Special Day, Special Burger

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the most amazing, handsome, God-fearing, kind-hearted, dependable, patient, admirable (shall I go on?) man I know!  No matter how ugly, incompetent, ashamed, unworthy I feel, this man always makes me feel like I’m the most important person in his life.

My dear husband, best friend, Kona’s daddy, I hope that I make you feel as special as you make me feel everyday.  Thank you for always lending me your shoulder and lifting me up everytime I fall down.  I LOVE YOU!

As I have declared this week “death” week, Tim was considerate enough to allow me to take him out for a nice meal this past Saturday.  I wish we could’ve celebrated today, but life never seems to let me off that easy.

So where did I take him?  Second Bar + Kitchen in downtown Austin.  Ever since we moved out to the suburbs, our trips to the oh so unique, vibrant, and energetic part of the city have been dwindling in number and fast!  It felt so great to walk along the streets hand in hand with my man.

I chose this place because Tim’s been wanting to try their burger for quite some time now.  Apparently they serve an amazing, legit gourmet burger that’s recognized by burger bloggers even outside the state of Texas.  While I wanted to treat him out to a “fancier” place, I knew he would be more than thrilled with this choice.  Besides, from what it sounded like, this burger was not like anything he’s tried so far…not even close.

The ambience of the restaurant took me to New York with its extreme sophistication and up-scale, simple yet elegant feel.  I immediately knew we were in for a treat.  For Tim, ordering was a cinch.  As for me, it was a toughie.  It must’ve taken me more than 10 minutes and the waiter having to come back around 3 times before I finally decided on something.

First thing’s first.  Let’s take a look at this upscale burger shall we?  I introduce you to the Bar Congress Burger!

With all those house-made condiments (ketchup, peppercorn mayo, dijon mustard), Tim was far removed from his element… definitely not his usual diner-style burger.  I wish you could’ve seen his face!  Pure joy and exhilaration, I tell ya!  He’s so easy to please ;).  I was so excited for him and couldn’t wait for him to take his first bite!

The burger was a house ground chuck and brisket combo served with shallot confit (love saying that word), gruyere (yum!), bibb lettuce, tomatoes, and horseradish pickles.  Yup, exactly.  I, too, was impressed.

As a perfect complement, how about black truffle pommes frites sprinkled with grana padano served alongside truffle aioli!

Ok…so I hardly eat french fries.  But these frites…oh they’re dangerous.  I thought I had better self-control.  You truffle oil stick thingys proved me wrong.

So the verdict?  Let’s just say that this one is going to be Tim’s standard by which other gourmet burgers will be measured.  He was especially impressed by the perfect char and the juiciness of the patty.  I personally loved the addition of gruyere which I felt added an earthy richness to the burger.  And yes, my kind husband offered me a bite..just one bite.

I knew I was in trouble after that one bite.  Once again, I had meal envy.  However, for some reason, I don’t like ordering the same thing as him.  It just seems like a waste of money as I am a HUGE fan of sharing.  Tim’s not, but I still continue to fork my way onto his plate ;).

So what did I order?  First of all, I must say that it was nice to go to a place where choices other than burgers were offered.  Ever since Tim’s creation of his burger bucket list, I’ve been eating more than my fair share of burgers.

This time, I feasted on roasted chicken arugula salad with candied pecans, shallots, roasted beets, and cranberry vinigarette.

The chicken was so juicy, moist, and flavorful that I soon forgot about the burger.  I was extremely content with my choice for once.  And as I’m sure you all guessed, I refused to eat the skin, although Tim did not hesitate to ask me for a little piece.  It was definitely his cheat day.  The fruity vinigarette was an absolute delight!  I must try to recreate it…somehow…hmm…

This was truly a memorable and special dining experience.  We’ll be back, Second Bar!

My content hubby ;).  He simply could not stop talking about his burger the rest of the day.

Whoa whoa..who’s that model? 😉

Happy Birthday, my love!