Dec 04 2008
Top Chef’s Richard Blais Opens Flip Burger Boutique in Atlanta (Is NYC Next?)
While NYC food bloggers are hyping City Burger’s new so-called Pat La Frieda Black Label burger mix, word has it from our friend Adam Kramer that Season 4 Top Chef finalist and gastro-guru Richard Blais (our favorite contestant) has opened Flip Burger Boutique down in the Atl. Flip’s website is up n’ runnin’. Hints that Flip may be comin’ to NYC and some early pics after the jump…
According to the press release, Blais is Flip’s creative director. “The menu I developed for Flip was a challenge I was up for,” says Blais. “It was fun to take something so common, like the burger, and give it a modern twist.” Some feature items include organic beef with homemade ketchup and mayonnaise; a po “boyger” with grilled shrimp, fried lemon and spicy tartar sauce; a lamb burger with green olive relish and raisin ketchup on a rosemary bun; and an authentic Kobe burger, utilizing fresh beef imported from Japan, dressed with herbal butter, red onion marmalade and blue cheese. Flip will grind their signature beef burger using short ribs, hanger steak and brisket. Balancing out the menu, a variety of vegetable burgers will also be available, creating a selection suitable for all taste palates. The burgers will be smaller than the traditional burger to encourage diners to indulge in more than one. The edgy, unconventional decor includes communal seating, reflecting ceiling elements, a chefs table and a classic diner feel.
We’re guessin’ Atlanta will be flippin’ for a while over this place. Some early reviews are already in from friends and family pre-opening dinners. Here is a great photo slide show and what The Blissful Glutton has to report after a recent visit.
Apparently Blais will continue to practice his molecular gastronomy at Flip’s liquid-nitrogen milk-shake bar. Jill and I got a chance to try his ‘popcornsicles’ made with liquid nitrogen this summer at Garrett Popcorn here in NYC.
Blais has been hinting that a Manhattan outpost may be in the offing. As Blais, a New York native, told TimeOut NY about Flip in July: ”[New York] is the next market we’re looking to hit.”
Here are some teasers from Flip’s menu (full menu here)
BEEF BURGERS
CORNED BEEF + CABBBAGE + POACHED EGG 7
SMOKED BEEF + COLE SLAW + RBQ SAUCE 7
PHILLY + CHEESE WHIZ FOAM + GREEN PEPPERS 7
BEEF TARTARE + CAPERS + AIOLI + CORNICHONS 11
BUTCHER + CARAMELIZED ONION + BLUE CHEESE + RED WINE JAM 8
COUNTRY FRIED + PIMENTO CHEESE + PICKLED OKRA 7
DELUXE + FOIE GRAS + WAGYU BEEF + SHAVED TRUFFLE 24
OTHER BURGERS
TURKEY + MUSHROOM + POBLANO + AVOCADO PEPPER JACK 6
FAUX BURGER + FARM HOUSE CHEESE + SWEET SOY KETCHUP 7
FLIP SIDES 4
SWEET POTATO TOTS
FRENCH FRIES
TEMPURA RUTABAGA
VODKA BATTERED ONION RINGS
Finish it all with an aptly southern Krispy Kreme or sweet tea milkshake. Can’t wait to hear how it is from our Atlanta friends and family. Send us pics!
Here are some initial pics:
Po' Boyger
Bun Mi Burger
Lamb Burger
Nitrogen Tank For Shakes
Tempura Rutabaga
Pork Belly Burger
It’s yummy! Went the other day with friends and had the Butcher burger, tater-tot sweet potatoes; sampled the fries, vodka battered onion rings and sampled someone’s Nutella chocolate milkshake–very good. Had their house margarita which did not really impress.
Only annoyance was the long 45 minute wait to get in–they don’t take reservations and they seem to remember you by the clothing you’re wearing…they were looking for my sister-in-law’s v neck sweater and almost grabbed another customer by mistake–surely there’s a better way!
Can’t wait to go back again though…
Last night was the celebration of my daughter’s birthday. We had 12 people in our party. I arrived at 5:20 p.m. and the restaurant was almost filled to compacity. Other than waiting almost an hour and playing musical tables trying to fit everyone together. All of the wait staff, manager and hostess where most accommodating. The burgers were incredible, (all my guests enjoyed the ones they ordered) the food come out “hot” and the milkshakes were from heaven!!
Richard thanks so much for walking around you are my daughter’s favorite Top Chef.
FHA
went 3 nights ago on a date around 6 and luckily we arrived just before the rest of midtown came flooding in. We still had to wait 30 minutes even though it was clear that there were empty seats & tables just waiting to be sat in. Servers/waiters seemed to be in a bit of a slow mode, but could be b/c kitchen just wasn’t serving slider-sized burgers quick enough. I loved the ambience of the restaurant, but burgers were just a bit on the small sized for the price. Pretty decent though. The vodka battered onion rings were the best. –note, a couple that walked in less than 5 minutes after we did were still standing around when we paid and left. I think traffic flow will be better once it’s warm enough to open the outside seating.