My anniversary dinner at Canlis was something else. If you haven’t had a chance to read it, scroll down a bit to the previous entry and check it out. While I will admit that I’ve yet to eat at a restaurant in Seattle that thoroughly knocks my socks off, Canlis is one of those restaurants, much like a Cascadia or Palace Kitchen, which can be considered to offer a certain kind of meal. What I mean is a well crafted sit-down dinner consisting of fine meats, seasonal vegetables and superb service. But those are not the only kinds of meals that I enjoy. On the other end of the scale are sandwiches, pizza and burgers. As for that last item, burgers, I think I know where in Seattle to get the best hamburger - Red Mill Burgers. But what of the other “burgers only” restaurants in town? I can think of a few off the top of my head and so this next week will be dedicated to finding the best hamburger in Seattle. To start the week off I decided to venture into deserted South Lake Union on Saturday to sample the offerings at Blue Moon Burgers.

I will admit that this was not the first time I’ve eaten at Blue Moon. Back when I worked in Fremont I made the short drive to the other end of Lake Union two or three times. But that was nearly a year ago now. My palate, I felt, was still something of a virgin to the taste of a Blue Moon burger. Upon arrival I was hit with a stark contrast from crowded lunchtime restaurant of my memory, the place was empty. A lone man behind the counter marked the only human presence in the cavernous, slightly industrial space. Of course this was fine with me as I was pretty hungry and need sustenance post-haste.

After a quick scan of the short menu I decided upon a Deluxe Bacon Burger (Single - $4.49, Double - $5.89) and an order of Italian Fries ($1.89). The burgers at Blue Moon are made to order on a gas grill just behind the main counter. No patty is thrown on until an order has been placed to ensure you get the freshest of grill seared meats. After a short wait my order was ready and I carried my try of white wax-paper wrapped goodies to a nearby table. Upon unwrapping my fries I got what was to be the first of several French fry related disappointments. Instead of the garlic and parmesan studded fries I was expecting to see from an order of Italian fries what I got were in actuality, plain fries ($1.49). Instead of complaining of complaining I sampled the limp looking fingers of potato and realized that, like many restaurants in town, fries aren’t Blue Moon’s strong suit. Not only were they limp but they were also pretty oily, soggy and heavy. It was very obvious that these were fresh cut fries that had only benefited from a single dip in hot oil and not the double cooking that is required to make fries crispy and fluffy. But maybe the fries needn’t be important. I mean, after all, this isn’t Blue Moon French Fries it’s “Blue Moon Burgers”.

So I unwrapped the second parcel on my try, this one being the taller of the two and maintaining no surprise as to what would await me inside. The hamburger was fairly tall but not so much from large patties or copious amounts of bacon. No, mostly it was the leaf of lettuce and large slices of red onion that sat just under the bun. This was to be about as much as I would see of vegetables on this sandwich, the tomato and pickle being fairly minimal with this presentation. One thing that was not in short supply was the special sauce. A tangy, mayonnaise-based preparation that leaked from every opening of the sesame seed topped bun. Its presence made itself known to my fingers as I brought the sandwich to my mouth for a bite of double beef and bacon goodness. The meat was juicy and the bacon nicely smoky, however, the patties were fairly thin and their combined mass amounted to that of only one patty at some other places. They were fairly beefy and had decent juiciness but for a double, I had little trouble getting my mouth around it. As for the bacon, while it had good flavor, it lacked crispness, being just a few more minutes of cooking time away from crispy, crunchy, smoky goodness.

What was it that I learned from Blue Moon Burgers during the inaugural review for Burger Week? Well, it was better than the “Golden Arches” ™ or the “Home of the Whopper” ™ but nowhere near the control review that is Red Mill. For one, when I think deluxe hamburger I think of adult portions, not petite sized patties. Spend more time cooking your bacon. Besides wanting that crunch of perfectly cooked, cured pork product if I were taking my order home the steam from the beef and moisture from the veggies would have turned what was offered into a limp rubbery mess. And as for the fries, double cook them. Any cookbook one opens will direct a person to cook potatoes destined to become French fries twice, once to seal the outside from oil incursion and to cook the interior. The second time to brown the exterior and give them crunch. Also, get the order right. Italian fries have things added to them in the form of garlic and parmesan cheese. But if you are hungry, near Republican Street in the South Lake Union neighborhood, and are in need of a hamburger (Albeit a just okay hamburger) then Blue Moon Burgers might hit the spot. As for me, I’m off to the next burger joint…