Brace yourself. Keith McNally, arguably New York’s reigning restaurateur since bestowing Balthazar and the late Pastis upon the city, is opening a new restaurant, Cherche Midi (282 Bowery; 212-226-3055; cherchemidiny.com), on Friday, and will serve a hamburger.
Of course, with McNally, it’s not just any burger, but rather a beef-and-bun combo that’s posed to dominate food-focused chatter in the months to come — a burger you’ll want to familiarize yourself with so as to not feel lacking while sipping rosé and having inane conversations at summer rooftop parties. In short, the Prime Rib Burger, as it’s officially called on the menu, is poised to be the new “it” burger, thanks to its uniquely funky, intensely meaty flavor.
“Everybody wants to know what it is,” says Mark Pastore, the president of Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors, who created the special meat blend for the burger and said he’s already being hounded by food bloggers for info. “I think it will be the next big burger.”
In a meaty Post exclusive, Pastore reveals that the patty is made from a blend of aged prime rib (which is also on the menu as an entree) and fresh short rib. A slightly thicker grind than the usual burger helps give it an especially pleasing, juicy mouth feel.
Pat LaFrieda meats also helped McNally create another “it” burger — the $28 Black Label Burger at Minetta Tavern — but Pastore says this new burger, which is a relative bargain at $21, is distinct.
“It’s pretty different,” he says. “The short rib gives you that beef flavor.”
“It took months of trial and error to achieve,” says Cherche Midi chef Shane McBride.
By comparison, the Black Label Burger has no short rib but rather brisket, chuck, strip steak, a little rib-eye and a greater percentage of aged beef. “It’s sweeter,” Pastore says of the pricey classic.
Another key difference is how the Prime Rib Burger is served. It’s topped with aged Gruyere, bacon marmalade and roasted mushrooms, while the Black Label is a strictly no-cheese affair topped with caramelized onions. The slightly pungent cheese plays well off the burger’s funkiness, the mushrooms meld into the umami bomb of it all, and the marmalade adds a touch of salty sweetness.
Cherche Midi chefs McBride and Daniel Parilla say the new burger’s accoutrements really distinguish it from other great McNally burgers.
“The toppings came out of the fact that we wanted it to be different from the other burgers we do at the other restaurants,” says McBride.
The end result is a burger “that has multiple layers of flavor,” McBride says. It’s “rich, gamey, slightly sweet from the caramelized crust and of course salty.”
But don’t take his — or our — word for it. Go to Cherche Midi. Order the burger. Do not be convinced by menacing dining companions who suggest splitting it. This is a specimen that merits thorough, first-hand research.