanging out at Mr. Dennehy’s with Shwarma Head and there were to Varsity players behind the bar from the Emerald Isle, great dudes. They gave us some insight on everything from Hurling to Thierry Henry’s hand ball against their boys.  One of the guys also explained that his favorite burger in all of Manhattan is from Lure.  Yes, thats right Lure Fishbar does seafood but can cook up a mean burger.  This is one of my old man’s favorite spots as well so Merry Christmas Dad- BB

GRUBSTREET.NEWYORK.com

Blue Smoke

Photo: Michelle Rial

Blue Smoke is a PHENOMENAL spot (I use to live in the neighborhood and would frequently post up there) and is known for its dinosaur-sized ribs but offers up a great burger.  There really isn’t much on this menu that you wouldn’t love.  Burgers are my thing and I know I told you that I am a HUGE Mexican cuisine guy but Southern BBQ is right up there.  The Texas Style Salt & Pepper ribs are my personal favorite due to the fact that I prefer dry rub.  My theory is the dry rub is full of flavor, crispy outside and a juicy moist center.  THEN, you could dump all of the sides sauces you want on the table and mix it up a bit and personalize/customize each rib and therefore you essentially have a sampler platter with the others you could have ordered (beating the system 101).  My other recommendations are the Chipotle Chicken Wings, Pulled Pork Platter and mac & cheese, slaw and spicy cheese fries for sides.  You drooling on yourself yet?- BB

116 E 27th Street (Between Park Ave and Lexington)