Friday, February 27, 2015

5 Napkin Burger, Back Bay, Boston

Sometimes there is nothing, and I mean nothing, like a burger.  Grilled beef, sandwiched between buns...yeah there's some connotation there, and there should be.  When the craving hits- is there anything that satisfies the desire more?

However, on the flip side, there may not be anything more disappointing than an ill prepared burger.  Improper meat temperature, poorly put together, too many toppings, a flimsy bun...any of these can ruin the entire burger experience so finding the right spot to indulge is pretty critical.  You may have heard about this place, this New York founded spot that touts not only amazing burgers but also options for those of your party not jonesing for the escalated sandwich.  5 Napkin Burgers is delivering not only tasty burgers, but a host of other dishes encompassing a wide range of desires.

We started out exploration of the new offerings with a sampling of their appetizers: a Pesto Flatbread, Soy Bean Hummus, onion rings and Rhode Island style calamari complete with those fried peppers.  It would be incredibly difficult to find fault here.  The flatbread had a warm, crisp crust, topped with garlicky and salty pesto then smothered in cheese and tomato...how can you go wrong?  The onion rings were a sight to be seen, arriving at the table, golden circles stacked upon each other.  Their batter fried to perfection and yielding as you bit into each one with a satisfying crunch. The batter didn't overwhelm the onion, nor the onion overwhelm the batter and, best of all, the fry didn't permeate each bite with that harsh reminder that those delicious rings are, in fact, an indulgence.  My favorite here however, was the Soy Bean hummus.  The natural nutty flavor of the beans was preserved and paired with the refreshing crisp of peppery radishes.  It was an appetizer packing in nutrients that you can feel great about ordering.

I elected to have the turkey burger, topped with asiago cheese, pepper relish, pesto mayo and a slice of roasted tomato.  One of the things I love about 5 Napkins is their options for sides with their burgers- instead of being forced into fried accompaniments, here there are a host of options to enhance your meal.  I chose their tomato, avocado and cotija cheese salad.  I gotta say this was the MOST flavorful turkey burger I've ever had.  The combination of the salty asiago, the pesto mayo and the pepper relish packed a wallop.  The burger itself was juicy and well seasoned.  I loved the light feeling of the tomato salad.  Not dressed at all, the true fresh flavors of the ingredients shone on their own.  

Now no burger meal would be complete without a frappe.  I'm going to
assume that you all have not been to Kimball's Ice Cream and explain that a frappe is a milk shake that incorporates ice cream.  I realize that in the rest of the world a milk shake has ice cream but around here a milk shake is milk and syrup so from here on out- we're chatting frappes. 5 Napkin offers a wide array of frappes- think S'More (WITH a toasty marshmallow!), or Cookies 'N Cream, or Salted Caramel...

5 Napkin Burger is a large scale restaurant with a neighborhood vibe.  If you're looking for a great burger, or perhaps tacos or chicken and waffles - their menu is extensive with something for everyone.  So go, head on over and try out all of their new offerings!  

    

1 comment:

Kristen said...

loved this night!

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