Rare Bar & Grill
303 Lexington Ave. (@ 37th)
New York, NY 10016
(212) 481-1999
[map] [subway directions]
Rating: 3.5/5
Notes:
- Burger: We ordered the M & M Burger, which arrived a little less pink than preferred but beautifully presented and deliciously covered with caramelized shallots, cheddar cheese, and apple-smoked bacon. The patty itself wasn’t the star of the sandwich, but the tasty toppings certainly made that easier to overlook.
- Bun: The burger was served on an egg-coated sweet bun, almost like a brioche, which earned extra points for texture and flavor. The bun was a little small for the large and tall stack of goodness in the middle.
- Garnish: In addition to the shallots, cheddar, and bacon on the M&M Burger, Rare serves their sandwiches with lettuce, tomato, onions, and pickles.
- Mess factor: Shortly after we ordered, the waiter dropped off a handful of extra napkins. We put them to good use.
- Fries: Shoestring fries that benefited from a little pick-me-up by the salt shaker.
- Price: $15
- Bordeaux: Rare has a good selection of California wines, but no Bordeaux. We ordered a 2005 Zinfandel from Ravenswood that was full bodied with mild flavors of cherry and spice. It was easy to drink and went well with the hearty sandwich.
- Atmosphere: A nice place to take a girl.
- Overall: What’s most rare about Rare is that it feels like a restaurant, not a hamburger stand. The dark wood and candle-lit tables are a nice contrast to the well-lit burger joints. But, Rare still has all the great benefits of a burger joint, including a large menu of topping combinations and a longer list of individual garnishes if you want to build your own. We had the good fortune of waiting for our table at the bar and sampling from their large beer selection. With so much going for it, and such great toppings heaped on their burgers, it’s too bad their patty doesn’t stand out more.
December 7th, 2007
Resto
111 East 29th Street (B’twn Lex & PAS)
New York, NY 10016
(212) 685-5585
[map] [subway directions]
Rating: 5/5
Notes:
- Burger: Wow, this patty packs flavor. The kitchen cooks them only one way, medium, but this coarsely ground and loosely packed burger does not disappoint. This is not the typical ground sirloin and the result is a delicious, steaky burger. Think of a really, really good cheesesteak, without the wiz.
- Bun: A soft, white bread bun that doesn’t distract from the flavor of the burger and does a pretty good job of holding the sandwich together.
- Garnish: Passendale cheese, pickle, thin, thin red onion slices and mayo.
- Mess factor: The patty produces almost no juice, which reduces the mess factor substantially. However, the patty is also really loosely packed, which can get a little sloppy, especially with the slippery layer of mayonnaise. Here’s where a heartier bun might be warranted.
- Fries: Fat, Belgian style frites cooked and seasoned they way they should be. Try some of the flavored mayonnaise on offer for $1 each. The lime pickle mayo was especially interesting.
- Price: $13
- Bordeaux: As is often the case, the Bordeaux on the menu were pricier (>$50) than we wanted to spend, so we went for what looked like the best value on the list. We chose a 2003 Herencia Tempranillo that was slightly tannic with nice cherry and blackberry tones. It was a good accompaniment to an excellent burger — but at $45, not really a bargain.
- Atmosphere: You could take a girl there.
- Overall: That this burger is worthy of a “5″ does not come as a huge surprise. In Resto’s short history, it has garnered very favorable reviews. The house-ground burger is an interesting mixture of meat that makes for a steaky flavor not found in most burgers. The standard, white-bread bun that might have been a disappointment in other restaurants works well here. This sandwich is about the meat, not the bread. The fries were made more interesting by the flavored mayonnaises. We sampled the sweet chili and pickle lime flavors. The sweet chili had an artificial flavor of some sort that didn’t seem to complement the fries. On the other hand, the pickle lime mayo was very tasty. As for the dining room, it felt very new and will probably feel more cozy with some wear and tear. The bar dominates the front half of the room but the rear feels a bit empty as it is devoid of any wall decorations beyond the sconces. The wood floor, spare walls and tin ceiling amplify the din of wine-imbibing diners diving into their moules frites. Add to this a steady soundtrack of indie rock and it can be challenging to carry on a quiet conversation. The small plates on the menu are also quite tempting. We sampled the deviled egg (served on pork toasts) and bitter ballen.Both were very, very tasty.
June 3rd, 2007