Minutes from the August 2010 Burger Club meeting
Location: Monk’s Cafe in Philadelphia
In Attendance: Jeff Jaffe, Tess Kristensen, Amy Leis, Ron Miller
Absent: Andrew Brown
First point of order: voting on Chris Geczy’s club membership.
Sustenance: A plate of pommes frites with bourbon mayonnaise for dipping and a bucket of Red Light mussels cooked in Hoegaarden with chile peppers, chervil and garlic.
Pros: Chris has both a great palate and sense of humor. He’s smart and most importantly for club membership, a good eater–willing to try new things and share from his plate.
Cons: Chris’ work schedule makes it difficult for him to attend club meetings.
Vote: Chris’ nomination was accepted, however he will have to actually attend an official meeting before he becomes a confirmed member of the club.
Sustenance consensus: The pommes frites were a hit. We would return just for the sauce. We expected the mussels to be a bit more spicy given the description. They were tasty, but didn’t realize their potential.
Second point of order: do we need to order the same kind of burger at each restaurant, replicating our burger experience?
Consensus: Nope. As long as we choose what we think is best on the menu, the comparison is valid. We don’t need to order the exact thing each time as long as the most excellent menu offerings are selected.
Third point of order: the burgers
Ron had a Trappist burger made with goat cheese, lettuce, tomato and raw onion.
Jeff’s Abbot burger had boursin cheese and sprouts.
Tess ordered the classic Monk’s burger with caramelized leeks and blue cheese.
I had the Antwerp which featured shiitake mushrooms and truffle cheese.
Fourth point of order: evaluating the burgers
A very lengthy discussion ensued as we tried to construct an instrument that would allow us to measure each burger, assign them a score and then rank them against past burgers. Our variables definitely included the bun, topping and burger, but we were unsure if we should include a presentation/service quotient as a tie breaker and/or additional variable. Also, we couldn’t decide on whether each variable should be weighted. Does the burger count more than the bun versus the topping? What about the subjective experience of eating it altogether? Is the sum of a burger greater than each of its parts?
Consensus: our homework is to draw up what we think is the best evaluation matrix and present it at the next meeting
Overall, we prefer the Butcher & Singer burger over the one from Monk’s Cafe. To its credit, the Monk’s burger isn’t greasy and the goat cheese on the Trappist burger added a layer of flavor and creaminess. However, the burger meat looked like it wasn’t fully ground up and it lacked a certain spark. It was good, but simple and already second in our quest for the best Philly burger.
Odd meeting note: We discussed holding our next Burger Club meeting in the evening so we could drink while enjoying the burgers. That night, a bus plowed into the front of Monk’s Cafe. Luckily, no one was seriously injured. Monk’s will be fully re-open for business in September. Even if you don’t love their burgers, it’s worth a visit just for the beers and pommes frites.
Have your own favorite burger joint we should visit? Leave a message about it in the comments!
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Amy! your entry is great! I really enjoyed reading it, and recounting the Monk’s experience. The pictures were great as well. Looking forward to future posts and BC meetings!
Ooh! I love Monk’s. I walked by a couple weeks ago, after the bus incident and they had a sign that said “We’re still open. Come around the side entrance on the alley. The password is SEPTA.”