Las Vegas chefs have blown away the most famous question in advertising — where’s the beef? — with burger restaurants that catapult the icon of American cooking into the culinary stratosphere. Not only beef but also turkey, salmon, foie gras, veggies, and any other edibles that can be ground and formed into a patty sizzle on grills previously reserved for prime filets. But hold onto your hats! The blast off of this quintessential American food is a French revolution, fueled by a discontented French “farmer,” ignited by a French chef with ties to Vegas and Manhattan, and skyrocketed by another French chef entrenched in San Francisco and Vegas.
THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
Burger Revolutionary… Daniel Boulud
• Daniel Boulud Brasserie Wynn Las Vegas
Marquée chef Daniel Boulud launched gourmet burgers. “When McDonald’s opened its first restaurant in France,” he remarked, “there was a so-called farmer who protested and tried to burn down stores. John Tierney, a reporter from The New York Times, called me about it; and I joked that the guy was just jealous the French didn’t think of it first. Then he (Tierney) asked me if I liked burgers, and I told him ‘yes’ and said, ‘If you want, I’ll make one for you’. So I did. That was 2001, and we introduced the DB Burger at DB Bistro Moderne on 44th Street in Manhattan.”
Describing his burger as a “hybrid,” Boulud elaborated. “It’s a classic French dish of meat from braised ribs with foie gras and truffles stuffed inside a classic American burger,” he explained. “The ribs are braised in red wine and veal stock, and the meat is pulled off. I add truffles and a mire pois (mix of finely diced vegetables) of onions, carrots, and celery, and wrap it all with ground sirloin.”
Local Brasserie Executive Chef Wesley Holton revealed more details. “We use three different cuts of beef with different fat content and different flavor,” he said. “The burger weighs about 9.5 ounces total. We serve it on a parmesan bun with freshly grated horseradish, Dijon mustard, frisée, shaved red onions, tomato compote, a fresh tomato petal of Roma tomato and homemade pommes frites…but no pickles. In truffle season (November-December), we do a truffle burger and shave black truffles over the top and add truffle aioli.”
Burger Master…Hubert Keller
• Burger Bar Mandalay Place
In 2004, star French chef Hubert Keller elevated the burger to celebrity status when he opened his pub-style Burger Bar at Mandalay Place. “It was more an accident than deliberate,” he revealed. “Fleur de Lys (his haute cuisine restaurant at Mandalay Bay) was under construction, but there were delays. Bill Richardson (former vice chairman of Mandalay Resort), a regular customer at Fleur de Lys in San Francisco, phoned and said a tenant at Mandalay Place hadn’t come through and would I take a look at the space and do something with it. Laurent (Executive Chef Laurent Paillard) and I checked it out and decided to take a chance and open a burger place.
“Nobody had had burger experience, but we were determined to make the best burger we could. We built our own butcher shop and applied fine dining techniques to the burgers. We weigh every burger (8 oz.). The ingredient prep and burgers are hand done. You have to treat it like prime filet or rib eye, sear it properly, watch it, and let it rest before you serve it so the juices and flavors organize.”
Burger Bar took off. “We’ve become a destination restaurant for locals, for visitors from all over, and even famous chefs. We can’t fall asleep because we’re successful. We’re constantly trying something new.”
Recent additions are the Hubert Keller Burger, his favorite — buffalo meat, caramelized onions, baby spinach, bleu cheese on a ciabatta bun; and a Peppercorn Burger (think burger au poivre), natural beef, fresh and dried peppercorns, Dijon mustard, a plain bun, with peppercorn cream sauce on the side. The most expensive burger ($60), the Rossini, combines Kobe beef, sautéed foie gras, shaved truffles, and Madeira sauce, on an onion bun. “We thought we’d only serve a few,” Keller admitted, “but we’re serving three to six a day.”
Keller’s ultimate burger reigns at Fleur de Lys. The “Fleurburger”-foie gras and black truffle-stuffed Kobe burger served on a brioche truffle bun and garnished with truffles and a special truffle sauce-commands a king’s ransom, $5,000. It’s accompanied by a bottle of Château Petrus 1995, poured in Ichendorf Brunello stemware exclusively imported from Sweden. The glasses are shipped to the guest’s home. They’ve served 17 since 2006.
The Third (French) Man...Laurent Tourondel
• BLT Burger Mirage
I interviewed Chef Laurent Tourondel while he was driving to Washington, D.C. to cook burgers for hotel magnates at J.W. Marriott. “It’s weird, isn’t it,” he commented, “taking beef and bread from New York because they’re different than what’s available in D.C. We premade everything yesterday in New York and will cook it tomorrow.”
