[Pigging by Wilfrid: March 24, 2014]
Some eating is random. You're wandering around town, you're hungry, and you see some place you haven't tried before, and haven't actually heard anything bad about.
Which is how come we're talking about two non-famous burgers this week. By which I mean, of course, that I personally haven't noticed them showing up on a Top 10 burger list anywhere.
Scroll down for Smokey Burger.
Prince Street Café has a narrow store-front (and an optimistic table outside) on Prince Street, SoHo. We thought we'd squeeze in one Saturday afternoon, but in fact the restaurant is capacious--just not very wide. Tables vanished into the dim distance (ultimately reaching a garden space). We were in the front.
It's pretty much a diner menu, with lots of pasta and some bakery goods, but people around us were ordering the large burgers, so we did too.
And nothing to complain about--certainly not the size of the patty or the correct medium-rare cooking. Omelettes, salads and burgers here all get cutsey neighborhood names. I ate the Bleecker burger, with Brie, ham, and herb mayo. My daughter went to Stanton Street (cheddar, bacon, hold the chipotle sauce).
One nice touch: instead of fries or salad, you can take your burger with ratatouille. So I did.
Nobody is going to write about dry-aged beef or special blends here, but it's a hearty, well-made burger for $12 (with side).
Smokey Burger Organic
Smokey Burger, in Hell's Kitchen, is a curious place, appearing to share kitchen and ownership with a small Thai venture next door. The room is lined with untreated wood planks (watch out for your sweater), and combines a diligently natural and organic menu with wall decor featuring beer and coke ads. Unlike Prince Street Café, which was teeming when we tried it, this was a serene place to spend an hour on a weekend afternoon.
Although the menu features not much other than burgers (some salads and wraps), it's surprisingly complicated. There are classic burgers, "smokey" burgers, jumbo burgers (which did look big). Most of the burgers come with a variety of recommended toppings, but you can customize patty, bun, and topping to your heart's content. I kept it simple.
An elk burger. Why not? You'll find duck and ostrich patties too, as well as chicken, turkey, and various fish. It tasted like elk (which I've eaten in Louisiana, as chops), but it was over-cooked. Whose fault? I wasn't asked and forgot to specify. This left it a little dry, especially as the condiment was limited to some kind of mild, pepper sauce. I did specify a sesame brioche (not a pretzel bun or multi-grain).
My daughter went fancy with the Cabana.
Fried egg, pickles, and turkey ham, over beef patties. This was one of the "smokey" burgers, and it did taste smokey. Not quite sure why (mine didn't). The plate was cleaned, but this was not a cheap burger: $14.95. The jumbo burgers climb to the $20 mark.
Fries are extra, but they were, good, hot, and fresh for $3.50. My daughter was disappointed that the restaurant only offered organic sodas. "Organic," she sniffed. "I like processed, when it comes to burgers and sodas." Noted.
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