Burger Heaven #1: Christopher’s

5 out of 5 Olives

Ok ladies and gents, its time for one of my favorite dishes known to date. Upon starting on our New Jersey burger tour, Gabriella and myself decided to start with Christopher’s ½ lb. brioche short rib burger. Before we move on, I would like to hand you a napkin to wipe off the drool that just emanated from your mouth after just hearing the name of this tasty creation.

Since Gabriella lives down the street from the Heldrich Hotel in New Brunswick , we took the short walk over and sat down at the eating establishment that would forever change the way I looked at the classic meal that is a hamburger.
But I’m not here to tell you how nice and classy of an establishment Christopher’s is, I mean let’s be honest, if you’ve made it this far, you’re here to hear about the complex flavor warzone that went on in my mouth.

Let’s start with principles, the bun that is. The burger is nestled between two thick pieces of buttered Texas brioche toast that have a tremendous impact on the way in which you enjoy the burger. You might be saying, who cares, bread is bread. Wrong. Hear me out: when you have toppings that consist of perfectly caramelized onions, fried parsley, roasted tomato mayo, and oh yeah BRAISED SHORT RIB, bread MATTERS. The thick buttery outsides soak the flavors of the justly married toppings that sit on the ½  lb. organic beef burger and constantly remind you with every bite that you’ll never look at a burger the same way again.

For those of you who get into the nitty gritty when it comes down to beef, Christopher’s patty is 85% lean and 15% fat. I prefer my burger Medium Rare that leaves room for the toppings to immerse themselves with the beef and yield this unique and rich finish.

Upon first sight, you might tell yourself that there’s just too much going on for you to enjoy the burger itself. Wrong yet again. After your first bite of this thing of beauty, you will look forward to every subsequent bite with the same bit of excitement as the very first time. To be quite honest, just writing about my experience reminds me that it has been too long since I’ve experienced this exact feeling…

Tip: Don’t know what to pair it with? My drink of choice with any burger is always and will always be a cold and refreshing beer. Now with a world of possibilities you might be wondering which one to choose. My suggestion would either be some sort of pale ale or lager and for two different reasons. If you have separation anxiety and don’t want to let go of the combustion of flavors that went on in your mouth 30 second ago, any pale ale will pair the taste of ribs and onions with it’s hops perfectly and keep you smiling.Lagers on the other hand provide that clean finish that will cleanse your palette and get your ready to experience the next bit like it’s your first.

So my friends, today I provide you with the rare and first 5 olive rating for this dish, the standard when it comes for subsequent food ratings on this blog. Quite unanimously, Gabriella and myself knew it was a 5 olive worthy burger after coming to the realization that we didn’t speak during the first 15 minutes of our meal. Silence is always the best judge.