Uberchef directed me to this article on CNN.com today, which is a story that seems to be getting picked up in the news sources today. It’s all about camel burgers and their popularity in Dubai.
That’s right, burgers made of camel meat.
Where can I get one? Any tips would be much appreciated.
Me? A burger?!
At long last, another BURGER REVIEW. Despite the blog name, I have not reviewed a hamburger using the original ‘07 format in a while, but, after my short absence from the blogosphere, I must do this as a service to you, the fans.
Today’s burger joint: DuMont (the restaurant, not the DuMont Burger spin-off). I was starving when I arrived at DuMont early on a Friday evening. Famished. Running on empty. Hunger pangs, the full nine. Fortunately, JBE and I found a parking spot right outside, and we were sitting within moments of our arrival. The place was decently crowded, but the OpenTable reservation made moments before departure was a key move. BG was there already and had snagged a table for us. Why I am giving you all a play-by-play is beyond me, but it just feels right.
You know what else feels right? Knowing you are going to be going to town on a burger within an hour. I am actually heading to JG tonight, so I know exactly how right it feels, even as I type this.
And without further ado, the review, in the classic 2007 format:
Overall: A very solid burger spot out in Williamsburg with a chilled-out vibe (I mean, these guys opened up DuMont burger, so clearly something is right!). I can’t attest to it, but the mac and cheese also looks like it’s a crowd-pleaser. Which reminds me, I should eat more mac and cheese. I mean, I love the stuff.
Be careful with some of the starters, and get a salad, for sure. I know, I know, a salad is generally a weak choice in lieu of fries, but JBE and I got a bed of fresh baby, while BG got stuck with “eh” fries.
“Hi, I’m….”: “Jesse, Jeff, Jett, Jacynth, and Jesth, ‘with a J.’”
I mean, it’s Williamsburg. You’ve got some hipsters wandering around, wearing tight flannels, skinny jeans, plastic-rimmed glasses, long-ish hair. The works. But everyone seemed pretty cool and laid-back, so I was cool with it.
I’m Here, What do I see? : The owners of this place also own the Dressler, which gets props for its décor. The atmosphere is pretty laid back, with a bit of that “this could have been picked up at a flea market” feel to it. We were a group of three and we sat out in the “garden,” which was kind of a make-shift covered outdoor space with gas heaters. I’ve never been in the summer, but I can imagine that it gets pretty packed on the prime weeknights, and I could see myself hanging out putting back a few Six Points. The heaters kept everything warm and toasty, which is prime burger-eating temperature. You can’t be wearing a sweater and expect to get all up in some ground meat.
NB: The area isn’t really the best part of Williamsburg, but it is right near the subway, which helps for non-BK residents.
The Good Stuff: Now, I usually don’t comment too much on other food items than the burgers, but since DuMont is a bona fide restaurant, and we did have a few starters, so I feel like they are within the scope of work here.
Because of the aforementioned hunger pangs, we got a few starters. We got the crispy artichokes (“crispy” is my favorite euphemism for “fried”—let’s just call a spade a spade. Nothing is crispy naturally apart from raw vegetables, and no one wants those as a starter), the smoked spare ribs, and a braised pork belly with maple fried rice. These were our starters before having burgers. To be healthy, JBE and I got salads. You should see us, we are veritable Adones.
Anyway, of the three items, the crispy artichokes were the best. They were fried perfectly, with a tangy garlic vinaigrette and freshly squeezed lemon. Although they were fried, they were light and not at all greasy, just the way they should be. And, as an added bonus, they took away all of the pieces that I can’t chew, which usually end up piled on the side of my plate like a piece of gristle from a sirloin.
The ribs were good, but nothing to write home about. They were barely worth writing about on the blog.
The pork belly was also good, but honestly was not much better than a local Chinese joint could put together for delivery. The pork was good but overly sauced, losing all of its delicate porkiness. It was (dare I say) too fatty, and was just over the top. The fried rice was tasty, but it was way too sweet. The maple flavor was over the top, and it did not really complement the pork belly for me. It was a special for the night, so I would not order it if it came back.
Now, on to the main event. I got my burger with cheddar cheese, medium rare. What arrived at the table was a perfect medium rare burger, and the cheese was melted to perfection. I don’t remember too much about the bun, but I remember that it was a brioche bun that was a little too sweet for me, but BG likes her burgers on brioche, so it worked out for her. Next to the burger were some pickled cucumbers and onions. The pickled onions were awesome and I could have eaten an entire jar of them. Apparently the onions are missing if you go to DuMont Burger, so keep that in mind.
The burger was very juicy and well-seasoned, and incredibly juicy. The patty was nice and thick, but I would have preferred to have a little bit more caramelization and crust on the outside of the patty. It’s not cooked on a flat-top, so that explains it. In spite of that, I truly enjoyed the burger. It came together as a solid package, and I would definitely go back, although I am not in any particular rush.
