Burgermania

Everywhere we go these days, all we see is burgers. Big juicy burgers graced the covers of this month’s Saveur and Food & Wine at the local grocery checkout; mini burgers and fries are all the rage on wedding menus; and sliders of all varieties are hot menu items in all sectors.

They’ve even hit serious food circuit – renowned French Chef Hubert Keller of San Francisco’s Fleur de Lys introduced the FleurBurger 5000 (referencing the $5000 price tag) at his Mandalay Bay outpost in Vegas. Keller’s burger indulgence features a Kobe beef patty topped with foie gras and black truffles, which is served on a brioche truffle bun and garnished with a rich truffle sauce. The burger also comes with a bottle of 1990 Chateau Petrus, served in Ichendorf Brunello stemware. Rumor has it that whoever purchases this meal gets to keep the glass, and his or her dining partner gets a free burger as well.

As if that weren’t enough burgers have become objets d’art. Recently, a group of artists gathered at a Brooklyn, New York gallery to make art-themed burgers. Check out the artist’s statement about his Bernini Burger, in honor of 17th century sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini:

                     “This burger conveys a sense of motion, the suppleness 
                      of its materials, and a dramatic flair. A beef patty, fleshy
                      and rounded, surmounted by flowing draperies of prosciutto,
                      a cloud of goat cheese, and a splash of the finest extra-virgin
                      olive oil. St. Teresa herself never felt such an ecstasy as this
                      burger will provide.”

Did Bernini just roll in his grave?

Fleurburger 5000