Who does not love the Jucy Lucy? If you have to ask, I'll try to explain. Take one 1/4 thin patty, put a slice of cheese (of your choice - cheddar is best - and put another 1/4 patty on top and seal it up tight. Then throw on the griddle and let's it fry up until well-cooked. Serve with some grilled onions on top and you are ready to experience a little bit of burger heaven. But --- be careful when you get it. Let it rest gently for a few minutes. The cheese is volcanic inside. And an over-eager bite can result in thermal damage to the mouth! And there's even a wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jucy_Lucy
A number of places in the Twin Cities claim to be the home (or one of the homes) of the Jucy Lucy - Matt's Bar, the 58 Club, Groveland Tap... And I will take no sides on the true source. But they all serve and they're all worth the visit.
A quick refresher on Matt's though. I had occasion a few weeks ago to visit Matt's Bar and have dinner with a client (and fellow Twitterer). Matt's is at 35th and Cedar in South Minneapolis right in the middle of a residential neighborhood. These are the kinds of places I love and that you will never find in the suburbs - a funky urban bar surrounded by houses. Reminds me of Brooklyn, where I lived for a bit after college and where you will find a beautiful jumbled mix of homes, businesses, restaurants and people all on top of each other. Matt's has a solid old feel (because it is). In a great way.
On to the burger. They're inexpensive and get to the table pretty quick. Matt's has a small short-order grill right behind the bar. You can see it all. And you get your Jucy Lucy hot with fries. I always get the onions on top. The night I was there, the Lucy was excellent as usual. Bun was off the grill, the meat was tasty and slightly crisp at the edges. All around excellent. Fries are not the big specialty (go to Annie's...) but they were fresh and crisp.
So go enjoy a good Jucy Lucy and let me know of any new good places to try.
Photo above courtesy of Max Sparber (creative commons license)
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1 comments:
Jucy Lucy. This sounds fantastic. I want one now. This reminds me of our times at Michael's Frozen Custard in Madison, "home of the butter burger." To remind you: once done sizzling on the grill, the burger must be lathered in butter before serving it up. You don't want to run the risk of it tasting too lean - like all of that vegan food they serve on the Isthmus.
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