623 Main St., Manchester, CT
Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012
Oh Burger, You Devil
Score:7.1
$$$$$
Mike: Last
week, I ventured up to Manchester, CT to visit some old friends and take in a
traditional Thanksgiving feast. What
better way to prime yourself for the consumption of large quantities of protein
and carbohydrates than to devour a big ‘ole burger and fries. Such was the case this past turkey
day-eve. My friend introduced me to
Corey’s Catsup and Mustard, a burger bar that has been reviewed by the New York
Times and featured on Diners, Drive-Ins,
and Dives, with the irritatingly mad, Guy Fieri.
Corey’s menu consists of a dozen
different burgers, but the one I ordered stood out from all of the rest,
literally. Listed on the menu with
pitchfork and hellfire, Oh Burger, You
Devil beckoned me; so, it seemed to be the obvious choice at the time. Oh Burger,
You Devil is a 6.5 oz. burger seared with crushed red pepper, topped with
jack cheese, jalapeno relish, chopped lettuce, tomato, bacon, and sriracha mayo
stacked on a hard roll. Corey’s gives
you the option of substituting a warm pretzel bun for an extra 50 cents, which
I couldn’t pass up.
When it comes to spicy food, too
much heat oftentimes diminishes the flavor potential. But, if the heat can be used to accent the
other flavors, you’re bound to have something special. This was almost the case with Oh Burger… There wasn’t enough heat to dominate the more
pronounced flavors like the bacon and beef, but the cheese and sriracha mayo
were virtually undetectable. The beef
was seared in crushed red pepper; so much of its prominence contributed largely
to the overall heat of the burger, and negation of the more subtle flavors. This was a problem. The ingredients shouldn’t be battling one
another; instead, they should be working together like the sections of an
orchestra. The lettuce and tomato
provided moments of respite from the spice, but I would have much preferred
whole leaf lettuce over the chopped. The
chopped lettuce created an unstable base for the top bun to rest on, making it
a bit clumsy to handle; but, at least it was romaine and not iceberg.
Speaking of the bun, I really
enjoyed the pretzel roll on this burger.
Not only did it present its own savory goodness, it helped immensely to
keep the heat insulated within the burger.
This allowed me to taste and enjoy each bite without destroying my taste
buds and making my mouth go numb. The
pretzel roll is also fairly dense, making it extremely durable. This allowed it to hold up well to the combination
of juices and condiments on the burger.
Overall, I enjoyed the experience. In hindsight, I wish I would have gone with
one of their other burgers; but, it also gives me a reason to go back. I also want to point out that the fries were
good. Like their burgers, there is a
variety of types of fries from which to choose.
On a final not, I was disappointed in the pickle; they can keep their “half-sours”
to themselves.
