The good old Hamburger just may be red wine's Best Common Denominator.
It's the dish that goes best with the largest number of red
varieties: Burger 'n Zin, Burger 'n Cab, Burger 'n Merlot, Burger
'n Syrah, Burger 'n Petit Sirah. Depending on your mood –
and your wallet – they all work.
Now, Napa Valley is filled with many producers of great red
wine, and one would be foolhardy to pronounce “the best,”
but there appears to be one restaurant that makes the hands-down
best burger… and the award this season goes to one of
my all-time favorite restaurants in the valley – is
there anything they don’t do well??? – Bistro
Don Giovanni, on the northern edge of Napa (town).
Wimpy’s pledge was: “I will gladly pay you Tuesday
for a burger that I may have today.” As long as your “today”
is not a weekend night, you – and Wimpy – will be
in Heaven here.
Napa’s best burger is NOT served Friday and Saturday nights
when the crowds are crushing and the kitchen can barely keep
up with the orders. So plan your burger foray accordingly.
To make this textbook burger, chef/owner Donna Scala starts
with whole chuck that she grinds herself. It is salted. Period.
“I love the natural ratio of marbling in this cut,”
says Donna. “You can’t make nature taste better,
so why try to alter the fat/lean ratio?”
The burger is grilled over a smokin’ hot, mesquite/oak
wood fire and served on a homemade bun. “I take some of
the focaccia dough we make and don’t punch it
down… just let it rise… then cut the dough into
little blobs that, when baked, become buns,” explains
Donna. And delicious they are.
The burger is served with real French Dijon mustard, not the
stuff made in America, and with Muir Glen organic ketchup. It
is also served with the best French onion rings that I have
ever had. These are thin, thin strings resembling the laces
in your running shoes. But in thickness only. In taste, they
are indescribable; there is a hint of spice, a whiff of pepper.
The fact is that Donna adds pinches of cayenne and paprika to
the batter. This gives these tasty, crunchy onion threads a
veritable third dimension of flavor.
On the night you visit, the burger may be served with melted
Cheddar, Gruyere, mozzarella or Bleu cheese, depending on Donna’s
mood and what she has found in the market that is tasty and
ripe. The burger is served with a large garnish of house-made
pickles – cucumbers, carrots, or green beans – whatever
has been seasonally pickled. (Given the quality of wines on
the list here… by the time you finish your dinner, you
may be seasonally pickled, too.)
Bistro Don Giovanni, 4110 St. Helena Highway
(on Hwy 29, just north of Salvador at the north end of Napa
town). 707-224-3300. |
