5 Napkin Burger. Photo: tomcensani via flickr.

Of course, the original 5 Napkin Burger was conceived at Nice Matin. So in a way this stylish patty is simply coming home.

Our very own burger sleuth was on hand this weekend for the “friends and family” meal that takes place right before the official opening. Here’s her report:

Because of the layout, the space seems smaller and more intimate than the 9th Avenue one, but in fact it has about 95 seats compared to 110 or so there. And I was told the bar is actually bigger. Same menu, of course. I think it will be wildly popular, and there will be outdoor tables once it gets warm.

We had the iceberg lettuce salad with French dressing (I think that’s what it’s called on the menu, but it seems like “Russian dressing” to me. It was just like the only “salad” my father ate, a wedge of iceberg with ketchup/mayo….) The fried pickles & pastrami, so much better than it sounds and so indulgent—as most of the  menu is, though they did try to interest us in some of the sushi/wraps/etc. But that’s not the point!

I shared the iconic burger. The fries are delicious, and I got a side of creamed spinach (yummy). Seven-layer cake for dessert.

They have all those amazing milkshakes on the dessert menu—maybe once it’s open, they’ll offer those with the meal too? I could imagine stopping there in the afternoon for a milkshake as a treat (or having one of them with the burger if you wanted to go that way).

Five Napkin Burger, 2315 Broadway, nr. 84th St.; 212-333-4488

Related posts:

1. Upper West Side + Hell’s Kitchen: Burger at 5 Napkin Burger Disappoints
2. 5 Napkin Burger: A Second Taste at the Upper West Side Locale
3. 5 Napkin Burger, ‘Wichraft Open on Upper West Side

The initial reviews for the new meat-eaters emporium were mixed.  Sorry to say, the burger I sampled a couple of weeks ago apparently hasn’t improved much from the June version

As culinary historian Andy Smith, who has just penned a new tome, Hamburger: A Global History ,says, “burgers need to be juicy” to reach their level of perfection.  The one I bit into at 5 Napkin, though ordered medium rare, turned out dry and overcooked.  Needless to say, this is not OK at a join that  bills itself as a specialist in the art of preparing a great hamburger.

As for the comte that tops the burger, I’ll take mine with cheddar.  That cheese, with its tangy bite, is a better complement to meat than the unctuous comte.

Another disappointment—the rolls.  They’re soft and squishy and add nothing but tasteless bulk to the chopped meat sandwich.

Other offerings at this cheery bistro include a cheddar bacon burger, and Italian turkey burger with mozzarella and an Ahi tuna burger.  Sushi is served and there are also salads, including a chipotle beef concoction and one made with shrimp and watermelon.

What were first-rate were the fries.  Liquidy and sumptuous on the inside and perfectly crispy on the outside, these were some of the best potato slivers I’ve ever chomped down on.

A slice of blackout cake for dessert was as dry as kindling.  Where’s Ebbinger’s when we need it?

Related posts:

1. 5 Napkin Burger: A Second Taste at the Upper West Side Locale
2. 5 Napkin Burger, ‘Wichraft Open on Upper West Side
3. Upper West Side: 5 Napkin Burger Opens on Broadway