Cheeseburgers are area's own, and so is the box that makes them

Robert G. Gattilia, of Wallingford, sells the Burg'r Tend'r cabinet out of his home. The cheeseburger steamer is used in many area restaurants to prepare the juicy regional variation on the cheeseburger, and steamer lovers can buy one of their own for home use. (Michelle McLoughlin / Record-Journal)

The young guy in the glasses and headband got out of his Jeep and made his way toward Ted's Restaurant on Broad Street in Meriden one recent day, only to be informed that the "world famous" hamburger joint was closed while the proprietors were on vacation.

The man unleashed a profanity and walked disconsolately back to his Jeep. "I want my burger, man," he said.

Whether it's broiled, fried or grilled, Americans take their burgers seriously — and in this part of central Connecticut, the burger of choice is steamed, a tradition that dates back to around 1915 and began either in Meriden or Middletown, depending on whom you ask.

Traditionally, getting a burger steamed meant going to places like Ted's, or the Lunchbox in Meriden, as well as O'Rourke's Diner on Main Street in Middletown or several other area diners. But some people have been doing it themselves for about 30 years with steamed cheeseburger machines (or without the cheese for those who like them straight).

"The magical box can produce sandwiches galore.

A delicious sandwich that you will adore,"

is how Ft. Lauderdale resident Joseph L. Ercolani described the Burg'r Tend'r in a poem in the Record-Journal.

"I'm telling the truth as you will see.

Try it, make a liar of me."

While some diner owners say versions of the machine, or chest, as it is sometimes referred to, date back more than 30 years, the Burg'r Tend'r was created by Meriden resident Dale Greenbacker. Greenbacker, relying on his engineering background, used heavy-gauge stainless steel in designing the cabinets, which come in 12- and 24-tray models. Prices range from $250 to $400.

"They virtually last forever," said Robert G. Gattilia, who took over Daleco Inc. in Meriden from Greenbacker in the late 1980s and makes the steamers in his basement. "It's like buying a frying pan, actually, or a pot."

The 13-by-10-inch cabinet, which is about 14 inches tall, includes a 14-by-12-inch drip pan and resembles a small locker. The cabinet, which can be placed on top of a gas or electrical stove, uses moist heat, which rids the burger of the fat and grease that comes from broiling or frying.

Greenbacker, who once said that he lacked the capital to sell en masse, has no aspirations of getting rich off of the chest. Neither does Gattilia. However, some people do. Gattilia said "umpteen" people have picked his brains about how to become rich franchising the steamers, but "then they find it's not quite as easy as it looks."

Gattilia, a 73-year-old retired banker from Wallingford, would just as soon hang around with his wife of 52 years, Joan, and their four children and nine grandchildren than work on steamers. When not making the devices, he likes to make lamps with rounded glass panels and tinker with his 1930 Model A Ford.

Still, the steamers have been profitable, and Gattilia enjoys the letters he gets from satisfied customers around the country. He acknowledges that some diner owners may resent him, fearing the machines may take away business, but said it's too late for that. "If I don't make 'em, somebody else is going to," he said.

Area diner owners who spoke to the Record-Journal, some of whom had custom-made machines, aren't steamed over the prospect of customers buying their own cookers.

"The more people do it, the better it gets to be known. It adds to the business," said Michael Hatch of the Lunchbox at 620 E. Main St. in Meriden. He has a steamer manufactured by a steel company in Concord, N.H. He empties the drip pan every 40 minutes or so during typically hectic weekday lunch rushes.

"It doesn't bother me if people want to make 'em at home," said John Wambolt, owner of Bradley Diner at 376 W. Main St. in Meriden, where a sign outside reminds customers not to "block the damn driveway." Wambolt said he often lends his machine to friends.

Al Carvalho of Misc Restaurant at 370 Center St. in Wallingford — who is known as "Zippy the Chef" because of his penchant for drawing caricatures of customers — has had a 24-tray Burg'r Tend'r for nearly four years. The burgers are popular with blue-collar customers but not with doctors and lawyers, who are leery of food stains. "They're fussy. They don't like the stuff that runs out of the sandwiches," Carvalho said, referring to the liquid cheese and juices that often drip from the burgers.

While known for its grinders and pizzas, Meriden-based Pizza House owner Brian Cappola said about 25 percent of his sales are steamed cheeseburgers. The 12-tray steamer was in the shop when he took over the business in 1996. Cappola, whose business is at 81 W. Main St. downtown, said some customers have inquired about buying the chest, "but I'm not worried about it."

Mentions of the Burg'r Tend'r have been made in food columns in the Chicago Tribune, Miami Herald and Portland Oregonian and customers from Alaska to Hawaii have bought the steamers. Gattilia enjoys the feedback he gets from customers, some of whom are former Meriden residents who write him thank-you letters.

"They become addicted to them. They sound like they can't live without 'em," Gattilia said. "They either buy a unit or talk one of their friends or deli owners into getting one."

egoodenow@record-journal.com