The burger: "I hate the term 'slider,'" said Lisa Hanson, chef/owner of Mona Restaurant. That nomenclature-driven aversion may play a role in the demise of the pair of diminutive burgers that once graced the small plates-focused lunch menu at her downtown Minneapolis restaurant. I don't have a memory of those burgers, but having had a crack at their replacement, I'm not missing them.
What a burger. Its vast appeal is rooted in Hanson's daily bread-making ritual. "It's just a basic brioche dough, very simple, with lots of butter," she said. Butter, the miracle worker, right? It's a hamburger bun for the ages. Not that they need it, but after they're split, Hanson hits them with a little extra butter before giving them a faint flavor-enhancing toast.
The patty is similarly impressive. The grass-fed beef hails from Thousand Hills Cattle Co., and Hanson enriches it with egg and several judiciously applied goodness-boosters, including onion, garlic "and a couple of other mysterious things," said Hanson with a laugh but not revealing her secrets. From there, the meat is loosely pressed into thick patties that are wide enough to meet the bun's edges, and grilled to a just-above medium rare.
Toppings are restrained, just a fragrant pile of caramelized onions, their natural sugars coaxed out into the open after a low-and-slow stint on the stove, and a silky, barely melted slice of smoked Gouda. Hanson also includes a side of chile mayonnaise that tiptoes around spiciness, although the beef's rich bite doesn't need the extra heft. Instead, save it for the fries.
As burgers go, it may not sound like a lot, but it all adds up. "I wish that there was something more exciting to tell you about," said Hanson. "But if you do all of the components correctly, that's what will really make a burger stand out." How right she is.
Price: $12, and served only at lunch.
Fries: Included, a huge portion of generously garnished skin-on spuds.
Ticking clock: Hanson changes her menu every few months, and this iteration isn't long for this world; a few weeks, tops. Next up? "I'm thinking about a turkey burger," she said. "A lighter meat, for spring. With basil. I'm not sure about the cheese, but maybe a slab of Canadian bacon, and a fried egg on top. We haven't done a turkey burger yet, so I'm excited about it."
