posted April 9, 2008
When George Motz went on a cross-country odyssey to find the best burgers in the nation, he made a stop at Chattanooga's own Zarzour's Cafe on Rossville Avenue.
Zarzour's, which has been around since 1918 under the same family's ownership, made it in his Hamburger America: A State-By-State Guide to 100 Great Burger Joints.
Motz writes that he got "one of the best burgers I've ever had" and he also was eyeing the delicious "meat and threes" that the locals were enjoying.
He notes that hamburgers are not even on the menu, and Shannon Fuller joked the reason is "I hate making them." She did note that the little cafe can get awfully warm in the summer when the burgers are on the grill.
The article points out that Zarzour's was started by Lebanese immigrant Charles Zarzour and that Shirley Zarzour Fuller is the third generation to run it.
Motz said Zarzour's on the outside "doesn't look like much," but he found warmth and vivacity inside to go along with the great food, include special desserts like banana pudding and strawberry shortcake.
The author asked Shirley why the cafe is only open 15 hours a week. She said, "That's all I want."
Motz is being called America's foremost hamburger expert. Since the release of his documentary film Hamburger America (on the Sundance Channel in 2005) he has been asked daily of his opinion of where to find some of the best burgers in the country. He has taught a course on hamburgers at NYU, consulted for Wendy's Hamburgers, and NY chef Harry Hawk named a burger after him. In 2006, Hamburger America became required viewing in a food course at Princeton University and the film was nominated for a James Beard Award.
In his real life, Motz is an award-winning freelance director of photography based in New York City. Over the past 15 years he has worked on numerous television commercials, films, music videos, documentaries, and promos. Notable clients include: Subway, NJ Lottery, AMC, the Biography Channel, VH1, MTV, Oxygen, ESPN, The History Channel, A&E, Spike TV, PBS, ABC Family, Airtel, FischerSpooner, LCD Soundsystem, the Florida Marlins, and the New York Yankees.
In 2000, he received a New York Emmy Award for a spot lensed for Thirteen WNET. That same year, he shot a spot for a BBDO art director that received top honors in its category at the AICP Museum of Modern Art show.
In 2001 and 2002, respectively, two spots that he shot were nominated for New York Emmys in the cinematography category. And in 2003 he was the proud recipient of an International Broadcast Design Award as well as a Mobius and a Telly Award. In 2006 he took home two New York Emmys for a 21 spot station ID campaign for Thirteen WNET.
In 2007, Motz, Harry Hawk, and the NYC Water Taxi, created the NYC Food Film Festival, a multi-sensory film festival where food films are screened along with the food profiled in those films. The 2nd Annual NYC Food Film Festival will be held in June 2008.
) George Motz |
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