NYC: The Black Label Burger at Minetta Tavern

Minetta Tavern, a bustling French bistro in the middle of Greenwich Village, has 2 burgers on the menu: The $16 Minetta Burger and the $26 Black Label Burger. Do me a favor and please order the Black Label Burger – I promise it’s worth it! Like all foodies in NYC, I have sampled all of the best burgers in town and this one ranks right up there with the best of them. It is juicy, succulent, oozing with flavor and topped with sweet caramelized onions set on a perfect sesame brioche bun and, of course, complemented by a mountain of salty, crispy frites. A force to be reckoned with, I guarantee.

The old Minetta Tavern was a place where Ernest Hemingway, Joseph Mitchell and some of the beat artists hung out and drank martinis together back in the day. The place was redone by Keith McNally and still retains all of the old-world charm and nostalgia of the original. Slip into a red banquet with dozens of black and white photos covering the walls and you will feel like you are in another world.

This place is SUPER hard to get into, so call 30 days in advance at 9:30am in the morning and you will be set. If you want to get wild, try walking in and grabbing a coveted seat at the bar (that’s what my boyfriend and I do). The one-of-a-kind bartenders sound like they just got off the plane from Paris (and of course you can order your Black Label Burger at the bar too).

Phone: (212) 475-3850
Location: 113 MacDougal St., near ­Minetta Lane.