BLT Burger

The perfect meal can come in many forms, of course. My dinner at Alinea this past summer was definitively, spectacularly, perfect—probably the best meal of my life. But I'd also call dinners I've had at Megu, and wd-50, perfect... and, for other, various reasons, meals at Resto Leon, S'Mac, Ushi Wakamaru, Puff and Pao, Otto, Momofuku, Pizza Bar, Gyu Kaku, the Dorset Inn for my Mom's 60th birthday, not to mention Roasted Salmon here at home with Bo and Co, and a certain Chicken with Eggplant I've only ever had on E10. Anyone could make such a list.

Anyway, what I'm really try to say is this: last Saturday evening, hungry, chilly and alone, I stumbled into the soft opening of BLT Burger (now "officially" open, and on Sixth Avenue between 10th and 11th Streets), and wolfed an absolutely perfect cheeseburger, fries and milkshake dinner. The burger—I got the "classic"—was perfect: charred and meaty and juicy, topped with pickles and fresh lettuce and tomato. Maybe the bun was a little squishy... or maybe I'm looking too hard to find something wrong. The fries: perfect. I ordered the waffle variety, and they came lightly dusted with something spicy and were crisp and thick and flavorful. And my milkshake? Perfect! I had strawberry/chocolate, and it was smooth and sweet and delicious. The whole thing cost about $20 with tip, which is pretty good for sit-down dinner and dessert in that part of town.

The BLT stands for Bistro Laurent Tourondel, and he was in the house that Saturday night (as opposed to minding other kitchens in his burgeoning BLT empire of Steak, Prime, and Fish) and, for one night at least, he's serving up casual, tasty, perfection.






UPDATE. I went back again tonight and, if anything, my meal was even better. This time I had the "BLT Burger"—two patties, bacon, green peppercorn sauce—and it was unbelievably juicy and tasty... better than the classic. The "hand cut" fries weren't as good as the waffles, but they were still hot and skinny and fresh and crunchy. And the milkshake? Oh my god, the Mocha Mudslide was like sucking ice cream heaven. By the way, both times the service has been warm and attentive and friendly. Not surprisingly, the place was nearly full even at 5:30 when I ate, and totally mobbed when I walked by later, at around 9:00.