We're always skeptical when someone starts making "best burger" proclamations, but any blog that uses the tag "Corner Bistro is overrated" deserves the benefit of the doubt when making such a bold claim. From Zeitgeisty:
The meat - ordered medium rare - was perfectly cooked and expertly seasoned. As I bit into it, the velvety beef combined with the firm brioche, crisp onion and my own saliva instantly delivering me to the absolute pinnacle of gustatory ecstasy. Size-wise, it is on the smaller side, not as miniscule as a slider, yet definitely not a ‘house burger’. As far as ‘patty manageability’ goes, this is not a messy proposition. The juices, although plentiful are not exceedingly so, and the bun retained its firmness nicely - never falling apart in soggy resignation. I chose not to add any condiments to my sandwich, rather wanting to taste the beef in an unadorned state. Luckily, nothing additional was required, as the seasoning was subtle yet sophisticated - the complex savory overtones achieving a perfect harmony with the delicate sweetness of the brioche. I’m also pleased to say in these tough economic times, at $9.99 - for the burger, fries and salad - it was not a bank-breaker.
Anyone else out there second Zeitgeisty's rec?
Lyla's Cafe Creperie
1270 Amsterdam Avenue, New York NY 10027 (b/n 122nd and 123rd; map)
Except for a bigger burger (1/2lb Vermont beef) served with red pepper jelly and polenta fries - this sounds a lot like my reaction to the burger at La Laiterie in Providence RI. About $12.99 a week or so ago and very memorable. See Tomato Soup's photo and brief review including includes the burger - which I second.
I think that DB Bistro Moderne serves the better burger. It's not the best burger, but DB Bistro comes close. And I mean the one in NY, I've never tried the on in Vancouver.
@jschumacher, and further to @TheUE - The blogger who wrote about this is, in any case, not a poor writer. It is, sadly, beyond some people's understanding that a writer may have a naturally rich vocabulary without recourse to a thesaurus. Anyway, what's the offender here? "Pinnacle"? "Gustatory"? Come on.
I wasn't passing judgement on the writer's abilities only on someone's choice to not try a restaurant based on how they perceived the reviewer's writing abilities.
More to the point, Lyla's is only a slight detour from my usual route home after work so I took a little detour tonight.
Meh.
I ordered a cheeseburger done medium. No pink to be found when it arrived. The burger had a nice char to it but was dry and otherwise undistinguished. The bun was too bready and overwhelmed the burger. Fries were really good, salad was iceberg lettuce with oil and vinegar. Definitely not a bargain at $10.99. That's $3.50 more than a Shack Burger with fries at the Shake Shack.
Lol, touche on the spelling. But I personally have a distaste for food writing that's overly seasoned with adjectives. I mean, dont get me wrong, the description's accurate, but to a certain extent there should be some appreciation for a food for its simplistic ability to make a person feel happy to eat it. When I read about food, I want to live it, not feel like Im reading pretense.
I thought the actual post above was descriptive and not pretentious at all. The words seemed straightforward to me. (I was going to type 'pedestrian' but didn't want to go there!)
One more for UE: You *do* realize that 'epicurean' is an adjective, right? So that makes you the Urbane Epicurean ... what? You're sitting in a glass house with an armful of stones. I suggest you just put them down quietly...
While its fun to poke fun, you guys are kind of missing my point, and perhaps its because we dont really know each other. My point a) was that food writing should be less about the descriptors that can tend to distract from what we really want to know - how it made you feel, and b) there's a level of appropriateness for any given topic. I mean, you wouldnt wear a turtleneck and slacks to a backyard bbq would you?
ep⋅i⋅cu⋅re⋅an
/ˌɛpɪkyʊˈriən, -ˈkyʊəri-/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [ep-i-kyoo-ree-uhn, -kyoor-ee-] Show IPA Pronunciation
–adjective
1. fond of or adapted to luxury or indulgence in sensual pleasures; having luxurious tastes or habits, esp. in eating and drinking.
2. fit for an epicure: epicurean delicacies.
3. (initial capital letter) of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Epicurus or Epicureanism.
uh...yeah...
