![]() or after 9 p.m., depending on the location. ![]() The most popular form of hamburgers, according to Field, are the three mini cheeseburgers served during “Power Hour” at the chain’s bars, usually between 5 and 7 p.m. “If you have a luxury brand, you need to update the concept of to attract new guests in the down economy with a lower check, but still maintain your brand.”īurgers at Morton’s are made with 100 percent beef from Stockyard Packing or Allen Brothers Packing in Chicago. “It’s the quintessential low-cost comfort food in America,” he explains. “A riesling or muscato also offers a nice contrast to the hearty burgers,” she notes.Īt Morton’s The Steakhouse, the burger trend was definitely sparked by the economy, says Tylor Field, III, vice president of wine and spirits at the 76-location chain. Light pinot noirs also work with turkey and chicken burgers, but she has three full-bodied Chardonnays that can also pair with the offerings. Cohen suggests something from her red wine selection for the heartier meats, including the Trapiche Malbec ($7) or the Rock & Vine Cabernet Sauvignon ($10). “Previously people who had the desire for a great glass of wine were defaulting to iced tea.”īig Daddy’s doesn’t have specific burgers paired with specific wines at this time-instead it’s something of a hand sell. “We saw wine sales increase by three percent in the first week of the new menu,” she explains. The new menu, which was redesigned to show off the new wine options, touts “It’s a BIG burger, so it’s a BIG glass of wine.” The menu features 17 wines, served by the eight-ounce glass ($6 to $13) and bottle ($17 to $38). The burger and wine trend is helping revitalize an industry hurt by the down economy and is giving consumers the comfort they are looking for in an accessible and surprisingly often upscale way.īeer, the traditional go-to drink for burger lovers, is getting some healthy competition from wine as consumers seek out new pairing synergies and look to add a more complex flare to their meals.Īt Big Daddy’s, Cohen recently updated the burger bar’s wine list to encourage more experimentation. “Burgers pair really well with a great glass of wine.” ![]() “A gourmet burger is a steak between two great pieces of bread,” adds Ashli Cohen, beverage director for the two-location Big Daddy’s Burger Bar in Charlotte, North Carolina. When you start down the path of top-quality burgers, people immediately start experimenting with new quaffs and wine is inching up on beer as favorite pairing. “Across the board, chefs are using similar techniques to those they use to create other dishes for their burgers and customers really respond to it.” “There has been a general awareness or concerted effort in the restaurant industry to not just treat burgers as an afterthought,” says Chris Santos, executive chef at Stanton Social in New York City, a modern American restaurant. Enter a down economy and a general population looking for more comfort food options on its nights out, and you have an entire industry creating top-of-the-line burgers at (sometimes) affordable prices. The artisan burger trend began some years ago and can be linked to famed restaurateurs like Danny Meyer, CEO of the New York City-based Union Square Hospitality Group, whose Shake Shack burger concept in a downtown park redefined the fast food burger in New York City, and Daniel Boulud, who memorably charged $75 for a burger topped with truffles at DB Bistro Moderne in New York and the Daniel Brasserie in Las Vegas. Instead, they’re taking center stage at restaurants across the country and are being transformed into artfully crafted main dishes that pair well with a variety of wines. Burgers-the quintessential American fare-are no longer relegated to the backyard barbecue.
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