The rise of the

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INSIDE

WEEK OF DECEMBER 5-11, 2012

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Vol. VI, No. 36 • FREE

The rise of the

GOURMET

Holiday Gift Guide Shop local this holiday season. INSERT X

BURGER BY EVAN WILLIAMS ewilliams@floridaweekly.com

W Retro trend lifts American favorite to new h eights heights

IITH BURGER JOINTS POPPING UP

a over Southwest Florida all l like spittles of grease flying o a hot griddle, restauoff r rateurs are tapping into a s seemingly insatiable appetite for that most American of sandwiches. This country’s bestselling and (arguably) best culinary invention is experiencing resurgent popularity at restaurants that sell updated and gourmet versions of meat-on-bun deliciousness. Among the burger places to open recently in Southwest Florida: Elevation Burger, Th Counter Custom Built Burgers, The F r Fo Ford’s Garage, Gyrene’s Burger Co. an a nd Five Guys. nd and “ “It’s seems like everybody an their mother wanted an and to o pen a burger pe b to open stand th his is year,” said Todd this Brr B Brooks, who took ov an old burgov over er joint in Naples er

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Charter School’s growth Primarily for-profit educators see returns. B1 X

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At left: The Distinguished A G Gentleman, Black N-Bleu and The Model A are gou go gou gourmet burgers served at Ford’s Garage.

Exquisite holiday décor, gourmet buffet continue tradition of elegance at The Breakers BY MARY JANE FINE mjfine@floridaweekly.com

Year after year, the trees arrive — two of them, 18 feet tall, 9 feet across — transported by truck in the pre-dawn darkness, well after Thanksgiving feasts in Palm Beach and Naples, Jupiter and Delray and Palm Beach Gardens have been reduced to leftovers, covered with foil, stored in the fridge. The custom-made giants have

spent 11 months cosseted in a West Palm Beach warehouse, but now their once-ayear time has come again. A work crew — “ t h e wo rl d ’s t a l l e s t e lve s ,” q u i p s

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The two 18-foot trees that fill the lobby of The Breakers are are adorned with some 2,000 ornaments and thousands of lights.

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ROGER WILLIAMS OPINION ANTIQUES HEALTHY LIVING

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WEEK OF DECEMBER 5-11, 2012

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BURGERS From page 1 a few years ago and turned it into the thriving Brook’s Gourmet Burgers & Dogs. A doughnut burger is a bestseller there, with two glazed doughnuts replacing the bun. The place also features a burger with peanut butter. Those offerings are unique to Brook’s. But they seem less unusual among the latest burger joints, where a much wider variety, and higher quality, of buns, toppings and beef — and in some cases bison, elk and alligator — has helped drive the so-called “better burger” trend. That’s according to a widely circulated study, Technomic’s 2011 Center of the Plate: Beef & Pork Consumer Trend Report. It found that nationwide, fast casual burger sales grew 20.8 percent from 2010 to 2011 while burger sales as a whole grew at 3.7 percent; and 80 percent of consumers eat burgers away from home once a month while nearly half do so once a week. The “burger explosion,” suggests Mr. Brooks, has also been fueled by a recessionary instinct to do more with less, creating new twists on an old favorite that would excite palates while being easy on the pocketbook. “Restaurants need to figure out how to make comfort food that people want to eat, but something they can’t get at home,” he said. The price point for burgers — those mentioned in this article range from $6 to $15 — have made even burgers laden with luxurious veggies and cheeses recession friendly. Angelo Salvador, general manager of Five Guys at Coconut Point, has another theory: that a resurgent gourmet burger has been driven by well-off baby boomers looking for the tastes they grew up with, only better. “The baby boomers grew up going to the diner or getting a nickel burger with the girl on the roller skates at the drive in,” Mr. Salvador said. “Well, society has changed a little bit but these people are older and make a lot of money or have a lot of money, but they still want that taste of their youth, that burger. They may not necessarily want a lesser quality nickel hamburger; they want something better. So it’s kind of a marriage between nostalgia and ‘my tastes have evolved.’” A new breed of burgers also seems to promise not just better quality or more choices but a healthier product, noted Anthony Ilczuk, who was waiting for his order last week at Jimmy P’s Butchershop and Deli, a Naples establishment that specializes in Wagyu Kobe beef. “You go to a place like this or Five Guys and, I don’t think it’s accurate, but you feel like it’s going to be healthier,” he said. Even if it’s still pretty bad for you, the taste might be enough to make you forget. Dr. Manuel Mon, a professor at Florida Gulf Coast University, warns that he doesn’t like a burger with too much grease. But he groans with pleasure at the mere thought of a Five Guys burger topped “all the way.” Naples retiree and children’s book author Nancy Poffenberger prefers her burgers “very simple — some dill pickle, lettuce, tomato, maybe mayonnaise,” she said adding, “Mushrooms, onions. Maybe a little cheese.” You’ll be able to find a burger to suit your own taste on this veritable tour of just some of the best new and not-asnew Southwest Florida burger joints.