He explained his restaurant’s name “BLT” was inspired by the sandwich. “I was at a diner eating a BLT,” he said, “and I realized it had my initials in it…Burger Laurent Tourondel. Burgers are what people want to eat and cost what they want to spend. There has definitely been a very strong comeback of the burger in the last two or three years. The anti-beef attitude has died down.
“We’ve developed burgers that accommodate people’s various preferences. We also serve them without bread. Bread shouldn’t overpower the flavor of the burger. It must blend and suit the purpose of classical burger taste. Americans like the classic burger. The BLT burger (yes, like the sandwich) is our #1 seller.”
THE VEGAS EXPLOSION
Once the French ignited the fuse, the burger phenomenon exploded in Vegas.
• Le Burger Brasserie & Sports Grille
Paris
Although Le Burger Brasserie’s Executive Chef John Pascoe isn’t French, there’s definitely a French accent to some burgers — for beef, Le Paris with brie, Le Bleu with bleu cheese; for salmon, La Mer with lemon aioli, and La Normandie with mushrooms, provolone, and micro-anise; and Promenade with brie, smoked bacon, and caramelized shallots for chicken. They go crazy with the French Onion Burger, “Onion soup,” Pascoe joked, referring to the grilled red onions, caramelized white, and shallots, enveloped with Swiss cheese.
Most beef burgers are 100% Black Angus half-pound patties, ground in their own butcher shop. Domestic Kobe Wagyu is on the menu, too. He uses kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper for seasoning. “You’d be surprised how far just those two seasonings go,” he said. “We’re always creating new burgers. Our turkey burger is Thanksgiving in a bun.” He also revealed his success with sliders. “You need to do a fast flip with sliders,” he advised, “and we brush the top of the buns with butter.”
• Stripburger
Fashion Show Mall
The patio of Café Ba-Ba-Reeba at Fashion Show transformed into Stripburger. It’s protected by overhead “sails,” has misters to handle the heat, and wind walls to combat most inclement weather. The food is great; and, amazingly, no food item costs over $9.95.
General manager Michael Heid is understandably proud of the quality and value. “Classic Vegas was affordable,” he asserted. “You don’t have to change a lot to give quality at a good price now that times are tough. It’s fresh meat and hand-cut potatoes and veggies. Our beef is grain-fed from the Midwest.”
Their bleu cheese burger is so popular people bring in an ad to compare the photo to the real thing. “Our Vegas Veggie Burger is truly Vegan with no dairy,” Heid said. “We use Panko bread crumbs on our fried pickles which give texture and crunch. Our salsa is fire roasted. We even make our own potato chips,” he enthused. “For a touch of nostalgia, and because it beat out all the other candidates, we serve Good Humor ice cream. Only the white truck with bells is missing!”
• LBS
Red Rock
LBS is the burger outpost on the west side. Its décor reflects the mood of the food, starting with distressed brick walls and open-beam ceiling. Interstate route signs, real hides on the chairs, license plate ceiling and wall panels complete the look. You half expect cowboys to belly up to the replica of an old carved oak saloon bar.
Executive chef Anthony Meidenbauer has created some one-of-a-kind nibbles, including a potato “twister,” a spiral cut potato chip. “Our menu features fun stuff you won’t find elsewhere,” he said. “The fried cheesekurds hail from my home territory of upstate New York. The dipping sauce is made of herbed mayo, sweet pickle relish, sherry vinegar, and Tabasco.”
Their Vegan veggie burger has 27 secret ingredients mixed into Irish oatmeal, barley, steel-cut oatmeal, and quinoa, a South American grain with seven essential amino acids, and a garden’s worth of veggies. Their special Heinz catsup is organic. Beef burgers are made from “all natural” 21-day dry-aged Hereford beef. The entire menu is available “to go,” with three-, six-, and 12-pack “Bag O’ Burgers” sliders — a huge hit.
• Studio Café Burger Café
Mgm Grand
Studio Café at MGM Grand has spawned a “café-within-a-café.” Michael Omo, MGM’s assistant executive chef, cited the economy as fueling the burger bonanza. “Customers are more value sensitive,” he stated. “For everyday eating, they want fun, entertaining food. A burger is a meal between two halves of a bun.” He quoted staggering statistics…330 tons of burgers sold throughout the hotel annually and two tons a month at Studio Café Burger. (There are seven butchers on staff.) “We tasted and tested over 30 burgers, and only the best made it onto the menu,” he remarked.
