Maxwell’s Bar & Restaurant
http://www.maxwellsnyc.com
59 Reade St
New York, NY 10007
THE CONQUEST
I don’t know if it’s due to a mutual love of Burgers and bars or if it’s because of my Pork Slapped Sausages, but my friend Jim has once again done me a solid. Jim recently emailed me and told me about a new spot in town that was rumored to have a great Burger. The best Burgers always come to me from friendly recommendations so I couldn’t wait to try this one but that meant Jim had to come eat it with me. Now that I think about it, that could’ve been his motivation!
Located right in the heart of NYC’s Fidi, Maxwell’s Bar & Restaurant has recently opened in the former location of the old school Italian spot, Spaghetti Western. Opting to keep some of the feel of a classic New York spot, this new jam opened by an ex Dos Caminos guy / Fireman feels like it’s been around forever. While the exterior and atmosphere are under pronounced, everything else about the place is not. Their small yet intense menu is a mix of artisanal apps, Pizzas, Sandwiches and of course, Burgers. Maxwell’s also carries some cool crafty beers and a seasonal offering of cocktails. There’s also a rumored speakeasy called “Club Lombardo” coming underneath it this fall.
Upon arrival we were greeted by Alex, one of the owners who was friendly, smiling and generally excited about the new business. He asked what we wanted to order and after Jim and I both agreed on the signature Maxwell’s Burger, we asked Alex to give us whatever he considered to be the best dishes they offer.
THE BURGER
While I would normally start my meal with a Salad or appetizer, when Alex brought out the four dishes, there was no way we couldn’t dig immediately into the Maxwell’s Burger. Alex explained that this unique sandwich was a “Cowboy Style” Burger which means rather than ground Beef formed into a Patty, it’s more like shredded Steak. Oh yeah baby, I’m ALL about that. The signature Maxwell’s Burger is Sliced Angus Rib Eye, Red Wine Gravy, Sautéed Onions, Fried Egg & Horse Radish Mayo. This bad boy is damn difficult to slice into half and keep from making a mess, but trust me, it’s all worth it. The Maxwell’s Burger is an intense mix of savory flavors that comes from a delicately preparation of really quality products. That Horse Radish is really underplayed as are the Sautéed Onions, both of which come out in the taste but never get in the way of the Sliced Angus Rib Eye. The Red Wine Gravy is so good that I actually think Maxwell’s could serve it on top of fry and allow it to be the dominate flavor in another dish. Yet, it’s used so sparingly so it only accents the sandwich. This one is a true winner.
From there we moved on to the Southwest Burger. This crazy number is made with Angus Beef w Pepper Jack Cheese, Bacon, Guacamole & Sweet Chili Sauce. Really? Yes, that is really what comes on the Burger. It’s another tasty offering with a great mix of savory and sweet flavors. I really loved how the sweet and hot chili sauce mixes with the avocado and together they allow the sweetness in the ground Beef to come out.
From there onto the Duck Confit Salad. The idea of this seems so funny to me because generally I think of a Salad as a really boring food that I eat when I am not eating Burgers in an attempt to not completely blow up like a balloon. Getting excited about a Salad? That just doesn’t happen until now. It’s warm Duck Confit served on top of organic local Mixed Greens, Blue Cheese, Candied Walnuts & Grilled Pears with Cranberry Vinaigrette. A couple bites, which is all I could handle after the Burger madness, confirmed that this not your average boring old Salad!
We were filled to the brim with great food but Alex also brought us an order of Lobster Mac ‘N Cheese. I can’t stand Lobster (or any Seafood for that manner) but Asiago, Pecorino, Romano, Parmesan Reggiano and Truffle Oil made around anything will get me to try a bite! If you love Lobster, this dish is for you. If you love Mac, this is also for you. If you are like me and you don’t like Lobster know that dish is about the Lobster and I’m sure it’s good, it’s just not for me.
I truly loved this place and would definitely urge the Burger maniac inside of all of you to get down there and sink your chompers into the Maxwell’s Signature Burger, it’s a winner.
8 out of 10 ounces
-Rev
THE BURGER COUNTQUEST
435 Burgers
Aug 8, 2011 – 3:00 pm
The Rev Meter for Social Community
“The Rev Meter” is a social community meter for assessing how optimized a bar or restaurant is with social networking. By taking what he considers to be the 10 most important social networks and creating a point system, The Rev can accurately asses how well the business is using social networking as a tool. His goal here is to educate and assist great business to better effectively use these tools.
Maxwell’s Bar & Restaurant scores a 1 on The Rev Meter.
SCORING:
4 points or less You’ve missed the 5 basics and are less than optimized
5 points You’ve covered the basics, which is better than most but far from optimized.
6 to 9 points You’re doing better than most and on your way to becoming a well respected social community whiz.
10 points Congrats on a perfect score! Are you hiring?
