First Impressions of Crave
By: Mr. Wilson on
August 18, 2011
My father ordered the stuffed pepper jack burger ($7.50) and a side of sweet potato fries ($2.50). I went for the black and blue burger ($7.50) with waffle fries ($1.50). The fries come with dipping sauce.
My dad enjoyed his burger. He noted that he wouldn't have minded if it were spicier. He's a sucker for sweet potato fries so he was fine there as long as they didn't screw up the frying time.
I had the black and blue burger. I'm pretty torn about what to say here. Let's start with the good. It was a very tasty burger. The meat was very juicy and quite tasty. The bun, from Le Quartier, was very nice in a simple, understated sort of way. The lettuce was fresh and green. And the pepperjack cheese had a pleasant flavor.
But wait ... pepperjack cheese on a black and blue burger? Yeah, about that...
See, I liked my burger. It was a very tasty burger. It just wasn't a black and blue burger. A black and blue burger requires three things: a hamburger patty, black pepper, and blue cheese -- real blue cheese, the crumbly stuff, not that creamy goop that masquerades as blue cheese. Other components are possible -- bacon being a very notable acceptable addition -- but you have to get those three things right. On my burger black pepper was not a major component. And the blue cheese? There were two big problems. The first is that it was a sauce rather than crumbles. The second is that I'm not even convinced that what was on my burger even WAS blue cheese. It sure tasted and looked an awful lot like the ranch dipping sauce I was using for my waffle fries. If there's any crime worse than using creamy quasi-blue cheese instead of blue cheese crumbles, it's pretending that ranch is blue cheese! Now, I'm not actually going to go so far as to make that accusation. My eyes and taste buds have lied to me before. But what was on my plate didn't walk like a blue cheese duck or quack like a blue cheese duck, so I don't think it was a blue cheese duck.
My waffle fries were delicious. They were fried relatively soft (but not undone), just the way I like them. The seasoning was tasty and not over-applied. And I love the fact that you can choose from a list of sauces to join your fries.
All in all, Crave makes tasty, if pricey, burgers. They have some refinement work to do, but given the neighborhood and their neighbors I think they fill an appropriate niche. Hollenbeck Farms has got themselves a great new way to market their products.
Comments
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Thanks for the warning about the black and blue burger - I’ll think twice before ordering that (it’s usually my go-to burger.)
Do they sell their meat products there as well? We are huge fans.
Not that I could tell. They do advertise their products, though. Each booth has a little holder on the wall with several brochures in it.
Maybe they just know that blue cheese is disgusting. 😊
I’m with Gene. Blue Cheese is nasty.
Blue cheese is totally awesome. You probably deserved no blue cheese for using ranch on your fries though. Ketchup only, good sir.
Misty’s has a great black and blue burger.
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