With two 10-oz. Angus chuck burger patties as foundation, the “Boulevard Burger” weighs in as heavyweight champion. It’s loaded with Gruyère, Cheddar, Provolone, Velveeta, and Bleu cheeses, garlic mushrooms, hickory smoked bacon, tobacco onions, jalapeño ranch dressing, Mama’s tomato jam, lettuce, pickle, sweet red onions, and tomato slices, all piled on a brioche bun. This is a two-fisted, four-napkin, invite-your-friends and/or family challenge.
• Bellagio Burgers
Bellagio Executive Chef Edmund Wong heads the burger brigade for all Bellagio-controlled dining: the 24-hour Bellagio Café, Snacks, the pool café, and in-room dining. “There’s nothing more American than a burger,” he said. “Our chefs worked for weeks to get it right. We debated what kind of lettuce to use, whether to shred it or use leaves. We wanted the bun to be light and airy, so we use brioche dough. The buns change with the location: herb brioche in the Café, onion-potato for in-room service, rosemary at the pool café, and sesame at Snacks. We went through over 15 different sauces. We make our own pickles.
“We use Angus beef and blend 80% chuck roll and 20% brisket for better moisture and flavor and cook the burgers on a gas grill, not a flat top. The grill slopes over the flame; so after it’s seared, the burger can be moved to the right area for cooking rare to well done. Buns are buttered and toasted on the grill. The grill cook is very busy.”
Mapping Your Burger Attack
Now that you know the burger strongholds, let’s map our menu attack! Take a big appetite and wear elastic-waistband slacks!
• Studio Café Burger
Mgm Grand
Studio Café introduced us to the burger phenomenon and set the bar high. We’re talking thick, hearty, juicy, mouth-stretching burgers that span global cuisines — feta cheese, hummus, tabouli, and lemon tahini for Greek; buffalo mozzarella, pesto mayo, and marinara sauce for Italy; fiery Habeñero chow-chow and green chile relleno for the Mexican-inspired chili burger. The Chuck Wagon Chili Burger lowers the heat with chipotle chili, Cholula onions, and jalapeño pickles. Jack Daniel’s BBQ sauce authenticates the Hickory BBQ burger. Their buffalo bleu cheese burger is scrumptious.
Sides succeed, too — onion rings, tater tots, chili cheese fries, and waffle fries. House-made dill pickles thinly sliced lengthwise are delicious, too. A blast from the past, Velveeta cheese, 50-50 with ranch dressing, is addictive. Fried mozzarella sticks pair with rich, creamy marinara. Give in to over-the-top milkshakes — black cherry cinnamon, chocolate peanut butter pretzel, banana Foster, and triple chocolate overdose.
• Bellagio Café
Bellagio
Bellagio begins with basics…half-pound Angus beef burger, Atlantic salmon burger, and turkey burger, plus a crowd-pleasing smoked bacon BBQ cheddar burger, with bacon crisped as it should be. Then you choose toppings. We added sautéed mushrooms, guacamole, sautéed onions, and an egg over easy to the beef burger-overkill; left the turkey alone with its cranberry mayonnaise and lively alfalfa sprouts; and also enjoyed the salmon “as is” on a feta dill roll with cucumber relish and caper mayonnaise. We tackled parmesan fries and onion rings, crisp and tasty. They rate high marks for presentation, a platter anchored by the burger with fries in a mini deep-fry basket, cole slaw in its own bowl, and mini-cup of sauce.
• Burger Joint
The Flamingo
Burger Joint at The Flamingo straddles the gap between fast food and gourmet burgers. The menu sticks to the familiar. Choices of cheeses, toppings, and buns provide variety. Burgers come with unlimited fries, and the pesto bun is house made. Fourteen flat-screen TV’s surround the room. “We figured many guests would want to keep track of their favorite teams,” said vice president of food and beverage Christophe Jorcin. “They don’t miss a play.”
• Le Burger Brasserie
Paris
Burger Brasserie represents Franco-American culinary détente. This is the place for lamb burgers — Le Originale; Saveur with mushrooms, harissa mayo, fresh mozzarella, and herbs; and Le Mediterranean, feta cheese, kalamata olives, and avocado. The Blackjack burger deals a winning combination of onions, jalapeño peppers, jack cheese, and chipotle aioli. Poultry burgers combine white and dark meat (also the blend at other restaurants) for a more juicy, flavorful taste. Daily specials augment the menu.