With that definition, who sounds like the guy that would wear a turtleneck and slacks to a BBQ? I think the 'point' here is before you start hurling unwarranted insults at other people, you should really be a bit more self-aware.
Hey! This page has been elevated to the status of a "comment war"! At least according to an entry on a certain pretentious-but-claiming-not-to-be blogger's site. lmfao
OK, so back on 2/16 I found the shuttle bus outside my door and no A train. Plans derailed.
I finally hit Lyla's yesterday, very late on Saturday afternoon, almost dinner time. It's a few blocks walk from the 125th A stop.
Overall I liked this place a lot. It's got a very pleasant vibe, the staff was attentive and earnest and it seems like a great neighborhood place to get a good, reasonably priced meal.
The burger? I don't know about that 'best burger in ny' stuff. I will go out on a limb, though, and say it is easily the best burger I've had in Uptown Manhattan. And at 10.99 with a bit of salad a big pile of well done fries (exactly how I like them, how'd they know?) it's pretty good deal.
I agree with Zeitgeisty so I'll just add a few of my own comments:
I'm old school and was prepared to hate the bun. I loved it. It looks big and poofy but compresses down nicely when bit into. It's delicate, but as mentioned, holds the juices perfectly.
And what juices! This was a very juicy burger. I ordered it medium-rare and the loosely packed meat was bright pink throughout, reddish in the middle, and a pefect medium-rare. I'd say medium-rare, shading into 'rare' but still not too bloody and gross for me (don't care for real 'rare')
This was a huge surprise, because I have yet to see a place uptown that does not use the plancha and the bowl to ruin every burger around. This burger seemed so loosely packed and delicate that a plancha would have ruined it immediately. Good for them.
There was only a light taste of char from the grill. I like that. It was also very unseasoned. I know others prefer a little heavier hand on salt, pepper, whatever. Not me. I prefer to taste the meat, a little char or crust from the flatgrill, etc. and that's it. I ate this one with American Cheese, some with Heinz 57 and a few bites bare. I loved every bite of it.
If you said it was a tiny bit bland I would not argue, except to say I prefer a light-to-non-existent hand with the seasonings and that I found mine just about perfect.
It's not the biggest patty around. This is no pub burger. The pile of fries was quite large. If you go with a group, there's plenty of fries with one burger to share.
At this price, at this place, I'm definitely going back often.
***************************
OK, I agree with the reviewer in every way except to say "best burger in nyc."
I think it's an important burger, as Uptown is so incredibly underserved burger-wise. I was going to say perhaps it's the best burger Uptown. But I see there's a new Ottomanelli's in East Harlem so I'm going there real soon. I actually don't consider 111th 'Uptown' but it's certainly close enough to consider.
I'm also going to revisit Piper's Kilt and Coogan's to reconfirm what I already know: These are serviceable, not-great, pub burgers served in decent neighborhood bars, and that inflates some folks opinions of them.
Lyla's burgers are a different level, in my opinion.
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28 Comments:
brioche = wrong
EazyB at 12:37PM on 02/02/09
Except for a bigger burger (1/2lb Vermont beef) served with red pepper jelly and polenta fries - this sounds a lot like my reaction to the burger at La Laiterie in Providence RI. About $12.99 a week or so ago and very memorable. See Tomato Soup's photo and brief review including includes the burger - which I second.
La Laiterie
http://www.farmsteadinc.com/lalaiterie.html
brief review
http://tomatosoup.typepad.com/tomato_soup/2008/01/la-laiterie.html
roundtrip at 3:24PM on 02/02/09
Im sorry, this description just sounds like they wrote it with a thesaurus, not their palette. Id pass on the burger just for that...
Stop the persecution of cheeseburgers!
