There are burgers and then there is THAT burger. The one that you have been waiting for. After looking at tonnes of websites including the Gothamist, NYCSeriousEats and a whole host of blogs, I was on my way to what could possibly be the best burger on the East Coast. Welcome to the Spotted Pig. A Michelin starred casual dining restaurant set within the Greenwich Village.
Expect to see pigs on the wall, on the counter, along the rails and when your dish arrive, possibly on your plate too. But no pig on my plate today, it was all beef! When my cheeseburger came, I was thinking “Wow! This looked exactly what I expected to see,”. And it was even more to be honest.
It was simple and lovely. The bun came with the most perfect chargrilled marks and the thick patty was cooked to order; spot on medium with that lovely pink middle. Its meat was absolutely tender and seasoned right. Salt and pepper. Then comes my biggest love. The smear of Roquefort cheese. This French beauty with them lovely mould spots have always been a favourite of mine. The fragrance of the Roquefort paired with its tangy, sweet - saltiness just provided a depth of richness not achieved by the boring Swiss. No insults :P! That is why, whenever I go to Jus Burgers it was always for their blue cheese burger!With a burger patty between two buns and nothing else? Damn it was heavenly.
Then comes the fries. WOW! So thin and crisp that the picture barely justifies it. Not to mention the mild garlicky rosemary flavour infused into the regular potatoes that is even harder to explain.
Alright. I tend to talk about minimalistic dishes and several restaurants that focuses on purity. It is usually difficult to relate such characteristics to a burger considering all the other elements that are usual slopped on to a burger including ketchups, mustards, salad and god knows what else. But when you are presented with a patty, bun and cheese, it was hard to be distracted from the quality of each ingredient. Here it simply worked. No need for any special sauce. No Shack Sauce, Big Mac Sauce or whatsoever Umami driving the sales of other joints. Just plain old burger with whatever you might want to add after.
A class act? I definitely think so if. And that is a BIG IF you enjoy the Spotted Pig's take on the classic cheese burger as this one is not for everybody. Instead the Spotted Pig's famous Cheeseburger is likely to please people who enjoy cheese and burger rather than the cheeseburger one normally gets as the Roquefort is not for everybody. For me? Spotted Pig, damn you are good. I loved every bit of this cheeseburger meal and would definitely come back if I ever made another trip to NYC.
WenY
