The Butcher and the Burger

When the Travel Channel created a one-hour special focusing on nationwide examples of what they and Men’s Health magazine deemed as the ‘Manliest Restaurants’ in America, I could only guess there was to be meat involved – that’s not a euphemism for strip club. One of the featured restaurants was the creative butcher meets high end burger joint on Chicago’s north side called The Butcher and the Burger. Their website boasts the retro diner look and culinary creativity behind the counter as “A dash of old fashioned butcher shop with a pinch of culinary artistry mixed in.” Chef and Partner Allen Sternweiler has brought his touches of American artistry and European influences with the love affair our nation has with burgers but with touches of beignet mix from the south or French coffee cans from a century earlier. With a neighborhood alight with unique storefronts, the white and red color scheme of The Butcher and the Burger slide right into the enclave a few blocks south of DePaul on Armitage Ave. 

My buddy Nick Lamb and I first noticed the touches of Chef Allen on the menu that held emphasis on fresh ingredients, from ten spice rubs they make monthly and sell in take home jars, to the variety of ground meats that are pressed into burgers. The butchering takes place in the room behind the narrow kitchen where they hold two to three butchering and cooking classes a month on hogs, venison, beef, etc. On occasion you might see Chef Allen with a split hog over his shoulder, ribs out for all to see, carrying the local, farm raised animals from loading dock to the kitchen with a few either shocked or anticipating customers. 

There are but a few pre-set burgers on the menu, allowing the customer to mold their own meat Mecca between a soft egg roll, lettuce, croissant or Nick’s choice, the pretzel roll. Their specialty is a house local beef blend, which I chose with Chicago steakhouse seasoning and the dutifully prepared accompaniments of truffle mayo, goat cheese lettuce, tomato, and farmhouse bacon. Honestly I was a bit disappointed the elk meat wasn’t on the menu. Be prepared for when seasonal meats won’t be there. Not to worry for there are also burgers for every animal, from salmon to bison to pork. The variety lends repeat visits, aside from the quality of the burger. 

With a basket of house cut fries that were a tad on the salty side and I dove into my burger presented with a bamboo skewer on top of a small cutting board. A great char was present on both our burgers, not diminishing the quality of the blend. The chefs and helpful staff whom directly engaged with Nick over his minute specificity into the complete meal somehow know that with the hundred or so burger and topping combinations that they seem to meld into a delectable union.

The Lincoln Park crowd is unlikely to think twice on the close to twenty dollar price tag of my burger and fries; I will. Still, a return visit is set in 2013 because of their uniqueness and quality. For a fan who has attempted to master burgers on the grill in the summer and in the pan at winter, The Butcher and the Burger will make me elevate my game at home. 

 http://butcherandtheburger.com/