Burger Joint @ NYC *****

Burger (Medium) with with Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Sliced Pickles, Mustard, Ketchup, and Mayo

Behind a crimson-curtained passageway in the upscale Parker Meridien hotel lies a not-so-well-kept secret. The line of t-shirt clad pilgrims was a signal beacon even brighter than the twisted tubes of the multicolored neon sign. Ensconced within this ivory tower of business travel, home to Norma’s, citadel of the power breakfast, lies the no-frills Burger Joint. Playing into the current craze for speakeasies, perhaps it is this very incongruity that adds charm.

Menu options are “Hamburger,” “Cheeseburger,” and for vegetarians, “Grilled Cheese.” I was refreshed to read the disclaimer, “If you don’t see it, we don’t have it.” Take that finicky Manhattanite eaters! Although finding enough seats for my group of ten colleagues posed quite a challenge, staff were not shy about making a good-natured plea on our behalf. Settled into a booth with a strawberry milkshake, a greasepaper-wrapped cheeseburger, and a brown paper bag brimming with crisp, thinly-cut fries, I was in after-work nirvana. The burger itself may not have been on par with Brooklyn’s DuMont, but for a Tuesday evening in midtown Manhattan, it certainly hit the spot.

Details: Le Parker Meridien, 118 W 57th St New York, NY 10019-3391 (+1-212-765-4579)