Delicious Duchamp - By Mike Shriner the Burger Fiend

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Everyone gets to experience a little luck from time to time. And right now the Burger Fiend is on one hell of a streak. Happy New Year to me, that's for sure!

Coming off the heels of two excellent recent excursions, last week – after nearly a year of anticipation – the fiend finally got a chance to check out the burger he’s heard so much about from various people both inside and outside the culinary world.

And it has been determined that the extremely knowledgeable and affable Chef Michael Taus – proprietor of both Duchamp and the River North establishment Zealous – can make one doozey of a burger.

In an odd move for the Fiend (only child syndrome), it was previously decided that on this evening all dishes would be shared to taste the full spectrum of the menu. Therefore I had to compromise my typical “rare” order and up the doneness a little to “medium rare” to appease the masses (huge table: three people, including yours truly).

While all the food was very good indeed, especially the skirt steak, much to my delight it was unanimous amongst the group that the Havarti cheeseburger was the clear du-champion of the night.

Like any wonderful sandwich ever consumed in history, the toppings, meat and bread need to be in complete concert with each other without one single ingredient overpowering the other. When achieved, the symphony of taste and flavor that follows easily brings with it a chorus of mmmm’s, ooooh’s and ahhhh’s.

Regarding the burger of my desire this evening, most intriguing to me is the choice of Havarti cheese, which is a very atypical selection for a burger, the likes reserved mostly for the standard American, cheddar, Swiss or provolone offerings. However the aged qualities of Havarti helps not only amplify the umami of the meat, but it’s soft and buttery profile produces a rich and flavorful adventure that churns away from the aforementioned Big Four.

The fiend foresees more and more of these alternative cheese choices as a 2010 burger trend, a subtle yet effective way for a restaurant to take its rote blandness to the next level.

As for the meat itself, Chef Taus uses a proprietary blend of beef, which was absolutely evident in the quality and taste. Perfectly pink throughout at its medium-rare doneness, nutty, smooth and velvety were the effects on the palate, with a hint of smokiness being detected on the finely charred exterior.

Combined with the house-made tomato remoulade, and a touch of mayonnaise and ketchup on a toasted potato bun, it was the culinary equivalent of the finest John Williams score and Metallica’s S&M roar merging at once – both beautiful and strong to the senses.

Likewise, the freshly cut pomme frites (nearly pont neuf) rounded out the dish in a wonderfully starchy and gourmet fashion. After all, no amazing burger meal would be complete without its equally great potato sidekicks.

So if you’re not a gambling man and are looking for an insider tip…this Duchamp is a pretty easy bet. This ain’t no lady luck, mis amigos.

2118 North Damen Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 235-6434
http://www.duchamp-chicago.com/

Labels: burger fiend, chicago restaurants, chigago dining, duchamp, fete select tv, gourmet burgers, mike shriner

David Burke's Primehouse - By The Burger Fiend

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Sans any anecdotal commentary in this upfront section, this is how a burger should strive to taste.

The fiend has probably eaten hundreds – if not thousands – of burgers over the years, many of which touted as gourmet by flashy marketing but actually tasting very elementary by my standards. While I always cross my fingers, and can’t help but to continue to order in spite of my inklings, I still suspect these mediocre sandwiches to be oversized boxed “pub” burgers…or there is simply a lack of TLC masked by a dash of garlic salt and a glob of wholesale mayo.

And this is a point I’ve never really understood.

The burger is an American icon; a staple of nearly every menu from your local roadside diner, neighborhood sports bar or the most high-end establishment anywhere coast-to-coast. So if a restaurant does Americana, or any semblance of this cuisine, then they should invest a little more time and resources into making its burgers undeniably craved staples.

Though I might obviously be slightly bias, I feel I’m not alone in this notion – a view obviously shared by restaurateur David Burke and executive chef Rick Gresh.

Already a critically acclaimed venue by local and national media outlets, and a top 10 selection by Chicago Magazine, it was only a matter of time until I had a chance to get my hands on one of the legendary 40 day dry aged “burkers” from Burke’s Primehouse.

The burger comes topped with an exquisite array of toppings unique to Gresh’s vision of a traditional burger: garlic spinach, crispy shallots, bacon mayonnaise and a toasted potato bun.

Although I’m a purist with my burgers, as all fiendsters know, I decided to dive into this as prepared without any alterations…if anything an attempt to crawl inside the chef’s mind and try to explore his culinary terrain.

