[KCUnited]

Originally Posted by Mennonite

^I'm gonna need to hear a little more about this burger.

James Beard award winning pastry chef with a burger on the menu. I've never eaten a burger this rich, it was almost overwhelming by the last couple bites. Certainly wouldn't eat it on the reg, or maybe ever again.

It's pretty small by America's Lipitor-busting standards, maybe six or seven ounces tops, but every element of Mindy Segal's gourmet cheeseburger sings. The Heartland Farms beef, ground in-house every day, is so loose and flavorful it sizzles on your tongue for a moment, then promptly melts. The Carr Valley aged Cheddar is sharp and pleasantly tangy; the Gunter Farms bacon, uncannily crisp. Heck, even the house-made garlic bun is breathtaking. The whole juicy package makes me wonder if Segal—an accomplished pastry chef—missed her calling as an upscale burger slinger.

The beef comes from Heartland Meats, based in downstate Mendota(IL), where they raise a Piedmontese breed known for producing a lean and tender meat, without hormones or animal byproducts. When possible Steur picks up two cuts—which ones remain a secret—from their booth at the Green City Market in Lincoln Park. He says it took him awhile to find the right ratio.

And though Hot Chocolate's official cheese recommendation is the Widmar cheddar from Carr Valley, Wisconsin, you can order any one of the cheeses from their artisan list. Currently offered: Ursinus Gouda, Otentique, Mary's Peak, Pennslyvania Noble cave-aged cheddar, Grand Cu Gruyere (Lefiles says a buddy always has the burger with this), Grayson, Bridget's Abbey, Red Hawk, Black Ledge Blue, Ader Kase Reserve, Roxanne (from Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery in Champaign), and roasted garlic chevre—all selected from around the country.