Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City
Unless you come with a group, you’re going to probably have to choose between two gut-busting American staples at Emily. You’ll either get their pizza or choose their hefty and now legendary burger. Or if you really don’t want to play, you can also order a salad.
Emily West Village is a third outpost of a popular pizzeria that opened a few years ago in Brooklyn. It grew from a neighborhood haunt to a major food destination. One big reason was because of the acclaim given to their burgers, which were made in limited supply nightly. It became a bit of a craze.
To meet demand (and because I imagine they wanted to grow the business), they expanded and opened up other locations. The other unique thing they started doing after the expansion was focusing on a square crisp Detroit-style pizza at certain locations. It too became a bit of a craze that I got a sneak preview of once upon a time.
But I never did get to try that burger. I kind of like to wait until hype dies down and it’s not cool anymore. Have you guys heard about this cronut thing???
It was a weekday afternoon and there was literally nobody in the usually mobbed West Village location when I stopped by for lunch with my eyes on that burger.
It’s morphed a bit since the original burger debuted in Brooklyn. The Emmy Burger in the West Village now features two patties (instead of one) and American cheese instead of aged cheddar. Plus the fries are now curly and seasoned. It all felt very fast food American.
But it was good. I do think I would have preferred a single juicy patty and that aged cheddar, but I could tell this was an exceptional burger in any form.
Believe it or not, the thing that left the most impression was the excellent Tom Cat pretzel bun and a phenomenal secret sauce. The sauce is a sweet umami laden number with hints of funk and spice. From research, it looks like it is a secret mixture of things like buffalo sauce, soy, honey, and gochujang. It’s outstanding.
The meat itself was seasoned nicely and had a good char, but I’m kind of surprised I left thinking about and craving everything else. No matter – it’s still a major New York burger. And if you don’t want that, there’s always pizza. Price: $26
| EMILY WEST VILLAGE |
| 35 Downing Street (at Bedford Street), West Village (917) 935-6434 |
| pizzalovesemily.com |
