Tisha Eats New York: The Tale of the $32 Burger
But before we get into the, eherm, meat of the matter (sorry, couldn't resist), a little backgrounder.
King had this idea of trying to get standby tickets to Conan, but our first and second attempts were a bust. (The second was, to be more accurate, a near-attempt, as I had decided earlier on that Ethan Hawke wasn't worth getting up at 6:00 am for.) My tour guide was feeling bad that none of our plans seemed to be pushing through, so he decided to treat me to lunch at db Bistro Moderne. I will forever be grateful that none of our earlier plans worked out; otherwise, I would've missed out on one of my best NYC experiences!
The place is one of chef Daniel Boulud's seven award-winning restos, and luckily, it was where one of King's sisters worked. King generously shelled out over $60 (plus tip!) for two entrees--but with these, we got three complimentary appetizers and four free desserts! The dish that I was raring to try was the famed Original db Burger--a whopping $32 burger that King told me about the day before. But I'm getting ahead of myself. First, take a look at the appetizers we were served, on the house!
And then, it was time for the main attraction:
The Original db Burger, a sirloin burger filled with braised short ribs, foie gras, and black truffle, served on a parmesan bun and with fries on the side. Good grief. The waiter set it down in front of me, and I was staring at it, speechless, for about half a minute. The maitre d' walked by and voiced out exactly what I was thinking: "How do you eat it?" he began. "With your hands!" he finished, holding out his hands in a crushing motion for emphasis. I looked at him, then looked back at that monster of a burger, unconvinced.
I ended up using a knife and fork. but even then it was a bit of a challenge devouring that hunk of meat. I love showing people this photo because it always elicits a reaction (often along the lines of, "OMG!"). Looking at it now, I wonder if they used an entire calf to make it.
I don't think I'll ever have that burger again--not because it wasn't good, because it really was. I am happy enough that I at least got to experience it once. But coming from a developing country, I would feel far too guilty to blow that much a second time (whether it's my money or someone else's!) for a burger. (And if we're talking decadence, there's that $150 burger with 20g of shaved black truffles!)
Oh, we also had this...
Crispy Duck Confit ($33), which had wild mushrooms, broccoli rale, sweet and sour duck jus. In true hating-kapatid fashion, King and I each ate half of the two entrees. The memorable meal ended on a sweet note. Or, rather, four sweet notes (alas, I didn't get to take a picture of the basket of little lemon-y pastries):
I barely even touched this pretty selection because I was so damn full. Macaroons, chocolates, nougat...how I wish I could go back to finish what I left behind!
55 West 44th St., NYC 10036
http://www.danielnyc.com/dbbistro.html
Labels: big-ass burger, meat, new york