We all have favorite restaurants: the good ole’ standbys for every occasion that we frequent as often as our wallets allow. But then, there are the favorite dishes. Those are the dishes that we’ll go to a restaurant just for that dish. The rest of the menu is good, but it’s the one dish that keeps us coming back. And tempt us away from trying anything new.
In no particular order, here’s my list of 10 favorite dishes in Boston:
No. 1: The Burger at the Bristol Lounge in the Four Seasons. Hands-down, this is the best burger in Boston. How do I love thee, let me count the ways:
1. The burger is always cooked perfectly….. Too often, with a lesser burger, I order medium rare and it comes out well done. At most places, I hedge my bets on how accurate the chef is… if I order rare will it come out raw or well done? At the Bristol Lounge it always comes out perfect. And it’s never overly charred. That “flame-broiled” business is a hoax. The gas grills of most restaurant kitchens give an off-flavor to the meat
2. …and seasoned perfectly. For those of you who have partaken of my salt experiments, you know that food seasoned before cooking tastes “better seasoned” than that which has been seasoned at the table. And this burger is always seasoned in the kitchen
3. The Fries are thin, crispy and salty! And if you ask, they will even substitute the truffle parmesan fries which bring the burger to a whole new level of euphoria.
4. The mustard is so good that I end up dipping my fries in that instead of ketchup which is my usual condiment. And often I use mayonnaise as well, and as would be expected, theirs’ is homemade, light, creamy and sparkling with a hint of lemon.
To be sure, it’s an expensive burger. At $20, you could get 4 burgers at Bartley’s and still come out ahead. But how else can you get the service and refinement of the Four Seasons, and still walk away with a full wallet.