there is a special pleasure though in
getting a bag of burger and fries and
then just sitting on the subway train
and slowly opening it and having that
smell washed into the whole car
[Music]
when I went to Jersey City to eat the
famous sliders at white mana I knew I'd
be taking a bite into burger history
what I didn't know was how much I
learned about this legendary block and
its cast of characters from the man his
owner Mario Casas for today's adventure
I invited fellow burger lover Top Chef
judge Padma Lakshmi to soak up some
Jersey lore Mario I'm over here in
Jersey City trying to learn about
sliders and burgers
we're in a boxing gym well this is my
gym ringside gym it's right across the
street from the white man and the white
man original is from 1939 World's Fair
at the fair was introduction to fast
food you didn't have to take no more
than three steps behind the counter to
give the person that hamburger or soft
drink the white man opened here in
Jersey City 1946 it was one of my first
jobs that's the kid I started gunking
fries sweeping mopping I'm gonna go to
law school the money I had saved to go
to law school I went up by the diner you
know I always loved boxing
I bought the Dinah's 79 and then I
opened up the ringside so this is
probably here like 80 81 right and the
gym was for free for the kids after
school and it's still free now that they
can come and train so not only would you
like give them a place so I practice
their craft you'd also feed them across
the street they train I will give them a
couple hamburgers you know a soda or
juice a lot of people don't know but
above this gym this is where we have
Mike Tyson's pigeons Mike Tyson's pigeon
is right above us homing pigeons that we
race yeah Mike Mike used to come here
cause it was very private nobody even
knew that it was a gym here for many
years you can't tell it's a highway Mike
will always say it's not a street people
can stop and Mike always said that if
you had to pay a dollar to go to a gym
it was never gonna fight it because you
had no money Mike doesn't live in New
Jersey lives in Nevada and every time he
comes to New York he always comes here
to look at the pigeons spend time with
the pigeon takes care of ya he still
takes care of all of his awesome
so Mario after talking about all this
boxing and Mike Tyson and training I
can't wait to go across the street and
do what I've been training for which is
eating burgers I got my friend Padma
coming along she's a Top Chef judge she
loves bird
she's gonna love you so let's go across
the street check it out
so Padma welcome to Jersey City thank
you we are at the world-famous white
mana it's a beautiful place I love how
round it is it's perfect and I'm very
excited to be close to the grill this is
Mario over here the godfather of sliders
well I've been here like for 40 years
next year will be 40 years si style well
thank you so the reason why we're here
is you really want to know what is a
signer what makes a great slider I'm
gonna show you you're the man put so you
know us please the meat starts here
there's two burners underneath you get
the onions you put a little bit of
onions on each present put some pepper
and you slap it down so it goes into the
meat once you leave it here for a little
bit you'll flip them over and put the
bun on wax paper over the top so this
team gets the top of the bun once
they're cooking here a little bit just
slide them over to the middle of the
grill there's no burners here so it
stays here for a little bit until the
customer comes in then you slide it over
to this section you put the cheese on it
and you finalize the burger and give it
to the customer when you're smashing
them further after you flip them why are
you putting one bun over both bugs
that's well Bookman they can get this
team and get a little warm and they can
absorb some of the juice from the party
because that's where they taste it yeah
that's what I like about it they don't
waste anything they're like they're like
they're not like crispy toasty they're
like more like steamy and military I
also like that they're not super high
like I know nowadays people think
they're being generous or luxurious by
giving you like this 4-inch burger but I
think that the bun to burger ratio is
very important and I like the thin
patties nice and thin it's less than an
ounce it's not about the size right it's
about the method
you can't wait for you to taste these
it's like a one-man conveyor belt so
there's no lettuce and tomato now we
have lettuce and tomato for once but
most of the people that it's three
cheeseburgers a coke and fries that's a
special that's not really whatever any
time I can get more vegetables into my
food I'm complete opposite yeah enjoy
there's something that's okay the joy
sir
yes this is literally a snapshot of
delicious the old school hasn't changed
untouched well if it's not broken
yes it's really good you know the meat
the bun the cheese it's all one things
anyone doesn't overpower the other it
tastes homemade the onions really flavor
through through the to the buns I think
it's just by the way the technique of
how they cook it and like when you see
him put the little sheet of paper over
all the burgers it's like a low
convection situation going on with onion
flavor there's something like theatrical
about those sliders
some of the best food in the world are
like made right in front of your face
woman who's like a sushi master just
doling it out yeah I'm Jim Murray also
known as Jimmy the juice because of an
orange juice situation in the service I
would come to the white matter since
1962 the spirit here is like a hometown
spirit in Jersey City
as I said true that door a lot of judges
went to come through there a lot of
actors that were in the area net you
know a few mob people a lot of killers
came through there let's put it that way
I could say that not because most never
gone I mean one of the reasons I love
coming to places like this is that it
really gives you the flavor for the area
right to me this is more New Jersey than
anything you see in Missouri or what
people think of you know when they think
of New Jersey I'm from California
mm-hmm but a lot of my my family is
actually from Jersey City and we would
come here when we were younger than the
stink of coming to a place like this was
like it's different like being able to
talk to the dude who's making your
you're a sandwich you don't you don't
get that in LA in LA it's like you go to
in-and-out you just talk to the dude you
get the money - with the big diaper pin
and the driving is very pretty good is
what I like about this burger is that
there's nowhere to hide rudder this is
definitely the thinnest paddy I've had
right I think that the reason these
burgers are really good is because
they're smashed so tight and right into
the grill they're like the perfect
little package I've been coming here for
at least the last two decades and
watching this grill knowing that you're
like Top Chef judge makes you want to go
back there and cook some up you think
let's see if you have the chops
awesome I'm gonna be over here touching
up my lipstick after all those burgers
oh yeah please this one it comes in
handy to have your own makeup line with
Mack
[Music]
alright you guys are making my dream
come true I've been wanting to do this
ever since I was a kid so sprinkle the
grated onions yeah so long pepper don't
be scared because Michael is the bagel
you're not gonna break Jim there you go
timid it's a big guy he's you know that
there's definitely a technique to this
[Music]
you could put the cheese on it as soon
as it's cheese goes on it's ready yeah
cheese a little bit what's the matter
with you you know now you're putting
those sliced cheese get your plates
ready
don't make me come back there thank god
there's no people here did a good job
see boom yes stressful stressful so
plate these two last sliders but the
moment of truth is did I pass the test
thank you they go to sliders
it's almost live in science gym sorry
what do you think what do you think
very funky yeah doing a job perfectly
played ever
Jesus melted the bun is nice and soft
warm right did a good job I think you
did a good job not bad for my first try
not bad you're high I'm five if you're
from New Jersey and you like burgers
this is church in my lifetime I hope it
stays as long as I live