Brian
www.discovertaste.blogspot.com
TheUE at 4:38PM on 02/02/09
@BrianP: It's 'palate,' not 'palette.' Why do so many people get this wrong? (Food bloggers in particular should get this right!!!!)
drmoze at 7:10PM on 02/02/09
hahaha.... With all his advice on THESAURUS use, sounds like he could've used a DICTIONARY.
swan_salisbury at 8:42PM on 02/02/09
I think that DB Bistro Moderne serves the better burger. It's not the best burger, but DB Bistro comes close. And I mean the one in NY, I've never tried the on in Vancouver.
michaelleung at 12:55AM on 02/03/09
Wait, you're not going to eat a burger because the blogger who wrote about the burger is a poor writer?
jschumacher at 2:21PM on 02/03/09
@jschumacher, and further to @TheUE - The blogger who wrote about this is, in any case, not a poor writer. It is, sadly, beyond some people's understanding that a writer may have a naturally rich vocabulary without recourse to a thesaurus. Anyway, what's the offender here? "Pinnacle"? "Gustatory"? Come on.
Michele Humes at 2:40PM on 02/03/09
Seriously! Where exactly were those big ole' THESAURUS words? Seems pretty straightforward to me.
swan_salisbury at 2:55PM on 02/03/09
I wasn't passing judgement on the writer's abilities only on someone's choice to not try a restaurant based on how they perceived the reviewer's writing abilities.
More to the point, Lyla's is only a slight detour from my usual route home after work so I took a little detour tonight.
Meh.
I ordered a cheeseburger done medium. No pink to be found when it arrived. The burger had a nice char to it but was dry and otherwise undistinguished. The bun was too bready and overwhelmed the burger. Fries were really good, salad was iceberg lettuce with oil and vinegar. Definitely not a bargain at $10.99. That's $3.50 more than a Shack Burger with fries at the Shake Shack.
jschumacher at 7:24PM on 02/03/09
One should always order medium RARE. Medium is always going to be dry with no pink to be found.
swan_salisbury at 7:36PM on 02/03/09
Lol, touche on the spelling. But I personally have a distaste for food writing that's overly seasoned with adjectives. I mean, dont get me wrong, the description's accurate, but to a certain extent there should be some appreciation for a food for its simplistic ability to make a person feel happy to eat it. When I read about food, I want to live it, not feel like Im reading pretense.
Is that wrong?
TheUE at 8:59PM on 02/03/09
All well and good, but someone who calls themselves the 'Urbane Epicurean' should not really be whining about pretension.
swan_salisbury at 9:27PM on 02/03/09
LOL@swan.
I thought the actual post above was descriptive and not pretentious at all. The words seemed straightforward to me. (I was going to type 'pedestrian' but didn't want to go there!)
One more for UE: You *do* realize that 'epicurean' is an adjective, right? So that makes you the Urbane Epicurean ... what? You're sitting in a glass house with an armful of stones. I suggest you just put them down quietly...
drmoze at 9:53PM on 02/03/09
Enlightening...its an adjective?!
I guess both of you need a dictionary.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/epicurean (see the section titled 'noun' under both sources
While its fun to poke fun, you guys are kind of missing my point, and perhaps its because we dont really know each other. My point a) was that food writing should be less about the descriptors that can tend to distract from what we really want to know - how it made you feel, and b) there's a level of appropriateness for any given topic. I mean, you wouldnt wear a turtleneck and slacks to a backyard bbq would you?
I think i know the answer.
-To good food gentlemen
TheUE at 10:23PM on 02/03/09
ep⋅i⋅cu⋅re⋅an
/ˌɛpɪkyʊˈriən, -ˈkyʊəri-/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [ep-i-kyoo-ree-uhn, -kyoor-ee-] Show IPA Pronunciation
–adjective
1. fond of or adapted to luxury or indulgence in sensual pleasures; having luxurious tastes or habits, esp. in eating and drinking.
2. fit for an epicure: epicurean delicacies.
3. (initial capital letter) of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Epicurus or Epicureanism.
uh...yeah...
With that definition, who sounds like the guy that would wear a turtleneck and slacks to a BBQ? I think the 'point' here is before you start hurling unwarranted insults at other people, you should really be a bit more self-aware.
swan_salisbury at 10:35PM on 02/03/09
I think if you cant present a rational discussion rebuttal without making the discussion personal, we have nothing more to talk about...
TheUE at 10:41PM on 02/03/09
Ahh... righteous indignation - the final refuge of the simple minded.
