I have a love-hate relationship with burgers. As a chef I can’t stand them. As a chef getting off from work and drinking a Miller High Life or 5, I love them.  I mean I love the simple kind. Not the hand massaged, stressed free, pork fat infused, steak sauce marinated, fines herb buttered, pampered pucks of organic grass and hopp fed hipster beef.  

I prefer the pan fried, steroid pumped, corn fed, fatty as hell, indulged pucks of beef that are pan fried till nicely caramelized and topped with a proper cheese. If it’s two thin patties, even better. But what I really like about these types of burgers is the proper beef to bun ratio. Not too much bread, just enough mass to harness the beef and soak up all of that delicious fat and Champagne of beers.

So, it’s always a challenge to put a great burger on the menu, even harder if half of your adult life you have worked in Italian kitchens.  What we ended up with is a truffled taleggio-stuffed shortrib burger with aioli, beefsteak tomatoes and crispy guanciale on a brioche bun, available during DC Burger Week (July 22-29). It’s a cheesy, rich, delicious mess—in the best way possible.

Almost makes me rethink my fast food burger.