Would YOU pay $19 for a hamburger?

If you had asked me this question a year ago, I would have asked you, in the nicest way possible, "Are you out of your fucking mind?!"

My opinion has changed...and I'll tell you why.


When I see such a large price tag for a hamburger, I figure it falls into one of two categories: Massive Monstrosity Burger where you get it for free if you can eat it in under 45 minutes, or, Upscale Gastro-Pub Burger in a major city that infuses the meat with black truffles, uses beef raised eating only the finest imported Belgian grasses, and is topped with -insert odd flavor here-aoli.

The hamburger in question doesn't fit into either category. It's a 1/3 lb. burger and I don't live in a major city. (I live in a minor one, Madison has 230,000+ people living in it) But, I found a burger I would consider paying $19 for.

Here's the story:

Madison Magazine's Restaurant Week 2011 was during the the last full week of this past January. It involved 35 local restaurants offering a $25 prix-fixed menu that included three courses and three options for each course. I checked out one of these restaurants during this week called Graze with a couple of friends. It's owned by the folks who own L'Etoile and, yes, it's an upper-crust Gastro-Pub with black truffle oil and frites with aoli. It's not the kind of place I would hang out in on a regular basis, but a $25 prix-fixed menu for higher end food is too good to pass up. On the special menu they had a 1/4 lb. version of their normal $19 burger, so I tried it. Think of a burger with in-house ground sirloin, ribeye, and short ribs (the fat content is balanced perfectly) caramelized onions, cabernet jus, on a sesame seed brioche.

I can't believe I'm saying this...but it was the BEST burger I've ever had, period.

I've had some great greasy spoon burgers in my day, burgers made with the perfect combination of ingredients, skill, and love. But this burger was different. It was a flawless balance of ingredients and flavors and I've never had better.

So, to answer the question for myself: yes, I would pay $19 for a hamburger.

And the best part: I don't have to travel to Chicago or New York to get one...though I would anyways, just because.