So the last time we talked about Ladder 15, Mike Stollenwerk had consulted on the menu and Max Tucker and Co. had high hopes for a mixed crowd. The food world worried about the connections to other non-foodie brah-bars like Mad River, and the crowd that comes along with it.
Mike’s menu was being carried out by another executive chef and it never really worked. You can’t hire Michelangelo to teach someone else how to paint and sculpt.
“Lesson learned”, says Tucker. “We know we have a lot to prove here, and I can wholly admit we #$%&ed that up. The food wasn’t where it needed to be, and neither was the beer. We hope with the addition of David (Ansill) and a good craft beer list that we can attract the folks we missed out on the first time around. We are committed to this change. We’re gonna train up the staff on the food and the beer, and keep the taps rotating.”
Here we are months later, and one huge Chef coup forward, and there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. If additions to the menu like the Bone Marrow Burger above is any hint, then a foodie/beer nerd outpost is still a possibility with the right commitment and efforts.
The Burger 15 itself is topped with short rib, mushrooms, caramelized onions, and truffle jus, with a sidecar of sizzling bone, filled with rich marrow to spread on top of your meaty friend. All of this comes in the presence of a Metropolitan brioche.
“It’s called Burger 15 because it’s the 15th one we tried.”, said the chef.
I will make sure to keep eating my share. And don’t forget about the Korean Tacos.
Ladder 15, 1528 Sansom St. (215) 964-9755
– Collin Flatt
(Ed. – as of this writing, Collin Flatt was just hired to consult on the beer program at Ladder 15. If it sucks after next week, it is totally his fault. We believe he did this solely to be closer to David Ansill, an obvious non-sexual man crush for our loudmouth critic)
This burger sounds fucked up. And not in a good way. Too many flavors competing with each other, brioche is a shitty choice for burger buns, and decadence for decadence’s sake ingredients.
@expat – I absolutely hate too many competing flavors, and have been singing the praises of simplicity over technique and trend. But at least give it a run. They all fall very much so in the savory category and while I am not the biggest brioche fan either, the slight sweetness helps hold it together. Worst that can happen is you hate it.
Also tacos.
ugh! This burger looks so good! Definitely going to come in with my husband and try this. The bun makes a burger and I can’t wait to try it out. Love Ladder for the crowd and hope to come during the day for the food.
A food blog is no place for comments of the “ew, that sounds gross” variety. If you’re truly a food fan, then your own eating history should have proven that you don’t know until you try it. Besides, this is David Ansill we’re talking about- duh.
@morebeer
I didn’t say it sounded gross or was gross. I said it sounded fucked up, as in a bad idea. A food blog actually is the place one can offer opinions on such things. You’re saying I can’t express a negative impression of something I haven’t tried, but leave the door open for anyone to express a positive one of something they haven’t tried. Our maybe you don’t, maybe you think no one should comments any thing they haven’t personally done. In which case a lot of comments here are going to be void. Either way you cut it, it’s retarded.
As to this burger in questions, there’s an ongoing trend in among chefs, even purportedly great ones, to pile on decadent ingredients (brioche, truffle jus, bone marrow) for the purpose of wowing the eater at the richness, literally and figuratively, of a dish with nary a concern for whether it really works. Garces’s Whiskey King Burger being an excellent example as well. I don’t care if it’s Ansill, Garces or fucking Jesus Christ in a toque, throwing foie gras, Rogue Crater Lake Blue Cheese, uni and some jamón ibérico de bellota on top of a burger is not going to taste all that great despite the fact that the individual ingredients are of the highest quality and flavor.
and I’m aware there are typos in the above.
I agree with expat. I’m sick of the burger with expensive ingredients trend. Bone marrow on a burger sounds interesting, but it is pretty delicate flavored, so I’m not sure what it will do for the burger. I’d like to see someone start competing on the fat ratio of the meat.
Marrow is fat. Also it’s not expensive; neither are short ribs.
@Felicia
mike says expensive, I say decadent. Decadent foods can be expensive, very rich or both as far as I’m concerned. Burger 15 strikes me as overly rich in fat and savory flavors (no crisp vegetable to balance the mound of mush on top, where are the acid notes to cut all this fat?), whereas my Jesus burger as described above would be both too rich and expensive.
Is marrow fat? I mean, I see it playing a possible mayo role here, and I confess my biology is very rusty, but marrow’s fat?
I see expat’s point, or at least understand she’s seeing it as another Whiskey King mess. I’m not sure. Putting a bit of meat/protein that can hold its own on a burger like short rib (unlike foie gras) is entirely reasonable. Mushrooms and onions … decadent? At that point you’re calling almost all burgers decadent since you’re talking some of the most common (and combined) burger topings ever, the jus gives me some pause … I could see how someone could see that as trying to hard to force it all to hold together, but I think I might agree with Colin in saying it’s really there to underline, as opposed to overstate, the savory. The marrow spread seems novel, has me curious but I’m also glad it’s in its bone ramekin.
I’d actually say this burger seems pretty simple, in a straight forward way, even the cutesy marrow move makes it seem more “meat and potatoes” than pretentious. I’m interested, but I’m also on a cholesterol stats-juking meat embargo for the next month and half so I’ll have plenty of time to get multiple juries on this.
Expat, I think your “acid notes” may come from a high hop beer. Maybe let Colin buy you one from his side of the menu. This is definitely a bar burger for beer and maybe red wine drinkers. Whiskey too, in fact this is what they should serve at Village Whiskey.
The bone marrow burger went down very well with a Maker’s on the rocks. The truffle jus comes on the side, as does the marrow, which meant I could choose which flavors/textures were in each bite. And allowed me to appreciate all of them. That was fun. Overall very delicious. I would prefer a heartier roll, however.
There are two kinds of marrow: “yellow” marrow which is primarily fat, and “red” marrow which is blood-producing. Red marrow is mostly found in the flat bones, like the clavicle. We eat marrow from closed bones of the cow or calf — almost always femurs.
You can spread the marrow like butter on the bun or eat it alone, as Danya pointed out.
ITT: people using big words in defense or in derision of a burger.
@Marty B
I disagree with the “simple” description of the burger very much so, but you’re entitled to your opinion. Also, I’m a dude.
@expat attack
*sigh* Your response really speaks for itself. Dude.
Expat, sorry about misgendering you, dude, but: burger, added meat, onions and mushrooms, two condiments (1 really something out of the populist beef on wick or even Arby’s playbook, the other “exotic” for cultural tastes more than anything else) _on the side_. Seems pretty simple, I mean there are things on Quizno’s menu that require more figuring out than this.
Maybe it’d be Decadent if Ladder 15 pulled a local Hardy’s and shot an ad featuring Stoya or something chowing down on it at a shoot or something. Having put that out there, Tommy Up’s probably going to beat them to it.
I like refried beans. That’s why I wanna try fried beans, because maybe they’re just as good and we’re just wasting time. You don’t have to fry them again after all
Just sayin’, we went to Ladder 15 on Saturday. This burger is delicious. They have a regular burger too if you’re not down with the decadence. No need to fight over it
Ansill stopped by our table twice, once to share some of his vision on how the Ladder 15 should be enjoyed and again to just chat & solicit out thoughts.
Korean Tacos were really on point, as expected. Curried Lamb Empanadas and their Pear Complex kicked ass,too. Go early and beat the bro-fest!