Grafton Street

June 11th, 2011 by Richard Chudy

Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. It can be easy to forgive a few things; a slightly over-cooked burger, a less than perfect bun or a mediocre pickle, as long as the complete package works in the end. The reality is that it’s all about the flavor; bonus points for complete execution and a few carefully crafted “cheffy” tricks here and there. But to be solid, all you really need to is season up some beef, melt some cheese and call it a day. But the Grafton Street burger can’t do it, it’s simple, but to a fault. As Harold from Best Damn Buger and I soon discovered, the beef has little flavor and is way beyond the specified medium-rare. But it’s one of those burgers that probably would have been underwhelming either way, there just isn’t much character or personality in this burger. And as we all, know personality goes a long way. continue reading »

The Blue Room

May 31st, 2011 by Richard Chudy

Photo courtesy of Christine Liu, http://cmliu.com/

I’ll never complain about the lack of cheese on a burger again. At least not in the case of The Blue Room, a little hideaway of a place in Cambridge. Accompanied by my buddy Christine, this was not a restaurant I had heard all too much about, best case scenario it would be another Fireplace situation. A great burger in an otherwise unsuspecting environment. They really put the cheese in cheeseburger, no question about it. The cheese is a Bouche du Poiton. Don’t worry, I hadn’t heard of it either. It’s basically a goat-meets-brie-meets-blue kind of cheese. And they are not shy about it, a huge hunk, rind and all, sits atop the burger, just about larger than the patty itself. It’s not melted at all, but I’m not even sure that it could or needs to be. It is warm though, and it is delicious, but shouldn’t it be more about the beef and less about covering it up with a very strong (yet flavorful) cheese? continue reading »

Redline

May 8th, 2011 by Richard Chudy

How many great burgers are there in this city for under $10? Go ahead, I’ll wait for a minute…I’m labasted often for only liking expensive burgers, that paying anything over the $10 threshold is elitist and snobby. But hold on, where do you go for a cheap burger? Most cheap burgers are priced that way because, quite frankly, they suck. The exceptions to that rule, of course, are: Highland Kitchen, Flat Patties, and the Common Ground. And that’s about it. It’s not my fault the strong majority of quality burgers here are costly, I like what I like and see no need to defend myself any further.

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Rialto

April 26th, 2011 by Richard Chudy

Some places are destined to have great burgers, some are not. Rialto was never meant to have a great burger. After all, Jody Adams is a woman of many culinary talents, but perfecting the classic American sandwich is probably not up her alley, at least that’s the conclusion I’ve come up with. I have to give credit to Rialto for at least trying to put their own spin on things, as you will not find the jaded version you see everywhere else these days; Vermont cheddar, out of season tomato, iceberg lettuce, repeat. At least it looks good on paper at Rialto; Buffalo Mozzarella, prosciutto and a Focaccia bun. But we’ve come across many “looks good on paper” burgers before, and remember the rule; don’t fall in love with it until you’ve taken a bite. (that’s what she said?)

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Casablanca

April 15th, 2011 by Richard Chudy

It’s all about what you do with the ingredients on hand, the quality and care taken makes all the difference in the burger world. Casablanca isn’t reinventing the burger wheel, they just do the best they can with some very traditional components. What basically reads as a very traditional, almost cliched burger (bacon, cheddar, lettuce, tomato) is surprisingly delicious. Sometimes you just can’t account for that “it” factor. Even upon arrival, the burger is mostly unassuming; the cheese is kind of melted, the lettuce and tomato sort of look okay, and the bacon appears to be mildly crispy but unspectacular. All of that changes during the first bite, which yields a ridiculous amount of juiciness in a way that I’ve never seen before. Post 390 was similar, but that lasted for about three bites before turning into a dry oasis of beef. I lambasted them for not letting the meat rest a few minutes before serving, and I could almost criticize Casablanca for the same issue. Except of course, this burger is juicy down to the last bite, some lost on the plate, but most contained in the burger. And that’s a good thing in my book. (book pending)

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Sandrine’s Bistro

February 19th, 2011 by Richard Chudy

What do the French know about burgers anyway? We’re talking about the quintessential American food here, yet the SBK and I are drawn to this charming Bistro on our weekly burger jaunt. It was an up and down experience the entire meal, good but not great burgers, very good but not excellent French Fries, and a more than awkward server than I was expecting. I guess I’m always baffled by up-selling outside of a movie theater, but if I’m in the mood for a Diet Coke with my meal, I will speak up. I was also surprised at how easily said waitress threw the kitchen staff under the bus, insisting that if we wanted to order dessert (this coming just after we ordered our entree’s) we should do it quickly, since “our kitchen is very slow.” There were other mishaps along the way, but whatever, let’s get back to the burgers.

Sampling both the “Grilled French Burger” ($14) and the “Gourmand Sirloin Burger” ($13) yielded similar results. Cooked fairly close to the requested medium-rare, there just wasn’t a ton of flavor from the beef. I suspect the leanness of Sirloin is the culprit here, as the cut of beef is generally a good indicator of the rest of the meal. We know Sirloin is not the best choice, correct? Fat is flavor, and I want my burgers fatty, dammit, is that too much to ask for? Bacon and melted brie do their best to bump up the flavor in the Grilled French Burger, despite the bacon not being completely crispy. (is it that hard to cook bacon?) The melted brie added a wonderful touch, oozing and creamy, with just the right amount of tang needed to offset the unpronounced flavor of the burger itself. The Gourmand Burger was less successful for me, topped with a duck truffle terrine, the flavors just never came through for me. Honestly I’m not a huge terrine fan anyway, and while this was well prepared, it just has no place on a burger in my opinion. Texture is important in a meal (yes, even on a burger) so the idea of a mushy terrine on top of a burger without a crust was a minor misstep, and fancy-pants ingredients such as a duck truffle terrine have no place on my ideal burger, but the attempt and the differentiation is duly noted.

The French Fries (excuse me, “pommes frites”) are golden and crispy, but need just a touch more of salt and are a shade above room temperature. Not bad but not fantastic, kind of like the meal as a whole. I know the French can prepare food properly, and for the most part, they do at Sandrine’s Bistro. The bun, a brioche no less, works well with the burger at hand, even if the burgers seem a little on the small side. The flaws aren’t major, but for an overall experience, something is lacking, which I attribute to passion. Some may say you can’t taste passion on the plate, but I know I can, and while they go through the motions to cook as spot-on as they can, without the love and the dedication behind the food, it will never be all that memorable.

Overall Score: 77 continue reading »