| rev:text
| - If you're going to Vegas, you have to go to BurGR, they said. It's the best burger I've had in my life, they said. I'm nearly 40, I've eaten an awful lot of burgers in my lifetime and I have the bulging midsection to prove it. But, well, when you're in Vegas it's a time to indulge and try new things, right? So I followed along with a small group of friends and we decided to give Gordon Ramsay's burger joint a go.
It's located in Planet Hollywood which isn't my favorite casino on the strip - a little on the loud side - but it's sufficiently far from the casino floor that the noise levels in the restaurant are acceptable. They've definitely got this fire vibe going on, from the wavy flame display to the flames on the walls and on the menus and ... well, of course, there's images of Ramsay himself, arms folded over his chest as he looms over you, steely eyes boring holes into your soul. Like he's judging. Are you worthy to enter this restaurant? Are you going to pick the right item from the menu?
Then the line moves along and you remember it's just a display. The wait wasn't too bad, though it was late on a Sunday night. I can see how the line might get a little more onerous at other times. The staff were doing this odd bit of sorting the line by party size and creating a bit of confusion but before long we were seated and menus were in our hands. You open them up and Ramsay is there again, but this time his demeanor has changed. Friendly, welcoming, almost jubilant! As if to say "You came to my restaurant, you aren't one of the simpering idiots are you? Look inside! See what we have to offer!"
The menu isn't too big or overwhelming, but there's a decent selection of burgers (as well as pork and chicken sandwiches for those so inclined) and sides. I selected the Farm Burger, which comes with cheddar cheese, duck breast bacon and a fried egg. The group selected the parmesan truffle fries and wings as sides. It didn't take long for the food to arrive, and we dug in.
The wings were delightful. A nice flavor, not too spicy, but enough heat to keep them interesting. Crispy without being overly heavy on the breading. Not the best chicken wing on the planet, but then again this is BurGR and not WinGS. Good stuff.
The fries were delicious and the portion was generous. We were worried whether a single order of fries was going to cut it for the table but in the end we only just finished them. The truffle oil is not overwhelming and adds a great flavor to the fries, and pairs very well with the parmesan. The fries are served in these inverted cones which means the bottom fries wind up being a little buried in parmesan cheese which overpowers the flavor if you don't shake off the excess. No big deal.
Now on to the star of the show, the main attraction, the burger. It arrived looking good but unassuming, distinguished only by the salt-and-pepper appearance of the black and white sesame seeds on the bun, the hints of fried egg peeking out, and the ends of the bacon making like points of the compass. It was a little big to handle all in one go without getting messy so I cut it into halves.
When I separated the halves of my burger I saw ... pink. Stop the presses - this burger was cooked medium rare, and I had ordered it ... medium rare. Perhaps not a singular feat worthy of bestowing the title "best burger ever", but a sign of competence on the part of the staff. Clearly these were no mean fry cooks behind the counter, but men and women attuned to their craft enough to know what medium rare means. Perhaps it is the fear of a verbal beatdown, of being called all sorts of unflattering names should Mr. Ramsay discover his employees are under or overcooking the food. No need for another "It's Raw" meme here. Even the egg was fried up just right, soft enough that the yolk oozed out and permeated the burger, but cooked enough that i wasn't left holding a soggy bun.
Sure, it looked good, but what about taste? I've had $15 burgers before from hip, trendy joints with whimsical themes and ironic logos that failed to surpass the flavor of a Whopper (or at least a Whopper on a good day) and left me feeling cheated. For $15 I expect a burger that is going to impress, a burger that is going to leave me enjoying every bite, a burger that I'm going to eat slowly so as to enjoy every last morsel before it is gone ... in short, THIS burger. Juicy and perfectly seasoned. There was just the right amount of cheese that the sharp cheddar added a delightful tang to each bite. The duck breast bacon was also in perfect balance, adding its own saltiness and flavor without overpowering the taste of the burger itself. The egg yolk smoothed it all out.
Delicious.
I've given it a day and some to make sure I wasn't overselling it in my mind, trying to justify spending $15 on a burger.
Best burger ever? Maybe. Best burger in a long time? Yes.
Do yourself a favor and try it next time you are in Vegas.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)