Where well done is done well.
[Editor’s Note: During Lent, Brad and Matt waited until after midnight on a Friday so they could go to Corner Bistro without hurting Jesus’s feelings for Matt’s Catholic sake. It being Passover, Brad doesn’t want to hurt Elijiah’s feelings for his Jewish sake, so there was no Burger Adventure. Luckily the Burgermeisters had this review in the can from a few months back, so if any of the review seems dated that’s why.]
Burgers Ordered: Brad & Andy – Resto Burger
The Experience: Another quick update as the Burgermeisters continue their obsession with eating at the burger joints listed on Burger Registry. This week, Brad took Guest Burgermeister Andy to Resto. Resto has a reputation for placing an expert focus on the taste and presentation of their meat dishes, including their well known Resto Burger.
There was a short wait when Brad and Andy walked into the restaurant, so they decided to get a drink at the bar. There they were exposed to the coolest (if perhaps the most unnecessarily complicated) drinking menu they’d ever seen.
Don’t be fooled, 200 of these pages are an actual book.
Brad and Andy sat at their table, enjoying the atmosphere. The Waiter Culture was relaxed, and would become more relaxed (too relaxed) as the night wore on. They ordered beers, Brad ordering a Bavik because it was the most appealing looking beverage on tap. Though when the beers arrived to the table, Brad couldn’t help but feel that Andy had gotten a fair amount to drink while he himself was going to be left wanting.
Why you so small Bavik?
Our Burgermeisters were discouraged to discover that the chef doesn’t take temperature orders for hamburgers. The waiter assured them that he would let the chef know that medium rare was the typical Burgermeister preference, and that the burgers are typically served nice and juicy.
Taste: Both Brad and Andy ordered the Resto Burger, which comes standard wtih gruyere cheese, red onion, pickle, mayo and greens. Andy, on a pseudo-kosher trip, ordered his without cheese.
Andy really enjoyed his burger, finding it juicy and filling. Brad on the other hand felt the same about the Resto Burger that he did about his beer. While it tasted fine, it was ultimately not as satisfying as he had hoped. It came well done, though not dry as he feared when he saw the state of the meat. While the pan-fried and oven-finished patty wasn’t the most flavorful he’d ever had, he did concede that there were a few bright spots.
Resto’s contribution to the hamburger universe.
For one thing, he enjoyed every topping, especially the dill pickle and lime mayo. He absolutely loved the bun, which Resto gets from the Rockland Bakery. Resto’s commitment to buying baked goods from an establishment so well-regarded (Brad has a soft spot for the Rockland Bakery since sampling their goods while working at a summer camp in the area) won the restaurant a few points on Brad’s scorecard.
The fries were quite good, and made more interesting by the flight of ten mayonnaise cups that accompanied them. Some of these mayos were too spicy for Andy to handle, but Brad liked them a lot. Both agreed that the lime mayo was the best of the bunch and used it on both their fries and their burgers. One doesn’t have to order all ten kinds of mayonnaise, there is the option to order them individually. The Burgermeisters recommend going with the lime if you only want to drop your dollars on one.
Lime wins the battle of the mayonnaises.
The Verdict: Resto puts a lot of emphasis on their meat offerings, and Brad felt that in doing so they owed it to their meat-loving customers to give them a temperature option. Knowing the facts on the ground, Resto’s well done burger is done quite well, and is worth a taste if you can handle a burger that’s been cooked a bit longer.
Resto is located at 111 East 29th Street between Park and Lexington.