The garlic spinach in lieu of lettuce added a creamy and earthy dimension to the flavor and texture, though there were a little too many leaves and it started to overpower the meat. The fried shallots were a wonderful replacement for traditional onions and added that sweet and familiar zest.

In addition, the bacon mayo was an ingenious touch that presents the best combination of both worlds. Although I typically forgo mayo of any kind, the idea of the two together was too much to pass, and luckily wasn’t spread too heavily on the bun. Typically my second favorite part of the puzzle, the potato bun was probably the most easily forgettable item of the mix – not as toasty as I would have liked, still good but more of an afterthought than anything.

Not surprisingly, by far the greatest element of the sandwich was the beef, which includes the trimmings from the dry aged steaks ground within the chuck and sirloin. The dry aged taste is extremely distinguishable from most other burgers you’ll typically taste at a local burger joint, and for those that have never sampled a dry aged piece of beef it is well worth the investment.

As always, I like to sample the meat by itself without no other distractions. This presents the true quality of the meat and allows you to discover every taste and flavor, completely uninfluenced. As expected, you could taste the depth of the dry aging, which gave the beef a velvety, rich and juicy profile with a hint of smokiness that was probably picked up from the grill.

The fiend spoke briefly to the congenial general manager, who likewise offered to give a tour of the dry aging room – a fantastic experience to hold. Very few establishments go the extra mile to serve dry aged steaks, let alone dedicate time and space to producing their own. Likewise, though industry standard for serving dry aged meat is 21 days, Burke’s goes one step farther and only offers their cuts at 28 days or more – again a touch of the aforementioned TLC I believe other restaurants tend to forget.

This burker is only offered on the lunch menu and upon special occasions, but I highly recommend you do yourself a favor and make this a destination (within the James Hotel) to visit soon.

www.davidburke.com
616 North Rush Street
Chicago, IL 60611-2712
(312) 660-6000

Labels: bloomingdales chicago dining, burger fiend, chicago restaurants, david burkes primehouse, efete.net, gourmet burgers, mike shriner

The Burger Fiend Strikes Again: Back on the Hunt

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

When it comes to preparing ground turkey, I find time and time again that restaurants and home cooks continually try to overcompensate for the very simple and lean nature of the meat.

Since turkey is such a light protein in terms of taste, more and more it seems chefs feel compelled to mix some spice or seasoning within the patty. Many times I believe this is a mask because the meat is so susceptible to heat and can easily dry, and other times I think people just feel it is too bland and needs additional flavors.
I, however, personally enjoy the taste of the meat when cooked perfectly throughout, peaking at 165° in the middle. Just leave it alone and embrace the lean, light and juicy taste for crying out loud!

And this is exactly what you will find from the turkey burger at Rockit. Already one of my favorite venues in the city in terms of culinary creations, trendy nightlife and an attractive wait staff (girls and guys, mind you…), when dining I’m always torn on whether to go with the turkey or the signature Rockit Burger – by far one of the best beef burgers I’ve ever tasted.

Cooked to near perfection, Rockit chef James Gottwald’s turkey burg comes without a trace of sage, rosemary, celery or any other aforementioned additives – just a plain ol’ hunk of lean and tenderly hand-packed ground turk. The taste is crisp, clean and juicy, and the homemade chipotle mayo complements the meat by giving it the little extra zest that makes your head nod with each bite.

The burger is served on a wonderful pretzel bun too, which definitely adds another salty-sweet dimension to the experience, and sliced avocado, though I declined the latter as I always feel too many layers begin to interrupt the experience.
This lean, naked approach to preparing turkey is exactly what I would like to see other venues strive to replicate, because I do really think it provides a means for another level of appreciation. An abundance of seasoning isn’t always bad, but simply isn’t always necessary.

In addition, I dined at the new Wrigleyville location directly across from the Friendly Confines on Clark/Waveland. The ambiance is on par with the River North establishment, but I would suggest NOT going before/after/during a Cubbies home game if you're looking for a quiet eating experience. Nothing against the Cubs by any means…but you could imagine the scene.

All things aside, the food and the venue will always come highly recommended.

Rockit Bar & Grill
22 W Hubbard St
Chicago, IL 60654-4606
(312) 645-6000
www.rockitbarandgrill.com

Labels: burger fiend, cubs, dc crenshaw, efete.net, fete select tv, mike shriner, rockit bar and grill, rockit burger, Turkey Burger, wrigleyville