I have been obsessing about trying Palena’s cheeseburger for months. This burger has received so many accolades, and it can be found only minutes from our house on Connecticut Avenue in Cleveland Park. Robin encouraged me to bring closure to this food distraction, so we went to Palena for an early dinner.
I had eyes only for the cheeseburger when the menu appeared. A 7 ounce angus patty with a 60/40 fat ration is not lean beef. When a slice of sottocenere al tartufo cheese (off white mild cheese with truffles) is added to the ground beef with a schmear of garlic mayo and placed inside a brioche roll, you have quite an edible treat.
We asked if french fries came with the burger, and our server said ,”No, only a garnish of a curried cauliflower floret, a quarter slice of roasted beet, and a slice of a designer pickle.”
So we decided to split a caesar salad with organic romaine as a first -$13 - kaching.
A glass of a delicious Bordeaux (perhaps from Weygandt next door) - $12 - kaching.
A glass of deep plum Cote du Rhone - $13 - kaching.
Two cheeseburgers - $28 - kaching
Tax and tip - $20 - kaching
$86 to resolve an obsession. Cheaper than therapy.
I think McDonalds has cheeseburgers on its dollar menu next month.
A friend and I have gone on a burger crusade, trying out the myriad of "gourmet" burger joints (I put gourmet in quotes because none of the places we have visited had truffle anything) over the past year. And although each of them had something unique, none of them were really memorable.
ReplyDeleteI had a craving the other day for a good burger and didn't want to spend $10+, so I found myself at the nearest Five Guys. And with the first bite, I was reminded that for $5 and a smile, they've got the market cornered. Sometimes simple is just better. And damn yummy!