Badass Burgers

I caved...  I knew it had to happen eventually.  I officially went 18 days straight with my diet, which meant that I only ate healthy options and watched every calorie I put in my body.  It SUCKED!

Although I feel pretty good and I dropped a few pounds (probably water weight, whatever that means).  Do you know how hard it is going every day without enjoying the one thing I live for - good food.  That's not to say that I didn't enjoy good food that also happened to be good for me.

Okay, so maybe I cheated a little with my Eggs Benedict, but I always ate a light dinner and ensured that I was only eating within my caloric limit for the day and I exercise (does walking count?)

I had a long day yesterday and I was to redeem myself at the Brokelyn Country Club Spring Gala hosted at Public Assembly.  It sounded like a lot of fun with an open bar, lots of prizes and some fun music to dance to (see I would have exercised!).  But when my lovely friend Breonna, sister Mel and I showed up 15 minutes after the doors opened, the line was down the block.  Frack this shit, I'm not waiting in the cold to eat some street truck tacos and fight my way to the free open bar.

We wandered around in desperation for some tasty delight to brighten our gloomy disposition. Then we decided that Manhattan Inn was the solution to this horrid situation.  We were obviously really hangry and tired from work.

So off to the Manhattan Inn we went!  Please don't think I eat the same thing over and over again, because I don't.  We were restricted by the time, since lots of the places we could have eaten close early in Greenpoint, like the Polish restaurants.   We also didn't want to spend a ton of money, or we would have ventured to The Bedford or Cafe Colette.  Initially we tried to get into Teddy's but they were packed.  So Manhattan Inn it was and it was fabulous.

At night, the Manhattan Inn is a little romantic with dim lighting and the fabulous piano player serenading patrons with fun jazzy type music.  I like to refer to this music as "old-timey" because I'm not all that smart when it comes to music genres.

After being seated promptly in the back at a lovely four person table, we reviewed the menu and quickly decided on dinner.  We were starving and delirious at the thought of eating good wholesome food.  Breonna and I went for the burger, which sounded really good and Mel went the healthier route with their fresh pasta.

The burgers came out first, after about 10 to 15 minutes of waiting.  Our server apologized for the pasta's delay, which was thoughtful.

They were served on wooden cutting boards with the burger on one side, a wooden bowl with taro chips on the other side and two porcelain spoons, containing spicy mayo and pickle chips.  It was adorable!


Breonna loves her cheese, and had far better lighting near her burger, so her's looks a heck of a lot better, to the right.





Here's a full description of the dish:
Manhattan Inn Burger, with Aged Cheddar & Braised Bacon on a Brioche Bun
Served w/ Homemade Taro Chips & Spicy Mayo ($14)

It was FANTASTIC!!! 


I ordered mine without the cheese, for fear of death.  Both burgers looked incredible, but they tasted even better than they look - trust me.

They were cooked perfectly, with Breonna's a little more rare than mine, per her specifications.  I like mine medium, just a little pink the middle.  It was really done perfectly and it was definitely good quality meat.  It was juicy and overflowing with flavor.

You could taste a hint of bacon and the alfafa sprouts and grilled tomato were a lovely touch.  The brioche bun was slightly toasted and held the burger well.  It was soft and butter and soaked up all the juiciness.

It was pure HEAVEN!!!

The taro chips were tasty too.  They weren't as starchy as potato chips, but has a nice crunch to them.  The spicy mayo went well with both the burger and the chips.  Breonna didn't like the pickles, they were somewhere between sweet, dill and sour.  I liked them and thought they were a nice touch to the entire meal.  I ate every single bite!

Mel ordered the Fresh Pasta
w/ Wild Mushroom, Grape Tomato Confit, Artichoke Puree, Fried Capers, Parmesan, Sunny Side Up Egg ($17) you could also order it vegan, without the egg and cheese for a dollar less. 

It was a really vibrant dish, although I couldn't try it due to the cheese shavings.  It looked gorgeous though and Mel loved it.  The egg yolk spread throughout the dish and gave it this creaminess that enhanced the cheese and fresh veggies.  The noodles were a little difficult to handle since they were long and wide.  I might try this next time with the cheese.  It smelled so good and I love all the fun veggies that it comes with.  It's nice that they make the pasta in-house, so it must be so delicious.  Mel couldn't finish the dish and even Breonna had a taste.  A mighty meal to satisfy even the largest of appetites - so if you're hungry, try this one!

Overall it was a lovely, wonderful meal.  I know a lot of people complain that the atmosphere is the only reason to come here and the food isn't that good, but I beg to differ.  As time goes on, the service and the food is getting better and better.  In the past, my only complaint was that the food wasn't always as piping hot as I would like it - but the last few times have been perfectly fine.  

I love the Manhattan Inn and recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone looking for good food and a nice, relaxing time.  The music is great, the decor is adorable and service is impeccable.