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With all the hoopla about hamburgers, one would think they were on every menu in the land.
That’s an exaggeration, of course. However, the ragingly popular All-American classic is showing up in some settings that could be termed eyebrow raising. Recent sightings include a chef-driven upscale dining destination, an Asian stir-fry specialist and a restaurant plying “freestyle Latino” cuisine.
“I don’t think that is really very surprising anymore,” said Max Duley, a chef and culinary consultant based in St. Helena, Calif. “Over the last few years, burgers have become a major staple of any place that is serious about giving people what they are looking for, namely comfort food.”
An operator who develops a quality burger for discerning customers “can pretty much secure their business,” Duley added.
At 701 Restaurant in Washington, D.C., the 701 Burger, made with natural, dry-aged Black Angus beef from a farm in nearby Maryland and topped with fried green tomato, herb mayonnaise and bacon, proudly takes it place on the lunch menu alongside creations like Miso Braised Pork and Haddock with Potato “Chowder.” Some 20 to 30 of the $13 specialties are sold per day at lunch.
Upscale ingredients and the chef’s touch raise the 701 Burger above the ordinary. Providing them is executive chef Ed Witt, who honed his craft at tony spots like Jardinière in San Francisco and Daniel in New York City prior to assuming his current post at the contemporary fine-dining restaurant.
The local beef “is one of the nicer things you can get in this area,” said Witt. “The dry aging gives it even more flavor.”
In addition, the fried green tomato garnish provides tang “and a nice little crispness that plays against the mayo,” said Witt. In the summertime, a slice of red, ripe local heirloom tomato will take its place.
An ongoing test of a burger bar in four locations of bd’s Mongolian Grill should not surprise customers who really know the concept, said Dave Plancon, director of purchasing and R&D for the 34-unit chain of build-your-own stir fry restaurants, which is based in Burnsville, Minn.
“I don’t think current guests will be surprised,” said Plancon. “They know we try to push the edge with the products we offer in our Mongolian grill style of cooking.”
The goals of the burger offering are to promote traffic and give stir-fry eaters new ways to enjoy the concept.
“Hopefully it gives them a quality reason to come back more frequently,” said Plancon, while countering the veto of patrons who may not be in the mood for stir-fry that day.
Guests follow the same procedure to build a burger as they do a stir-fry. They select a bowlful of raw materials at a fresh ingredient bar, in this case an Angus beef patty or a turkey, salmon or veggie burger, plus vegetables and sauces. They give the bowl to an attendant at the six-foot diameter flat grill who cooks and assembles the order.
Customers greeted the burger bar with an initial 10 percent trial rate at lunch. “The guest who hasn’t been in for a while has come back to try it,” said Plancon. “We have had positive feedback on the items.”
In September, the program will be rolled out to the remaining stores in the company and expanded to dinner.
At Rayuela in New York City, the Pelegrina Burger is a lamb patty topped with tomato, caramelized onions, poached egg, applewood smoked bacon and a spicy, creamy sauce made from Mexican poblano chiles and torta del casar, a Spanish sheep’s milk cheese, served on brioche. It is offered at brunch and priced at $16.
Chef-owner Maximo Tejada, a native of the Dominican Republic, said it embodies the spirit of estilo libre latino, or freestyle Latino cuisine, that he learned from his own culture and living in places like Peru, Puerto Rico and Spain as well as training at the French Culinary Institute in New York.
“That has given me a lot of spirit and freedom to go from one place to another when it comes to flavors,” said Tejada.
“So why have a burger at Rayuela? Because it is estilo libre, someplace you can come in a tuxedo or t-shirt and shorts,” said Tejada. “So why not have a burger when your body asks you for one?”
