Tartar Sauce?

April 17th, 2006 JP Reardon

Casimir
103-105 Avenue B (Between 6th & 7th)
New York, NY 10009
(212) 358-9683
[map] [subway directions]
Rating: 4/5

Notes:

- Burger: A good, standard patty that was not seasoned with anything special but was cooked just right and quite juicy without being overly greasy.

- Bun: We were impressed with this hearty white-bread bun. It was big enough to stand up to the patty and to handle the juice without falling apart. This might be the best bun we’ve had so far.

- Garnish: Casimir calls this “Burger New Orleans,” and they serve it with bacon and tartar sauce. Our initial worries about the sauce were brought on by bad memories of fillet o’ fish sandwiches at McDonald’s. Thankfully, that was not the case with the tarter sauce on this burger. It complemented the smoky flavor of the bacon beautifully without being overpowering. On second thought, tartar sauce is not that unusual. Tartar’s second cousin, Thousand Island Dressing, has held the moniker of “special sauce” on many a burger menu. Along with the tarter sauce and bacon, the garnish also included two thin and unremarkable tomato slices, but no lettuce or onion.

- Mess factor: After biting into this burger, we were prepared to ask for extra napkins. More than a couple of tablespoons of burger juice dripped onto the plate and the ample portion of tarter sauce also left it’s mark everywhere else. However, subsequent bites did not yield the same explosive mess potential. Credit goes to the good bun and not overly greasy burger.

- Fries: We debated whether the fries were under-seasoned or flavored just right. One thing that we agreed upon immediately was that they were not chock-full of potato flavor.

- Price: ~$12

- Bordeaux: 2003 Rocher Figeac Saint Emillion. We’ve seen a string of very drinkable wines lately, and this one was no exception. Unfortunately, we’ve been left feeling like these wines don’t really stand up the meaty goodness of a fine burger. In this particular case, the Saint Emillion left us wondering if perhaps it was time to expand our horizons beyond Bordeaux to find a better partner for a hearty burger. Too bad about the domain name.

- Atmosphere: You could take a girl there.

- Overall: Casimir has all the trappings that we like about New York style French bistros. The tables are close together, the lighting is dim and the tin signs and ceilings and ample mirrors reflect the sounds of diners enjoying their conversations. Mix in a bit of funky jazz music and it makes for an energy filled, fun atmosphere – but not a place to carry on an intimate conversation. There is also a garden out back, which the weather had closed on the evening we visited. Casimir ends up earning a hotly contested “4″. We went back and forth on the pros — the unique addition of tartar sauce along with a commendable bun and a properly cooked, medium-rare burger; and the cons — a standard patty coupled with lackluster fries. In the end, it was the tarter and bun that secured the 4. NB: The steak tartare looked quite good too.

Entry Filed under: 4, East Village