BurgerClub

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some of the pix... more below.

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lets eat!

Definitely must opt for the no - cheese burger. Now I know that this is a Brit/Italian (Batali-partially owned) gastro pub and all, and that stinky cheese might be considered gourmet fare, but roq on a burger is a no go.... What does Gastro pub mean anyway? Apparently it means that a 10-foot tall version Noel Gallagher look-a-like is your host and that hipsters flood the joint in tow with their parents and confidantes, there is a private cheetah printed loungey lounge upstairs for Bono et al, and that gnudi (not to be mistaken for gnocchi) is the house specialite. No, fried snickers bars and mushy peas with fish and chips to be seen anywhere (not even the gourmet version).

Back to the burger, mine was medium rare, very good, enough juice to know it was fresh, but less grease so I don't feel so guilty after inhalation afterwards. No cheese, lots of mustard on that pressed grilled FRESH bun and voila, gourmet - worthy of a single Michelin star. Who knew the Frenchies would go slumming it in a Brit inspired pub after all? Definitely a must return if you are craving a guilt-less burger, a little gnudi hors d'oeuvre (or some of the other Batali inspired Italian influenced plates) and a nice pint of their house beer. Magnifique!

I, on the other hand, asked for the burger just as the chef chooses to serve it...which missed the mark - a fact that, in and of itself, made me question its star. The chargrilled bun was spot on...perfectly grilled, at the same time pillowy and solid - just the right size and consistency. The meat, too, was of good quality, but had I not taken a bite of my neighbor's cheeseless burger, I would have never known. The roquefort just didn't work. It was too rich, the flavor overpowering, and way too salty...It sat in my stomach like a rock until the next day, at which point I still hadn't quenched my thirst. Don't get me wrong, I can handle a heavy meal, but here the flavor wasn't worth the stomach-ache. I longed for something fresh to cut through the richness, a piece of lettuce perhaps? And the fries, although flavorfully seasoned with garlic and rosemary, were too thin and too greasy, and as BurgerSeeker pointed out, way too much of an effort to eat. Overall, the burger was above average, but if I were to return, I wouldn't order it again. The place itself, on the other hand, like most restaurants in the village, was charming and homey with touch of understated elegance. And the gnudi (oh the gnudi!) which we nibbled on as starters, were simply amazing.

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lets eat!

Hours after my lunchtime meal at the Spotted Pig I'm not tasting anything that special when I burp, nothing like when I eat at Houstons and I'm tasting that delicious grilled bun and those spicy fries every time I burp.

THE SPOTTED PIG

Walk in at lunchtime on a beautiful, sunny day.[/img]http://www.flickr.com/photos/14971245@N02/1592210169/[/img] The bar is empty so my friend and I sit down. We came for the burger so we order up and when they arrive they presentation is pretty enticing.

I came WARY OF THE ROQUEFORT and when I finally slice the burger in half and as I started taking a few bites of the juicy medium burger inside it's delicious and perfectly grilled bun I decided I didn't really like the Roquefort so I scrapped it off the second half of my burger and applied heinz and this is what was left: . Pretty delicious but with a hint of Roquefort, couldn't totally shake it. My advice, if you're not 100% on the Roquefort because you don't like stinky cheese especially on your burger, odds are you won't like it. I hate to sound so closeminded but it's just such a specific taste only those who love it will love it.

All in all, solid burger, the patty, pre-formed and consisting of short ribs and a special blend from Pat LaFrieda, was pretty solid, the flavor didn't stand out really but the bites I had sans Roquefort were pretty tasty.

THE FRIES despite how delicious they looked were truely matchstick shoestrings and suffered under the weight of my usually heavily applied ketchup. They couldn't really be grabbed and smushed together and used as a little ketchup broom like most other fries and that kind of hurt the cause, though they were crispy and light and covered in a relatively subtle rosemary spicing in addition to some nicely fried thin slices of garlic clove.


Definitely reccommended but ask for no Roquefort if you're having doubts, taste someone else's and if you like it, go back get it again with the stinky cheese. Chef April Bloomfield used to not let you customize the burger so go get it with no cheese before she changes her mind. As a result it's either Roquefort or nothing.

Enjoy the burgery-goodness.

NYC EATS on Flickr.com[/b]

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I would never steer you wrong. I live for good eats.