A Hamburger Today
Teeny Burgers Pack Big Flavor at the Seattle Art Museum
When it comes to burgers, size matters. But bigger isn't always better, especially at Taste, the urban-chic restaurant at the Seattle Art Museum.
A pair of minis is a portrait in sustainability. The special grind of organic beef comes from Skagit River Ranch and the Samish Bay farmstead gouda is produced 40-some miles north of the city at Rootabaga Country Farms. The wee buns come from nearby Columbia City Bakery. The only far-flung ingredient on the plate is the Dijon that is folded into the house aioli.
Taste is rightfully proud to point out on its menu the percentage of products sourced in Washington and Oregon. (It varies from season-to-season, currently standing at 46 percent at lunch, 53 percent at dinner.)
Given the tidy carbon footprint and their teeny stature, these sandwiches might seem too precious. Come to think of it, I've never spotted one being devoured by somebody with manly man hands. So what? The itty-bitty burgers pack a big beefy flavor, and, if the mini seems extra juicy, it's because chef Craig Hetherington adds a bit of olive oil to the seasoned ground beef before it's formed into patties the size of a flattened golf ball.
Slow down and savor those mini morsels, though, because one, two, three bites, and they're gone.
But that's OK because you'll want to save room for one of Taste's clever desserts. I'm awfully fond of the warm cookies served with a shot glass of milk, though there's a new contender for my favorite nostalgia-inducing treat.
The Jones Creek Farms Apple "Pop Tart" is served warm and is more like a turnover than those tasteless toaster pastries I ate by the box as a kid. The dessert is tarted up by a scoop of double cheese ice cream and a Granny Smith granita.
Taste
Seattle Art Museum, 1300 1st Avenue, Seattle WA 98101 (map)
206-903-5291
tastesam.com
About the author: Leslie Kelly is a Seattle-based freelance food writer whose work has appeared in the (now defunct) Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the Commercial Appeal in Memphis, and the Spokesman-Review. She's currently working in the kitchens of Tom Douglas restaurants and blogging at Whining & Dining.