David Lebovitz may have been let down by the burger at Hippopotamus, but he should be able to fulfill his craving after looking through his readers' burger recommendations in Paris. With 19 restaurants to choose from, there may be some hope for homesick Americans and burger-loving Parisians.
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When In Paris, Do Not Get a Burger at Hippopotamus
'New York Times' on the Latest Culinary Fad in Paris: Burgers
L'Hippo's burger looks better than it tastes. Photograph taken by David Lebovitz
When Paris-based chef and blogger David Lebovitz had a burger craving in the land of cheese and baguettes, where burgers tend to be "wildly overpriced and nothing more than a glorified, microwaved sandwich," he looked towards French chain restaurant Hippoppotamus. Despite the promising appearance and approval from a Parisian neighbor, the burger wasn't all that.
My friend and I rated the burger at l'Hippo a tepid 6 out of 10. Even though we ordered the same basic burger, her patty was a good bit...okay...a lot larger than mine [...] and the bun was stale, not fresh and toasty-brown..
But David doesn't mean to complain that much; "Because sometimes, a guy's just gotta have a burger." Besides, he seems to have accepted his fate of not being able to easily find a great burger in Paris.
Related: 'New York Times' on the Latest Culinary Fad in Paris: Burgers
It has the taste of the forbidden, the illicit — the subversive, even,” said Hélène Samuel, a restaurant consultant (in Paris, France). “Eating with your hands, it’s pure regression. Naturally, everyone wants it.
So quoteth the New York Times in an interesting, and to us purists, somewhat alarming piece on the rise of the hamburger as a culinary fad in Paris. We can either thank or blame French expatriates and New York chefs Daniel Boulud and Laurent Tourondel for popularizing the burger in their homeland. Their respective takes on the hamburger at Cafe Boulud and BLT Burger in New York City have inspired their fellow countrymen. “I think it’s shocking," Mr. Boulud said in the Times, "but at the same time the French are realizing that a burger is real food, it’s good."
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