The Beef Whisperer

Date: Friday, May 29, 2009

Restaurant Name: Nota Bene

Location: 180 Queen St West

Phone: 416-922-6400

Email: info@notabenerestaurant.com

Web: http://notabenerestaurant.com/

Price Range (Burger): $20-$30

Price Range (Total Meal): $30-$40

Service/Style: Fine Dining

Reservations: Recommended

The Short Story: A Tasty, Rich Steakhouse-Style Burger. Delicious but Pricey. Sharp cheese and sweet onions provide a nice flavour complement. Excellent Service!

The Meal

Meat Type: Brisket

Patty Weight: 6oz

Cheese Type: Sharp Stilton

Bun: Plain White, Toasted

Toppings: Caramelized Onions

Garnishes: Ketchup, Mayo, Mustard

Sides: Fries, Baby Pickles

Drink: Water

Service: Top-Notch

Presentation: Simple but pleasing

The Ratings (out of 10):

Burger: 8.2

Sides: 8.5

Service: 9.5

Atmosphere: 8.5

Overall: 8.7

The Long Story:

Welcome to the first review of the Beef Whisperer! This is a special entry: not only is it the first review for this site, it’s also a double-review day, with two burgers reviewed, and on my birthday! Hell of an inaugural entry, if I do say so myself.

But I digress….

So in celebration of my birthday I got taken out to Nota Bene Restaurant, here in downtown Toronto. A fairly new restaurant, Nota Bene is located near the Entertainment District on Queen St. West, right near University Avenue, and has a dark but clean modern look and decor. Very much a fine dining atmosphere, the ambience was busy but cozy, the decor was comfortable and uncluttered, and the service was excellent. Our waiter was the perfect blend of attentive and unobtrusive, and was able to give a lot of advice and opinions about the items on the menu. I hadn’t actually planned to eat a burger that night, but upon reviewing the menu I saw that they had not one, but two burgers, both with different meats and toppings, and I decided I had to try them both, starting with the “”Jennifer’s Stilton Brisket Beef Burger”" – that’s the actual name on the menu.

So, on to the meal:

The burger was a ground brisket patty, with Stilton cheese and caramelized onions as toppings. The sharp cheese and onion tastes might be strong for the more conservative eater, and I myself am not usually a fan of Stilton, but it the flavours actually worked out really well. The burger was presented on a large plain white plate, which it shared with a bowl of fries that were (I suspect) deliciously double-fried. The plate came with three small garnish bowls, so I could add ketchup, mustard, and mayo as I liked. The whole meal was capped by a small plate of tiny sweet pickled gherkins.

My First Blog Review Burger - Nota Bene - Brisket Beef with Stilton and Caramelized Onions.

Beef Nerds, this paragraph is for you: the patty was ground brisket, and tasted lean without being overly dry. The texture was a little fibrous, which added to the flavour experience. A medium grind and a well-packed patty created a homogenous texture without making the burger overly smooth or overly lumpy.  Tasting it on its own, I felt the flavour and texture reminded me of a spicy, shredded roast beef – in a good way.

From the first bite, this burger was great, if a little oily. Served on a small bun – exactly the same size as the patty inside, and the burger was properly cooked – medium-well with a consistent flavour experience from start to finish. The meat was well ground and tasty, not overdone with spices or filler in the burger. You could really taste the beefy briskety goodness, which was very well complemented by the sharp-but-not-too-sharp Stilton. The caramelized onions added a sweet aftertaste that served as a great contrast to the cheese.

All in all, a lovely experience. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for an upscale burger. The fries were delicious, hot, fresh, and perfectly seasoned to go along with the meat.

My only complaints with this burger would be that it was a little oily, and that delicious as it was, it might not warrant the $20+ price tag; I’ve eaten several $12-14 burgers in Toronto that could give this brisket a run for its money. But combined with the service, decor, atmosphere, the overall experience was still good value, and I would definitely come back for second bites.