And next time, I won’t get as many starters. I’ll start with a clean base.
Rating (out of 7 cows): 4.5/7
DuMont
Union and Metropolitan Avenues, Williamsburg
A lazy tune plays over speakers, the tinny brass melodies permeate the air. The soft golden lighting casts a nostalgic hue over the scene at the bar. Sipping a scotch on the rocks at the bar, I can’t help but think of countless others who have been in the same situation as I, and just as content.
A lonely madame sits at the bar, gazing into what should be smoke-filled air. She listens to conversations of those around her, yet she herself is without companionship, at least for the moment…
A suave blond gentleman enters the scene, he appears to know everyone, and everyone appears to know him. Or perhaps they are just pretending. He. looks around before wandering to the bar for an aperitif. Receiving it, he retreats to a corner of the bar. Perhaps it was all an act.
A cold whiskey warms to soul while it numbs the senses. A good night to come.
Ok, maybe the scene at Minetta Tavern this past friday wasn’t so reminiscent of James Joyce, but it was still pretty good. BG’s dad hooked up the friday night reservation, and out of the kindness of his heart, also paid the bill.
We first sat down to what I was sure would be another great meal at Minetta Tavern. The black label was a must, but the steaks were to be the main event for the evening. Kicking it off, I ordered an appetizer special of day boat scallops and mushrooms, which ended up being a delicious mixture of mushrooms, scallops, and butter. I mean, how could you go wrong? Some other apps at the table included fresh heirloom salad (I suppose the “healthy choice”), a puréed soup of some sort with oysters, roasted beet salad, and salt-cod stuffed calamari.
All that out of the way, it was time to relive a magical memory that I had experienced six months prior. The black. label. burger.
Yes, the black label burger was an intermezzo. It came out, divided in thirds (for me, BG, and the BGD). I didn’t waste any time, going straight in without adding anything to it, which is exactly how I had done it the time before. It was as tremendous as ever. Thinking about it now makes my mouth water. No, seriously, it does. It’s that good. One third wasn’t enough. I wanted more. But I knew that a whole lot of red meat was on its way.
And it arrived. The côte de boeuf, shared among three of us, even though the menu indicates that it’s for two. I don’t think that I know two people who could polish that bad boy off. It came with three giant bones split open for the roasted marrow action (a BB favorite), and a plethora of delicious meat. And we rocked it. We rocked it till the cows came home. It was just a blur of carnage that my arteries have yet to forget. I fully recommend it, but maybe, just maybe, start with something light and do the black label if (ok, when) you have room for it.
For dessert, we had the chocolate soufflé, which was light and fluffy like a soufflé should be, with a subtle egginess that made it like rich velvet on the tongue. Chocolatey velvet, that is. The perfect end to another fantastic meal at Minetta.
It already feels like it’s time to go back.
Saw on the twitterline that La Cense Burger truck was midtown east today, so after hitting up the vietnamese fruit smoothie cart on 47th and park, I took a little stroll down to the LCB truck. I was shocked that there was not a line, since usually when I walk by it’s like a financial geek haven.
I ordered up a steakburger with cheese, and chatted with the guys. Apparently it was a busy day earlier on, so I had just missed the rush. Whew.
After chatting with the guys for a little bit, I got the burger. The patty is pretty hefty for a burger truck patty, I was surprised. I wish I had had my cellphone, but I had left it at the office, so unfortunately no pics today 🙁 It looked a little dense, but I was hoping the flavor would make up for the texture.
Now, the La Cense cattle are grass-fed, so the texture and leanness of the burger patty might not be for everybody. The caramelized onions help a little, but the burger is in no way the grass fed beauty of the Minetta burger. The taste was decent but not great– you can tell it probably was quality meat at some point, but I’m not sure that the truck is the place to experience it. The griddle top cooking didn’t really impart a crunchy char layer, but there was some decent coloring. I would maybe get another one if I were walking by by chance, but I wouldn’t hike out of my way to get there. But, you can rest assured that it’s all sustainable and good for the environment and all that, so that’s a plus.
3.5 out of 7 cows.
La Cense Burger Truck Various Locations– follow them on twitterOld news by now, since it was released about five hours ago, but the new Shake Shack will be delighting eaters down in NoLIta at the corner of Mulberry and Prince. I don’t really have too much to say about this, but felt like it was just good for everyone to know. That’s a cool area, I suppose. I’ll stick to the one on the UWS.
On another note, has anyone seen anything about this market that I am helping set up on Sunday? It’s like no other farmer’s market (not to bite from Fairway) Check it out. It’s intense. I’m going to be a part of history. Be sure to include this in my biography on wikipedia.
