|
|
 |
|
A new grind on the old burger
• by MIchael Renner • Photo by Josh Monken
|
 |
|
|
Be it a bar burger, backyard grill burger, diner burger, even a quick burger-in-a-box, it’s hard to resist the feel of a meaty sandwich between your hands; many current and former vegetarians have admitted forsaking their ideals just to chomp on a juicy burger. Unlike the poor hot dog, the hamburger is making a comeback, moving out of the fast-food lane and into celebrity chef restaurants that charge nearly 100 clams for chopped cow.
There’s certainly no shortage of good burger spots in carnivorous St. Louis, and we all have our favorites, most of them in the “joint” category. Celebrity chef Hubert Keller and Lumière Place have certainly upped the burger ante with Keller’s new much-ballyhooed Burger Bar inside the casino, bringing a touch of nouveau Las Vegas to downtown St. Louis. In November, the über-cool Sub Zero Vodka Bar in the Central West End jumped on the luxury burger bandwagon with its New American Burger Restaurant, located next door in the former Boxers space.
Sub Zero owner Derek Gamlin knew he wanted a burger place but, of course, it had to be upscale given that his three-year-old sleek vodka-sushi establishment was a door away. Enter chef-restaurateur-consultant Eric Brenner, who took time off from running Moxy Contemporary Bistro to develop the menu, design the kitchen and train the kitchen staff. The day-to-day kitchen duties fall to head chef Ben McArthur.
Brenner and the Sub Z folks were obviously influenced by Keller’s menu – buttery lobster tails atop juicy American Kobe beef burgers (a crossbreed of Japanese Wagyu and U.S. Angus cattle) and sides of delicious sweet potato fries are evident – but, thankfully, they ignored Keller’s use of foie gras as a burger topping. (It would just be wasted on a burger. Though, I admit, Keller’s dessert “burgers” would be fun.) In fact, Gamlin said Keller gives the New American Burger Restaurant rave reviews and visits Sub Zero every time he’s in town.
Keller’s praise is no mere head-patting of a local effort; despite its mall-like moniker, the New American Burger Restaurant turns out some damn fine burgers. Whether you like them highfalutin or old school, these ain’t your grandpa’s burgers. Ten signature burgers are offered (including tuna, lamb, turkey, Italian salsiccia, bison, ratatouille and even a slinger topped with chili, cheese and fried egg), each with your choice of one side, ranging from the potato family (hand-cut fries, house-made baked potato wedges, sweet potato fries) to fried zucchini and tempura vegetables. The signature southwest veggie burger consisted of black beans, corn and other healthy stuff fashioned into a patty and topped with salsa, Cheddar and avocado. The typical problems with veggie burgers – too soggy, too crumbly, too boring – aren’t problems for this kitchen, and there was enough of a flavor kick to keep my taste buds awake to the last bite.
Likewise, the kitchen showed its burger-cooking skills with fresh-ground lamb and turkey, both notorious for drying out by the time they hit the plate. Ours were perfectly cooked, retaining vital moisture to keep the meat from crumbling half way to our mouths. Kudos for the seasonings: mint and hummus mixed into the lamb and topped with feta, cucumber and tomato; fresh sage mixed into the turkey and topped with cranberry-orange relish and Swiss cheese.
A build-your-own option is also offered. Amid the subtle pulsations of the piped-in electronica music, you order your burgers as you would sushi, marking your selections on the paper menu with the stubby pencil provided. Pick your patty (salmon and chicken are also available) and dress it up with your choice of 10 cheeses, 11 sauces and 16 – count ’em – toppings, ranging from the usual suspects like bacon and onion to aliens like pickled ginger, lobster tail and barbecued eel. Yowza!
Hardee’s Thickburger commercials aside, what we really want from the ultimate burger is fresh, hand-pattied meat with a big, bold, beefy flavor. We want it crusted on the outside and deliciously succulent (juicy and tender) on the inside. That American Kobe beef burger was rich and flavorful, and ordered rare, just as it should be. I kept it simple, adding a slice of Cheddar and caramelized onions so as not to interfere with burger’s fresh beefiness. My burger partner went with Black Angus beef, topping hers with Boursin-style cheese, roasted portabella mushrooms and those sticky-sweet onions. We also want a bun that doesn’t overwhelm the burger, but rather supports it without hogging all the attention, one that soaks up all the juice rendered from a perfectly cooked patty. New American Burger scores with the light and fluffy buns it gets from the Companion’s new CWE location.
Between the cool blue of the vodka bar and the warm red of the burger restaurant, there’s definitely a fire-and-ice thing going on at Sub Zero New American Burgers. It can be a bit confusing, though, keeping the two concepts separate: You enter through the Sub Zero side, and the sushi menu is available on the burger side but not vice versa. Odd, too, that there’s no lunch served, especially give the pedestrian traffic around the location. But Gamlin said that by March New American Burger will have a separate entrance, a limited menu of “sliders” will be available at the vodka bar for nonsushi-eating drinkers and burger lunches will commence. Service is friendly, though a bit frenetic at times as servers work both sides. Sub Zero’s extensive drink menu is also available, including its zillions of vodkas.
Gourmet Guru Archive
View Complete Archive
|
|
|
|
