I was surprised that Sharon was willing to join me for another burger mission. I realize that I've been packing a lot of the same meals (i.e. burgers and ramen, but not together) in the last few days, and you (well, most of you, but apparently not me) can only eat so much of that before you explode. After a very inspiring Shake Shack experience the other day, Sharon was game to try my next suggestion: Stand burgers near Union Square. We actually wandered down the wrong street (11th instead of 12th) until a call to information revealed that I had written the wrong address into the iPod Touch serving as my note pad (thanks to my fat fingers or the stupid iPod on-screen keyboard. Who should I blame?)
Apparently Stand is from the same guy who started Republic noodle house way back when. Some of my earliest memories of NY include visits to Republic, although it's not ramen, but (gasp) "pan-asian" noodles. Anyhoo, Sharon realized that she actually wanted salmon, and we were pleased to learn (after the waitress inquired in the kitchen for us) that the salmon burger uses wild pacific salmon. I ordered the classic burger, with blue cheese. We also split a small order fries, onion rings and (at my insistence) fried tempura-battered pickles!
The burger included a sizable patty, cooked more or less medium rare as I asked, although to be very picky, it was more medium than rare. Unfortunately the patty was just too much (and too juicy) for the poor bun to handle, and by the time I was halfway through the burger, the bun was dangerously unhelpful. The bun sure looked pretty at first though. The plate also included a little ramekin filled with a dark red paste which I mistook for ketchup, but after tasting it I guessed it was maybe barbeque sauce. Don't know why that was there like that. Not to complain too much, but I think when you want blue cheese on a burger, it's because you (me I mean) want that stinky, strong flavour to punch through the savouriness of the beef. I don't know if Stand uses a mild type of blue, or they just didn't add enough, but I just couldn't taste it in the burger. In every other way the burger was tasty, but not well constructed.
These fries were easily the best I've had on this trip, and on par with the best I've ever had. They definitely took a page from the original Belgian frite. (Aside: while touring Belgium, every time I would eat fries someone would inevitably inform me that fries are a Belgian creation, not French as we "Americans" might believe) They were at least double fried, crispy and perfectly seasoned. Served in a cone, Belgian-style too.
The onion rings were great too. What can I say, they're onion rings. Sharon observed that onions are among the cheapest ingredient you can buy, and yet onion rings are disproportionately expensive. Why is that?
The surprise hit here was the fried pickles. I'm not sure what "Bread and Butter" pickles are (although a quick googling later will sort that out I'm sure) but they were sliced and dipped in tempura batter before being deep fried and served to us on a plate with some mustard-y mayo to dip them in. It sounds wrong but it tastes so right. I wish someone would make these at a restaurant in Vancouver. I might shop the idea around and see if anyone bites (pun intended, with apologies to those with actual wit.)
My only regret was taking the suggestion to try the special shake of the day: pistachio cookie. Luckily I asked for the mini size. I think I could have enjoyed a pistachio milkshake, but this one had that foamy fake shake mouthfeel that I associate with chain restaurant shakes, and to add insult to injury they piled a heap of cookie crumbs on the top of it. Waaaaaaaay to sweet for my taste but I should have known better. The Shake Shack coffee shake ruined me for other shakes.
Overall it was an enjoyable experience, and if I returned I'd be game to try some of the special burgers on the menu.
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