"He was born in the city and spent formative years working at Brasserie Les Halles, a French cafe on Park Avenue. The city's eponymous magazine, The New Yorker, published the essay that vaulted him into stardom as he was slinging steak frites. He knew NYC well, so when he said the French cafe, Minetta Tavern, had the best hamburger in the city in his New York episode of "The Layover," it meant something."
"The episode is from 2011, when master butcher Pat LaFrieda was behind many of the great burgers in New York City. Shake Shack was still small and had been using his meat blend for some time. When the butcher created a high-end burger blend he called Black Label, the team behind Minetta Tavern bought it. The mixture uses high-end beef, making it more difficult to cook consistently. Luckily, the chefs at Minetta were skilled enough to turn the burger into an instant classic."
"Bourdain's favorite was the Black Label burger, and it's expensive. At the time of the show it was $26, but these days it will set you back $38. The well-traveled chef advises you order it medium-rare, calling it your "patriotic duty." Anyone refusing to sell you a burger under medium temperature, he says, "is basically on the side of the terrorists.""
Minetta Tavern in Greenwich Village serves the Black Label burger made from Pat LaFrieda's high-end beef blend. The premium blend makes consistent cooking more difficult, but Minetta's chefs achieve a rich, celebrated result. The tavern's dining room is cozy and lively, with closely spaced dark wood tables and bustling conversation. The Black Label price rose from roughly $26 to about $38. Medium-rare is the recommended temperature for optimal flavor. The restaurant sits on MacDougal Street and typically requires timing visits early or late to avoid long waits.
Read at Daily Meal
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