I went to Five Napkin Burger on Tuesday night with Serious Eats overlord Ed Levine and his son, Will. This is our story.
More like our initial impression, since it's too early to really get into it about this burger.
Five Napkin Burger is a spin-off the Upper West Side's Nice Matin, where the "Five Napkin Burger" originated as a menu item. Apparently, Simon Oren and Andy D'Amico, the folks behind Nice Matin, thought the Five Napkin Burger was strong enough to carry its own restaurant.
Five Napkin Burger
630 Ninth Avenue, New York NY 10036 (at 45th Street; map); 212-757-2277 The Short Order: The Five Napkin Burger on Upper West Sider Nice Matin's menu gets its own restaurant. So far, the burger is plenty juicy but not five-napkin juicy. Good beef (chuck) overshadowed by caramelized onions and Comté cheese. Size: 10-ounce patty, 6 inches tall Want Fries with That? Included in the price of the meal, these fries are good. Maybe a tad too crisp. Eat them fast; they practically turn into potato chips after cooling Price: $13.95, includes fries
We arrived around 8 p.m. to a packed house. No surprise, since the place is on Restaurant Row, and theblogbuzz probably didn't hurt, either. Ed had a brilliant plan to circumvent the estimated 30- to 45-minute wait: sit at the bar, which features the full menu.
The friendly bartender set our makeshift table, and I noticed something: only one napkin. I was expecting a little stack of five. OK. Not really. But I thought it would be a nice touch if the place nodded to its name and playfully provided each place setting an arsenal of serviettes.
Turns out the one napkin was enough. Neither Ed nor I thought this burger earned its moniker. It was juicy, sure, but with that name, you've gotta step your game up to a whole 'nother level.
The original Five Napkin Burger is a coarsely ground, loosely packed ten-ounce patty, topped with Comté cheese, a slew of caramelized onion, a salad's worth of butter lettuce, and a nice red slice of tomato. It comes with fries.
Almost all of which I promptly removed.
Mine was perfectly cooked to temperature—maybe a hair overcooked, if at all. The beef—ground chuck—had a comforting old-school flavor that, surprisingly, I realized I'd been missing, what with all these places doing custom blends of this and that. But the caramelized onions (which, I swear, tasted like they'd been flavored with rosemary) and the Comté cheese (which tastes like a milder cheddar but has more complexity), I don't know. They're both nice touches in theory—and maybe just one or the other on a burger would work—but in practice this dynamic duo begins to overshadow the flavor of the meat.
Ed complained that the burgers here are what I call "snakejaw burgers": They're so thick you need a snake's hinged jaw to get your mouth around it. Ed said his jaw started to hurt while trying to bite into his burger. I just smushed mine down and didn't have too much trouble with it that way, though I agree with Ed that you really have to remove all the stuff to even make this burger manageable.
Ed also noted that places like Five Napkin Burger that offer only the half-pound burger option, that they really should put a four- or six-ounce burger on the menu—or sliders—for people with delicate jaws. "A half-pound is sometimes just too much," he said.
OMG, Foodinmouth! Do you even have to ask?!? Definitely. The $13.95 price tag goes a long way to boosting it into Fancy-Pants Territory, but the Comté cheese and caramelized onions put it straight into Fancy-Pants Orbit. Plus—and I know I don't have interior shots here—you'd see that the decor pretty much says "fancy-pants burger." Not that the decor is "fancy," just very stylized and "hip," with an abattoir theme going on -- white porcelain-tile walls, a decorative ceiling-mounted rail track for moving beef, exposed Edison light bulbs. Blah blah blah.
What's the point of making food that's hard to eat, especially a hamburger? Weren't hamburgers invented so that you could eat something with one hand and keep playing cards? Sometimes it's good to remember the original intention of something and keep with it. I'm so tired of the super huge burgers that you can't eat with your hands and have to take stuff off of to fit it into your mouth. It's probably why I like sliders so much.
That does not look the least bit appetizing to me. There is way too much meat and the cheese looks like it is barely melted. All these burger places are trying to outdo each other. I think giving the option of a smaller burger, or maybe even a few sliders is brilliant.
Agh! It wasn't bad. It was good, but not as juicy as I'd hoped. The pictures here really don't do it justice, since the lighting was low. It actually looked like a beautiful burger, just too tall with all the fixin's on it.
Actually, a good homemade REAL aioli is great on a hamburger. Of course, I'm a garlic addict, but a mild one should suit all but true-blue garlic haters. I also think a hint of rosemary goes well with beef. On the other hand...yes, I can't imagine a woman ordering that burger. Our mouths open even less wide than most men's. I could imagine this at half-size, served on a plate with a good ciabatta bread served on the side, aioli also on the side, with the cheese and onions on top as they are now. Possibly a small salad of lettuces and good tomatoes served alongside. Then they could appeal to the women as well. It would be nice to have the choice...just sayin', that's what I would do in my restaurant. Options are always a good idea.
Looks terrible. Is all that lettuce meant to suggest "plentiful bounty?" That slick of cheese looks like it was ladled on. Adam, you're soo right that something - anything - should have been done with the napkin settings to reference the restaurant's name - how do you put down just one napkin here, like every other place?
At least they've gotten rid of Nice Matin's once-topping for this, bitter and toothsome grilled radicchio. Uh, no.
*sigh*....unfortunately I don't live anywhere NEAR this place, but the burger looks glorious...I'll probably get rocks thrown at me for even suggesting this...but I would ditch the top bun, sort of 'disassemble' and eat with knife and fork...thus getting the appropriate amount of 'parts' with each bite....
I dined at Five Napkin Burger while visiting NYC last week and I loved it. I, however, had the tuna burger, which was not quite as overwhelmed by condiments. The smoothness of the aioli did not obscure the ginger-y taste of the tuna's marinade...I removed some of the lettuce though...