Brook’s Gourmet Burgers & Dogs Besides a full menu of burgers from the old-fashioned, turkey, bison and chicken burgers are also offered at this

EVAN WILLIAMS / FLORIDA WEEKLY

At Brook’s in Naples, a Doughnut Burger and Twice Baked Potato Burger await fries that cook George Kiesel is grabbing. Naples eatery. Under tables’ glass tops are napkins and pieces of paper with notes expressing great appreciation from customers, including those from France, Germany, Italy and the Ukraine. One of owner Todd Brooks’s favorites is the Twice Baked Potato Burger. He also offers a Goober Burger, which includes peanut butter and bacon, an idea culled from the Missouri State Fair, he said. A customer favorite, The Donut Burger, sells at a rate of about five per day at Brook’s. “It’s a great seller,” said cook George Kiesel. “You get pretty jacked up after eating one though.” A former vice president of a Kansas City steakhouse, Mr. Brooks moved here about two years ago with his wife, Sandra, and their two children. He transformed the old Lindburgers into a place that is his own.

330 South Ninth Street, Naples 262-1127 www.naplesburgers.com

Elevation Burger Mercedes Zambrano is a vegan who approves of Elevation Burger, where she works at Gulf Coast Town Center. That’s because the beef is of the freerange, hormone free, grass-fed variety. The cows that gave their lives for the burgers here led a relatively pleasant life and are killed in a humane manner, pointed out manager Mike Murphy. The meat is fresh ground every day and less greasy than some of its competitors. The cheddar the restaurant uses has a nice tang to it. The caloric count of each menu item is posted beneath it. A standard two-patty burger has 510 calories, for instance. It also offers vegan patties, fresh-cut fries and shakes. “People I think are wanting to go more retro, which means healthier,” said Mr. Murphy. The franchise began in Virginia in 2005 and opened its first Southwest Florida location in January. The store features a Super Griddle, a conveyor belt of sorts, which can cook up to 450 burgers per hour. 9902 Gulf Coast Main Street Fort Myers 437-2377 www.elevationburger.com

Gyrene Burger Co. Gyrene’s claim to fame: The delivery of hot, fresh burgers in less than 15 minutes. Founded by Domino’s Pizza founder Tom Monaghan last November, Gyrene’s delivery staff uses bicycles and scooters to deliver within a limited 1.5-mile radius of the restaurant. There are currently two stores in Naples. “Tom had thought about doing burger delivery back in the ’70s and ’80s with Domino’s and he decided to just stay focused on pizza,” said operations officer Jason Rummer. Already in Ohio, New York, and elsewhere in Florida, the business has people interested in franchises, Mr. Rummer said. But for now, all the profits from the two Naples stores go to Ave Maria University, part of the town of the same name that Mr. Monaghan created from the ground up. A former vice president for Domino’s in the early 1980s, Mr. Rummer saw that pizza chain explode in growth as well. “The growth now on both sides of it (burgers and pizza) is more about quality,” he said. “Speed of service and high quality product at a fair price always wins with consumers. Always wins. And people love burgers; it’s a staple American food. Our goal with pizza was we were going to deliver one pizza per week to every house in America. And burgers, I would dare to say, that burgers are somewhat the same way.”

51 9th Street South, Naples 263-4110 9331 Tamiami Trail 254-1001 www.gyreneburger.com

Square 1 This Tampa-based gourmet burger house began in 2010 and has five stores, including its Fort Myers location, which opened last spring. There is an eye-popping menu of choices here: including Red Angus beef burgers and more exotic fare (specials

have included gator, ostrich, bison and buffalo burgers, a server said), including the Apple Duckling Burger with seasoned duck, caramelized apples, red onions and teriyaki ginger sauce on a sesame bun. A mushroom cheddar burger ordered by this reporter was cooked to juicy medium rare perfection. “I think people really like burgers, number one I think because a cheeseburger, hamburger, it’s American fare,” said manager Christian Siwek. “And gourmet burgers are getting big, I think, because people want choices.”

