As a professional chef for 30 plus years there was a simple test that I would give to aspiring cooks, poach an egg, make a mayonnaise, julienne a carrot and cook a hamburger. Seems easy right, not so fast though, some of the easiest things to cook can also be the hardest. When the lowly hamburger is one of your favorite foods in the world, you can be a pretty tough critic. I entered Chuck's with high expectations, being one of a new trio of Chef Christensen's eatery's located at 237 S. Wilmington in downtown Raleigh.
The first thing I noticed was the industrial, easy going atmosphere. The lighting was excellent as well as some well-placed black bull heads and a blackboard menu on a Spartan white tile wall. The red, black and white color scheme lent a note of the dramatic without being overdone. I was immediately put at ease and felt quite comfortable. A good thing, as I consider a good hamburger to be one of the best comfort foods and comfort food calls for a comfortable atmosphere.
A friendly greeting and an offering of the menu, was followed by an intense question and answer session with our waiter. He was asked about the beef quality, and at which he responded with a quick; it is from a local producer, organic and house ground, the best available. Then the questions about the multiple topping all of which where local, hand crafted and of the best available quality, were answered. As our waiter caught on; he then went on about the hand cut Belgian fries, if we ordered the ½ pound we got our choice of two different sauce. He knew the ingredients to each one of the sauces and then recommended the espellette. What a surprise, the main ingredient was a red pepper from the Basque region of France, flavorful but not too spicy.
Two glasses of ice water were brought to the table before our drink order was taken, something that I miss when dining out. We ordered our drinks, two Cokes and the label was in Spanish, with a bottled in Mexico designation. Went we ask why, our capable waiter stated that they special ordered this Coke product because it is made with pure, cane sugar, as were the other selections and the Jarritos sodas. This is a testament to a responsible food supplier providing a healthier product.
The burgers are billed as a half-pound, but they also offer the 5 ounce “little chuck” as well as house made veggie burgers. I ordered “The dirty South Carolina” which is described as; smoked pork shoulder and Anson Mills Sea Island red pea “chili”, crispy tobacco onions, roasted tomato slaw, Ashe Co. mountain cheddar and yellow mustard. My dining partner ordered the “The high and the valley”, crushed avocado, bacon-onion jam and blistered peppers. We also added an order of Belgian fries with the recommended espelette aioli and the green peppercorn Dijon sauce.
The food arrived promptly and hot, aluminum pizza trays and an aluminum commercial measuring cup, all lined with natural deli paper, looked neat, clean and showcased the food beautifully. The star of this show was the quality of the beef, it had a course grind and was gently formed. This made for a tender burger that remained juicy and tasted like, well BEEF. Served on a potato hamburger roll, that’s right a hamburger roll, no ciabatta, focaccia, wrap or other abomination to the burger. The toppings were in the perfect amounts and proportions to be the accompaniments’ to the burger not the overdone, dripping mess that other’s produce.
The Belgian fries were very authentic, having had them from a food truck in New York City. Here is a simple definition of what makes potatoes Belgian Fries; as listed by http://www.belgianfries.com. They are freshly cut, irregularly shaped, cooked (fried) twice, fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside and a distinct potato taste. They must also be at least 10 mm thick, hand cut and served in a paper cone. If one of these characteristics is absent, please do not use the term Belgian Fries, just call them fries or French fries if you prefer.
It’s difficult to look at a hamburger as a dining experience but, the flawlessly executed product, presentation and ambiance at Chuck’s make this a must taste experience for all burger aficionados. I am looking forward to returning and trying all of Chef Christensen’s renditions and some more of those Belgian fries. I believe you will not be disappointed and personally look forward to trying Poole’s Diner, Beasley’s Honey and Chicken and Fox’s Liquor Bar. I can see why Ashley Christensen is one of the hottest chefs in America. Remember this friends and burger lovers, Chuck’s has the beef.
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