Burgers everywhere:

Eric Newman chronicles the rise of the burger

“A recent study by NPD Group, Port Washington, N.Y., in conjunction with Datassential, Chicago, found that 7% more restaurants—across all categories—are offering burgers on the menu, compared to figures from 2006.

The study also found that burgers made up 14% of all restaurant orders in 2007. Representing about 8.5 billion burgers, per NPD, more and more Americans are bellying up to order beef.

"The burger is an American classic, right up there with mom and apple pie," Michele Schmal, vp-food service product management at NPD, said in a statement. "More restaurants are offering burgers because of the food's wide appeal. There is less risk because burgers consistently rank among the top foods ordered."

It not your fathers burger, however the humble burger is back in a big way.