Once in a great while, something so grand takes over our taste buds that it evokes a flood of fond, uncontrollable memories so vivid it could have been yesterday. Thoughts of birthday surprises, the first time you tasted a silky smooth treat, victories won by your favorite sports team, your first child or high performance sports car and/or whatever it was that moved you in some manner.
In this case, what I experienced was something that only any true bar-loving carnivore would custom design in his/her dreams: a wonderfully grilled bundle of hand-packed beef perfection, a heap of house made chips and waffle fries, a smorgasbord of specialty toppings, a glorious beer and booze selection, friendly and tatted wait staff and all the while under auditory fire of symphonic death metal.
This last Saturday, in the midst of the Chicago St. Paddy’s Day celebrations, my culinary cohort and I ventured west to one of the previously hidden gems in the city – the corner known as Kuma’s on Belmont and Francisco. Recently gaining popularity due to the Blagojevich burger (topped with plenty o’ bologna), Kuma’s has exploded on the scene in the past few months and has aptly held the title of best burger in quite a few publications since. And for good reason.
While waiting, which I’ll get to later, what’s fun is to peruse the entire burger menu that features sandwiches named after heavy metal bands, spanning the decades with the lesser known acts of today to metal icons of the past. Being a bit of a metalhead myself, I can’t help but let my feelings towards a band somewhat influence my decision. Sorry Melvins.
I ordered the YOB burger (named after the Oregon-based doom metal band), which includes a hefty beef patty topped with a melted slice of thick smoked gouda cheese, bacon strips, about a quarter of a roasted red pepper and a smear of roasted garlic mayo. Excellent combinations, with the smoked cheese and bacon really drawing out the umami of the meat. My cohort ordered the 10oz. Pantera burger, equally impressive with its toppings, which included roasted pablano pepper, bacon, cheddar and Monetary Jack cheese, ranchero sauce and tortilla strips!
Like when Uncle Buck was flipping pancakes with an industrial snow shovel, Miles and Maizy’s faces couldn’t have captured our emotion better when the bartender finally slide those plates towards are greeting eyes.
I ordered mine medium, which is obviously one of the first characteristics being evaluated in terms of taste when you finally bite into the meat. A perfectly pink interior was present and you could tell the meat was fresh and not frozen. The bun was toasted accordingly.
The real point of difference for me was the divine marriage between the toppings and the meat, which I feel is truly the identifying feature that separates this burger from anything else I’ve tasted. Unlike a Kobe beef taste that steals the show, or a pool of mustard Nothing overpowered another offering a lasting balance. And I still prefer mine sans shrubbery...because there’s especially nothing that metal about lettuce.
In addition, the experience of Kuma’s goes beyond just simple foodie delights; it’s the entire exposure of the bar (yes, this is pretty much metal bar first; grill second).
In fact, nearly everything about Kuma’s is pretty damn awesome. The bear logo is wicked, the entire space holds probably no more than 70 people max, the kitchen is open and holds extremely small quarters with room for no more than three line cooks, there always seems to be a ton of locals in attendance, and even though the music is always of the metal variety, I’m not sure the burgers would taste as good any other way.
Alas, as previously mentioned, definitely arrive early or don’t come with an empty stomach – the wait was more than an hour each time I’ve arrived during typical “off hours.” Or if you’re lucky you can cozy up to the bar and hope to grab a seat, but beware because the locals are present and hungry. Likewise, if you have a party of more than four, better luck next time since they only have one table that has more than four seats.
Obviously I give this a perfect 5 out of 5 bun rating and would attempt to give it more if possible. Metal Mania!
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