Love At First Bite

After seeing Eric Clapton in concert on Saturday night, my boyfriend and I were stricken with some pretty intense post-concert hunger pains. We decided to reward ourselves for avoiding arena food and take the brisk walk to Chef John Besh's Lüke restaurant, located downtown on St. Charles Avenue. This restaurant is no stranger to my boyfriend, who has been several times; but for me, it was a first (and another on my list). He took the liberty of ordering for me, which I rarely allow, and within minutes the famous Lüke burger was sitting right in front of us.

My initial thought was how awesome the presentation was. This $16 burger comes topped with tomatoes, Allen Benton’s bacon, caramelized onions and Emmenthaler cheese and is served atop a wooden carving board. The french fries are made in-house and served alongside in a classic silver mint julep cup. There is even a small place on the cutting board to hold your ketchup.

Once the cheeseburger touched my lips I knew that no other hamburger would ever compare. The cheese, bacon and onions brought sweet and salty elements and the meat was juicy, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. After hearing for months how amazingly addictive this burger was, I could finally agree.

Now don't get me wrong, I love my Port of Call burger just as much as the next person, but the Lüke cheeseburger is just, well... different. It has a certain sophistication that most burgers simply don't have and I cannot wait to go back to this New Orleans brasserie and have it again.