Headed up to Five Napkin last weekend and I gotta say, not only was the burger juicy, it was way too juicy, if there is such a thing. A burger medium rare had bloody juices pouring out at every bite. My plate was sloshing with gore after 3 bites. I was so distracted, I had to ask for another plate. I guess I'm a lot more squeamish than I thought, but it was a little freaky. The rosemary aioli is overpowering and the melted Comté made this beast of a burger slide around annoyingly in its bun. It was a hard one to tackle. It's neighbor, Island Burger, has a fantastic burger without the fancy pants price tag.
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18 Comments:
That thing looks monstrous... does it qualify as 'fancy pants' burger?
How were the fries?
foodinmouth at 10:33AM on 06/26/08
Whoa, that is seriously way too much lettuce.
Asado at 10:57AM on 06/26/08
OMG, Foodinmouth! Do you even have to ask?!? Definitely. The $13.95 price tag goes a long way to boosting it into Fancy-Pants Territory, but the Comté cheese and caramelized onions put it straight into Fancy-Pants Orbit. Plus—and I know I don't have interior shots here—you'd see that the decor pretty much says "fancy-pants burger." Not that the decor is "fancy," just very stylized and "hip," with an abattoir theme going on -- white porcelain-tile walls, a decorative ceiling-mounted rail track for moving beef, exposed Edison light bulbs. Blah blah blah.
Adam Kuban at 11:04AM on 06/26/08
That bun looks a bit big to me. Then to throw it on that huge hunk of meat too. Not sure it is up my alley.
FoodBoy at 11:17AM on 06/26/08
hahaha, yes I kind of figured, but man, porcelain tile walls? that's money right there. high rolling. haha.
foodinmouth at 11:35AM on 06/26/08
What's the point of making food that's hard to eat, especially a hamburger? Weren't hamburgers invented so that you could eat something with one hand and keep playing cards? Sometimes it's good to remember the original intention of something and keep with it. I'm so tired of the super huge burgers that you can't eat with your hands and have to take stuff off of to fit it into your mouth. It's probably why I like sliders so much.
KingBoo at 1:02PM on 06/26/08
It looks good except for too much lettuce. I think I would pull off the lettuce and eat it on the side.
That really is too big of a patty to take enjoyable bites.
eatorama at 6:02PM on 06/26/08
That does not look the least bit appetizing to me. There is way too much meat and the cheese looks like it is barely melted. All these burger places are trying to outdo each other. I think giving the option of a smaller burger, or maybe even a few sliders is brilliant.
thefoodie377 at 9:10PM on 06/26/08
Hahaha. That looks awful.
Prairie at 10:54PM on 06/26/08
Agh! It wasn't bad. It was good, but not as juicy as I'd hoped. The pictures here really don't do it justice, since the lighting was low. It actually looked like a beautiful burger, just too tall with all the fixin's on it.
Adam Kuban at 11:00PM on 06/26/08
I read that there's rosemary aioli on it...maybe that's where the rosemary flavor was coming from?
Jenn Sit at 11:36PM on 06/26/08
Aioli? yikes. Ive been passing by this place for few weeks waiting for good news. Aioli is not good news for burgers...Im just sayin'
cosmic charlie at 2:24AM on 06/27/08
Actually, a good homemade REAL aioli is great on a hamburger. Of course, I'm a garlic addict, but a mild one should suit all but true-blue garlic haters. I also think a hint of rosemary goes well with beef. On the other hand...yes, I can't imagine a woman ordering that burger. Our mouths open even less wide than most men's. I could imagine this at half-size, served on a plate with a good ciabatta bread served on the side, aioli also on the side, with the cheese and onions on top as they are now. Possibly a small salad of lettuces and good tomatoes served alongside. Then they could appeal to the women as well. It would be nice to have the choice...just sayin', that's what I would do in my restaurant. Options are always a good idea.
Carolina de Witte at 1:39PM on 06/28/08
I don't know, Carolina, I'm not a woman who'd shy away from a big burger!
Jenn Sit at 9:13PM on 06/29/08
Looks terrible. Is all that lettuce meant to suggest "plentiful bounty?" That slick of cheese looks like it was ladled on. Adam, you're soo right that something - anything - should have been done with the napkin settings to reference the restaurant's name - how do you put down just one napkin here, like every other place?
At least they've gotten rid of Nice Matin's once-topping for this, bitter and toothsome grilled radicchio. Uh, no.
Sandro at 2:36PM on 07/01/08
*sigh*....unfortunately I don't live anywhere NEAR this place, but the burger looks glorious...I'll probably get rocks thrown at me for even suggesting this...but I would ditch the top bun, sort of 'disassemble' and eat with knife and fork...thus getting the appropriate amount of 'parts' with each bite....
pjacob01 at 2:51PM on 07/02/08
I dined at Five Napkin Burger while visiting NYC last week and I loved it. I, however, had the tuna burger, which was not quite as overwhelmed by condiments. The smoothness of the aioli did not obscure the ginger-y taste of the tuna's marinade...I removed some of the lettuce though...
pandaramone at 3:51PM on 07/28/08
Headed up to Five Napkin last weekend and I gotta say, not only was the burger juicy, it was way too juicy, if there is such a thing. A burger medium rare had bloody juices pouring out at every bite. My plate was sloshing with gore after 3 bites. I was so distracted, I had to ask for another plate. I guess I'm a lot more squeamish than I thought, but it was a little freaky. The rosemary aioli is overpowering and the melted Comté made this beast of a burger slide around annoyingly in its bun. It was a hard one to tackle. It's neighbor, Island Burger, has a fantastic burger without the fancy pants price tag.
JustNancy at 4:30PM on 11/12/08