The Experience: Making a decadent burger work is difficult. Some restaurants take the burger too far in the direction of the gluttonously extreme, and leave their customers in extended food comas. Others pile on the expensive toppings to the point that the burgers are prohibitively expensive. And some others essentially become fancy meatballs on a bougie bun. So it was with moderate skepticism that I approached the burger at MAMO.
MAMO is the second outpost for the Mammoliti family, after a successful run of over two decades and counting in Antibes. The menu at the SoHo location is primarily populated with traditional Italian dishes, the burger stands out both because it is the only item written in English, and because of the luxurious foodstuffs that compose it. Though it’s ingredients (and comparable price tag) might conjure images of the Original db Burger, it is the manner in which this burger is structured that makes it noteworthy.
Burger Ordered: The MAMO burger
The Taste: The MAMO burger patty comes from Ottomanelli, and is topped with a thick helping of foie gras and a generous portion of truffle shavings. It is served on a house-made bun, drenched in a truffle gravy. A Burger Lift would do nothing to keep the bun from getting soggy, as it is wet by the time it gets to your plate. Sitting in a fine dining establishment, I was initially wary to pick up this surprisingly messy burger with my hands. However, I decided that when MAMO put this burger on their menu, they knew their customers would either use a fork and knife to eat it, or they’d channel their inner Burgermeister and get a little messy. I went with the latter option and was very pleased with the results.
Unlike the db Burger, the MAMO burger places the foie gras and truffles on top rather than within the patty. The gravy and the tender patty swirl together with each bite in a truly enjoyable way. The foie gras was as soft as you’d imagine, leaving the patties char as the crunchiest element of the burger. Dipping each bite in the gravy was much more fun than I’d expect from a restaurant with white tablecloths.
The gilded pot of fries that come with the burger are nothing to sneeze at either, as I found myself devouring them faster than I probably should have. That’s especially considering I’d already eaten some delicious calamari and an outstanding spaghetti alle vongole. I’ll never get rid of my love handles.
The Verdict: Will you get messy? Yes. Will you pay well over the average price for a burger? Yes. Will you be happy that you did those things? Definitely. This is the most fun fancy-pants burger in New York City. Some may feel cross with me for saying this, but I don’t think that the db Burger (or other foie gras topped burgers) is as tasty or interesting as the one at MAMO.
MAMO is located at 323 West Broadway in Manhattan, New York.
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