I agree, I think this discussion need not continue any further.
swan_salisbury at 10:46PM on 02/03/09
Jeez, youse guys with yer high-falutin' big-ass words and stuff. All I want to do is chomp down on a good ol' burger!
drmoze at 10:25AM on 02/04/09
Hey! This page has been elevated to the status of a "comment war"! At least according to an entry on a certain pretentious-but-claiming-not-to-be blogger's site. lmfao
drmoze at 10:30AM on 02/04/09
hahaha... i like your style doc!
swan_salisbury at 11:16AM on 02/04/09
Don't mean to be picky here...but has anyone TRIED THIS BURGER? I'd love to know.
nachoTaco at 12:42PM on 02/04/09
nacho, stop trying to derail this topic!
...oh wait, nevermind. I haven't tried the burger. I have a friend who lives in that 'hood, so I might stop by. Seems like a decent meal.
drmoze at 4:55PM on 02/04/09
Yeah, will probably check it out this weekend - will report what I thought.
swan_salisbury at 6:50PM on 02/04/09
Anybody who uses "I personally" has no business criticizing the writing of others.
Especially for being "overly" anything.
MikeNYC at 4:56PM on 02/16/09
Since I'm on this blog looking for a burger and I live on the A train, Lyla's, here I come. Report to follow.
MikeNYC at 5:07PM on 02/16/09
Can't wait to hear the report, MikeNYC.
Adam Kuban at 5:17PM on 02/16/09
OK, so back on 2/16 I found the shuttle bus outside my door and no A train. Plans derailed.
I finally hit Lyla's yesterday, very late on Saturday afternoon, almost dinner time. It's a few blocks walk from the 125th A stop.
Overall I liked this place a lot. It's got a very pleasant vibe, the staff was attentive and earnest and it seems like a great neighborhood place to get a good, reasonably priced meal.
The burger? I don't know about that 'best burger in ny' stuff. I will go out on a limb, though, and say it is easily the best burger I've had in Uptown Manhattan. And at 10.99 with a bit of salad a big pile of well done fries (exactly how I like them, how'd they know?) it's pretty good deal.
I agree with Zeitgeisty so I'll just add a few of my own comments:
I'm old school and was prepared to hate the bun. I loved it. It looks big and poofy but compresses down nicely when bit into. It's delicate, but as mentioned, holds the juices perfectly.
And what juices! This was a very juicy burger. I ordered it medium-rare and the loosely packed meat was bright pink throughout, reddish in the middle, and a pefect medium-rare. I'd say medium-rare, shading into 'rare' but still not too bloody and gross for me (don't care for real 'rare')
This was a huge surprise, because I have yet to see a place uptown that does not use the plancha and the bowl to ruin every burger around. This burger seemed so loosely packed and delicate that a plancha would have ruined it immediately. Good for them.
There was only a light taste of char from the grill. I like that. It was also very unseasoned. I know others prefer a little heavier hand on salt, pepper, whatever. Not me. I prefer to taste the meat, a little char or crust from the flatgrill, etc. and that's it. I ate this one with American Cheese, some with Heinz 57 and a few bites bare. I loved every bite of it.
If you said it was a tiny bit bland I would not argue, except to say I prefer a light-to-non-existent hand with the seasonings and that I found mine just about perfect.
It's not the biggest patty around. This is no pub burger. The pile of fries was quite large. If you go with a group, there's plenty of fries with one burger to share.
At this price, at this place, I'm definitely going back often.
***************************
OK, I agree with the reviewer in every way except to say "best burger in nyc."
I think it's an important burger, as Uptown is so incredibly underserved burger-wise. I was going to say perhaps it's the best burger Uptown. But I see there's a new Ottomanelli's in East Harlem so I'm going there real soon. I actually don't consider 111th 'Uptown' but it's certainly close enough to consider.
I'm also going to revisit Piper's Kilt and Coogan's to reconfirm what I already know: These are serviceable, not-great, pub burgers served in decent neighborhood bars, and that inflates some folks opinions of them.
Lyla's burgers are a different level, in my opinion.
MikeNYC at 7:29PM on 03/08/09