There is a burger revolution going on, and rightly so. Simple or fancy, there is nothing quite as delicious as a well prepared burger. So it was only a matter of time before I paid a visit to the recently opened Five Napkin Burger on the Upper West Side. Let’s start out by saying they threw every thing on the menu but the kitchen sink, so if for some odd reason you are going to a burger joint and are not in the mood for a burger, you could try the sushi, vietnamese spring rolls, hot wings or Kobe beef foot long, among other unexpected menu items. But let’s just say you do what you’re supposed to do and you start with a stack of cornmeal crusted onion rings followed by the Original 5 Napkin Burger, well then you’ll understand why it requires 5 napkins.
The Original is 10 oz of ground chuck (that means good and juicy thanks to the high fat content) topped with caramelized onions, gruyere cheese, rosemary aioli on a soft white roll — all served with a side of fries (ok, so the onion rings weren’t necessary, but I would trade them for the fries any day.) So that’s 1 napkin for the juicy burger, 1 napkin for the sweet stacked sauteed onions, 1 napkin for the gruyere cheese oozing from beneath the bun, 1 napkin for the aioli generously slathered atop the cheese, dripping from the sides down your arm and 1 napkin for the well-fried onion rings and fries. All to be washed down with a namesake brew.
The Skim: Come hungry or ready to share. Five Napkin Burger is a great stop if you want to step it up on an american classic. The generous size and rich toppings provide the perfect excuse to order a few things and share with friends. Of course if you want to stake claim to your own dish, you certainly won’t be disappointed or hungry! {2315 Broadway @ 84th Street, aka Edgar Allen Poe Way — hopefully no allusions to “The Premature Burial”}
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