DISH OF THE WEEK: Smoked Cantaloupe Burger at DUCKS EATERY

Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City

My wife and I have decided we need to be better about our carbon footprints and want to make changes to help the environment. In addition to using re-usable coffee cups and no longer taking plastic bags, we also realize that we could eat less meat.

Now I don’t think either of us are ready to give it up completely but we have decided to do it twice a week. Which is a lot less challenging than it sounds. Especially since New York City chefs have gone bonkers with making great meatless food.

One such chef is Will Horowitz who ironically makes one of the best pastrami sandwiches in the city and owns a restaurant called Ducks Eatery that is a essentially a temple to smoked meat.

I was beyond intrigued when I read about his cantaloupe burger and was pleased to hear this isn’t some gimmicky Instagram-desparate dish but rather a way to make a more sustainable meal that doesn’t need to be created in a lab.

The Cantaloupe Burger started off as a sometimes special but has since been permanently added to the menu.

Wafts of smoked meat pervade the air of the restaurant, but the meatless Cantaloupe Burger actually hit the spot.

This is far from a piece of fruit on a bun. Horowitz works magic on the melon by curing, smoking, and baking it before searing it and adding it to a bun with a fried caramelized onion, ranch sauce, and lettuce.

As juicy as a burger, this actually tastes a bit like a piece of meat. It doesn’t have the sweetness you’d expect but takes on many savory notes and has a pleasant soft texture. It’s fascinating and delicious.

I know it’s absurd walking into a meat restaurant and ordering fruit, but this ingenious concoction might just save the world. Price: $15