For a burger binge, order “The Works Burger,” 14 toppings! For a burger splurge, indulge in the “777”, a $777 mammoth mound of Kobe beef, Maine lobster, caramelized onions, imported Brie, crispy pancetta, and 100-year-old balsamic. This extravagance includes a bottle of Dom Perignon Rosé Champagne. Otherwise, go for a shake — you can build your own from up to three flavors…ours was espresso, chocolate, and peanut butter. Or try a 100-oz. beer tower.
• BLT Burger
Mirage
BLT Burger is a pre- and post-show mecca. Their shakes are great…Berry Me, Mocha Mudslide, Twinkie Boy, Campfire Marshmallows, The Lunch Box, Nut Job. Spiked versions include “Grandma’s Treat” (Maker’s Mark) and “All Nighter” (Kahlua and Bailey’s). They have huge straws so you can slurp all the yummy immersed goodies.
The vibe is high — what else when the servers’ black T-shirts are emblazoned with “Shake it, don’t break it,” “If you are what you eat, I’m fast, cheap, and easy,” and “Double juicy.” There’s no joking about the food, however, although they need to ramp up the napkins, which don’t last through four bites.
The Baja, a spiced beef patty, supports Jack cheese, guacamole, tomatillo salsa, crispy tortilla chips, lettuce, tomato, and onions. Other savory choices are Tex-Mex, The Stripper (no bun), Veggie Falafel, and Asian “Bánh Mi.” Best bets for dessert are the valrhona chocolate praline cake and macaroon ice cream sandwich.
• Stripburger
Fashion Show Mall
Stripburger’s menu isn’t huge, but the quality-quantity-price value hits the jackpot.
Start with tangy, tart, crunchy pickle fries, guacamole and tortilla chips, and the chilled tomato soup with fresh basil — you could easily dive into a tureen and come up sated and smiling. The tantalizing aromas of the garlic fries are irresistible. Sweet potato fries are luscious. Munch a blue cheese burger, or hickory bacon or green chili cheeseburger, or three-of-a-kind mini-burgers, joined by a crispy fried “threesome” of pickles, onion strings, and fries.
They have thick shakes (carmelized banana with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream, especially), and “shakers” (with booze), and jumbo cocktails. Golfers will go for the Hole n’ One of midori, Absolut mandarin, lemon juice, with a pop rock rim. Save room for “Baby Cakes,” super-rich chocolate fudge or coconut.
• LBS
Red Rock
We lined up “cheeseburgers,” cheddar, brie, pepper jack, goat, Swiss, and bleu. Trust me, each cheese has a distinctive taste. Turkey also takes on a new personality from the cheeses. Their veggie burger list is long, creative, delicious, and another cheese stronghold. Go for the red onion marmalade. A “Billy Burger” celebrates Thanksgiving with turkey and cranberry-orange relish. For “build your own” burgers you choose the “meat,” number of patties, cheese, toppings, and sauces.
Their dessert menu is aptly named “Sugar Rush.” Chocoholics can flip a coin between All American chocolate cake and Warm Fudge brownie sundae. My mini-pie a la mode (a crumble crust apple) was outstanding. Drinks include a cookie crumble malt and root beer “from the tap” float. Cocktails spotlight retro favorites like Cuba Libras, Manhattans, Side Cars, and Rickeys, as well as four trendy “Adult Vitamin” drinks of a “sports beverage” with fresh juices, nectar, and either vodka or rum.
• Burger Bar
Mandalay Place
When all is said and done, the chef to beat in the burger race is Hubert Keller. Trust his talent or pick your basic burger, choose your bun, and run amok among 40 toppings grouped under garden, dairy, grill, farm, ocean, pantry, and earth; the last one lists various mushrooms at $1 and the ultimate French epiphany, black truffles, $30 for 1/3 oz. Sauces are sensational, including honey mustard (Dijon), ranch with attitude, red wine with shallots, and truffle. Fried zucchini is a must. So is a voluptuous milkshake: nutella, chocolate mint, vanilla peanut butter with Reeses pieces, or create your own blend. If you prefer beer, they pour over 125, including 24 on tap. “Sweet Burger” desserts layer decadent delights inside a cake doughnut with no hole. Burger Bar belongs on your bucket list. o
Postscript
There’s more.
Chef Bradley Ogden (Bradley Ogden, Caesars Palace) highlights meal-size burgers on the bar menu. Matthew Hurley, Executive Chef at CUT in The Palazzo, serves sliders blending two cuts of beef ground differently, —American Kobe really fine at one-fourth inch and NY steak, a chunky three-fourths inch. You’ll find hearty burgers at steak houses such as Delmonico (The Venetian), Smith & Wollensky (on the Strip), and Striphouse (Planet Hollywood), to mention a few.
Dig in!
