Hidden Gems

Most of the time a burger is a burger, but every once in a while you stumble upon something that delights and surprises the palate in a way that you never expected.  This month's burger outing was to a locale that most of us never even knew existed.  That is, the steakhouse on the second floor of the Fairway supermarket on the Upper West Side.

I had only been there a few times myself, and only for breakfast at that.  It has an open bistro feel that goes somehow untainted by the rack of cleanse formulas on the shelving unit opposite the tables.  Overall expectations for the food were moderate to low on the high end, which may have had something to do with why everyone moaned in ecstasy at the taste of the first bite.  We might have guessed that a self-proclaimed steakhouse would know how to flavor their meat.

There are only three options for "burger" on the menu: beef, turkey, and lamb with yogurt.  Needless to say, everyone here went with the beef (for fear of being expelled from BURGER CLUB for violation of the rules).  Two toppings are offered, gratis, with the burger as well.  You can choose anything from cheese to avocado to bacon - and that's not including the typical lettuce, tomato, and onions.

The bun, by the way, is just a bun.  Probably something they pull off their own store shelves.  BUT, the burger is so good that I just didn't care.  Neither did anyone else at the table for that matter.  For a bunch of girls out to eat meat, we have a surprising number of conversations about the buns on our burgers.  This month, they came up in conversation but once.

Also, also - did I mention that this burger is affordable?  At $13, we had pocket change leftover to invest in the homemade ice cream.  That's right - there is a manager who sits at a table in the corner and spins ice cream by hand in one of those machines you probably put on your wedding registry but never received.

The moral of the story is this: GO - just go to Fairway.  What are you waiting for, go!  Oh, you don't know where it is?  Go in the entrance by the cash registers and walk up the stairs.  You can't miss it.