Friday, February 1, 2008

Spotted Pig Burger


After hearing about the closing of Yankee Doodle, I decided I needed a burger to lift my spirits. For a long time now I've been trying to get to the Spotted Pig in my old West Village neighborhood to try their fabled burger. After a long, lunchtime wait with the vegetarian wife and her cousin Dan I can report that the rumors are true: this is one helluva burger. Made from a 'secret beef blend' by Pat LaFrieda the burgers were juicy, perfectly cooked, and dripping with just the right amount of creamy Roquefort cheese. The only downside here is that the chef tends to favor a bleeding burger over a cooked one. Noticing burgers at nearby tables being sent back to the kitchen for more heat I decided to order mine medium-well. The hunch paid off and my burger showed up, I kid you not, pink throughout. Cousin-in-law Dan ordered his medium and received a burger that was pink and dark throughout. Dan and I marveled at the crazy cross-hatch branding on the bun and wondered how they did it. The bun, at first glance, looked as if you could hurl it at someone and really do some damage, but turned out to be ridiculously soft and tasty. The price of this burger however will do some damage ($17), but it'll be worth it.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Hey George, are you married to a vegetarian too? I tell people she offsets my burger carbon footprint so I can eat as much meat as I want with impunity. Works great whenever someone mentions that eating burgers isn't green.

Hamburger America said...

I think I've gone far beyond any burger carbon footprint that my vegetarian wife could have erased! Eating burgers isn't entirely 'green', but if one more person blames a farting cow for global warming over Chinese trucks belching diesel fumes I'm going to freak out.

Unknown said...

I'm feeling your sentiment, burger brother!

While Seattle isn't exactly known for burgers (we've got a couple of places that make a damn fine burger), but we are known for beer. And not much goes better with a burger than a beer. Give me shout if you ever get up this way and I'll point you to a couple of good burger joints where you can also get a good beer.

Unknown said...

@Try the burger at Quinn's Pub in Seattle, it is great

Unknown said...

Just to preface, I love my burgers and I live in Chicago which isn't the cheapest place to eat...but WOW...other than the Roquefort, that didn't seem to be an extrordinary burger...and $17?? I'm sure it was delicious, but really now, even in New York that seems kinda crazy, even for those with big buck burger advances. ;)

Don't know if you've been to the southside of Chicago for burgers, but if not I recommend Top Notch Beefburgers on 95th St.

Hamburger America said...

So glad you like Top Notch, one of the best in America and one of 100 in my new guide book. Now if I could only get Chicagoans to drive down there...

Unknown said...

George,

Glad to know that Topnotch made your Top 100, it is excellent. And the fries (cooked with beef tallow) are just as good, and some of the best onion rings too (I know where I'm eating tonight)...and since they don't seem to be in any danger of closing soon, I think I won't beg the rest of Chicago to visit.

Wauna-burger said...

Ahhh yes cooking of the burger. Good idea to order it med. well since you spotted them being sent back. Everyone cooks a little different. Plus you wanted it to be right paying a Steak price!!