I love a good hamburger and I have to say that in Paris, I’ve had the best burgers. I think it’s because the meat is just so much better there than it is here in the US. The lack of hormones and other byproducts that are mixed in just leaves you with pure, unadulterated meat.
It’s meat like that, that produces for a good base for a great burger. Add a freshly baked bun and you’ve suddenly got the makings of a spectacular burger.
At Blend, the newest burger joint in Paris, the meat, either beef or veal, comes from Yves-Marie le Bourdonnec , a Paris butcher who just happens to be a consultant to Alain Ducasse and other three-star French chefs. So you know it must be good.
As with most trendy newcomers, we had to wait outside (in January on a very cool day) until there was room inside to stand and wait. But we then had ample time to look over the menu and figure out exactly what we wanted. When it came time to seat us, we ended up sharing a table with three other people, squeezing inside each side of a table by the wall. Even though this setup is a bit awkward for those who prefer to enjoy their present company alone, it did make for some fun conversation with our tablemates, who, luckily, were very nice folks. It’s certainly intimate and cozy, just not with your own party.
(It was packed when we first arrived!)
But don’t let the small space fool you. The burgers are tops. The menu consists of four meat versions and two veggie options. Each meat burger comes on a freshly baked buttery, brioche bun and the vegetable burgers sit atop either a spinach or tufu bun of equal delight. They are juicy and messy and really hit the spot like a good burger, craved, should.
The hand cut fries, either regular or sweet potato are lightly salted and are the perfect complement to the burgers.
(The Cheesy with it’s delectable barbeque sauce and The Champ, a mushroom burger with a lovely mint sauce on a spinach bun. MMMM Burger is right!)
If you should still have room after you’ve finished your burgers, the cheesecake and the homemade cookies are not to be missed!
I’ll definitely stop in here again and get my burger on!
BLEND
44 rue d’Argout
75002, Paris
M° Sentier/Etienne Marcel