A Hamburger Today
We Talk to Bobby Flay About Bobby's Burger Palace
Just got off the phone with Bobby Flay. I had some questions regarding Bobby's Burger Palace, which officially opened Tuesday, after a soft launch that lasted about a week.
Are you cooking the burgers only to medium there? Medium and beyond. That's because of the Suffolk County Health Department regulations. We have to cook them to 158°F.
What about future locations? If you open a BBP someplace that doesn't require cooking to 158, will you cook to medium-rare or rare? I can only comment about this location right now, since it's what I'm concentrating on.
I see you're griddling the burgers as opposed to flame-grilling. Why's that? I've always thought a griddled burger was a better burger. You don't lose the juices that way.
What about that squirt bottle you're using in the Newsday video? What are you laying down on the griddle before throwing the burgers on? It's proprietary. I'd be happy to talk about anything and everything at my other restaurants, but I don't want to give away secrets at this one.
So, the Crunch Burger looks awesome. What was the inspiration? First and foremost, I think a burger should be about flavor and moistness. After that, I think there should be a contrast of textures in there. It's like when you order a cheeseburger with the fries on the side and they get caught in the melted cheese and give the burger some crunch. The crisp potato chips with the melted cheese works like that.
Bobby's Burger Palace
355 Smith Haven Mall, Lake Grove NY 11755 (map)
631-382-9590
bobbysburgerpalace.com