Posts filed under '3.5'
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
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
EU
235 East 4th Street (B’twn Aves. A & B)
New York, NY 10002
(212) 254-2900
[map] [subway directions]
Rating: 3.5/5
Notes:
- Burger: The best thing about the German burger is the smoky, salty flavor of the black forest bacon. The patty itself is no match for its fantastic flavor – and unfortunately, the same is true of the liverwurst or the cheese. This ends up being more of a great bacon sandwich than a great burger.
- Bun: Served on a brioche with a little crunch in the top and enough dough in the middle to absorb the juice of the burger without falling apart.
- Garnish: The only garnish is a small ramekin of “brown sauce” – essentially HP sauce mixed with mayo. No vegetables get in the way of this triple-meat extravaganza.
- Mess factor: The first bite of this burger explodes with juice, but beyond that, the brioche contains this burger well.
- Fries: Nice, crunchy, golden fries, generously salted to compliment the bacon.
- Price: $15
- Bordeaux: We enjoyed a 2001 Quinta Do Carmo, a rich and fruity wine from a Rothschild vineyard in Portugal. It was served slightly chilled, perfect for a hot summer night. The full fruit flavor was highly drinkable and a pleasant contrast to the seasoning of the burger and fries. At $48, not necessarily a bargain, but certainly not a disappointment.
- Atmosphere: You could take a girl there. In fact, we took two.
- Overall:
Monique joined us to celebrate the launch of the fantastic new design she created for our site (THANK YOU!!!). She ordered the English burger, which lacked the delicious bacon that we enjoyed, but still seemed to come up a little heavy on the salt and too light on other flavors – even without smoked pork to steal the show. The German burger deserves a few enhancements to really show off the bacon – the unfulfilled potential of this burger weighs down the score as much as actual flaws in the delivery.
The décor at EU is warm and comfortable – plenty of glass and wood, 20-foot high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows that open over Fourth street, and classic rock on the play list. Each burger is delivered with a one-ounce mini-bottle of ketchup, which adds a nice touch. Overall, a very fine evening with great company and glimpses of grandeur in the sandwich.
July 24th, 2007