Burger reviewed:
The Angus Beef Burger
Venue: Melbourne
Public
Date: 3/5/13
There is nothing better than looking forward to a burger
every Friday morning. Unfortunately, one of our own took this mantra to heart
and ended up fainting from anticipation a mere few hours before the scheduled
lunch time visit. Sympathy or softness, you can be the judge…
Nevertheless, the Burger Friday crew (minus one) made our
way down to South Wharf to sample the wares at Melbourne Public. Nestled in
between the Polly Woodside, DFO and the Exhibition Centre, Melbourne Public is
“Melbourne’s newest drinking and dining secret set on the banks of the Yarra
River” (as highlighted by their website).
Topped with all the usual suspects, shaved bacon,
caramelised onions and special sauce (per the menu) the signature Angus beef burger
had all the ingredients of a winner. However, unlike the Essendon faithful, we
weren’t getting ahead of ourselves as any fan would know, the real test doesn’t
begin until September (sorry boys no premierships are won in May, better start
getting back on them tides).
After a short wait at the counter (interesting that they
would be flying solo at the till during a Friday lunch), we managed to order
our burgers and chips for the reasonable price of $21.50. It should also be
said that the Melbourne Public has a free drink offer available via the website
and needless to say that some of the more thrifty amongst us could not hold
back their excitement (starting to sound like a bit of a theme). As we waited
patiently for our Friday birthright, Kim and the team were kind enough to put
on re-runs of Watson Snr and the team getting thumped by Hawthorn in the 89
semi final. These days, Tim does his
best work every morning on the Morning Glory radio show on SEN (a blatant plug
for a shout-out to the Burger Friday team wouldn’t go astray).
As the burgers arrived, we were instantly drawn to the simple yet
effective setting. Chips a plenty with ample sauce, the signs were looking
good. The burger
is what you would expect from a pub style beef burger. The trimmings including
caramelised onions complimenting the perfectly cooked beef pattie with the
slight sweetness of the bun presenting a great combination. We
often sample burgers which try to do too much without getting the basics right.
This cannot be said for Melbourne Public’s beef burger which absolutely ticks
all the base boxes which you are looking for in a burger.
The burger however was not the star of the show. Presented in the deep
fryer from which they were cooked, the chips were crispy and slightly seasoned.
It’s not often after a Burger Friday that the majority of conversation post
meal is devoted to the sidekick to the main course. Like Watson is to Holmes,
Clarke was to Ponting and Ricky is to Seal, the quality of the accompaniments
although complimentary can sometimes also take over as the star.
In
the sporting world, there are multiple examples of solid performers who just
get the job done each week, making most of the ability which they have been
given. Some, such as Mr Cricket, Luke Donald and Nick Maxwell might have even
stretched their abilities levels and could be even considered great. Then there
are others who (perhaps fortunately for them), realise the limitations of their
ability early and begin to focus other personal traits. Names which come to
mind include Mick Malthouse (who was a decent enough player but has become one
of best AFL coaches of our time), Liam Pickering (again, an average player who
has since benefited significantly from Ricky Nixon’s inability to stick to his
age bracket) and James Brayshaw (did any one actually know this guy used to
play state cricket?).
Although
all worthy nominations, I will need to dub this burger the Caroline Wozniacki.
Caro (not to be confused with the award winning and 100% factual reporter) was
the first Scandinavian woman to hold the number one world ranking in the world
(in 2010) whilst never reaching the peak and winning a grand slam singles
title. Woznaicki is a solid performer who cannot be faulted on her tennis
technique, however she lacks a spark which has prevented her from becoming
elite. Similarly, the Melbourne burger although faultless in its execution,
needs a certain BFX (Burger Friday X-factor) to rise up our rankings. Caro has
talent written all over her and should really be one (if not the most)
marketable players going around. Oh, and her tennis isn’t too bad either…
All
in all, congratulations to Kim and team on presenting a cracker of a burger
which you would happily drop in for if you were in the area. With a free beer
to boot, you can even tell the missus that you got an even better bargain than she did at DFO.
Burger Friday Rating: 38/50
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