Miamians look forward to October for many reasons. It means the weather finally begins to cool. It's an excuse to indulge in pumpkin everything. And of course there's All Hallows' Eve and its festivities, candy, booze, and haunted houses.
There's another reason to love the tenth month: foie gras and braised short rib on a Parmesan bun. It's the Original DB Burger, which before the burger craze began was the most expensive of its kind in the nation.
Clocking in at $35, the Original DB Burger doesn't come cheap, but during October, you can get the famed sandwich with an appetizer, dessert, and glass of Bordeaux for $39 at DB Bistro Moderne. If there were ever a deal, this is it.
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I am embarrassed to admit that before this past weekend, I'd never bitten into this mack daddy of burgers. I'd heard and read about the sandwich that turned a decade this year and was born in Boulud's Times Square outpost.
When Boulud took his concept to downtown Miami, the burger didn't immediately follow. It was introduced to the menu a year after opening. To get people excited, Boulud and his team thought it would be fun to do a promotion that would entice Miamians to want to take a bite out of the burger. Thus Burgers & Bordeaux was born. For the past two years, however, the monthlong promotion has been held during July as a way to lead people into another restaurant promotion -- Miami Spice.
This year, the team at DB Bistro decided to change things up, moving Burgers & Bordeaux to October. "It falls with the beginning of season and is the perfect time to indulge in such a decadent offering," says assistant manager Andrew Kutz.
"We're the only DB restaurant to extend such a great promotion to our guests, so it's really special." If you've been holding out like I was because you couldn't justify spending $35 on a burger, the time is now. And if you're wondering if the burger is as good as all the hype claims, it's better.
On my recent visit, it seemed all tables around me were on the same page I was -- with a burger in hand. Before you go to town, though, you'll begin your meal with a choice among three appetizers.
Shrimp al ajillo sources Florida rock shrimp from the Keys and drowns them in an ultra-addictive lemon and garlic sauce. You'll want to sop it up with your bread. (Never mind that you'll have a burger right after.)
Swank Farms beet salad brings beets from West Palm Beach to your table atop quinoa tabbouleh, sheep's milk yogurt, and red sorrel.
Lo and behold the Original DB Burger. The breakdown is as follows: Sirloin patty is filled with red-wine-braised short ribs. Not decadent enough? Mr. Boulud has added foie gras to the mix so that the mere thought won't ever cross your mind. Oh, and did I mention the black truffle that ties the whole thing together or the Parmesan bun embracing it all? Consider it mentioned. To wash it down, a glass of Bordeaux -- Saint Emillion Grand Cru 2011, in this case -- is the ideal companion to short ribs and foie gras.
You might not have room for dessert after that experience, but you should go for it and suffer the consequences later. After all, this promotion comes only once a year. Choose between red velvet cake with goat cheese ice cream or a chocolate crunchy bar with a caramel glaze, candied hazelnuts, and toasted marshmallow ice cream.
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