Hey y'all, welcome to Season 7 of Biscuits and Jam from Southern Living.

I'm your host, Sid Evans, and today I'm talking with someone who probably knows more about

hamburgers than anyone you'll ever meet.

George Motes is a self-proclaimed burger scholar,

as well as an author, filmmaker, and TV host who's been called the foremost authority on

hamburgers by the New York Times. He's also someone I've known for quite a long time,

so it's been fun to watch his journey to becoming a true hamburger historian and to even play a very small part in it myself.

George grew up on Long Island, but he has deep family ties to South Carolina on his mother's side.

He spent a lot of time in the low country as a kid, soaking up the food and culture, which helped shape his lifelong passion for American

cuisine. That passion eventually led him to create the 2004 documentary Hamburger America,

which he produced, directed, shot, and edited himself. In 2016, he released his first cookbook,

the Great American Burger Book, and he also brought his expertise to television as the host of Burger Land on the Travel Channel.

And in 2023, George opened Hamburger America, an acclaimed restaurant in New York City where he's serving some of the best burgers you'll ever taste.

George and I sat down to talk about the cultural significance of hamburgers, the men and

women who make them, and what drives them to preserve and celebrate these American institutions.

All that and more on this week's Biscuits and Jam.

George Moutes, welcome to Biscuits and Jam. George Motes, welcome to Biscuits and Jam.

Thanks for having me here.

It's great to see you.

Great to see you, dude.

I call you dude because I've known you for a long time.

Sorry.

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