Burgers & Donuts at Brindle Room

I was recently invited by one the managers at my restaurant to try the dry aged burger ($13) at Brindle Room, one of her previous posts. Located along a pleasant stretch of East 10th Street, I found the intimate restaurant and propped myself upon a bar stool while I waited for Tiffany to arrive.

Only a few minutes had passed before Chef Jeremy began saddling us up for two of his famous 'Brindle Burgers.' Chef asked what kind of cheese I'd like on my burger to which I replied, "... whatever the chef recommends." He chose American.

I was ready for my Brindle Burger.

The burger was smaller than I'd expected and although I usually eat my burgers sans the top half of the bun, I had a feeling this burger was meant to be eaten whole... My first bite unearthed the moistest, most juiciest burger I've ever tasted. Brindle room's meat supplier, Chef Dean Piccolo, was there to explain the dry aging process to me.

The meat is aged in a de-humidified chamber, drawing out the moisture (resulting in super-concentrated flavor) and marbleizing the fat throughout the meat.

The burger was also topped with deliciously caramelized onions, only adding to the Brindle Burger's succulency. Chef also poured each of us a glass of their Petite Sirah ($10/$38) which was the perfect match for this burger--it had a very distinct sharpness, almost like that of cheddar.

Over our burgers and wine, Tiffany told me of her plans to start selling donuts and coffee-by-the-cup, from 7 a.m. to noon, at the Brindle Room counter. The donuts she'll be offering will be made fresh, on site, by Chef Jeremy and the coffee will be made-to-order, per cup, by a special process keeping the bitter, gritty sediment out of the bottom of your cup, resulting in a very balanced cup of coffee: you'll get all the coffee high, but without the jitters.

The Brindle Room donut counter plans to open November 1st.

Brindle Room, 277 East 10th Street, East Village