heaven knows what you've got to prove...

Tonight's Tuesday Night Burger Club convened at the delightful Stand, right near the heart of NYU.




To navigate a long day in the classrooms, the unwinding with a nice treat is the proverbial carrot at the end of the stick that gets me through the day. Couple that with Stand's 'Off Peak' deal combo of burger + draught beer, and it's something that not even a movie delving into the cannibalism that occurred during WWII could shatter my appetite.

The milieu of the restaurant was quite chic, indeed Jonathan Morr's influence (of Republic fame) is not unnoticed. Thankfully (perhaps because it was "off peak", being only 5pm), Stand was not nearly as crowded nor as noisy; Madelyn and I were able to lazily chat about James Bond and, when the right songs appeared, let Garbage bring us back to the 90s. But just as Republic took the concept of Noodle Bar and made it New York-trendy, so too does Stand elevate the burger.

I ordered the classic with cheddar, and just as the picture may show, was not disappointed. A personal favorite of mine is when places ask "how do you want your burger?" and because I love making a mess, I always say "medium rare." Some people tell me that I'm rolling the dice, that one of these days I'll get sick. But I've lived through food poisoning before, and enjoying a meal now seems a worthy return for possible trouble later.

When Stand first opened, it was criticized, basically, for a shitty bun. Since then, that problem has been wonderfully addressed. The brioche bun absorbs so much of juices that the patty drips, it's like a second slab of meat. Yet, it holds its integrity. Thick on all accounts, one may feel it's a little overwhelming to wrap one's mouth around (insert joke here). And while I wish, after last week, I could say I am a pickle convert, today I was left plucking them out. The onion, lettuce, and tomato, as per usual, partnered wonderfully. Their homemade ketchup was a surprising treat as well, full of tomato-y flavor (for the less inclined, the table keeps heinz, mayo, and mustard on hand as well), I was quite the fan, slathering on a second layer. And while I've had, heartier, tenderer, richer, or heavier patties, Stand has a unique seasoning and flavor that deserves mentioning. To get a better understanding of it, perhaps to try and unlock it for my own, I took long bites of just the meat, letting it wash over my taste buds. Indeed, I may try to recreate it one of these days.
*Side note: I was supposed to get my beer half off since it was happy hour and when I brought this to the attention of my waiter (the bill charged us full price) he didn't fix it, he dropped the beer from the bill completely. And that's how you earn an extra tip. And to think I usually only like to tip extra nice when my waitress is extra cute.

I paired my burger, as you may recall, with a regional draught beer. Though the menu was not up to date with what they had on tap, I enjoyed a Weyerbacher Hops Infusion, described as "big, hops, spice, citrus". It was quite good; as indicated it had hints of sweet fruit to it which made me think of summer days (a nice reprieve from the dreadful cold). I also just love that their draught beers are of these regional sorts, letting me try beer I normally don't encounter. I'd go back and keep pairing burgers and beers until I had exhausted my options, if I could.

Madelyn and I split both an order of shoestring fries and onion rings. The shoestring fries were definitely something to get if it's what you're into, crisp and salty. Similar in many regards to potato sticks, except these actually taste like potatoes. Personally, I enjoy an airier and fluffier texture inside so I'd probably go back to the regular french fries. The onion rings, after last week's discovery, were lighter and, ultimately, forgettable. A little too salty for my pallet and I was a little too underwhelming in flavor department (hardly tasting like the fried vegetable they're supposed to be). Their texture was divine, however; exactly how onion rings should come out: crisp, light, batter clinging to the onion for dear life. If I weren't worried the juice was sog everything it came in contact with (and that half of it wasn't gone in approximately 5 seconds), I probably would have considered placing a ring or two on my burger, for a little contrasting texture and added decadence. Live and learn.

Stand is a wonderfully upscale casual place that any burger connoisseur should check out. While I would not think of it as a first date place (again, a lot of dripping meat and fried sides), think of it like a place to take your girlfriend for a date, after dinner for two has kinda faded from the norm. It's nice, fun, and makes hamburgers feel like the grown up food they could be.