Belcourt
84 East 4th Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 979-2034
[map] [subway directions]
Rating: 4/5
Notes:
- Burger: A thick, densely packed lamb patty. Cooked as ordered and a bit on the lean side.
- Bun: The house made, white bun is one of the strong suits of this burger.
- Garnish: Almost, but not quite, too much goat cheese along with zippy zucchini pickles and thin red onion slices on the side. A ramekin of Belcourt’s secret catchup is also served on request.
- Mess factor: Juicy, but contained by the well designed bun.
- Fries: Fries are crispy and tasty, but just a tad over salted.
- Price: $16
- Bordeaux: Château Pascaud Bordeaux Superieur 2005…
- Atmosphere: You could take a girl there.
- Overall: Lamb is a nice departure from the beef burgers we normally consume. This is not to say that we are tired of eating cow. Belcourt’s corner location feels somewhat Parisian complete with sidewalk tables. Perfect for watching the passing streetlife, and traffic–after all, we’re not in Paris. Inside, the tiled dining room’s cozy, worn-in atmosphere belies its age. Business is brisk during East Village prime times, but other evenings (e.g. Sunday) are much more relaxed. If you are in the mood for lamb in patty form, Belcourt is a great place to be.
September 14th, 2008
Pamplona
37 East 28th Street
New York, NY 10016
(212) 213-2328
[map] [subway directions]
Rating: 3.5/5
Notes:
- Burger: Pamplona’s tapas menu offers a pair of slider-sized burgers made of a tasty mixture of ground beef and chorizo. The sausage imparted a smoky flavor into the neatly packed miniature patties, which arrived perfectly medium rare – slightly charred on the outside and a nice pinkish red hue inside.
- Bun: These little snack burgers are served on a white bread bun that holds together nicely, in part because the patties are so lean.
- Garnish: Garnished with leaf lettuce, a thin cut of tasty tomato, and a hearty slice of white onion that went perfectly with the sausage-flavored burger.
- Mess factor: These sliders are so small and the meat so spare that there’s nothing messy to speak of at all.
- Fries: The fries were thick and crunchy, but unfortunately without any flavor.
- Price: $14, with the fries.
- Bordeaux: We selected a 2001 Coto de Imaz Rioja Riserva with rich tones of berries and vanilla. The wine was the highlight of our evening – low on the tannins, highly drinkable, very smooth with a clean finish.
- Atmosphere: You could take a girl there.
- Overall: Pamplona has an international vibe, with world music and a medley of languages filling the air. They maintain a low-key profile tucked away on a side street above Madison Square Park. The comfortably modern and simple décor consists of dark wood tones, high ceilings, and large round white light shades. The menu is straight-up tapas – we were equal parts surprised and excited when we heard they included a burger. Unfortunately, the little sandwiches don’t stand up to some of the other small plates they offer – the dates wrapped in smoky, crisp bacon easily outshone them. Plus, the burgers are too small to settle for just a couple – if you’re hungry, like we always are when it’s burger night, you should probably order 4 of these babies.
September 4th, 2008