5031 South Cleveland Avenue, Fort Myers 931-8111 www.square1burgers.com

The Counter: Custom Built Burgers Speaking of choices, The Counter boasts that among its gourmet buns, meats, toppings and sauces that customers may mix and match, there are 312,120 combinations. One of those is a 1/3 pound beef patty on a wheat bun (they are also offered in a salad bowl) with Tilamook cheddar, roasted green chilies, Applewood smoked bacon, pickles and jabañero salsa: a thing of beauty. The California-based franchise began in 2003 and opened in Naples at the Mercato earlier this year. Customers check off on a clipboard which items they’d like on their burger or may order off a set menu.

1395 Panther Lane, Naples 566-0644 www.thecounterburger.com

Ford’s Garage In downtown Fort Myers, Ford’s is overflowing with craft beer and illustrious Black Angus burgers named after local luminaries like Mayor Randy

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WEEK OF DECEMBER 5-11, 2012

COURTESY OF FORD’S GARAGE

Jimmy P’s Butcher Shop & Deli

Mercedes Zambrano cooks burgers made from humanely treated cows on The Super Griddle at Elevation Burger in the Gulf Coast Town Center. these days,” said owner Daniel Kearns. One of his favorite burgers includes cheddar cheese, a fried egg, bacon and pico de gallo. A bartender returned to check on how this reporter was enjoying The Bootlegger burger named for Dr. Randy Bartholomew, with its signature topping of cheese, coleslaw and BBQ sauce. “What’s the verdict, honey?” Yum.

four in five years, said Angelo Salvador, general manager of the Coconut Point location. “You know, all throughout the recession we were booming,” Mr. Salvador said. “We hit a little slowdown now system-wide but we’re still as a company growing.” Besides its burgers, which fairly ooze with meat and toppings, Five Guys distinguishes itself by offering fresh-cut fries and advertising where in Idaho or Washington or wher-

2207 First Street, Fort Myers 332-3673 www.fordsgaragefl.com

Five Guy’s Burgers and Fries

The Southwestern gourmet burger served at Ford’s Garage.

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ever else the potatoes came from. “People like it, especially because we get a lot of visitors here from the Midwest and from Idaho,” Mr. Salvador said. And more of them tend to show up this time of year. “It was a pretty hectic day today,” Mr. Salvador said last Wednesday. “We were busier than I expected. But it was nice. We had a lot of people in there and we were able to serve them and serve them well.” www.fiveguys.com

Interior of Ford’s Garage Henderson or car dealer Sam Galloway. Here, burgers are given the royal treatment, with each bun branded with the Ford’s log, fries served in a miniature fry basket, and a vintage Ford buggy replica hanging over the bar that can emit “exhaust” on command. Even with all the bells and whistles, the concept stays true to keeping burgers reasonably priced. “If you can go out and get a premium burger with some great toppings, really an ideal meal at an affordable price, it’s a good situation for a lot of people

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This long-time Washington D.C.born business exploded in popularity after franchising in 2003. Located throughout the region, there are six Lee County stores, the latest opening a few months ago, with plans to open another

At Jimmy P’s, you can buy $100-per pound marbled Kobe steaks cut from Wagyu beef, or just about any other cut of the famous cow. Every morning, workers here grind up Kobe meat: sirloin tips along with scraps from New York strips and ribeye to create a hamburger patty with the perfect fat content, said butcher Matt Deason, shortly before the small store, located in a humble strip mall on U.S. 41, became overwhelmed with a lunch hour crowd out for meat. Besides steak, diners may order a full pound, half pound or 1/3 pound Kobe burger. Mr. Deason noted the Kobe beef has “as much or more Omega 3 as salmon.” While other burger joints are newer, this one (which is a butcher shop first and foremost) has been at this spot for a decade. “Our burger sales have been exceptional just because of the quality of the beef,” Mr. Deason said. The company’s logo, emblazoned on T-shirts, also reflects that sentiment: “You can’t beat our meat.” ■

1833 Tamiami Trail North, Naples, 643-6328 www.jimmypsbutchershop.com

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